Weight Gain During Pregnancy

Every mother should realize that you will gain weight during your pregnancy. The question is, how much weight is healthy? It is important to understand that weight gain varies from one pregnancy to the next. Your doctor must take into account variables such as your present height, weight, family history, etc. While not always the case, weight gain is usually a bit larger for larger women. You should not, however, use pregnancy as an excuse to eat poorly. Excessive weight gain is not healthy for the mother or fetus and poor nutrition can lead to gestational diabetes for the mother and potentially poor development for the fetus.

At birth, the average baby weighs a little more than 7 pounds although can be much smaller or larger. You also must consider the weight of your uterus growth which adds about 2 pounds. A placenta weighs 1 to 1.5 pounds. Breast enlargement increases body weight about 1 pound although this does vary in women. Since your blood volume increases this weight is usually another 2-3 pounds. You have extra fluid in your body, such as amniotic fluid, which can weigh 5-6 pounds. Women also experience an increase in fat development to help the body prepare for breast feeding, and this fat increase usually ranges from 5-7 pounds. All things considered, the average woman should see her weight increase between 21 and 26.5 pounds. It should be noted the above estimates are for one fetus as multiple fetuses will increase a mother's weight more.

Click here to use our free weight gain calculator!