WEIGHT GAIN DURING PREGNANCY

Effective Guidlines for weight gain during pregnancy

It is natural for a would-be-mother to have a weight gain during pregnancy because the body develops in order to give the infant a healthy start. It is due to the following reasons:

• At the time of birth, the infant’s weight will be around 3,300 gm
• The size of the muscle layer of the lady gains an extra weight of 900 gm
• There is an increase of 400 gm of weight in the breasts
• There is an increase of 1200 gm in blood volume
• For breastfeeding, the body also needs some extra fat of around 2500 gm
• 2600 gm of extra fluid gets generated in the body of the would-be-mother

Till the time delivery actually happens, the body has already gained around 11000 gm of weight.

This amount of weight gain during pregnancy is considered normal . One can actually get an estimation of the weight gain with the help of the pregnancy weight gain estimator. The actual weight of the would-be-mother before pregnancy becomes a major determinant in finding the quantity of the weight gain during pregnancy. And in order to draw a more reliable result, the body mass index (BMI) is used.

If one is overweight:

According to some British doctors, ladies with high BMI prior to their pregnancies should keep a check on the extra weight gain during pregnancy. The repercussions of extra weight could be high blood pressure or giving birth to a heavy weight baby.

If one is underweight:

It is advisable for a woman to first  gain a normal weight before she gets pregnant. The major reason behind this is the fact that being underweight might have an impact on the fertility. Another result is having a mal-nutritioned baby.

If one is diabetic:

Doctors advise that it becomes really essential for the would-be-mother to have a healthy BMI if she is diabetic.

Weight gain during pregnancy and breast cancer:

The American Association for Cancer Research, in the year 2002, presented a report which stated that those women who are not in a position to lose weight after pregnancy are at a high risk of having breast cancer after the time of menopause. 

What to do in order to control weight gain during pregnancy:

• A healthy diet which includes five to six portions of vegetables and fruits and amounts to around 2500 calories.