How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

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If you're pregnant, you're very likely concerned about the amount of
weight you're gaining, the effect it has on your body, even how
difficult it will be to take off after your pregnancy. Your OB/GYN or
midwife is your best source of advice about healthy weight gain during
pregnancy, but there are general guidelines.

Depending on your weight at the start of your pregnancy, your doctor
may tell you that a healthy weight gain for you is anywhere between 15
and 40 pounds. If you're underweight to start (a BMI of less than
18.5), 25 to 40 pounds is a reasonable weight gain during pregnancy.
If you're overweight, he or she may suggest you stick closer to 15 to
25 pounds. Of that weight, 6 to 8 pounds of it is the baby. The rest
is amniotic fluid, extra tissue and blood to nourish the baby
(including the placenta), and the increased size of your breasts and
placenta. You'll lose as much as 15 pounds of it WITH the birth
(amniotic fluid, placenta and baby).

Any doctor will tell you that pregnancy is NOT the time to go on a
diet. Your body AND your baby need the nutrients of an adequate,
balanced diet to keep you both healthy. This doesn't mean that you
should throw all your restraint to the winds and 'eat for two',
though. Your body needs approximately an extra 300 calories a day to
build a healthy baby. Those 300 calories should come from the same
healthy variety of foods that your normal diet gives you. (You were
eating a healthy, balanced diet, weren't you? If not, pregnancy is a
great time to start.)

You can expect to gain weight along a fairly predictable pattern. In
the first three months, you'll gain 2-4 pounds altogether. During the
second trimester, you can expect to gain between 3-4 pounds a month
(about a pound per week). During the last three months, you'll gain an
additional 8-10 pounds. Your doctor or midwife will weigh you
regularly, and may

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