How does a baby gain weight during pregnancy. Excess weight during pregnancy: how not to gain, norms, lists of useful and harmful products

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 gaining weight quickly. 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 in this material.

Why does weight increase during pregnancy?

Weight during pregnancy is a fairly 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 thin, slender girls.

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

Body weight gain is made up of several components:

Baby. His weight is about a third of his mother's total increase. 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 "children's place". The placenta usually weighs about half a kilogram - from 400 to 600 grams.
amniotic fluid. The waters in which the baby swims reach a weight of one and a half kilograms by the third trimester. 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 invariably grows so that the baby can fit in it until the very birth. The weight of the uterus by the end of the gestation period reaches a whole kilogram, and this is about 10% of the total increase.

Breast. The female breast begins to undergo changes from the very first weeks of pregnancy, and by childbirth 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 weight, and therefore it is worth taking into account that the weight of a grown breast is on average about 600 grams, which 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 increased by about 2 times compared to non-pregnant women. On average, the mass of blood pumped by the heart of a future mother is about one and a half kilograms.
Cellular and intercellular fluids. Their mass in the body of a future 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 to store fat as an energy source for the upcoming birth and 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.

Body weight changes

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.
For the second half of pregnancy, the increase is about 60% of the total number of kilograms acquired over the entire period of bearing a child.

In the early stages, the hormone progesterone is responsible for the accumulation of fat. It launches a lot of processes in the body of the expectant mother, aimed at the preservation and further development of 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, the woman will be able to gain everything that was not gained at an earlier date.

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

Increase rates - how to calculate?

The normal increase 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 for the entire gestation period is considered correct. If a woman's own weight is slightly exceeded, her normal weight gain can be considered a weight not exceeding 11 kilograms. In obese women, in nine months, the mass should increase by no more than 7-8 kilograms.

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

On average, for the first trimester, an increase of 200 grams per week is considered the norm. Up to 12 weeks, a woman's weight should increase by a maximum of 3-4 kilograms. In the second trimester, when both the appetite improves and the toxicosis, if it was, 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 an obstetrician-gynecologist, when a woman applies for her registration, her height and weight will be measured.

If the expectant mother knows her parameters before pregnancy, be sure 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 throughout the pregnancy. Body mass index is weight divided by height squared.

For example, a woman's weight is 55 kilograms, and her height is 1 meter 60 centimeters. The calculations will look like this: 55 / (1.6 ^ 2). It turns out that the BMI of this woman is approximately 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 maximum allowable increase limit will be set for the woman:

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, the increase 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 over the entire gestation period will be considered a pathology.

If a woman is carrying more than one baby, but twins or triplets, then the addition rates will be completely different compared to a singleton pregnancy.

Increase rates for the entire period - table:

When calculating an individual norm, different antenatal clinics use different norms for the ratio of real weight to body mass index. We have reviewed 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 considered obese.

In this case, the body mass index itself is calculated in exactly the same way as indicated above. Based on the results obtained, it is possible to calculate an individual increase by weeks and months. Depending on which system was used to calculate BMI, the rate of increase may look like this.

Weekly increase table for different BMI calculations:

Gestational 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	No more than 2.6	Not more than 1.2
	No more than 3.6	No more than 3	Not more than 1.4
	No more than 4.1	No more than 3.5	Not more than 1.8
	No more than 4.6	No more than 4	No more than 2.3
	No more than 5.3	No more than 4.9	No more than 2.6
	No more than 6	No more than 5.8	No more than 2.9
	Not more than 6.6	No 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	No 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	No more than 4.4
	No more than 10	No more than 10	No more than 5
	No 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
	No more than 13.5	No more than 11.5	Not 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	No more than 6.1
	No more than 15	No more than 13	No 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 simply understand how much weight she should gain by weeks and months.

However, these values are just basic, averaged, demonstrating 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 pregnancy pathologies.

How to exercise control?

The dynamics of changes in the body weight of the expectant mother is monitored at each scheduled 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 completely different numbers than home scales.

Women should always take into account that at home they are weighed in a minimum amount of clothing, while in consultation they are dressed and shod, so an experienced doctor will always make an allowance 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 quite significantly. Before you weigh yourself at home or go to an appointment with an obstetrician-gynecologist, a woman must remember the rules for proper weighing:

it is best to weigh yourself in the morning;
when weighing at home, it is necessary to take measurements 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 a 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 - of accumulated feces.

If the scale data in the antenatal clinic differs by more than a kilogram from home measurements, the woman must have a calendar in which she will indicate her increase, measured according to all the rules at home.

You can take the calendar with you to the appointment and show it to the doctor. In the medical record of a pregnant woman, the doctor draws a graph of weight gain at each appointment. A woman can draw exactly the same on her own at home, this will help to notice the periods when the expectant mother begins to gain excess, periods when the weight stops or begins to fall. An uneven schedule is always an alarming sign that you should definitely discuss with your doctor.

A strong and sharp increase may indicate the onset of preeclampsia, the appearance of internal edema, which are not visible during 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 rapid 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, which, according to the table, fits into the normal version, but only 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, with intervals acceptable at different times.

Women tend to underestimate such a criterion as their own weight during pregnancy. At numerous forums for expectant mothers, women often say that the doctor “terrorizes” them, forcing them to lose weight, and together “competently” advise each other “not to pay attention to it.”

underweight

Excess weight

Overweight during the period of bearing a child is such an increase in which:

in a week a woman gained more than 2 kilograms (at any gestational age);
for the first trimester, the expectant mother "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. Edema can be external, which a woman can easily see for herself by the characteristic marks from the rubber bands of her socks, by the impossibility of putting on or taking off a wedding ring. Swelling usually occurs in the wrists, face, and ankles. But even if there are 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 baby receives less useful substances and the oxygen necessary for its proper development.

Extra pounds and active weight gain in excess of the norm are dangerous and the likelihood of preterm birth before 30 weeks, as well as pregnancy delay 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 a large amount of nutrients in the last weeks of pregnancy, which are so important for him, which he needs in preparation for the upcoming birth.

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

Aging of the placenta

What is the danger of underweight?

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

Intrauterine growth retardation 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 lack of an increase is due to the fact that a woman is literally starving, not eating enough. 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, abortion and preterm birth in the middle and end of the gestation period increases tenfold.

Insufficient weight gain is considered to be 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 the 36th week of pregnancy.

What to do if overweight?

If the weight is gained too abruptly, 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 can also lie in hormonal imbalance.

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

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

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 servings should be reduced to such a volume that the amount of food could visually fit in the palm of a woman if she folds them in a “boat”.

After 28-29 weeks, fasting days are allowed. Once a week, a pregnant woman is allowed to take half a kilo 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 weight gain is, a 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-made meals. This will help you easily calculate the menu for the week, month and every day.

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

Allowed foods and dishes are cabbage, zucchini, cereals, apricots, watermelon, apples, buckwheat, oatmeal, rice, milk, beef, veal, turkey meat, chicken, rabbit, cottage cheese without a high fat content.

Prohibited foods - chocolate, pastries, fatty pork, smoked sausages and fish, everything fried, salted, pickled, peas, beans, semolina, pearl 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 refuse 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, special gymnastic exercises, outdoor walks, swimming, and yoga come. If there are no contraindications, The doctor will definitely advise you to increase physical activity.. This will help, together with the correction of nutrition, to bring the increase to acceptable standards.

Actions in case of insufficient increase

If the woman’s weight is insufficient, its deficiency is observed, 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 "malfunctions", she will also undergo a nutrition 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, baking, fatty fish and meat.

The ban, as with excess weight, applies to smoked, pickled and fried foods. The rest of the approach to the 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 mother's blood can receive the necessary nutrients.

If a woman has severe toxicosis, in which, literally, “a piece does not go down her throat,” the woman will have to adapt to this unpleasant state and force herself to eat at least in small portions in the intervals between bouts of toxicosis.

For this, moments should be chosen at which the appearance of nausea is unlikely.

Many expectant mothers with excruciating toxicosis eat at night in bed or try to eat only in the fresh air.

If, along with insufficient weight gain, fetal growth retardation is diagnosed, a 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 recommendations for organizing high-calorie nutrition.

Usually, after such measures, the body weight of the future 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 to monitor the development of the placenta, the child, and also to 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.

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

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

An individual indicator is weight gain. Some women during childbearing practically do not gain extra pounds (and sometimes lose weight), while others are rapidly recovering. What determines the increase in weight in the "interesting position"? Are there rules for gaining kilograms?

Reasons for gaining weight

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

Objective reasons

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

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 - fat reserve, which will be needed for successful breastfeeding.

Subjective reasons

Subjective reasons include insufficient physical activity of the expectant mother, malnutrition. 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.

Norms of weight gain

Weight gain, like the course of the entire pregnancy, is individual for each mom. The limits of the norm are calculated by the doctor at the reception. There are some guidelines that experts rely on:

most of the weight is gained after 4-5 months (60%);
weekly weight gain in the 1st 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 recovers by 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 birth, hormonal and physical preparation of the body for the appearance of crumbs.

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

Control

Every pregnant woman needs to control her weight every day. In the morning (before breakfast), a woman should weigh herself and record the result. Before measuring weight is:

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

Norm is not the norm

Weight gain during pregnancy is an individual indicator, which 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 from height and weight before pregnancy. 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 1.90 m tall, the BMI will be calculated as follows:

80/1.90*1.90=22.16 (normal BMI)

We present the optimal weight gain in the form of a table

As can be seen from the table, slender girls (BMI is normal or below normal) can gain more kilograms without compromising health than their large (BMI overweight or obesity) “girlfriends”.

Weight gain will look like this:

Pregnancy (week)	BMI less than 18.5 Gain (gr)	Gain (gr)	BMI over 30 Gain (gr)

deficiency or excess

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

So, with a lack of weight by the mother, physical development may be delayed in the fetus. Babies whose birth weight was 2500 grams (or less) have an increased risk of developing mental and physical illnesses. Lack of weight disrupts the hormonal balance in the body, which leads to malfunctions, sometimes causing miscarriages or premature births. Losing weight is a serious reason to visit a doctor.

Dangerous and excessive weight gain. The following is considered redundant:

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

An excessive increase is fraught with an increase in pressure, the occurrence of diabetes mellitus, oxygen starvation of the fetus, aging of the placenta, and late toxicosis. The main danger of rapid weight gain lies in latent edema, which are the result of imperfect work of the excretory system. These edema provoke the appearance of toxicosis, malfunctions 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).

Dealing with excess

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

can't overeat. It is considered normal for a future mother to increase the caloric content of the diet by 200-300 calories (for obese women, these figures will not work, a gynecologist's consultation is necessary);
fight constipation. Untimely cleansing of the body slagging it, so constipation must be fought. Of course, expectant mothers should not often use laxatives; dietary adjustments can help. To solve problems with the intestines will help:

vegetable salads, cabbage (white) 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, pastries, sweets, cookies. These products overload the digestive system, contribute to obesity;

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

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);

Recruiting the missing

Some expectant mothers have the opposite problem - how to gain weight? There are also a number of recommendations in this regard:

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, yogurts);
use peanut butter (if there is no allergy);
replace vegetable oil with olive oil, exclude mayonnaise and mayonnaise-based sauces;
drink enough fluids, eat dairy products.

I started gaining weight only after 30 weeks, before that I had toxicosis, then stress, during which I even lost weight. But by the end of pregnancy, the increase was standard - 12 kg, almost everything was gone 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 didn’t eat everything, I strictly followed preservatives, dyes, etc. What pregnant women can eat and what not (list). Pictured 8 months old.

Normal menu of the expectant mother

Expectant mothers are not suitable for strict diets. To stop weight gain is necessary 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, zander);
meat (beef, rabbit);
poultry (turkeys, chickens)
In total, the daily norm 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).

You will also need to adjust your eating habits.

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 is better to go for a walk. This is both physical activity and fresh air, which are so useful for 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. Such water consumption will reduce the load 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. Daily diet may consist of:

vegetable soups (limit pasta, potatoes and cereals) - 200 g;
meat products: light cutlets, zraz, fillet - 150 g;
milk (250 g), cottage cheese (150 g), curdled milk or yogurt (200 g);
chicken eggs (1-2 soft-boiled or scrambled eggs);
any vegetables (steam or eat 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 raw berries); drinks: tea diluted with milk, juice diluted with water (50/50), unsweetened fruit drinks.

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

The greatest fear of a woman during pregnancy is naturally associated with the developmental norms of the baby. But a gradually increasing arrow of the scales can cause panic. Hormonal changes change taste habits and desires, portion control is lost, the expectant mother begins to gain weight. Not to go beyond the norm in order to endure and give birth to a baby on your own is the task of each. It will also help a woman after childbirth to go through the recovery period faster and return to shape before conception.

The table of the rate of weight gain during pregnancy by week will allow you to control the weight gain during the entire period of gestation. With sharp jumps, it is necessary to adjust the diet and daily routine to restore performance.

How does weight gain happen?

Natural physiological processes lead to an increase in the body weight of a pregnant woman by an average of 10-12 kg. This figure falls already at 36-38 weeks, by the time of delivery. The main part is the weight of the baby (3-4 kg), as well as the uterus, which grows proportionally as the child develops (2 kg along with amniotic fluid). The volume of blood also increases significantly; 1.5-1.8 kg will be required to transport all the nutrients and oxygen. More fluid accumulates in the body, fluctuations occur in the range from 1.5 to 2.5 kg.

Excess weight affects not only the mother, the child by the time of birth can be very large, and the process of childbirth is complicated by sizes over 4 kg. It provokes gained kilograms and late toxicosis, dangerous by an increase in pressure, and the appearance of deviations. Weight loss is also undesirable, especially in the second and third trimester.

Correct weight measurement

Control is necessarily carried out by a gynecologist, in a consultation before an appointment, the nurse weighs the expectant mother. If there is a scale at home, and the woman keeps track of the weighted grams on her own, it is worth remembering the simple rules:

the optimal time will be morning, immediately upon awakening, after breakfast, and also during the day, the weight may vary - increasing by 500-700 grams;
for the weighing process, choose permanent clothes, the consultation does not always take into account the factor of heavy warm sweaters, massive shoes, so the numbers of home and medical weighing may diverge;
it is worth writing down the data obtained in a notebook, if necessary, showing them to the doctor to track possible drastic changes.

Set norms

Average data allow you to control the performance of both the pregnant woman and the child. If one fetus is gestated, the optimal weight gain is from 8 to 16 kg. Accordingly, with twins, the indicators increase from 16 to 22 kg. These are indicative data, they can vary both up and down, depending on the physiological characteristics of the woman.

The rate of weight gain by trimester:

in the first trimester, all the internal organs and systems of the embryo are laid down, so the increase is minimal - no more than 2 kg, but if toxicosis is observed during this period, on the contrary, you can lose weight dramatically, after all the kilograms can be replenished;
in the second trimester + 1 kg per month is a good indicator, the pregnant woman and her doctor can be satisfied with this result, the figure should not exceed 330 grams per week;
in the third trimester, the child grows intensively, along with it the uterus, place, and the amount of amniotic fluid increase in size, so an increase of 1.6-2.3 per month is considered normal, any sudden jumps are undesirable, the baby grows gradually, and the rapidly gained kilograms will be deposited on mother's figure in the form of adipose tissue.

In other cases, a woman can gain a norm of 10-14 kg at the beginning, and then keep this figure until the very birth. Or vice versa - an increase in mass occurs a few weeks before childbirth. Such physiological features cannot indicate developmental abnormalities if other analyzes and studies correspond to the norms of this period of pregnancy.

Weekly weight gain

Analysis of indicators helps to control regime moments and nutrition for the normal course of pregnancy. There is a set of kilograms unevenly, until 12-14 weeks the figure can remain without apology. The most intensive growth occurs from 15 to 34 weeks, and in the period immediately before childbirth, the expectant mother may lose some weight.

Weekly weight gain during pregnancy depends on the woman's initial body mass index. Calculating it is quite simple: the weight must be divided by the height squared. Indicators from 19 to 25 are considered normal, less - a lack of kilograms, more - fullness, as well as different degrees of obesity. The less the expectant mother weighed before conception, the more she gains all 9 months (14-16 kg). If a woman had excess volumes before pregnancy, then her recruitment rate should not exceed 8-11 kg, and with obesity - up to 6 kg, with the obligatory observance of a diet.

In the table, the weight of a pregnant woman by week, depending on the body mass index (BMI)

Causes of weight change

It is impossible to define averages that apply to all women. There are factors that provoke excess weight gain:

the initial weight of the pregnant woman, the smaller it is, the faster it is replenished with the gained kilograms for the entire gestation period;
the genetic tendency to be overweight makes itself felt, even with a balanced diet and physical activity;
growth also matters, the higher it is, the more proportionately more will be recruited;
if the child is large, naturally, the expectant mother will eat more, and the weight will increase rapidly in the third trimester;
swelling and dropsy leads to fluid retention in the body, due to which the arrow of the scales will increase already at the end of the first trimester;
a change in the hormonal background leads to an uncontrollable feeling of hunger and satiety, if the efforts of the will do not help limit the number of servings, the extra 5-10 kg are guaranteed;
increased amount of amniotic fluid, polyhydramnios often leads to overweight, the condition requires constant medical supervision;
in women after 30-35 years, the metabolic rate decreases, a natural weight gain occurs.

Toxicosis of the first and last trimester can lead to a sharp decrease. The greatest risks to the fetus are the deterioration of the mother's condition in recent weeks. It is important to constantly monitor all biochemical parameters.

Danger of deviance

Deterioration in the quality of life, shortness of breath, palpitations, limitation of physical activity are not the only problems that appear along with volumes. Both for the baby and for his mother, gaining extra pounds is associated with health risks:

varicose veins, deterioration of the cardiovascular system, which means a lack of nutrients for the child;
the load on the spinal column and pressure on all internal organs increase;
the difficulty of diagnosing the condition of the fetus during pregnancy;
development of hypertension and diabetes;
planned or urgent caesarean section;
premature birth or gestation of the fetus;
excretory system infections;
possible complications of the birth process, both natural and during caesarean;
delayed fetal development;
violation of proportions between the head and the pelvis;
the child's tendency to develop obesity, diabetes mellitus in the future;
neurological disorders, episyndrome.

How much a pregnant woman should put on weight depends on her initial weight. To control the normal increase, you should follow the basic recommendations:

learn to eat right, the diet should consist of a variety of high-quality and fresh foods, proteins are required in the form of lean meat - rabbit, turkey, chicken, fish, cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt and whole milk;
vegetables and herbs will help stabilize the weight, preference should also be given to traditional fruits and berries;
fats should be present in the form of vegetable oils, seeds, nuts, it is important to control the portion amount;
carbohydrates useful for mother and child are contained in cereals and whole grain bread, and it is better to refuse flour products with excess weight;
salt restriction will help to avoid puffiness, it is also worth controlling the consumption of sugar, store-bought juices and sweets;
a set of physical exercises for pregnant women will allow you to prepare for the process of childbirth and not gain excess weight, and will also speed up the subsequent recovery period.

A pregnant woman should not starve and diet. Reducing the volume of portions and fractional nutrition will stabilize the weight to normal.

Maria Sokolova

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Weight gain in a future mother should occur regardless of her appetite, desires and height with a physique. But to monitor the weight during pregnancy should be more diligent than before. Weight gain is directly related to the process of fetal growth, and control over weight gain helps to prevent various troubles in a timely manner. Therefore, your own diary will not interfere, where data on weight gain is regularly entered.

So, what is the normal weight of the expectant mother , and how does weight gain occur during pregnancy?

Factors that affect pregnancy weight

In principle, strict norms and weight gain simply do not exist - every woman has her own weight before pregnancy. For a girl of the “middle weight category”, the norm will be considered increase - 10-14 kg . But many influence factors. For example:

The growth of the expectant mother(accordingly, the higher the mother - the greater the weight).
Age(young mothers are less likely to be overweight).
Early toxicosis(after it, as you know, the body tries to replenish the lost kilograms).
Baby size(the larger it is, the heavier the mother, respectively).
Little or polyhydramnios.
increased appetite and control over it.
tissue fluid(with the existing fluid retention in the mother's body there will always be excess weight).

To avoid complications, do not go beyond the known weight limits. Starving is definitely not allowed. - the baby should receive all the substances assigned to him, and his health should not be risked. But you shouldn’t eat everything in a row - lean on healthy dishes.

How much weight does a pregnant woman normally gain?

The expectant mother for the first third of pregnancy, as a rule, adds about 2 kg. The second trimester every week adds more body weight to the "piggy bank" 250-300 g. By the end of the term, the increase will already be equal to 12-13 kg.
How is the weight distributed?

Baby- about 3.3-3.5 kg.
Uterus- 0.9-1 kg
Placenta- about 0.4 kg.
Mammary gland- about 0.5-0.6 kg.
Adipose tissue- about 2.2-2.3 kg.
amniotic fluid- 0.9-1 kg.
Volume of circulating blood(increase) - 1.2 kg.
tissue fluid- about 2.7 kg.

After the baby is born, the weight gained usually goes away fairly quickly. Although sometimes you need to work hard for this (physical activity + proper nutrition helps).

Self-calculation of the weight of the expectant mother using the formula

There is no uniformity in weight gain. Its most intensive growth is noted already after the twentieth week of pregnancy. And until that moment, the expectant mother can gain only 3 kg. At each examination of a pregnant woman, the doctor weighs. Normally, the increase should be 0.3-0.4 kg per week. If a woman gains in excess of this norm, fasting days and a special diet are prescribed.

You cannot make such a decision on your own! If the weight gain has no deviations in any direction, then there are no special reasons for worrying.

Weight gain during pregnancy is an actual problem of modern obstetrics. The average body mass index of women of all ages is increasing, many of them are obese before pregnancy, which leads to threats to the health of the expectant mother and child. Also, many women become pregnant later in life, already suffering from diseases such as hypertension or diabetes, which increase the risk of complications. Therefore, weight control of pregnant women is an important component of the birth of a healthy child.

Since the 1970s of the last century, the answer to the question of how many kilograms can be gained while carrying a child has sounded differently. Before that, it was believed that a normal increase was a maximum of 9 kg. Since the 1970s, this figure has been increased to 11 kg. However, in recent years, given that women with a large increase in body weight give birth to healthy children, these recommendations required revision.

In 2009, a new table of weight gain during pregnancy was developed in the United States based on WHO data. It takes into account the body weight of a woman before conception.

The norm of weight gain in the 1st trimester is 0.5-2 kg.

It is likely that women who are overweight according to these new guidelines will exceed normal gains. Therefore, they need to provide appropriate assistance even in the early stages of the gestational period. Recommendations may include both a balanced diet and an increase in physical activity in the early stages. It is also necessary to monitor the appearance of edema.

Normal weight gain

The weight gain calendar is individual. Someone is gaining kilograms at the beginning of bearing a child, someone - only in the third trimester.

However, there are average values that doctors are guided by.

Average body weight gain by week:

in the 2nd trimester, 300 grams per week;
starting from the 7th month - 400 grams per week (about 50 grams per day).

A low rate of weight gain is recorded with the addition of less than 270 grams per week, too high - more than 520 grams.

To monitor body weight, you need to weigh yourself correctly. It is best to do this in the morning after going to the toilet in the same clothes that do not tighten the body. In addition, weighing is necessarily carried out in the antenatal clinic. Both a pathological increase and its delay can be a sign of trouble.

Thus, the data on weight gain for a woman with a starting body weight of 65 kg might look like this:

at week 15: (+ 2 kg) 67 kg;
at week 20: (+ 1.5 kg) 68.5 kg;
at week 25: (+ 1.5 kg) 70 kg;
at week 30: (+ 2 kg) 72 kg;
at 35 weeks: (+ 2 kg) 74 kg;
before childbirth: (+ 2 kg) 76 kg.

For the entire time of bearing a child, the total increase will be 11 kg, that is, within the normal range. In some cases, at 36-38 weeks, the weight decreases slightly, by about 200-300 grams, this is normal. However, sharp fluctuations in body weight over long periods are dangerous and indicate trouble in the body.

The total change in weight by month of pregnancy for a woman with normal body weight:

Special groups of women

The weight gain schedule may look different for women in special groups.

short women

Height less than 157 cm is considered short. Studies have found that this increases the risk of caesarean section. However, this did not increase the likelihood of having a too small or large fetus, and postpartum weight recovery occurred in the same way as in women of higher stature. Therefore, for low patients, all indicators of normal increase do not change.

Teenagers and young women

If the body mass index (BMI) in women younger than 20 years is normal for older patients, their increase should also be normal. If there is a low initial weight and high growth, it is permissible to add more than 18 kg during pregnancy.

multiple pregnancy

with an initial normal weight - 17-25 kg;
with excess BMI - 14-23 kg;
with obesity - 11-19 kg.

Why does a natural increase in body weight occur during gestation?

During gestation, hormonal changes occur in the body, aimed at protecting the fetus from any adverse factors. Basically, they consist in the accumulation of fat reserves in the maternal body. Adipose tissue not only serves as a good shock absorber for the growing fetus, but also is a source of energy, and later - lactation.

Conditions for enhancing fat synthesis:

high concentrations of estrogen and progesterone in the blood;
physiological decrease in tissue sensitivity to insulin;
increased levels of insulin in the blood;
increase in the synthesis of adrenal hormones - cortisol and androgens.

All these changes are aimed at increasing fat deposits in the 1-2 trimesters and mobilizing it at the end of pregnancy.

What is the weight of a pregnant woman?

By the end of the gestational period, it increases due to:

child's weight (3.5 kg);
placenta (1 kg);
increase in the volume of interstitial fluid (2 kg);
uterus (1 kg);
mass of mammary glands (1 kg);
increase in blood volume (2 kg);
reserves in the maternal body of fats and proteins (3.5 kg);
amniotic fluid (1 kg).

In total, the usual increase is about 15 kg. After childbirth, a woman quickly loses up to 10 kg, the rest of the kilograms go away gradually. It is recommended that the process be slow, no more than 4 kg per month. Most breastfeeding women quickly return to their original state.

How to avoid gaining weight during pregnancy?

The basis is proper nutrition. A balanced diet, devoid of too sweet and fatty foods, will help you gain the weight needed to fully supply the developing fetus with the necessary substances.

Causes of pathological weight gain

Possible factors for which there is a large increase in weight:

too low weight (very thin women usually quickly gain body weight, ahead of normal indicators, in which case it is better to determine the “normal pre-pregnancy weight” using the formula “height (in cm) minus 100”, and calculate the increase based on its value);
high body weight and obesity;
high growth;
large fruit;
edema, including the development of preeclampsia;
increased appetite under the influence of high concentrations of estrogen at the beginning of pregnancy;
age over 35 years.

What to do with extra kilos?

The daily calorie requirement for a pregnant woman of normal weight with low physical activity (less than 30 minutes of exercise per week) is:

in the 1st trimester 1800 kcal;
in the 2nd trimester 2200 kcal;
in the 3rd trimester 2400 kcal.

This calorie content must be achieved by eating cereals, dairy products, animal and vegetable proteins, vegetables, vegetable oils. Refined foods, sugar, and saturated fats (mainly animals) should be limited.

Losing excess weight during pregnancy is difficult and in some cases not possible. However, you can slow down weight gain if you follow these recommendations:

Use low-fat dishes - chicken breast, herbs, tomatoes, baked potatoes. Avoid french fries, nuggets, fatty cheese.
Avoid fatty dairy products. It is necessary to consume at least 4 servings of milk per day, however, it should be skimmed or 1-2% fat milk or yogurt.
Limit sweets and sugary drinks, give preference to water, plain or mineral, with or without gas.
Do not add salt while cooking.
Limit high-calorie foods - confectionery, sweets, honey, chips. Replace them with fresh fruit, low-fat yogurt.
Reduce the amount of butter, mayonnaise, sour cream consumed.
Refuse to fry foods in oil, instead eat boiled or baked dishes.
Walk or swim regularly, unless your doctor has advised you not to exercise.

What can you eat to avoid excess gain:

bread, pasta, potatoes, rice, other cereals, whole grains are better (for example, brown rice and cereals) - these products should make up a third of the daily diet;
fruits and vegetables, up to 5 servings per day - this is another third of the products for the day;
meat (but not liver), fish, eggs and legumes;
skimmed milk, yogurt, low-fat cheese;
limiting fluid intake even with the appearance of latent edema is not recommended, it is advisable to drink as much as you want.

Cut food into very small pieces.
There is a dessert fork, and after each piece, put it on a plate and put your hands on your knees.
Chew food thoroughly.
After eating half the serving, take a break for 3 minutes.
Do not read or watch TV while eating.
Dine no later than 19 hours.
Go grocery shopping after meals.
Do not try the dishes during their preparation, do not finish the leftover food after the children.
Walk or stand for half an hour after eating.
Don't go to bed during the day.

Do not use the elevator.
Do not reach 1 stop before the desired one.
While talking on the phone and even watching TV, do not sit, but stand.
Do not use the TV remote control, but press the necessary buttons manually.
Take longer walks on weekends.
Do yoga or swim at least once a week or more.

Rapid weight gain may be a sign of hidden swelling. In this case, it is necessary, in addition to body weight, to control the amount of fluid drunk and excreted per day. If a woman takes in more fluid than she passes urine, the weight reading will increase rapidly. In such cases, obstetricians often prescribe treatment in a day hospital.

Insufficient weight gain

Risk factors for undernutrition in pregnancy:

both types of diabetes;
previous birth of a child with a defect in the nervous system;
past gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, or polyhydramnios;
phenylketonuria, leucinuria;
resection of the stomach or intestines, bariatric surgery;
cystic fibrosis, colitis, Crohn's disease;
obesity or underweight;
smoking, drinking alcohol or drugs.

Patients from this group should carefully monitor their weight, trying to prevent a small increase during gestation.

Too slow weight gain or even weight loss can be due to such reasons:

Nausea and vomiting

Weight loss occurs even with moderate toxicosis of the first half of pregnancy. Its symptoms occur at 6-12 weeks, after which the lost kilograms return.

Diet

Proper nutrition is important during pregnancy. A special calorie-restricted diet is not recommended. However, women with initial obesity, switching to healthier foods, can lose several kilograms from the “previous stocks”.

pregnancy symptoms

Some of the symptoms associated with early pregnancy can affect eating habits. It can be an aversion to certain smells, tastes, or textures of foods. At the same time, heartburn and constipation occur, which forces a woman to eat less and, accordingly, lose weight.

Toxicosis

With severe nausea and vomiting, electrolytes and nutrients are removed from the body, and this condition can persist beyond the 12th week. Appropriate treatment is needed, including dietary changes, rest, and antacid medication. In severe cases, the patient is hospitalized for intravenous fluids.

Miscarriage and missed pregnancy

These pathological conditions usually occur closer to the 13th week. Weight loss is one of the first signs. Then pain in the lower back, pinkish discharge from the genital tract, turning into bleeding, begin to disturb. Additional signs of pregnancy disappear, for example, taste preferences. If these symptoms appear, you should immediately consult a doctor.

If you are not gaining weight during pregnancy, your doctor may recommend the following measures:

There are small portions up to 6 times a day.
Always have snacks on hand - nuts, raisins, cheese, crackers, dried fruits, yogurt.
Add milk to mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs, porridge.
Introduce additional foods into the diet - butter, cheese, sour cream.

Consequences of deviations

In case of insufficient or excessive increase, you must follow all the recommendations of the doctor, since these conditions can cause severe pathological processes.

malformations of the nervous system and brain of the fetus;
intrauterine infection of the fetus;
spontaneous;
fetoplacental insufficiency;
premature birth;
pyelonephritis and diabetes in pregnant women;
heavy ;
delayed fetal development;
macrosomia (large fruit).

Undersupplementation is less common and less well understood, but there is strong evidence that children born later are at higher risk for psychiatric disorders and schizophrenia. Perhaps this is due to malnutrition of nerve cells during brain formation.

Other possible consequences of not gaining enough weight include:

premature birth;
low weight of the fetus;
the need for additional medical care for a newborn child, nursing him in a hospital.

Features of pregnancy management

In patients with inadequate weight gain, more careful medical supervision is necessary. It includes:

The use of micronized progesterone before the 16th week to prevent miscarriage.
Treatment of hypertension (magnesium sulfate, calcium antagonists, etc.).
Treatment of placental insufficiency.
Control of blood sugar levels, and at 24 weeks - a glucose tolerance test (for obesity).
Urinalysis to detect asymptomatic pyelonephritis.
In obese patients, delivery at 38 weeks is recommended.