Most pregnant women look forward to the moment when they have. But along with this, expectant mothers are somewhat alarmed by the change in their own dimensions, because along with the belly, other parts of the body are rounded. And this does not please every woman.
Weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable. Any normal pregnancy should be accompanied by an increase. But she “has no right” to go beyond the established limits, which may be different in each individual case.
What does weight gain depend on?
So, if the pregnancy proceeds well, then as it develops, the woman’s weight will inevitably increase. The amount of fluid in the body increases, the uterus, fetus and placenta grow, the breast prepares for feeding, and small fat reserves are deposited to provide the baby with everything necessary. Naturally, all these gains become noticeable even without weights. However, not all expectant mothers recover in the same way.
The number of kilograms gained during pregnancy depends on many factors. First of all, from the initial weight. The further he falls short of the norm, the faster he will rise upward. The process will go faster if you have a tendency to be overweight, but previously kept your weight down with moderate nutrition and physical activity. Tall women will also score higher than low ones.
If it is expected, then it is obvious that the placenta will be larger and heavier, and with it the overall weight. The tendency to swelling also affects this indicator: the more fluid is retained in the body, the further the scale needle deviates.
It is noteworthy that weight loss by early stages due to strong, it can later cause its rapid increase: the body, as it were, is catching up, trying to recover.
In addition, almost all expectant mothers experience an increase in appetite at certain periods, which is associated with an increase in estrogen levels. And if a woman is unable to control it, then overeating also leads to a set of extra, and in this case, unwanted kilograms.
Fluid retention in tissues (which causes swelling) is also reflected by extra numbers on the scales. More prohibited kilograms are formed when. Naturally, when expectant mother will weigh more than if she were pregnant with one child.
We should not forget about age: over the years, the tendency to become overweight and gain weight extra pounds ov increases.
Increase rates
Being underweight or overweight during pregnancy can lead to various complications. Thus, too large increases may be accompanied by, which is considered a violation. Overweight becomes an obstacle during childbirth, complicating the birth of the baby. This is also a large load on the heart and musculoskeletal system of a woman, the risk of developing thrombophlebitis and the occurrence of various pains. And too small increases may be a sign of impaired fetal development.
It is not without reason that doctors monitor a pregnant woman’s weight throughout the entire period and especially in the second half of pregnancy. To assess this indicator, conditional “corridors” have been created into which the expectant mother should normally fit. Of course, these norms are average and can be adjusted depending on individual characteristics. But in general they can be expressed in the following table:
Norms of weight gain during pregnancy
Week of pregnancy | 19,8<ИМТ<26,0 | ||
BMI in the table is the body mass index, which is calculated as follows:
BMI = weight (kg) / height (m)2.
For example, with a weight of 60 kg and a height of 160 cm, BMI = 60 / 1.62² = 23.44.
Different BMI indicators in the first, second and third columns are characteristic of women of thin, medium and large build, respectively.
As you can see, you should hardly gain weight: the increase is on average 1-2 kg. In the second trimester, weight can increase by 250-300 g every week. Starting from week 30 - 300-400 g per week or 50 g per day. There is also the following formula for calculating the allowed increase in the 3rd trimester: for every 10 cm of height, you can add a maximum of 22 g per week.
However, the rate of weight gain is as individual as the gain itself. Some women begin to plump up already from the first weeks, others sharply increase in volume in the last months.
Most obstetricians agree that on average you can gain 12-13 kg during pregnancy. If twins are expected, the increase will be 16-21 kg.
Undoubtedly, you should be wary if a woman has not gained a single gram in two weeks or the increase in a week is more than 500 g. You should also consult a doctor if your weight is growing unevenly.
Where do kilograms come from?
We found that “legal” weight gain during the entire pregnancy can average 13 kg. What do these “pregnant” kilograms consist of:
- child - 3000-3500g;
- uterus - 900-1000 g;
- afterbirth - 400-500 g;
- amniotic fluid - 900-1000 g;
- increase in blood volume - 1200-1500 g;
- additional liquid - 1500-2700;
- breast enlargement - 500 g;
- body fat- 3000-4000 g.
Total - 11400-14700 g.
As you can see, food for two is not provided here. So this idea can be discarded right away. However, for the development and bearing of a healthy child, reserves are needed, which the mother’s body draws from nutrition. The diet of pregnant women should indeed be a little higher in calories than others, but not by much - only plus 200 calories per day in the first half and plus 300 calories per day in the second half of pregnancy.
If the doctor has come to the conclusion that the pregnant woman’s weight exceeds the permissible norm, you should first try to give up flour, sweets and animal fats. You should not sharply limit your diet, because changes in weight provoke changes. Portions should be reduced gradually, but you should not give up cereals and plant foods. You need to eat often, but little by little. And monitor your fluid intake: 6-8 glasses a day without fail.
It is advisable to weigh yourself every day for control; it is best to do it in the morning on an empty stomach and always in the same clothes to obtain the most reliable data.
Do not rush to be upset if your indicators do not coincide with the above standards, because everything is individual. Focus on how you feel and your doctor’s advice. Remember that after giving birth you will gradually return to your previous shape if you put in a little effort. This process will go faster if you breastfeed your baby. But if you gain excess weight during pregnancy, it will be more difficult to lose those extra pounds.
Please note that malnutrition during pregnancy is much more dangerous than overeating. However, try to keep yourself within limits.
Especially for- Elena Kichak
One of the main thoughts that haunt girls long before pregnancy is the fear of gaining a lot of weight. This is partly correct, since many women after childbirth begin to have problems with excess weight. But you shouldn’t be afraid of this in advance, and even more so you shouldn’t postpone pregnancy for this reason. If you lead an appropriate lifestyle, your weight during pregnancy will not be excessive. Proper nutrition is the key to minimal weight gain during the entire nine months of pregnancy.
Normal weight during pregnancy
It is a fact that a woman will gain weight during pregnancy. The main point for the doctor is not the aesthetic side, but the timely detection of pathological growth. Therefore, during each visit to the gynecologist, the woman steps on the scale and reports the result to the gynecologist.
It is important to know the exact figures for weight gain, so you should not overeat before going to the doctor and wear too much clothing. You can measure your weight at home, which will allow you to identify excess weight gain in time.
Nutrition and weight
In order to control weight during pregnancy, you need to monitor your diet and not forget about physical activity. Of course, if there is a threat of interruption, then bed rest is necessary and there can be no question of any fitness or swimming pool. But if the pregnancy proceeds without complications, then you need to move as much as possible. Daily walks, morning exercises, and physical exercise for pregnant women should be mandatory. Then the normal pregnancy weight will be maintained throughout the entire nine months.
An important point is the nature of nutrition and the amount of food eaten. It should be remembered that the child will always take the elements he needs from the mother’s blood. Therefore, it is necessary to achieve a balance so that there is enough nutrients, but there is no excess. You should not exclude potatoes or pasta from your diet, but these foods can be limited. But vegetables and meat should be included in the diet regularly and in sufficient quantities.
If a woman was overweight before pregnancy, then she should not start losing weight after she becomes pregnant. You should also not lose weight while planning a pregnancy. Weight loss is a difficult process that affects many organs. This may have a negative impact on the child's development. Thin girls should not overeat with the thought that it is for the benefit of the baby. Rapid weight gain is no less harmful than rapid weight loss. There must be a “golden mean” in everything.
These points are the answer to the question: how not to gain weight during pregnancy? In most cases, if you follow basic rules, weight gain can be controlled. Sometimes a genetic predisposition or susceptibility to disease takes over, and then monitoring your weight becomes more difficult. But in any case, you should avoid overeating and too high-calorie foods. Then, even with bed rest, the pregnant woman’s weight will be within normal limits.
Women - gain extra pounds. She seems to forget that a child is growing, developing and, accordingly, gaining weight inside her.
Meanwhile, weight gain during pregnancy is an important indicator of the health of a woman and her unborn child. Of course, it is inevitable that some fat will be deposited during pregnancy, but this is absolutely normal and should be accepted. If you adhere to proper nutrition and lead a healthy lifestyle, then after childbirth you can quickly regain your previous weight.
How many kilograms a woman gains during pregnancy depends on many reasons.
Initial weight before conception. The lower your own weight, the more a woman can gain before giving birth. To determine whether the expectant mother's weight is overweight, low, or normal for her height, a special indicator is used in medicine - body mass index (BMI).
Genetic constitution. It is important whether the expectant mother has a tendency to be overweight or thin. So, even if the initial weight of two women is the same, but one of them has always been thin without following any diets, and the second achieved the same through dieting and training, then the first will gain significantly less than the second.
Age. The older a woman is, the greater her tendency to gain excess weight.
Features of pregnancy. For example, having experienced early toxicosis, the body will try to compensate for the loss of kilograms at the end of pregnancy. Also, due to hormonal changes, a pregnant woman’s appetite may increase sharply and, if she does not control it, this will affect her weight.
Fruit size.With a large fetus, both the weight of the placenta and the quantity amniotic fluid will be more than usual. Consequently, the increase in body weight in a pregnant woman will be more significant.
Multiple pregnancy. Particularly noticeable weight gain is observed in women with multiple pregnancies. In this case, regardless of the initial weight of the mother, it will be 16-21 kg.
RATE OF WEIGHT GAIN
The weight of pregnant women, as a rule, increases unevenly, and the pace is individual for each woman: some gain it from the first days of pregnancy, while others begin to gain significant kilograms only after.
In the first half of pregnancy, women typically gain approximately 40% of their total weight gain, and in the second half - 60%. The average weight gain is about 0.2 kg per week. However, during this same period, many expectant mothers are worried about early toxicosis, so the total increase over 3 months can be 0-2 kg.
During this period, weight gain stops, and the weight may even decrease slightly - this is how the body prepares for childbirth.
PREGNANCY WEIGHT BY WEEK
During the entire pregnancy, weight gain averages 10-12 kilograms. At the same time, asthenics (thin, tall) can gain about 14 kg, which is the norm for them, and for hypersthenics (overweight, or overweight people), the optimal weight gain is about 7 kg.The table shows the average weight gain during pregnancy.
Pregnancy: weight gain
Women always watch their weight. But there comes a time when doctors begin to monitor this indicator. And the aesthetic side of the issue does not bother them.
Until the 28th week of pregnancy, if everything goes well, the doctor examines the patient once a month, and then 2 times a month. Weighing becomes a mandatory procedure for every visit to the gynecologist and part of the “ homework" Carry it out better in the morning, on an empty stomach and in the same clothes, so that the results obtained can then be compared.
Weight gain during pregnancy
In the first 2 months of pregnancy, while the baby and mother are just adapting to mutual coexistence, the woman usually does not gain weight. In addition, at this time she may be worried about toxicosis, which often leads to weight loss. So, in the 1st trimester of pregnancy there is no intensive gain; the expectant mother usually gains 1-2 kg. The main events occur later, because the body weight of the expectant mother increases mainly in the 2nd half of pregnancy, when the weekly weight gain averages 250-300 g. If the process goes faster, this may mean the appearance of a problem - hidden, and then obvious edema (hydropsis of pregnancy).
Let's take a look general rules, which are accepted among doctors to calculate possible weight gain during pregnancy. So, during the entire 9 months of pregnancy, the expectant mother should gain 10-12 kg. It is believed that starting from 30 weeks of pregnancy, a woman’s weight increases by about 50 g per day, by 300-400 g per week and by no more than 2 kg per month.
To more accurately determine acceptable weight gain and take into account all additional circumstances, the doctor can use the table (see below). In addition, the doctor has at his disposal a scale of average physiological weight gain in the last 3 months of pregnancy. The calculation is as follows: weekly weight gain should not exceed 22 g for every 10 cm of height. This means that with a height of 150 cm, a woman can gain 330 g in a week, with a height of 160 cm - 352 g, and with a height of 180 cm - 400 g.
How many kilograms the expectant mother will gain during pregnancy depends on many reasons.
The first one is age. The older the woman, the greater the tendency to be overweight.
Initial body weight(that is, before pregnancy). It is curious that the greater the weight deficit, the more kilograms the expectant mother has the right to add.
Weight loss due to early toxicosis. The fact is that, having survived the events of toxicosis, the body will try to compensate for the loss of kilograms
Features of the constitution. In this case, it is important whether the woman has a tendency to be overweight or thin.
Child size. If the patient is expecting a large baby (more than 4000 g), then the placenta will probably be larger than average. Consequently, a woman has the right to gain more weight during pregnancy than if she were expecting the birth of a small child.
Increased appetite. It happens that during pregnancy the expectant mother has an uncontrollable desire to eat, and if she cannot restrain it. Problems arise with excess weight.
Now let's see what those 10-12 kilograms of weight acquired by the expectant mother are used for. Indeed, if she gained 12 kg during pregnancy, as recommended, and gave birth to a child weighing 3 kg 300 g, then where is everyone else? They are distributed like this:
- child – 3300g;
- uterus - 900 g;
- afterbirth – 400 g;
- amniotic fluid – 900 g;
- increase in circulating blood volume – 1200 g;
- mammary glands – 500 g;
- adipose tissue – 2200 g;
- tissue fluid – 2700 g.
And what can cause “overkill”? Our calculation shows that excessive weight gain depends on various circumstances: the child’s weight ( large fruit), the amount of adipose tissue (weight gain with its initial deficiency), amniotic fluid (in case of polyhydramnios) and tissue fluid (if fluid is retained in the body). If the first two circumstances are normal phenomena, then the last two are deviations from the norm and require the attention of a doctor.
It happens that the expectant mother decides to follow a strict diet in order... not to gain weight. Some people are afraid of ruining their figure, while others (mostly women with narrow pelvises) believe that food restrictions will lead to the birth of a small child. In both the first and second cases, these arguments are erroneous. If a woman gains 10-12 kg during pregnancy, then with the help of a reasonable diet and exercise, she will definitely regain her previous size. Think about it, for example, ballerinas quickly get back into shape after giving birth, although they usually gain up to 18-20 kg during pregnancy!
You can calculate the acceptable weight gain yourself. To do this, you need to know your height and initial weight, which then turns into the BMI (body mass index). Calculate your BMI: BMI = weight (kg)/[height (m2)]. Results:
BMI< 19,8 – women of thin build;
BMI = 19.8 – 26.0- women of average build;
BMI>26 obese women.
Height – 1.60 cm, weight – 60 kg, BMI = 60/ (1.60)2 = 23.4It turns out that the woman has an average build, which means that at 30 weeks the optimal weight gain for her will be 9.1 kg, and at 40 weeks - 13.6 kg.
