Family Birth Place

Weight Gain During Pregnancy

Weight gain during pregnancy depends on your weight before you got pregnant. You should ask your nurse-midwife or doctor about how much weight is correct for you to gain. The following are general guidelines:

How do you know if you are normal weight, underweight, or overweight?

This is based on your Body Mass Index (BMI), which is calculated based on your weight and your height. Use this tool to calculate your BMI.

• Pregnancy is not a time to diet, but you have to watch what you eat. Eat healthy foods.
• Decrease the fatty foods in your diet by avoiding fast food and junk food. Avoid greasy foods; bake foods instead of frying them.
• Try to avoid potato chips, french fries, cakes, and cookies. Instead, aim to snack on low-fat foods such as pretzels, unbuttered popcorn, graham crackers, rice cakes, frozen yogurt, fruits, carrots, and celery.
• Drink at least eight glasses of fluids a day (water, juice, low-fat milk).

WHERE DO THE POUNDS GO (Normal weight before pregnancy)?

Baby……………………………………7 to 8 pounds
Maternal Stores……………………4 to 6 pounds
Blood………………………………….3 pounds
Fluid…………………………………..4 pounds
Amniotic fluid………………………2 pounds
Breasts……………………………….2 pounds
Placenta………………………………1 pound
Uterus…………………………………1 pound

Total…………………………………..20 to 30 pounds