Weight Gain in Pregnancy...How much is enough?

American women are probably some of the worst regarding obsession with weight, and it’s unlikely that this obsession will diminish any time soon.
 

But this obsession among pregnant women needs to stop. Now.
 

I’m amazed at this phenomenon among pregnant women, particularly among women who otherwise are focused on having a healthy pregnancy. We scrutinize ourselves religiously – “Am I putting on too much weight?” though we never ask if we’re not putting on enough… We brag that we haven’t gained any weight by week ‘x’ in our pregnancy. Our friends even join in – “I would be sooo happy if I were as small as you are at ‘x’ week in pregnancy!”
 

Excuse me?
 

Maybe we’ve forgotten the facts. Or maybe we haven’t heard them.
 

For the woman of average weight/BMI pre-pregnancy, an increase of 25-35 pounds is considered normal. 25 pounds is the absolute minimum for the average woman. Underweight women should gain even more. Personally, I think these values are a bit conservative.
 

Let’s look at where this weight comes from. At 40 weeks, you should be looking at the following increases:

1. Baby  - 7 to 8.5 pounds (at least!)
2. Placenta – 2 to 2.5 pounds
3. Amniotic fluid – 2 pounds
4. Increase in the uterus – 2 pounds
5. Breast increase – 1 to 4 pounds (we forget that our breasts are not fully developed at puberty. They don’t fully develop until lactation.)
6. Blood volume increase – 4 to 5 pounds
7. Tissue fluid – 3 to 5 pounds (a little swelling is supposed to happen!)
8. Fat stores for breastfeeding – 4 to 6 pounds

I think fat stores of only 6 pounds are too low if you’re breastfeeding. For me, personally, it would not have been adequate. I put on 50 pounds while pregnant (yes, 50, just so you know it’s not a misprint), and would have lost every bit and more if we had continued breastfeeding.
 

As it were, I lost 31 pounds the first month postpartum. I had a very high supply and a healthy, hungry baby. If I were average weight pre-pregnancy, had put on only 25-35 pounds, and lost like that postpartum, I would have plummeted into the underweight category and put myself (and my son as long as I was breastfeeding) at health risks. It’s not worth it to look skinny.
 

In all my research, I have found little to no evidence in order to be concerned with weight gain above the guidelines of 25-35 pounds (apart from gestational diabetes) as long as you eat well. If pregnant women eat healthy – fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean protein, good fats and oils – they will gain the amount they are meant to gain. Our bodies, in the vast majority of cases, know what to do.
 

Inadequate weight gain increases the risk of preterm birth and small-for-gestational age infants. Maternal and fetal risks increase in these cases. Having a small baby does not equate easy birth. Smaller babies may have more trouble feeding, even bottle feeding, and a harder time sleeping well and keeping adequate body temperature. Is it worth it to be skinny a few months later?
 

Even if total weight gain is adequate at the end of pregnancy, inadequate gains during either half can increase your risks. Inadequate gains in the first half of pregnancy can increase your chance of a small-for-gestational age baby; inadequate gains in the second half can increase your risk of preterm birth.
 

So eat! Eat well! Eat only when you’re hungry and eat nutrient rich foods. Your weight gain in pregnancy is meant to provide for your little one both now and later.
 

It’s supposed to be this way.

A couple of notes:

1. Of course, I’m not advocating that you eat whatever you want, as much as you want, whenever you want. Obesity and excessive weight gain during pregnancy present their own sets of risks. However, I’m a firm believer in the theory that if you eat well, you’ll gain what your body is meant to gain.
2. The facts in this entry are taken from ready the following nursing textbook. This blog is factually based and any opinions present are based directly on my knowledge of current research and personal experience. The source is – Maternity and Women’s Health Care. By Lowdermilk and Perry