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Gaining Weight During Pregnancy: How Much Weight Is Safe?

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Gaining weight during pregnancy is inevitable. It is normal to gradually gain weight during pregnancy as the baby grows. However, how much weight to be gained is dependent on your pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index (BMI). There is no ‘one size fits all’ guideline to gaining weight during pregnancy.

 

The amount of weight gained during pregnancy is essential for the health of the pregnancy and the long-term health of both you and the baby.  So you shouldn’t stress over your pregnancy weight.

 

However, a lot of women have taking the term “eating for two” to mean eating twice as much as they usually do. Though you need to eat more calories, you do not have to eat twice as much as usual. It is necessary to maintain a healthy eating habit to manage your pregnancy weight gain. The average pregnant woman needs only about 300 healthy calories more than the usual.

 

It is important to gain the right amount of weight during pregnancy. This helps to support the baby’s health and also make it easier to lose the extra pounds after delivery.

 

Recent findings say that 50% of women are overweight or obese when they get pregnant. As a result of this, it is important that intending pregnant women pay attention to their weight. It is best to see your doctor if you have concerns about your weight.

 

Gaining weight

 

Putting on too much weight during pregnancy could predispose the baby to a lifelong health issue. Asides increasing the chances of a miscarriage, it could lead to stillbirth and other complications such as neural tube birth defects.

 

Having a high BMI (over 30) increases the risk of certain conditions such as gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia. Also, overweight pregnant women are more likely to suffer blood clots, or may need to undergo an emergency Cesarean section.

 

Being overweight comes with significant risks that can affect both the mother and the baby during pregnancy and childbirth.

 

Also, research reveals that babies born to overweight parents are much more likely to become overweight children. They are also more likely to suffer from life-long conditions such as Type 2 diabetes.

 

In essence, it is important to work alongside your doctor throughout the pregnancy period. This way, you can maintain the right weight and also ensure the healthiest possible outcome for both you and the baby.

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