Normal weight gain in pregnant women. Nutrition and weight. What should be the nutrition of a pregnant woman so that the weight is normal

16.07.2019

Pregnancy is an important period in the life of every woman. There are many changes in the body, and one of them is weight gain. The set of kilograms occurs both due to the growth of the fetus and as a result of the accumulation of the fat layer necessary for normal bearing. At the same time, weight during pregnancy by weeks and months increases unevenly.

Stages of weight gain

At the first visit by a woman to a gynecologist for registration, weighing is mandatory, and this is done throughout the entire gestation period. For some, weight gain begins from the first month of pregnancy, and for others, only after the 2nd trimester.

In the first three months, the normal gain is no more than 3 kg, but it is at this time that many people lose weight. This is due to toxicosis, which provokes vomiting and refusal to eat. This situation is not abnormal, but it is better to inform the doctor about it and follow his recommendations to relieve your condition.

With the standard development of pregnancy, in its first half, there is a 40% increase in weight from the total value, and 60% - in the second period.

From the second trimester, the well-being of the expectant mother usually normalizes, the appetite increases, and the process of intensive weight gain starts - an average of 400 grams per week. In the last 1-2 months, kilograms may not be added, and due to hormonal changes in the body, the weight stabilizes at a certain level or slightly decreases.

In order to properly control the increase in body weight, weighing must be carried out according to certain rules.

weekly, in the morning, at the same time;
have a minimum of clothes and carry out the procedure before breakfast;
after using the toilet.

In order for the organization of the diet and the rhythm of life of the expectant mother to be optimal, you need to figure out what the weight consists of during pregnancy. Fears that all the gained kilograms are deposited in adipose tissue are in vain. As the child grows, the necessary organs and tissues that are responsible for its development grow.

Average distribution of body weight during the period of bearing a child:

fruit - 3000-3500 g;
placenta - 500-600 g;
amniotic fluid - 800-1000 g;
blood volume increases, on average, by 1200-1500 g;
mammary glands - 500 g each;
fluid in tissues, cells - 1500-2000 g.

In addition, a woman needs a small amount of body fat to recharge with energy after childbirth, during breastfeeding, etc. They amount to about 2-3 kg, that is, only 20-30% of the total amount gained by the expectant mother. This division is inherent in nature and has a clear task - to provide comfortable conditions for the normal formation of the fetus.

Weight by week

In order to find out whether the weekly increase corresponds to the norm, you can check with specially designed tables. Determining weight during pregnancy by week is not difficult if you initially know your own body mass index (BMI). It is easy to calculate by squaring the numerical value of growth in meters, and dividing your weight in kilograms by the resulting figure.

The data shown in the table are average values and are a guideline for women to compare the weight of the mother by weeks of pregnancy with the optimal indicators. At the same time, it is important to take into account the individual characteristics of the organism, metabolic processes, lifestyle, diet and diet.

In addition to monitoring the body weight of the expectant mother by the local gynecologist when registering, a woman can independently equalize the table, which indicates how the permissible weight of a woman should change by weeks of pregnancy.

Table - weight of the pregnant woman by week

BMI (body mass index) = weight before conception (kg) / height (m) squared. For example, a woman with a height of 167 cm and weighing 59 kg has a BMI of 21.16. Experts use the method of checking the permissible weight gain in a somewhat simpler way - in a week a woman can gain 20 g for every 10 cm of her height.

How much weight do you gain during pregnancy? Extended values of weight gain in a woman, allowed by specialists, range from 9 kg to 14 kg with a singleton pregnancy. If two kids are expected, then mom can gain 16-21 kg. But, cases when a mother comes to childbirth who has recovered by 25+ kg is far from uncommon.

The body's reaction to pregnancy, in terms of gaining pounds, depends on many points. It is important what physique the young mother was before conception, how much she weighed, not the least role is played by heredity - the tendency to be overweight. An interesting fact is that the fuller a woman is, the less kilograms she gains during the period of bearing a child, and vice versa.

With the development and growth of the ovum, the uterus increases. This is due to the formation of new muscle fibers (myometrium) in the first 4-5 months of pregnancy, and after 21 weeks, its increase occurs as a result of thinning and stretching of the walls. It is not customary to determine the weight of the uterus by weeks of pregnancy, but the height of the uterine fundus is monitored. Before conception, its dimensions are about 8 cm, and by the time of childbirth, it increases several times - up to 38 cm.

What affects body weight

Often, expectant mothers believe that kilograms are added only due to the growth of the child. But, in fact, several indicators have an effect over the entire period of pregnancy.

The appetite of the expectant mother, or rather her ability to control the desire to eat, is an equally significant factor in the process of weight gain. Therefore, in order to exclude the situation of excessive weight gain, it is necessary to take the habit of eating right. And then, in moments of overwhelming hunger, there will be healthy food in the refrigerator - mostly vegetables and fruits, a minimum amount of fast carbohydrates.

It is logical that the size of the child himself also affects how intensively the mother will recover. Since the placenta, water, blood volume, etc. will also increase in proportion to the growth of the fetus. The age of the expectant mother also plays a certain role. The older the woman, the higher the risk of getting overweight before the baby is born.

A simple calculation can determine the average standard for the optimal set of kg for 9 months of bearing a child - this is 10-12.6 kg. It is clear that the indicator is maximally averaged and in real life the permissible fluctuations are more significant. But, getting on the scales at 40 weeks and seeing a value 10 kg higher than usual, you can not be afraid - this is not only the norm, but also a necessity.

Weight gain during pregnancy does not occur evenly. The main part falls in the second or third trimesters, and in the first 3 months the expectant mother usually gains only 2-3 kg, and sometimes she can even lose weight due to toxicosis. Further, in the second half of the term, on average, a pregnant woman should gain 300-400 g per week. It is not always possible to track the weekly increase, so it is easier to remember that from the second trimester you can get better up to 2 kg per month.

What is weight during pregnancy:

the weight of the fetus, reaching by the end of pregnancy from 2.5 to 4.2 kg - 30% of the total;
the placenta feeding the child –0.6 - 0.8 kg, which is 5%;
the uterus, in which the fetus develops, at the time of delivery weighs about 1 kg, or 10%;
amniotic fluid - the fluid surrounding the baby reaches 1.5 liters or 10% of the total weight gained;
freely circulating blood, interstitial and intracellular fluid - up to 3 kg, or 20%;
breast mass increases by 0.5 kg, which is 5%;
fatty deposits, necessary for the qualitative development of pregnancy and the baby, can weigh up to 4-5 kg, taking up to 20% in the total increase.

Normal weight gain is 10 kilograms within 9 months.

How is weight distributed during pregnancy? A significant increase - more than 50%, by the time of delivery falls on the fetus, amniotic fluid, placenta and enlarged uterus. After the appearance of the baby, these kilograms go away. But fat reserves remain, without which normal breastfeeding of the child is difficult, enlarged mammary glands.

Danger of underweight and overweight

The best option is when the weight changes smoothly, without a sharp increase. But, sometimes, there is a lack of mass. Most often, this happens due to insufficient nutrition. This leads to hormonal disruption in the body of the expectant mother, there is a threat of premature birth, there is a risk of delayed development of the baby.

As elsewhere, in how much a woman gains in kg while carrying a child under her heart, a golden mean is also needed. Too thin mothers run the risk of harm to the health of the child. Premature birth, delayed fetal development, underweight, malnutrition and the risk of miscarriage - this is what starvation and the race for super-forms during pregnancy threaten.

Excessively gained kilograms are no less dangerous. The reason for the increase may be the consumption of too high-calorie foods and the accumulation of excess fluid in the body. The risk of blood pressure problems (hypertension) increases, diabetes mellitus and varicose veins can develop. Edema with the ensuing consequences and late toxicosis are also frequent companions of excess weight. The birth itself in obese mothers, often proceeds with complications, the placenta ages prematurely, the risk of fetal hypoxia increases.

Overweight during pregnancy poses the greatest danger if it has arisen not due to overeating, but due to edema, which can be both explicit and latent. They often indicate a malfunction in the excretory system, and can cause late toxicosis, renal hydronephrosis.

Visible edema is easy to detect on your own, and hidden - only a doctor will determine during a routine examination.

Overweight is said to be if the gain is:

at least 2 kg in any month of gestation;
minimum 4 kg for the first 90 days;
monthly about 1.5 kg in the second trimester;
about 0.8 kg weekly in the last 3 months.

Overweight, provokes high blood pressure, fetal hypoxia and early aging of the placenta, contributes to the development of diabetes mellitus and subsequent complications in childbirth. At the first manifestations of visible edema on the hands, feet, fingers, it is necessary to visit your doctor.

Many people think that pregnancy is a period when you can not deny yourself anything. But, in this situation, it is worth remembering that, firstly, the result of any decision made will directly affect the child. Secondly, health, well-being, an easy course of childbirth largely depend on how many kilograms the mother has gained. And, thirdly, the more correctly the mother's diet is selected, the easier it will be for her to get back in shape after the baby is born.

In order for the process of gestation and childbirth to pass without complications, it is required to abandon any diets during pregnancy, to make an optimal diet, following the recommendations of specialists, and if any unusual situations arise, consult a doctor. It is important not to forget that both the lack of mass and its excess are dangerous.

During pregnancy, a woman's weight increases very significantly, on average by 10-14 kg. This is due to several reasons:

A growing fetus, the mass of which at the time of birth is 3-4 kg;
For the development of the child, certain conditions are necessary: the uterus stretches, becomes more full-blooded, the placenta and amniotic fluid are formed. All this increases the total body weight of a woman;
The body of the expectant mother is undergoing significant changes: a supply of adipose tissue appears, which should reliably protect the baby from external influences, the mammary glands increase, the volume of circulating blood increases, as a result, the body weight increases.

Normally, body weight during pregnancy increases gradually, the gains should not be too large. Overweight women may not have any gains at all for a long time, sometimes they even lose weight. Very often, a woman moves less during pregnancy, eats more (especially in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, when toxicosis passes and the stomach begins to interfere with an active lifestyle). When recovering, the expectant mother cannot always distinguish between a normal increase and an excess one. At the same time, both overweight and insufficient gains negatively affect the condition of the baby and the pregnant woman herself. The optimal weight gain calculator will help to control the process of mass gain.

How to calculate the rate of weight gain?

There are no single rules and numbers that can be used for all women. The weight gain depends on the initial weight, the height of the pregnant woman, the characteristics of the body, the duration of pregnancy. On average, an increase of 350 g per week is considered normal, but this figure is approximate and cannot be considered a strict criterion. That is why, in order to calculate the rate of weight gain by week, it is more convenient to use not tables, but online calculators.

Online weight calculator for baby.ru

The calculator on our website makes it possible to assess whether the weight gain is normal. You must enter pre-pregnancy weight, height, week of pregnancy and current weight. The program will calculate the baseline body mass index, the estimated weight by the end of pregnancy and will plot the weight gain. If the weight gain is on the graph line, then the weight is normal, and if it is higher or lower, then there is an excess or deficit of weight.

Why do you need to monitor your weight during pregnancy?

Excess weight gained during pregnancy is very difficult to "go away" after the birth of a baby, that is, it is more difficult to regain a slender figure. Extra pounds not only spoil your appearance, they can cause serious health problems. The connection between obesity and atherosclerosis, hypertension, myocardial infarction, hormonal imbalance has been proven. All these conditions can manifest themselves already during pregnancy, complicating its course and the process of childbirth.

Underweight during pregnancy is even more dangerous. If a child lacks nutrients, his development slows down, he may be born underweight, lag behind peers in physical and neuropsychological development. For the pregnant woman herself, nutritional deficiencies do not bode well either. The woman's body gives everything necessary to the fetus, and satisfies its own needs according to the residual principle. This means that with a nutritional deficiency, he may not get anything at all. As a result, internal reserves are used, chronic diseases can become aggravated, and latent pathological processes can be manifested.

Our online calculator is a convenient way to monitor body weight during pregnancy and store information about its changes over time.

Every woman knows that she needs to keep track of her weight. And the time of bearing a baby is no exception. In this article I would like to tell you what should be the weight gain during pregnancy. About norms, numbers and indicators - you can read about this in the text below.

About weight

All women know that while carrying a baby, weight will increase. However, not everyone knows that this should be done according to certain rules. If a woman is rapidly gaining weight, or it remains practically unchanged over a long period, this is not very good. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to tell you what should be the rate of weight gain during pregnancy. You need to know this in order to maintain the health of your baby while still in the womb.

How weight gain is distributed

It is worth saying that during pregnancy, not only the belly of a woman will increase, that is, not only the baby will grow. What else will increase in weight? So, on average, for the entire period of bearing a child, a lady should gain about 11-13 kg, which are distributed as follows:

Baby weight: about 3000-3500 g.
Weight of the uterus itself: about 900 g.
Weight of a child's seat, or placenta: 400 g.
The volume of amniotic fluid will be about 1 liter.
The mammary glands will increase by about half a kilogram.
The volume of circulating blood will increase by 1200 g.
Adipose tissue will increase by about 2 kg.
The mass of interstitial fluid will increase by about 2500 g.

First trimester

It is also important to consider what is the rate of weight gain during pregnancy by trimester. As for the first third of pregnancy, at this time the lady will gain quite a bit, about 1-2 kg. An exception, of course, can be those women who previously followed a very strict diet, or athletes who, during pregnancy, are simply forced to change not only their lifestyle, but also their diet. Why is the weight gain so small at this time? So, the baby himself is still very tiny, he still does not require much. In addition, at this time, most women suffer from toxicosis, so they do not eat much (and the body does not yet require it). The hormonal restructuring of the body of the expectant mother also does its job.

Second trimester

In the second trimester, the rate of weight gain during pregnancy will be significantly higher. And if in the first half of the second part of pregnancy a woman begins to gain weight more actively, then in the second half these indicators will increase even more. As for the numbers, a woman should add about 250-300 grams per week in this trimester.

Third trimester

The rate of weight gain by week during pregnancy in the third trimester will be almost the same as in the second half of the second trimester. According to the figures, the weight of the expectant mother should not increase by more than 300 grams weekly. If the scales say otherwise, you need to consult a doctor, this may be an indicator of certain deviations in the body of the expectant mother.

General figures

What is the general rate of weight gain during pregnancy? So, on average, for the entire period of bearing a baby, a woman should gain from 10 to 13 kg. If the indicators are in this range, the expectant mother led a correct lifestyle during pregnancy. If the numbers differ from the average, this may indicate the presence of certain problems in the woman's body (which can also affect the baby).

Effects on weight

It should also be said that many different factors affect weight gain during pregnancy.

The age of the woman. The older a woman is while carrying a baby, the more prone to excess weight gain.
Original weight. It all depends on the baseline BMI, that is, the body mass index. Depending on it, you can individually calculate the weight gain during pregnancy. The less weight a woman had before conception, the less she will gain.
Toxicosis. If a woman had early toxicosis (in the first trimester), her weight will be slightly less than that of those women who did not suffer from a similar problem.
Baby's weight. There are larger children, there are very small ones. This, of course, will also affect the amount of weight gained by the pregnant woman.
Features of the constitution of the body. It will not be a secret for anyone that there are women who are more and less prone to gaining excess weight.
Increased appetite. Some women eat a lot during pregnancy. This will, of course, affect your weight changes.

Nutrition and weight gain

And, of course, weight gain during pregnancy depends on what a woman eats. However, you should not rush to any food here. The time of bearing a baby is a period when a woman must carefully monitor what she eats. The following fact will be interesting and unexpected: during pregnancy, a lady needs only 200-300 calories in excess of the norm. This will be quite enough for both the child and the mother to get everything they need from the food they eat. When carrying a baby, it is best for a woman to give preference to cereals, vegetables, fruits, natural juices and black bread. It is also worth remembering that it is best to refuse large consumption of starchy foods, coffee, sweets, spicy and fried foods. Prohibited foods are fast food, carbonated drinks, chips, crackers, alcohol.

It is also worth remembering that while carrying a baby, the expectant mother should not go on various diets. After all, a child should receive a little of everything. Avoiding certain essential foods can lead to various developmental problems.

Reducing weight

Expectant mothers can start to be anxious when there is no weight gain at all during pregnancy. Moreover, they get scared when they even lose a couple of kilograms. However, if this happens in the first trimester, it is not scary. So it may be, because hormonal changes in the body of the expectant mother are underway. In addition, the toxicosis that torments a woman can affect weight loss. In this case, the problem can be corrected with adequate nutrition. It must be remembered that it is best to eat in small portions and often. If a woman loses weight in the late stages of bearing a baby, this can be an alarming signal. In this case, the lady will most likely be admitted to the hospital for a serious examination.

Big weight gain

However, too much weight gain during pregnancy is a much bigger problem. In medicine, this state of things is called PPV, that is, pathological weight gain. And this can lead to the development of gestosis, a serious condition during the carrying of a baby, which threatens not only health, but also the life of not only the child, but even the mother herself.

Why it happens?

Knowing what should be the rate of weight gain during pregnancy, a woman should carefully monitor her performance. After all, excess fat mass leads to the accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues. And this, in turn, is fraught with edema. Further, problems with pressure will begin to arise. And all this, of course, also affects the child (blood circulation worsens, the baby does not receive enough nutrients). In the worst case scenario, even lethal outcome is possible.

Observation

If a woman does not comply with the norm for weight gain during pregnancy, certain actions will need to be taken.

Frequent weight checks. A woman should see a doctor every 3-5 days for adjusting body weight gain.
Weekly blood test (with electrolytes).
Daily diuresis (urine collection). This is necessary in order to determine what is the fluid retention in the mother's body.

What to do

In order for the weight norm during pregnancy with PPV to be observed, a woman will need to follow certain rules. What is it about them?

Medical and protective regime. Most likely, the expectant mother will be placed within the walls of the hospital for more careful monitoring of her condition.
Eating a diet rich in protein. Also, the woman will be recommended frequent fractional meals.
Fasting days. In this case, they will be needed. Once every seven days, a lady will have to observe mono-nutrition: eat only one product per day. It can be cottage cheese, apples, dairy products, etc. It is worth remembering that the mono-diet should be prescribed exclusively by the attending physician.
You will have to limit your intake of liquids, including soups and compotes. Its volume should not exceed one and a half liters per day.
The use of medicinal products. This is often a necessary measure; medication must be prescribed exclusively by a doctor. It is worth remembering that self-medication, especially during the period of carrying a baby, is simply unacceptable.

How to keep yourself normal?

What should a woman do to keep her weight normal? So, you just have to follow the correct daily routine.

Food intake. You need to eat often and in small portions.
Overeating should be avoided.
You need to consume extremely healthy foods.
It must be remembered that when carrying a baby, protein foods are of particular importance.
Frequent walks in the fresh air. No less than food, your baby needs fresh air.
Moderate physical activity. It must be remembered that pregnant does not mean sick. You can't lie on the couch for days watching TV.
Alternation of activities. A pregnant woman cannot sit all the time. If such is the work, then once every half hour you need to go for a five-minute walk, if not on the street, but at least into the corridor.

This is not a complete list of recommendations that a woman should adhere to while carrying a baby. However, by observing at least these points, you can avoid many different problems not only with your own health, but also with the prenatal state of your baby.

Simple conclusions

What should be the weight gain while carrying a baby? How many? The weight rate during pregnancy for the entire period of this excellent state allows for an increase of only 10-13 kg. And the expectant mother very strictly needs to monitor these indicators. Indeed, at this time, the main thing is how the future baby feels in the womb. But what the mother does and how she eats, fully affects the condition of the baby. Women should not forget about this, wanting to once again eat a bun or eat a hot dog harmful to the body. By preserving her health, the mother thereby also protects her baby.

You can often hear that a pregnant woman needs to eat for two. From a medical point of view, this statement has nothing to do with the truth. Eating for two means quickly gaining body weight. And while carrying a baby, extra pounds are an additional burden on the mother's body and high risks of complications. What should be the normal weight gain in different periods of pregnancy, we will tell you in this material.

Why does weight gain during pregnancy?

Weight during pregnancy is a rather individual criterion. In some women, it may decrease in the first and third trimesters if, for example, severe toxicosis is observed. For others, the weight is constantly growing. Initially, the weight of the expectant mother depends on her physique and body weight before pregnancy.

In obese women, the total weight gain during pregnancy can be half as much as the total weight gain in lean slender girls.

Weight to one degree or another during the period of bearing a child is constantly growing. However, the body weight of newborn boys and girls is on average the same - from 3000 to 4000 grams. It depends little on how many women have gained during pregnancy.- 5 or 15 kilograms. Different increases are an individual feature of expectant mothers.

The growth in body weight consists of several components:

Baby. His weight is about a third of all my mother's gain. Usually babies are born with a weight of 2500 to 4000 grams.
Placenta. On average, about 5% of the total weight of a pregnant woman is allocated to the "child's seat". The placenta usually weighs about half a kilogram - from 400 to 600 grams.
Amniotic fluid. The waters in which the baby swims, by the third trimester, reach a weight of one and a half kilograms. True, closer to childbirth, their number decreases, as well as weight. The mass of amniotic fluid is about ten percent of the total increase.
Uterus. The main reproductive organ of a woman is constantly growing so that the baby can fit in it until the very birth. By the end of the gestation period, the weight of the uterus reaches a whole kilogram, and this is approximately 10% of the total increase.

Breast. The female breast begins to undergo changes from the very first weeks of pregnancy, and by the time of delivery it most often increases significantly due to the overgrown glandular tissue. It is easier for women to imagine these changes in volume.

But we are talking about mass, and therefore it is worth taking into account that the weight of the grown breast is on average about 600 grams, this is about 2-3% of the total weight gain of the expectant mother.

Blood volume. In the body of a pregnant woman, the volume of freely circulating blood is approximately 2 times higher than in non-pregnant women. On average, the mass of blood that the heart of an expectant mother pumps is about one and a half kilograms.
Cellular and intercellular fluids. Their mass in the body of an expectant mother can approach 2 kilograms. And together with the volume of blood, which we talked about above, fluids account for about a quarter of all weight gain.
Fat reserves. The body of a pregnant woman begins to take care in advance how to store fat as a source of energy for the upcoming childbirth and the postpartum period. Fat in the body of the expectant mother is deposited about 3-4 kilograms, which is about 30% of the total weight gain.

Changes in body weight

The dynamics of the growth of the body weight of a pregnant woman is not the same at different times:

For the first half of the gestation period, a woman, on average, gains about 40% of the total increase.
During the second half of pregnancy, the increase is about 60% of the total number of kilograms acquired during the entire period of bearing a child.

In the early stages, the hormone progesterone is responsible for the accumulation of fat. It launches a mass of processes in the body of the expectant mother aimed at preserving and further developing the embryo. The creation of a fat "reserve" is also one of the mechanisms for the preservation and well-being of the fetus.

In the second trimester, the placenta begins to actively grow and develop, the amount of circulating blood increases, which invariably leads to an increase in body weight. Even if in the first trimester there was weight loss due to toxicosis and lack of appetite, in the middle of pregnancy, when the nausea subsides, a woman will be able to gain everything that was not recruited earlier.

In the third trimester, the amount of amniotic fluid begins to decrease, but the weight continues to come due to the fact that the child is actively gaining in its own mass. Only in the last two to three weeks does the weight begin to decrease somewhat, since the child has already gained his weight, and the amount of amniotic fluid has reached its minimum. In addition, the body of a pregnant woman begins to physiologically prepare for childbirth, at the natural level, getting rid of all that is superfluous that can interfere with him in the process of childbirth.

Increase rates - how to calculate?

Normal weight gain depends on how much weight the woman had before pregnancy. For a woman with her own normal weight, an increase of 10 to 15 kilograms is considered correct for the entire period of gestation. If a woman has slightly exceeded her own weight, her normal weight gain can be considered a weight that does not exceed 11 kilograms. In obese women, in nine months, the weight should increase by no more than 7-8 kilograms.

The doctor will help to correctly calculate the individual increase, who will take into account all the factors affecting the weight of this expectant mother - her complexion, the presence of multiple pregnancies, etc.

On average, an increase of 200 grams per week is considered the norm for the first trimester. Until 12 weeks, a woman's weight should increase by a maximum of 3-4 kilograms. In the second trimester, when both appetite improves and toxicosis, if any, recedes, the increase is more intense - up to 400 grams per week. At the very end of pregnancy, the increase is usually no more than 100-150 grams per week.

During the first visit to the obstetrician-gynecologist, when a woman applies for registration, her height and weight will be measured.

If the expectant mother knows her parameters before pregnancy, it is imperative to inform the doctor about them.

Based on these two values, the doctor will calculate the BMI (body mass index), which will allow you to judge the correct or excessive weight gain during the entire pregnancy. Body mass index is weight divided by height squared.

For example, a woman weighs 55 kilograms, and her height is 1 meter 60 centimeters. The calculations will look like this: 55 / (1.6 ^ 2). It turns out that this woman's BMI is about 21.5. This corresponds to normal weight, and an increase of 10-13 kilograms in this case will not be considered pathological.

Depending on how the BMI turns out, the woman will be set the maximum allowable limit for the increase:

BMI below 18.5 - underweight, in such a woman, weight gain during pregnancy can reach up to 18 kilograms, and this will be quite normal;
BMI from 18.5 to 25 - normal weight, gain can be from 10 to 15 kilograms;
BMI from 25 to 30 - overweight, the increase should not exceed 9-10 kilograms;
A BMI of 30 and above is obesity, and weight gain above 7 kilograms for the entire period of gestation will be considered a pathology.

If a woman is carrying not one baby, but twins or triplets, then the rates of addition will be completely different in comparison with a singleton pregnancy.

Rates of increase for the entire period - table:

When calculating the individual rate, different antenatal clinics use different rates of the ratio of real weight to body mass index. We have considered the most popular rating system above. However, in some consultations, doctors use a different system, the international one, according to which a BMI below 19.8 is considered normal weight, above 19.8 to 26 is overweight, and above 26 is obese.

The body mass index itself is calculated in the same way as indicated above. Based on the results obtained, you can calculate the individual gain by week and month. Depending on which system was used to calculate BMI, the rate of increase may look like this.

Weekly gains table for different BMI calculations:

Gestation period, weeks	BMI less than 18.5 (kg)	BMI from 18.5 to 25 (kg)	BMI over 30 (kg)	BMI less than 19.8 (kg)	BMI from 19.8 to 26 (kg)	BMI over 26 (kg)













	No more than 3.3	Not more than 2.6	No more than 1.2
	Not more than 3.6	No more than 3	No more than 1.4
	No more than 4.1	No more than 3.5	No more than 1.8
	Not more than 4.6	No more than 4	No more than 2.3
	Not more than 5.3	Not more than 4.9	Not more than 2.6
	No more than 6	Not more than 5.8	Not more than 2.9
	Not more than 6.6	Not more than 6.4	No more than 3.1
	No more than 7.2	No more than 7.0	No more than 3.4
	No more than 7.9	No more than 7.8	Not more than 3.6
	No more than 8.6	No more than 8.5	No more than 3.9
	No more than 9.3	No more than 9.3	Not more than 4.4
	No more than 10	No more than 10	No more than 5
	Not more than 11.8	No more than 10.5	No more than 5.2
	No more than 13	No more than 11	No more than 5.4
	Not more than 13.5	Not more than 11.5	No more than 5.7
	No more than 14	No more than 12	No more than 5.9
	No more than 14.5	No more than 12.5	Not more than 6.1
	No more than 15	No more than 13	Not more than 6.4

	No more than 16	No more than 14	No more than 7.3

	No more than 17	No more than 15	No more than 7.9

	No more than 18	No more than 16	No more than 8.9

	No more than 18	No more than 16	No more than 9.1

According to this table, a woman with any body mass index, no matter how it is calculated, will be easy enough to understand how much she should gain in weight by weeks and months.

However, these values are only basic, averaged, showing the rate of weight gain with different body mass index of the expectant mother before pregnancy.

The rate of weight gain in each case is individual., and only careful observation of its dynamics allows the doctor to judge whether everything is in order with the expectant mother and her baby, whether there are any pathologies of pregnancy.

How to exercise control?

The dynamics of changes in the body weight of the expectant mother is monitored at each planned visit to the doctor in the antenatal clinic. And here expectant mothers have a lot of questions related to the fact that weighing in the office shows not at all the same numbers as home scales.

Women should take into account that at home they weigh themselves in a minimum amount of clothing, while at the consultation they are dressed and shod, so an experienced doctor will always make adjustments for the outfit of a pregnant woman.

In addition, weighing, with all the apparent ease of this procedure, requires proper preparation, otherwise the scales in the antenatal clinic will show a weight that exceeds the real one, and, moreover, it is quite significant. Before weighing yourself at home or going to an appointment with an obstetrician-gynecologist, a woman must remember the rules of correct weighing:

it is best to weigh yourself in the morning;
when weighing at home, measurements should be taken on the same day every week, so the dynamics will be more obvious;
it is advisable to take measurements on an empty stomach;
home weighing is carried out in the minimum amount of clothing, you can - naked;
before weighing, you should definitely go to the toilet and rid the bladder of urine, and the intestines from the accumulated feces.

If the data of the weights in the antenatal clinic differ by more than a kilogram from home measurements, the woman must create a calendar in which she will indicate her gain, measured according to all the rules at home.

You can take the calendar with you to your appointment and show it to your doctor. In the medical record of a pregnant woman, the doctor draws a graph of weight gain for each appointment. The same woman can draw on her own at home, this will help to notice in time the periods when the expectant mother begins to gain too much, the periods when the weight stops or begins to fall. An uneven schedule is always an alarming sign that must be discussed with your doctor.

A strong and sharp increase may indicate the onset of gestosis, the appearance of internal edema, which are not visible during an external examination. If the weight grows slowly, changes little not only by weeks, but also by months, this may indicate various pathologies in the development of the child, the placenta, a decrease in the amount of amniotic fluid and other unpleasant processes.

Why is fast weight gain dangerous?

As we have already found out, the norms are individual, but the rate of weight gain is of great importance. Even if a woman has a weight during weighing that, according to the table, fits into the variant of the norm, but just a week ago the weight was far behind, then such an increase, although it is quite adequate, is unlikely to please the doctor.

It is important that the body weight of the expectant mother increases gradually, smoothly, at intervals that are permissible at different times.

Women tend to underestimate such a criterion as their own weight during pregnancy. On numerous forums of expectant mothers, women often speak out that the doctor "terrorizes" them, forcing them to lose weight, and amicably "competently" advise each other "not to pay attention to it."

Lack of weight

Excess weight

Excess weight during the period of bearing a child is considered such an increase in which:

in a week, a woman has added more than 2 kilograms (at any gestational age);
during the first trimester, the expectant mother “grew heavier” by 4 kilograms or more;
if in the second trimester a woman adds more than one and a half kilograms every month;
if in the third trimester the increase per week exceeds 800 grams.

Excess weight is a very real risk of developing late toxicosis. Swelling can be external, which a woman can easily discern herself by the characteristic marks from the elastic bands of socks, due to the impossibility of putting on or taking off a wedding ring. Swelling of the wrists, face, and ankles is common. But even if there is no visible edema, this does not mean that there are no internal edema, much more dangerous and insidious.

Normal blood flow in the "mother-placenta-fetus" system with edema and changes in blood pressure is disturbed. As a result the crumb receives less nutrients and oxygen necessary for its proper development.

Extra pounds and active weight gain in excess of the norm are dangerous and the likelihood of premature birth before 30 weeks, as well as prolonged pregnancy after 39 weeks.

An excessive increase in 30% of cases leads to early aging of the placenta, which means that the baby will not receive in the last weeks of pregnancy, which are so important for him, a large amount of nutrients that are very necessary for him in preparation for the upcoming birth.

Extra pounds often lead to the appearance of hemorrhoids, varicose veins, as well as the appearance of weakness of labor forces during childbirth, as a result of which doctors have to carry out an unscheduled emergency caesarean section in order to save the child's life.

Aging placenta

Why is the lack of mass dangerous?

Lack of body weight during pregnancy leads to various forms of fetal malnutrition. The kid does not receive the substances and vitamins he needs. In 80% of cases in women with too little increase, babies are born weaker, with a small body weight, severe hypotrophy (insufficient amount of subcutaneous fat). Such children are more difficult to adapt to the environment, it is more difficult for them to process thermoregulation.

Delayed intrauterine development increases the risk of congenital neurological diseases, as well as hormonal disorders, the consequences of which can affect any system and any organ in the baby's body.

Sometimes a small set or no increase is associated with the fact that a woman is literally starving, does not finish eating. This happens not only in socially disadvantaged families, but also in expectant mothers with a complete lack of appetite against the background of toxicosis of pregnant women. This leads to a deficiency in estrogen levels, and the likelihood of early miscarriage, termination of pregnancy and premature birth in the middle and at the end of gestation is tenfold.

Insufficient weight gain is less than 800 grams in the first trimester, less than 5 kilograms in the second and less than 7 kilograms in the third trimester, closer to 36 weeks of gestation.

What if you are overweight?

If the weight is gained too sharply, in jumps, intermediate weighings show that the increase is pathological, the woman is prescribed an analysis for hormones, because in addition to overeating, the reason for this "behavior" of body weight may also lie in hormonal imbalance.

If this version is confirmed, then the woman is given hormone therapy, as a result of which the hormonal background is restored, and problems with intensive weight gain are solved.

If the reason is overeating and low physical activity (and many pregnant women, alas, are sure that you need to eat for two, and it is harmful to load yourself with walking and swimming), then a woman is recommended a universal diet for pregnant women.

The expectant mother should eat 5-6 times a day, every 3-4 hours, except for the time allotted for a night's sleep.

Single portions should be reduced to such a volume that the amount of food can visually fit in the palm of a woman if she folds them in a "boat".

After 28-29 weeks, it is allowed to arrange fasting days. Once a week, a pregnant woman is allowed to take a pound of low-fat cottage cheese or 400 grams of boiled buckwheat, or a liter of fermented milk products for 5-6 times. Sugar and salt on fasting days are completely prohibited.

Depending on how intense the increase in body weight is, the woman is set the number of calories that can be gained per day. Most often it is 2200-2500 Kcal. Diet websites have counters that allow you to quickly find out the number of calories in both individual foods and ready meals. This will help you easily calculate the menu for the week, month and every day.

The last meal is taken no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime. All dishes are cooked without frying, deep fat, abundance of spices. They also monitor the drinking regime - a woman should consume from 1.5 to 2 liters of clean water per day.

Permitted foods and dishes - cabbage, zucchini, porridge, apricots, watermelon, apples, buckwheat, oatmeal, rice, milk, beef, veal, turkey, chicken, rabbit, cottage cheese without high fat content.

Prohibited foods - chocolate, baked goods, fatty pork, smoked sausages and fish, all fried, salted, pickled, peas, beans, semolina, barley, fast food, ice cream, condensed milk, grapes, bananas, canned food (meat and fish ).

The amount of salt is reduced to 5 grams per day. It is generally better to give up sugar, replacing it with slow carbohydrates (sweet fruits and cereals). Carbonated drinks, syrups, beer are not allowed.

To help pregnant women who are trying to take their weight under control and reduce it, there are special gymnastic exercises, walks in the fresh air, swimming, yoga. If there are no contraindications, the doctor will definitely advise you to increase physical activity... This will help, together with the correction of the nutrition, bring the increase to the permissible norms.

Actions in case of insufficient gain

If the woman's weight is insufficient, there is a deficit, the doctor will also be obliged to give a referral for examination by a gastroenterologist and endocrinologist. If a woman does not have diseases of the gastrointestinal tract or hormonal "problems", she will also undergo nutritional correction.

The calorie content of her daily diet should exceed 2500 - 3000 Kcal. The diet must include butter - butter and vegetable, pearl barley and semolina, peas and beans, baked goods, fatty fish and meat.

The prohibition, as with excess weight, applies to smoked, pickled and fried. Otherwise, the approach to diet is the same. Preferably split meals, with a normal portion size, make sure that the content of fats, carbohydrates and proteins in her diet is sufficient. In addition to correcting nutrition, the doctor prescribes vitamin complexes so that the child with the mother's blood can receive the necessary nutrients.

If a woman has severe toxicosis, in which in the literal sense of the word "a piece does not fit in the throat," the woman will have to adapt to this unpleasant condition and force herself to eat at least in small portions in between attacks of toxicosis.

To do this, you should choose the moments in which the occurrence of nausea is unlikely.

Many expectant mothers with painful toxicosis eat at night in bed or try to eat only outdoors.

If, together with insufficient weight gain, fetal growth retardation is diagnosed, the woman will have to undergo treatment in a hospital, where she will be injected and dripped with the necessary drugs that improve uteroplacental blood flow, vitamins, and will also give all the recommendations for organizing high-calorie nutrition.

Usually, after such measures, the body weight of the expectant mother increases, and, although the average increase passes along the lower limit of the norm, it still fits into it. Such a pregnant woman may be shown more frequent ultrasound scans in order to monitor the development of the placenta, the child, and also conduct a preliminary analysis of his estimated body weight.

An obstetrician-gynecologist will tell you about important facts about weight during pregnancy in the next video.

1086

What determines the weight gain during pregnancy by week and how not to gain too much.

Pregnancy is a special time in the life of every mom. And it runs in every woman in her own way. Some almost all 9 months suffer from nausea, vomiting, struggle with manifestations of heartburn, sleep disturbances, for others, pregnancy does not bring such inconvenience.

Weight gain is also an individual indicator. Some women, while carrying a child, practically do not gain extra pounds (and sometimes lose weight), while others are rapidly gaining weight. What determines the weight gain in the "interesting position"? Are there norms for gaining kilograms?

Weight gain reasons

There are several reasons for weight gain during pregnancy. For convenience, we will divide them into objective and subjective.

Objective reasons

The weight of a pregnant woman increases as new life grows in the uterus. Body weight is growing due to changes in the female body, in recent months, the weight "consists" of:

2500-4000 g - the weight of the unborn child;
400-600 g - placenta;
1-1.5 l - amniotic fluid (0.8 l before childbirth);
1000 g - uterus;
1.5 kg - blood;
1.5-2 kg - intercellular fluid;
0.5 kg - increase in breast volume;
3-4 kg - the fat reserve, which is needed for successful breastfeeding.

Subjective reasons

Subjective reasons include inadequate physical activity of the expectant mother, unhealthy diet. In such cases, specialist advice is required, it is forbidden to take any action on your own, as this can harm the child and mother.

Weight gain

Weight gain, as well as throughout pregnancy, is individual for each mom. The boundaries of the norm are calculated by the doctor at the appointment. There are some guidelines that specialists rely on:

most of the weight is gained after 4-5 months (60%);
weekly weight gain in 1 trimester is 200 g, although with severe toxicosis, the weight may decrease. For the entire 1 trimester, 2-3 kg is gained;
in the 2nd trimester, weight is gained more intensively. The expectant mother gains an average of 0.3-0.4 kg (per week);
in the last months of pregnancy, kilograms are not gained so intensively. This is due to the approaching childbirth, hormonal and physical preparation of the body for the appearance of crumbs.

The expectant mother should monitor her weight on a daily basis and (if possible) record the change in her body weight.

Control

Every pregnant woman needs weight control on a daily basis. In the morning (before breakfast), a woman should weigh herself and record the result. Before measuring weight is:

take off clothes (weighing in a light robe or shirt is allowed, the main thing is that the clothes do not change during subsequent weighing);
go to the toilet.

The norm is not the norm

Weight gain during pregnancy is an individual indicator that depends on the "initial" weight (before pregnancy). As a rule, large girls gain less than slender ones.

BMI (body mass index) is used to calculate baseline results.

BMI is calculated based on pre-pregnancy height and weight. The calculation is made according to the formula: weight (in kg) divided by height in meters (squared).

So, for a mother weighing 80 kg and a height of 1.90 m, BMI will be calculated as follows:

80 / 1.90 * 1.90 = 22.16 (normal BMI)

The optimal weight gain is presented in the form of a table

As can be seen from the table, slender girls (BMI normal or below normal) can gain more kilograms without harm to their health than their large (BMI overweight or obese) "friends".

The weight gain will look like this:

Pregnancy period (week)	BMI less than 18.5 Increase (gr)	Increase (gr)	BMI over 30 Increase (gr)

Lack or surplus

Underweight, as well as gaining excess weight, is fraught with unpleasant consequences, both for the mother herself and for the fetus.

So, if the mother is underweight, the fetus may be delayed in physical development. Children whose birth weight was 2500g (or less) are at increased risk of developing mental and physical illnesses. Lack of weight disrupts the hormonal balance in the body, which leads to disruptions, sometimes causing miscarriages or premature birth. Lack of weight is a serious reason for a visit to the doctor.

Excessive weight gain is also dangerous. It is considered redundant:

weight gain of more than 2000 g per week (any period);
set over 4000 g (first trimester);
more than 1500 g per month (2nd trimester);
more than 800 g per week (3 trimester).

Excessive gain is fraught with increased pressure, diabetes mellitus, oxygen starvation of the fetus, aging of the placenta, and late toxicosis. The main danger of rapid weight gain lies in hidden edema, which is a consequence of the imperfect work of the excretory system. These edemas provoke the appearance of toxicosis, malfunctioning of the kidneys.

Such edema can be noticed by a specialist who should be contacted at the first suspicion (puffiness of the limbs, rare urination).

Fighting more

The fight against excess weight must be carried out carefully so as not to harm your body and the body of the fetus. The nutritional rules are the simplest:

you can not overeat. An increase in the caloric content of the diet by 200-300 calories is considered normal for the expectant mother (these numbers will not work for obese women, consultation with a gynecologist is necessary);
fight constipation. Untimely cleansing of the body slags it, so constipation must be fought. Of course, expectant mothers cannot often use laxatives; correction of the diet can help. To solve intestinal problems will help:

vegetable salads, cabbage (white cabbage) salads at night;
fresh or dried fruits (prunes, plums, dried apricots, apricots), 1-2 fruits per day;
prebiotics (as prescribed by a specialist).

exclude "fast carbohydrates". These include cakes, pastries, baked goods, sweets, cookies. These products overload the digestive system, contribute to obesity;

unload the body. Fasting is unacceptable during pregnancy, but it is allowed to arrange unloading days. Once every two weeks, you can replace the usual products with vegetables, kefir), limit the use of water;

do not give up physical activity. Movement within reasonable limits will only benefit the expectant mother (feasible housework, walks, yoga for pregnant women, water aerobics);

We collect the missing

Some expectant mothers have the opposite problem - how to gain kilograms? There are also a number of recommendations on this score:

do not skip meals, even with severe toxicosis, you must force yourself to eat;
eat often (5 to 6 times a day);
always carry snacks in your purse (biscuits, bananas, nuts, yoghurts);
consume peanut butter (if there is no allergy);
replace vegetable oil with olive oil, exclude mayonnaise and mayonnaise-based sauces;
drink enough liquid, consume fermented milk products.

I began to gain weight only after 30 weeks, before that I had toxicosis, then steress, during which I even lost weight. But by the end of pregnancy, the increase was standard - 12 kg, almost everything went away during childbirth and during the first month of active breastfeeding. Now I remember the period of feeding and pregnancy as a time when I could eat a lot and even lose weight. But I did not eat everything, I strictly followed preservatives, dyes, etc. What pregnant women can and cannot eat (list). The photo is 8 months old.

Normal menu of the expectant mother

Strict diets are not suitable for expectant mothers. It is necessary to stop weight gain by correcting the diet. At the first stage, you need to exclude flour products, fast food, salinity, smoking.

The daily menu of the expectant mother should consist of:

complex carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits, cereals) - 300-350 g;
fish (cod, pike perch);
meat (beef, rabbit meat);
poultry (turkey, chicken)
In total, the daily rate of poultry, fish or meat should be 100-120 g.
unrefined olive oil;
butter (10 g)
cottage cheese or yogurt (instead of the usual dessert);
salt (no more than 5 g per day).

Eating habits will also have to be adjusted:

steam, stew or boil food;
one meal should include 1-2 meals (eat in moderation);
do not refuse the first meals (breakfast and lunch), dinner can be replaced with a light snack (kefir, yogurt);
dinner no later than 19:00 (or 3 hours before bedtime);

After dinner, it's best to go for a walk. This is both physical activity and fresh air, which are so useful for a mother and her child.

It is best to drink water (1.5 liters per day). This amount is divided into 3 parts, 2 of which are drunk before 16:00, and the remaining 1 part - until 22:00. This water intake will reduce the burden on the kidneys at night and will prevent edema.

It is important for the expectant mother to eat so that the baby receives the maximum amount of nutrients. The daily diet can consist of:

vegetable soups (no pasta, potatoes and cereals) - 200 g;
meat products: light cutlets, zraz, fillet - 150 g;
milk (250 g), cottage cheese (150 g), yogurt or yogurt (200 g);
chicken eggs (1-2 soft-boiled or scrambled eggs);
any vegetables (steamed or eaten fresh);
appetizers: vegetable salads, aspic with fish or meat, ham;
sauces based on sour cream or milk;
berries, fruits (all sweet and sour fruits, eat berries raw); drinks: tea diluted with milk, juice diluted with water (50/50), unsweetened fruit drinks.

“We are what we eat,” Hippocrates said. Nutrition determines our physical and emotional health. It is especially important to monitor their nutrition for expectant mothers, because they are responsible not only for their own health, but also for the health of the unborn baby.