How Much Weight Should I Gain During Pregnancy?
Weight is always a touchy subject. Maybe you’re trying to lose weight, maybe no matter how much you struggle, you can’t seem to gain it. Pregnancy can alter the speed and variation of your own tendencies to gain weight. So how much is appropriate, and when should you be concerned?
What’s in there, anyway?
The following chart describes the ‘average’ weight gain for each woman by the end of pregnancy based on the growth of organs and systems inside her body:
Baby = 7.5 pounds
Breasts = 2 pounds
Amniotic Fluids = 2 pounds
Body fluids = 3-4 pounds
Placenta = 1.5 pounds
Blood = 3-4 pounds
Uterus = 2 pounds
Maternal stores of fat, protein, and other nutrients = 6-8 pounds
When Will I gain the weight?
Most women, due to queasiness and morning sickness from increasing hcG in pregnancy, don’t gain much weight in the first trimester. Certain individuals suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum may even struggle to put on weight throughout their pregnancy. The majority of weight gain happens during the second trimester, and steadily increases throughout at an average rate of 3-4 pounds per month.
That being said, some women gain more, some women gain less. All of our bodies were built to carry a baby differently. Some are ‘all baby’ and have a tiny bump, some put on a little extra maternal store of fat or widen in areas like the breasts and hips to prepare for both delivering and nourishing a new baby.
There is no ‘wrong’ as long as you’re working healthfully to care for yourself throughout pregnancy. Continuing to be active, or taking a class during your pregnancy that allows modification as you adapt to a growing body, such as Fit4Baby, is a wonderful way to help adjust and thrive in your new pregnant figure.
Avoiding rapid gain or loss is always crucial for full body success in pregnancy and to avoid illness or other underlying health issues; speak with your provider about where you’re at when you enter pregnancy, and find a comfortable weight gain trend that work with your specific body type and weight.
How fast will it come off?
It took 10 months to grow and nourish your baby, it’ll take at least that long for your body to start recovering from birth. A dramatic immediate weight loss happens at delivery, when the majority of extra blood volume is used at delivery for the detachment of the placenta from the uterine wall, the baby’s birth, amniotic fluid, and much of the size and muscle of the uterus is expelled. The other factors of weight, such as maternal fat stores, are necessary for extra energy when feeding your baby in the first few months.
Above all else, remember that the scale is just a number. Sometimes, even when doing everything you can to nourish your body, the weight will come on either quickly or slowly, and in the way needed to take care of your baby and body. Try your best to embrace your pregnant figure, even if it looks different than you expected. The amazing changes in your anatomy are helping to grow a human!
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