The maximum weight that can be gained during pregnancy. How much weight to gain during pregnancy

Almost all expectant mothers are very worried - how many kilograms of excess weight can they gain during pregnancy? And these experiences are really justified, because excess weight during pregnancy, just like its lack, can negatively affect the formation of vital organs in the fetus. Obesity harms both the expectant mother and her child.

What does weight loss lead to?

If pregnant women gain insufficient body weight during pregnancy, but as a result they give birth to babies with a lack of body weight. The weight of the child in this case is approximately 2.5 kg. Lack of weight for all 9 months of pregnancy leads to physical or psychological lag in development. Not all pregnant women know that malnutrition in this important and responsible period is much worse in terms of consequences than obesity.

When a woman consciously does not eat enough during pregnancy, the child's brain experiences an insufficient amount of vitamins and nutrients, as a result, the brain of babies does not develop. In addition, the metabolism of the baby is also disturbed. But, and that's not all! A deficiency of nutrients in the mother's body can affect the production of a hormone, the lack of which leads to the threat of miscarriage and loss of a child at any stage of pregnancy.

What causes excess weight during pregnancy?

Just as underweight can lead to significant consequences during pregnancy, excess weight leads to some problems. Increased weight gain leads to the risk of diabetes and late toxicosis (appears at 7, 8, 9 months of pregnancy).

Diabetes mellitus leads to the fact that a woman, as a rule, has an overweight baby (the fetus weighs over 4 kg). Childbirth in this case is very difficult, especially if a woman decides to give birth naturally.

Arising from excess body weight, it leads to an increase in blood pressure, and can also provoke convulsions in late pregnancy.

Women who have gained a large amount of excess weight during pregnancy, it is very difficult to nurse the pregnancy, they are tormented by shortness of breath, they move hard, and cannot independently serve themselves in everyday life. Excess weight gained during the 9 months of pregnancy is very difficult to lose after the birth of a child.

What should be the weight during pregnancy?

Weight gain during pregnancy depends solely on how much a woman entered pregnancy. It is generally accepted that if a woman was underweight before pregnancy, the more she can gain during pregnancy.

So, with a pre-pregnancy weight deficit, a woman can gain between 13 and 18 kg (and this will not be considered overweight). If, before pregnancy, the weight was within the normal range, then it is not scary to gain from 12 to 16 kg in 9 months. When the weight is overweight and the woman was obese, she can gain from 7 kg to 11 (no more).

With diagnosed obesity before pregnancy, the maximum weight gain is about 6 kg (but here you will still need to take into account the recommendations of the attending gynecologist and therapist regarding weight gain). If the pregnancy is multiple, then normally it is allowed to gain from 16 kg or more.

How to calculate your weight before pregnancy or if you are currently in the first trimester of pregnancy. To do this, you need to calculate the body mass index (BMI) - divide your weight in kg by your height squared and in meters. For example, a woman weighs 80 kg with a height of 1.70 m. We divide 80 kg / (1.7 * 1.7) \u003d 27.68. That is, the BMI is 27.68.

If BMI is less than 18 - underweight; BMI from 18.5 to 25 - normal weight; A BMI of 25 to 30 is overweight and a BMI of over 30 is already obese. In the case of our patient, she is overweight, which means that during pregnancy she can gain about 7 and up to 11 kg.

How are kilograms distributed during pregnancy?

Kilograms during pregnancy is not overweight, as is commonly believed. All the weight that a woman gains during 9 months of pregnancy is very well spent by her body. In particular, the fetus weighs 3-3.5 kg (sometimes more). About 0.5-1 kg - the placenta, the uterus increases to 1 kg (or more), takes about 1 liter (in some cases - up to 2 liters). The breast of a woman during pregnancy increases to 1 kg. In addition, the volume of blood in the body of a pregnant woman also increases and amounts to 1.5 liters. Here we will add the liquid accumulated during pregnancy - up to 2 liters or more. It takes only 4 kg maximum for body fat. Therefore, a pregnant woman cannot be considered fat or anything else - her weight complies with all accepted and considered standards.

During pregnancy, weight gain is very individual - someone can gain less, someone more, which is considered absolutely normal and natural. Some pregnant women, due to the structure of their body, gain weight very rapidly, starting literally from the first days of pregnancy. For some, body weight increases only after the 20th week of pregnancy. And he and the other option should not be considered a deviation from the norm, on the contrary - everything is in order. For example, in the first trimester, a weight gain of about 1.5 kg is normally considered, but there are women who, on the contrary, lose weight at this time due to toxicosis. Therefore, equating yourself to any standards is not worth it.

Factors affecting weight gain during pregnancy

We list the main factors that directly affect a woman's weight gain during pregnancy:

• Initial body weight with which a woman enters pregnancy;
• Physiology - a tendency to be overweight or not. Some women are naturally inclined to be overweight, while others - both during pregnancy and after it - are very thin;
• Growth - as a rule, tall women gain more kilograms during pregnancy than short girls;
• Fetal weight - if the baby is rapidly gaining body weight in the womb (again, due to its prevailing physiological characteristics), then the pregnant woman will gain more;
• Availability ;
• The presence of appetite or vice versa - its absence;
• The age of a pregnant woman - with age, body weight is gained much faster due to the fact that the metabolism begins to slow down.

Immediately after conception, the woman's body begins to prepare for the intrauterine formation of the fetus. The production of estrogen and progesterone increases, the body fat increases, the mark invariably goes up. Weight gain by week during pregnancy is measured for the reason that any significant deviation entails pathologies in the development of the child or complications in the health of the mother.

When does a pregnant woman start gaining weight?

In the first months, weight gain is almost imperceptible. The embryo has just attached to the wall of the uterus, the placenta has begun its formation, the body is preparing for gestation. Therefore, the first trimester is characterized by the fact that this weight increases by only 1-2 kilograms. In rare cases, due to toxicosis, the parameters of the girl will remain unchanged or, conversely, become lower.

The second trimester is due to the rapid growth of the child, the weekly rate, depending on individual characteristics, is about 300 grams. If the arrow stands still during weighing, then this indicates intrauterine development problems and additional diagnostic measures will be prescribed to determine the cause.

By the time of delivery, the set should reach 9 - 14 kg from the initial indicator. Experts calculate this figure using various methods, but in recent weeks, special attention has been paid to the scale of the average physiological allowance. In accordance with which body weight depends on the height of a woman - for every 10 cm of height there are 22 grams.

How much weight should a pregnant woman gain?

The minimum set averages 9-10 kilograms, but in order to understand how much weight you can gain, you need to consider some factors:

• child - from 3 to 4 kg;
• uterus - up to 0.9 kg;
• placenta - up to 500 grams;
• amniotic fluid - up to 0.9 kg;
• breast enlargement - up to 0.5 kg;
• increased blood flow - up to 1.0 kg;
• fat layer - up to 2.3 kg.

The normal increase also depends on the age category, the older the woman, the more likely it is to gain excess weight. Because metabolism and metabolism slows down, which leads to fullness. If before pregnancy there was a deficiency of fat, then during the period of gestation the body will begin to gain kilograms. Early toxicosis, complexion, large mass of the baby and placenta, all these parameters are taken into account in the calculations.

Pathological gain indicates too rapid weight gain, which occurs when you consume an excess amount of high-calorie foods, impaired kidney function and fluid retention in tissues, and also due to the development of hypothyroidism (lack of thyroid hormone production).

When diagnosing such pathologies, competent treatment is required to restore the efficiency of the urinary and endocrine systems.

The rate of weight gain during pregnancy by week

Weekly weight increases unevenly, depending on which trimester is taken into account in the calculation. The first months of gestation are caused by almost zero marks. Normally, the expectant mother needs to gain up to 2.5 kg, it is not uncommon for the parameters at this stage to remain in place, this is also considered a variant of the norm.

The indicators for the next period increase significantly due to the active development of the fetus. In the second trimester, there is a dependence on the girl's constitution and body mass index (BMI). So, the rate of increase during pregnancy for 7 days is:

• a woman with a deficiency should add no more than 500 grams;
• normal weight - up to 450 gr;
• excess - up to 300 gr.

The last period is characterized by the preparation of the body for labor, the aging of the placenta and a decrease in the amount of fluid. Therefore, the parameters are gradually reduced, the child is preparing for the birth.

pregnancy weight gain chart

Weekly weight gain chart during pregnancy

In order to independently determine the standards, it is necessary to initially calculate the BMI. The formula is quite simple and does not require complex calculations:

For example, a girl is 67 kg, with a height of 1.69 m, then the BMI will be 19.8, which is a normal indicator. For obese people, the index is more than 26, and for thin people - less than 19.8.

The weight gain table during pregnancy will help you find out the parameters in accordance with the calculated BMI:

week of pregnancy	Your BMI<19,8	Your BMI=19.8-26.0	Your BMI>26.0
2	0,5	0,5	0,5
4	0,9	0,7	0,5
6	1,4	1,0	0,6
8	1,6	1,2	0,7
10	1,8	1,3	0,8
12	2,0	1,5	0,9
14	2,7	1,9	1,0
16	3,2	2,3	1,4
18	4,5	3,6	2,3
20	5,4	4,8	2,9
22	6,8	5,7	3,4
24	7,7	6,4	3,9
26	8,6	7,7	5,0
28	9,8	8,2	5,4
30	10,2	9,1	5,9
32	11,3	10	6,4
34	12,5	10,9	7,3
36	13,6	11,8	7,9
38	14,5	12,7	8,6
40	15,2	13,6	9,1

It can be seen that overweight women do not gain kilograms over a 9-month period, and girls with a thinner physique, on the contrary, achieve normal levels.

A slight deviation is considered normal, and not a pathology that requires medical intervention.

The rate of weight gain during pregnancy by months table

In the first trimester, the increase may not be observed at all, it is not uncommon for the figure to decrease due to toxicosis, bad habits and stressful situations. If we take into account the norm by months, then there is an uneven increase in kilograms. At the same time, the boundaries can be blurred due to genetic characteristics and additional factors that affect the course of pregnancy.

Increase table every 30 days:

The table shows that the standard can either increase or decrease, which indicates the occurrence of morning sickness or the experiences of the expectant mother.

At the doctor's appointment, they are initially weighed only once every 30 days, since the figure does not undergo significant changes. In the future, the indicator is examined much more often, up to every week, while specialists try to schedule an examination and consultation at the same time so as not to distort the results of the parameters in dynamics.

Why there is no weight gain during pregnancy

Prolonged toxicosis leads to dehydration and the absence of kilograms, such a pathology requires a more thorough examination to identify the causes and subsequent treatment in a hospital. Droppers, vitamins and complete rest are prescribed.

If there is no weight gain during pregnancy, then the child receives less nutrients, there is a high risk of developing hypoxia (oxygen starvation). Doctors, in this case, recommend increasing the calorie content of meals, as well as stimulating appetite through fractional nutrition (about 6 meals per day).

To normalize the indicator, you should drink plenty of fluids for better metabolism and constantly carry with you, for the purpose of a snack, dried fruits, nuts, bananas or candied fruits. Peanut butter contains a lot of protein and energy, so this product will be indispensable for the lack of formation of muscle mass and body fat.

In the absence of appetite, you need to force yourself to eat, in small pieces, it is better to sit in a comfortable environment to improve the psycho-emotional component. Going out into nature, picnics by the water stimulate the taste buds, thanks to which nutrition will be beneficial, and fresh air will fill the body with oxygen.

Only 20% of women return to their former shape within the first three months after the birth of a child. The vast majority of newly-made mothers are forced to update their wardrobe with new sizes, which is fraught not only with additional financial costs, but also with new grief and depression. All of this can be avoided by monitoring pregnancy weight gain.

What does the increase consist of:

• amniotic fluid (0.5-0.6 kg);
• uterus (1 kg);
• fetus (2.5-4 kg);
• breast enlargement (0.5 kg);
• increase in circulating blood (up to 1.5 kg);
• placenta (0.4-0.6 kg).

Approximate weight is given in parentheses. In addition, a woman gains 3-4 kg of fat, which serves as an energy depot after the birth of a child. If the increase is more than 15 kg, then the doctors begin to sound the alarm. Up to 20 weeks of pregnancy, weight gain should not be more than 40%, the remaining 60% fall in the second half of the term.

Diet: fractional, slow, reasonable

The optimal number of meals for a pregnant woman is 5 to 7 times a day, including snacks. You can eat in the evening, but no later than 2 hours before going to bed. In the first trimester, small portions, frequent, moderate eating will help reduce the unpleasant manifestations of toxicosis, reduce the likelihood of a strong feeling of hunger, and hence the possibility of overeating.

Small servings prevent spikes in blood glucose levels. In order to be satiated in small portions and facilitate the work of the digestive system, food should be consumed slowly, pieces should be chewed thoroughly, and meals should be taken in a calm atmosphere.

General tips on how not to gain weight:

1. Mandatory breakfast. It will prevent the appearance of a strong feeling of hunger during the day. With toxicosis, it is recommended to eat a cracker or a biscuit cookie while lying in bed. After a while, you can go to a full breakfast.
2. Food at home. Trips to cafes, restaurants, canteens often end with overeating, eating high-calorie, unhealthy foods that will increase weight during pregnancy.
3. Light dinner. It is not necessary to load the digestive system with heavy dishes at night, it is better to give preference to dairy products, cereals. It will also help keep you from gaining weight.

Advice! It is advisable to drink a glass of clean water 20 minutes before meals. In winter it can be warm. The liquid will start the digestive system, fill the stomach, and prevent you from eating too much.

Dangerous and harmful products from which excess weight appears

Proper nutrition is the best system for maintaining a normal weight during pregnancy. When eating healthy food, you do not need to count calories or reduce portion sizes. In order for everything to be really simple, and the system to work, you need to exclude a number of products from the diet. Food that is impossible for pregnant women, leading to weight gain, differs little from what is undesirable for any person to eat:

• chips, crackers;
• smoked, salty foods;
• sausages;
• carbonated drinks;
• canned food;
• fast food, fast food.

In addition, there are products that are especially dangerous during pregnancy. They can cause serious complications, poisoning, diarrhea, and helminth infection if consumed raw. These products include eggs, fish, including sushi, meat, poultry.

Before using any product of industrial production, you need to pay attention to the expiration date. Confectionery with creams, fish preserves, yoghurts, cottage cheese are especially dangerous. Disturbances in the digestive tract, diarrhea and bloating dramatically increase the tone of the uterus, which leads to miscarriage.

Attention! Cabbage, radish, radish can also increase gas formation. They need to be consumed in limited quantities. White cabbage can be cooked or replaced with cauliflower.

Video: Products that threaten pregnancy

The right foods: down with excess weight

The basis of the diet of a pregnant woman should be only wholesome food. When choosing, the composition is carefully studied, it is better to purchase raw products for self-cooking. The basis of the diet during pregnancy is:

• complex carbohydrates: cereals, grain bread, vegetables and fruits;
• sea ​​and river fish (before cooking, you need to freeze well);
• thermally processed meat, preferably red;
• bird;
• nuts, seeds;
• dairy products of medium fat content.

It is allowed to use butter up to 10 g per day. When choosing meat and fish, it is advisable to give preference to low-fat varieties or cut off pieces of fat. It is advisable to remove the skin from chicken and turkey.

On a note: Lamb without fat is the ideal meat for a pregnant woman. With regular use, it will maintain the amount of hemoglobin in the blood at the right level.

Features of heat treatment

Frying in oil is the most unhealthy way of cooking and can more than double the calorie content. When using such dishes, a large weight gain cannot be avoided, therefore they are contraindicated during pregnancy.

Which heat treatment methods to choose:

1. Cooking (in water or steam).
2. Extinguishing. It is carried out with the addition of water, sauces, broths, a small amount of oil.
3. Baking. Usually done in an oven. Do not use fatty sauces to refine the taste. Hard cheese significantly increases the calorie content of the dish.

Spicy spices are contraindicated during pregnancy, besides, they increase appetite. To improve the taste during heat treatment, you can add paprika, cinnamon, laurel to dishes, sesame seeds and fresh herbs are useful. Salt is limited to 5 g per day.

Constipation is another reason for being overweight.

Disturbances in the gastrointestinal tract, in particular constipation, also lead to weight gain. Stagnation is very harmful for a pregnant woman, increases the tone of the uterus, can cause a threat of miscarriage or premature birth. The bowel must be emptied regularly. With constipation during pregnancy, fiber-rich foods, prunes, preparations with lactulose will help to cope.

With prolonged constipation for more than three days, glycerin suppositories can be used to empty the intestines. But this is not a solution to the problem. It is necessary to normalize nutrition, exclude flour products, with which it is difficult not to gain excess weight.

Video: Super food for pregnant women

Unloading days for pregnant women

If weight gain is ahead of schedule, pregnant women need to arrange fasting days, they are also indicated for edema, constipation, preeclampsia. During the day, one or more types of a healthy product with a low calorie content are consumed. Salt and sugar are excluded. In one day, you can lose up to 2 kg of weight.

Types of unloading days:

• kefir (1.5 l);
• apple (up to 1.5 kg);
• buckwheat (250 g of dry cereals);
• vegetable (up to 1.5 kg).

In parentheses is the daily amount of the product. It is divided into 5-6 equal portions, consumed every 1.5-2 hours, preventing the appearance of a strong feeling of hunger. Be sure to drink clean water at least 1.5 liters per day.

Sports and pregnancy: how not to gain weight

Increasingly, you can meet pregnant women doing gymnastics, yoga, Pilates, exercising on a fitball, visiting the pool. Physical activity is the best prevention of excess weight, including during pregnancy. With the right approach and the right technique for performing classes, they will only benefit.

In addition to excess weight, other problems will also go away: morning sickness, constipation, leg cramps, back pain. During classes, blood circulation improves, mental stress decreases, and overall well-being improves. Group classes contribute to the emergence of new acquaintances, brighten up the leisure of a pregnant woman.

Contraindications to increased activity:

• bleeding;
• hypertension;
• oligohydramnios;
• multiple pregnancy.

Any physical activity is indicated only during a normal pregnancy and only after consulting a doctor. If you have health problems, you should limit yourself to walking in the fresh air. Riding, rowing, jumping, cycling and other traumatic sports are prohibited.

Proper and healthy nutrition will help not to gain excess weight, it is easy to return a slim figure after pregnancy. The exclusion of sweets, confectionery, chocolate, fast food will have a positive effect not only on the figure of a young mother, but also on the health of the baby.

Every woman needs to monitor her weight, because a beautiful figure is an integral part of an attractive feminine image. But one day there comes a moment when doctors begin to monitor the weight of a woman. And this does not mean at all that she is sick - no, she is just expecting a baby!

Weighing is a mandatory procedure at every visit to the gynecologist. In addition, in order to control weight, the woman herself needs to weigh herself daily. Moreover, this must be done at the same time - in the morning on an empty stomach, and certainly in the same clothes.

How does weight gain occur during pregnancy

The first two months of pregnancy, as a rule, pass without weight gain, because the woman's body is only adapting to its new state. In addition, many expectant mothers during this period suffer from severe toxicosis, and this, on the contrary, can lead to weight loss.

So in the first trimester, the increase averages no more than 1-2 kg(an exception may be women who have previously followed a strict diet, or athletes who are forced to significantly lighten their training program due to pregnancy).

More active weight gain occurs in the second trimester of pregnancy. According to the norms, during this period, a woman should gain 250–300 g of weight weekly. If the body weight of a pregnant woman increases faster, this may be a sign of a serious problem - dropsy of pregnancy, which is accompanied by edema .

In accordance with this scale, the average weight gain during the week should be no more than 22 g per 10 cm of growth. Thus, with a growth of 150 cm per week, a woman should gain no more than 330 g, with a height of 180 cm - up to 400 g.

Weight of a woman during pregnancy

How many kilograms the body weight of the expectant mother will increase is influenced by many factors.

These include:

1. Age. The older a woman is, the more inclined she is to be overweight.
2. Initial weight(meaning body weight before pregnancy). The greater was the deficit of body weight before pregnancy, the higher the chances of gaining extra pounds.
3. Was there early toxicosis. If a woman had severe toxicosis in the first months of pregnancy, then she could lose several kilograms, which then the body begins to replenish at an accelerated pace.
4. Features of the constitution. Do not forget that some women are prone to thinness, while others are prone to fullness.
5. Fetal weight. The size and weight of the placenta depends on the weight of the fetus. That is, a woman who is expecting a large child or twins gains more weight than one whose fetus is small.
6. increased appetite. Some pregnant women put on a lot of weight just because they cannot contain the increased appetite.

Let's look at a separate example of how the kilograms gained by a pregnant woman are distributed in the body. So, with an increase of 12 kg, they are distributed as follows:

• weight of the child - 3 300 g;
• weight uterus - 900 g;
• placenta weight - 400 g;
• weight amniotic fluid - 900 g;
• weight of the mammary glands - 500 g;
• weight gain due to increased blood volume circulating in the body - 1,200 g;
• adipose tissue mass - 2,200 g;
• mass of tissue fluid - 2,700 g.
• And the total amount is 12.1 kg.

What is the normal weight gain for a pregnant woman?

Some pregnant women try diet to limit the increase in their weight: someone is afraid of gaining too much weight, others - to give birth to a large child. That is why it is so important to know what is the rate of weight gain for you personally - this will help you avoid problems and not make mistakes.

Weight during pregnancy by week

We calculate the allowable weight gain on our own, using Body mass index (BMI index). To do this, you need to know your initial weight and height. Let's use the formula BMI = weight in kilograms / (height in meters * height in meters). According to the calculations, it turns out that in overweight women this indicator is > 26, in women of average build - 19.8–26.0, and in thin women - \< 19,8.

And now, having calculated the BMI, consider the optimal weight gain by week of pregnancy:

Gestational age	Weight gain in kg with BMI > 26	Weight gain in kg at BMI 19.8-26.0	Weight gain in kg at BMI

All women, one way or another, pay attention to their weight, but if in ordinary life diets, physical activity and other activities are designed only for your body, then with the onset of pregnancy you are responsible for the health of two. And, consequently, in a special state, the norms will be different. In our article, we will use the terms "weight" and "body weight", in this context they are one and the same.

Total weight gain during pregnancy is a measure of weight gain from a diagnosed pregnancy to delivery.

The biological value of weight gain during pregnancy is to create additional protection for the ovum and the fetus. Adipose tissue during pregnancy is deposited mainly in the area of ​​the mammary glands, buttocks, thighs and abdomen. In addition to mechanical protection, fat plays an energy-storing role in case of hunger, as it happened evolutionarily and your body simply performs the assigned task.

Why control weight during pregnancy?

Optimal weight gain is one of the indicators of a normal pregnancy.

When registering, you will be asked:

Do your blood relatives (mother, grandmother, sister) suffer from obesity, diabetes mellitus or metabolic syndrome (complex metabolic disorder),

Have you been overweight before?

Was there any sudden weight gain or loss and, if so, how did this affect the menstrual cycle,

How much weight did you gain in a previous pregnancy (if this is not the first pregnancy), did you regain your weight and how quickly.

Height and weight will also be measured.

Weight control is carried out every visit and helps to suspect the development of various pathological conditions as early as possible. At home, body weight control is carried out weekly, in the morning you are weighed on an empty stomach, after a morning toilet, in the same clothes. It is assumed that when you come to the appointment, you will be weighed in approximately the same clothes in order to avoid diagnostic errors.

Initially, a woman has a certain weight indicator, for its objective assessment, the body mass index is used.

Body mass index (BMI)- a relative value that allows you to assess the degree of compliance of a person's mass with his height.

To calculate BMI, you need to square the height in meters (for example, 1.75 × 1.75 = 3.06). Then divide the weight in kilograms by the height squared (for example, 67 ÷ 3.06 = 21.9 and this is the norm).

BMI< 16 – выраженный дефицит массы тела (истощение)
BMI = 16-18.5 - underweight
BMI = 18.5-25 - normal weight
BMI = 25-30 - overweight
BMI = 30-35 - obesity of the first degree
BMI = 35-40 - obesity of the second degree
BMI = 40 or more - obesity of the third degree or morbid (pathological, painful).

Given the initial body weight, the allowable weight gain will be calculated.

Women with BMI less than 16

Young pregnant women (under 18 years of age) who are still growing and need optimal nutrient intake

Women with multiple pregnancies (especially if it is triplets / quadruplets and so on).

For other patients, the following table of total body weight gain during pregnancy.

Weekly weight gain.

Weight gain occurs unevenly, about 40% of the increase occurs in the 1st half of pregnancy, and 60% in the second.

Not all women gain from the very beginning of pregnancy. In the first weeks, even a decrease in body weight caused by toxicosis, vomiting of pregnant women, and a decrease in appetite is possible. In some women, the increase begins only from 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Weight gain is not only due to the accumulation of fat mass in the mother and an increase in the weight of the fetus. Weight gain is a cumulative concept and includes several components:

1) Full-term fetus (normal values ​​​​are from 2500 to 4000 grams, the average weight is 3500 grams)

2) Placenta (weight about 600 grams)

3) Umbilical cord and fetal membranes (about 500 - 600 grams)

4) Amniotic fluid or amniotic fluid (about 1 liter)

5) Uterus (during pregnancy, the uterus is significantly stretched, muscle fibers are rebuilt, its massive blood supply is maintained, and the mass is about 1 kg)

6) The volume of circulating blood in the system "mother - placenta - fetus" (or "third circle of blood circulation", which is 1.5 - 2 liters)

7) Deposition of subcutaneous fat, gradual development of the mammary glands (about 2 - 3 kg)

We bring a table that shows the approximate figures for weight gain by week of pregnancy. However, you should always discuss this issue with the obstetrician-gynecologist leading your pregnancy.

gestational age in weeks	Baseline BMI<18.5	Baseline BMI 18.5 - 25	Baseline BMI of 30 or more
4	0 – 0.9 kg	0 – 0.7 kg	0 – 0.5 kg
6	0 – 1.4 kg	0 – 1 kg	0 – 0.6 kg
8	0 – 1.6 kg	0 – 1.2 kg	0 – 0.7 kg
10	0 – 1.8 kg	0 – 1.3 kg	0 – 0.8 kg
12	0 - 2 kg	0 – 1.5 kg	0 – 1 kg
14	0.5 – 2.7 kg	0.5 - 2 kg	0.5 – 1.2 kg
16	Up to 3.6 kg	Up to 3 kg	Up to 1.4 kg
18	Up to 4.6 kg	Up to 4 kg	Up to 2.3 kg
20	Up to 6 kg	Up to 5.9 kg	Up to 2.9 kg
22	Up to 7.2 kg	Up to 7 kg	Up to 3.4 kg
24	Up to 8.6 kg	Up to 8.5 kg	Up to 3.9 kg
26	Up to 10 kg	Up to 10 kg	Up to 5 kg
28	Up to 13 kg	Up to 11 kg	Up to 5.4 kg
30	Up to 14 kg	Up to 12 kg	Up to 5.9 kg
32	Up to 15 kg	Up to 13 kg	Up to 6.4 kg
34	Up to 16 kg	Up to 14 kg	Up to 7.3 kg
36	Up to 17 kg	Up to 15 kg	Up to 7.9 kg
38	Up to 18 kg	Up to 16 kg	Up to 8.6 kg
40	Up to 18 kg	Up to 16 kg	Up to 9.1 kg

Of all the indicators that add up to total body weight gain, we are especially concerned about fetal growth, since low birth weight is associated with a greater risk of many diseases.

gestational age in weeks	Fetal weight in grams
11	11
12	19
13	31
14	52
15	77
16	118
17	160
18	217
19	270
20	345
21	416
22	506
23	607
24	733
25	844
26	969
27	1135
28	1319
29	1482
30	1636
31	1779
32	1930
33	2088
34	2248
35	2414
36	2612
37	2820
38	2992
39	3170
40	3373

All the indicators given here are averaged, and you should not thoroughly compare your ultrasound data with our table. The main thing in monitoring the growth of the fetus is not even the absolute body weight, but the dynamics of its increase. At the beginning of pregnancy, the rate of increase is about 10 - 60 grams per week, and in the third trimester it is already about 100 - 300 grams per week. We have given approximate values, and if you are worried about the weight of the baby, then you need to additionally ask your obstetrician-gynecologist.

Normally, weight gain during pregnancy is smooth, without sudden jumps and, as a result, fits into the given norms. However, this is not always the case.

Excessive weight gain

Excessive weight gain can be diagnosed for a certain period (for example, if weight gain in 1 week was 4 kg) or for the entire period of pregnancy. The earlier a tendency to pathological weight gain is detected, the more effective the treatment.

Criteria for overweight:

More than 2 kg in 1 week at any time
- more than 4 kg in total for the first 3 months
- more than 1.5 kg per month for the second trimester
- more than 800 grams in 1 week in the third trimester

Causes:

Overeating / poor nutrition (excessive consumption of salt, simple carbohydrates, fatty foods, foods with preservatives, fast food)

Excess fluid intake

Sedentary lifestyle

Chronic diseases that existed before pregnancy (diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, varicose veins, and others)

Complications or what threatens excess weight during pregnancy?

For mother:

1. Increased blood pressure
2. Development of edema
3. Development of preeclampsia
4. Gestational diabetes
5. Varicose veins
6. Complications from the urinary tract (gestational pyelonephritis)
7. Symphysiopathy and other complications of the musculoskeletal system
8. Premature aging of the placenta
9. The threat of premature birth (the main reason will be hormonal imbalance)
10. The risk of post-pregnancy, weakness of labor forces or discoordination of labor
11. Risk of PIV (premature rupture of amniotic fluid)
12. Technical difficulties during caesarean section

First of all, women with excessive weight gain are at risk for developing preeclampsia. If alarming weight dynamics is detected, then the patient will be examined by a doctor more often, according to indications, an additional examination will be prescribed or hospitalization will be offered.

For a child:

1. Hypotrophy of the fetus, or vice versa, the birth of large children (more than 4000 grams) or giant children (more than 5000 grams).

2. Fetal hypoxia due to placental disorders

3. Disproportionate development (inconsistency in the development of the size of the head, shoulder girdle and pelvis). This point is especially important when a mother develops gestational diabetes mellitus, since diabetic fetopathy develops (“fetos” is a fetus in Greek “fetus”), which includes many indicators, including obesity in the shoulder girdle, which creates difficulty in childbirth and increases the risk of birth trauma.

4. Increased risk of neurological pathology (convulsive syndrome and others)

5. Increased risk of obesity and diabetes in the future

What to do?

I. Examination

1) Complete blood count (CBC)
2) Complete urinalysis or OAM (primarily the presence of protein in the urine)
3) Biochemical blood test or BAC (primarily blood sugar)
4) Consultation of a therapist, endocrinologist
5) Daily monitoring of blood pressure according to indications
6) Monitoring the condition of the fetus (ultrasound, doplerometry, cardiotocography)

II. Treatment

1) Balanced diet.

The simplest recommendation at first glance would be “eat right,” but it is more difficult to follow than buying pills in a pharmacy. You should treat menu planning and meals as a regular job that cannot be put off. The time while you are carrying a baby under your heart is given so that you give him the maximum of what is possible.

The assurances of others that now you should "eat for two" is a fundamentally wrong statement. The calorie content of food should increase by an average of 200-300 kilocalories per day, but the consumption of protein, iron, calcium, folates and other macro- and micronutrients really increases significantly, but these useful elements are usually found in low-calorie foods (liver, low-fat meat, milk and lettuce).

The daily diet should include three main meals and two to three snacks.

Healthy snacks are fruits, vegetables, unsweetened yogurt, bran bread crackers. You should always have a snack with you.

A pregnant woman should never be hungry!

It is recommended to include in the diet: lean meat in boiled, baked and grilled forms, all types of fish, eggs, all dairy and sour-milk products (limit sour cream, heavy cream and butter), vegetables (limit potatoes, consume them boiled or baked), fruits ( limit grapes, bananas, melons), dried fruits, cereals (limit semolina and polished rice), bran/gray bread, legumes (unless they cause flatulence or affect stools), vegetable oils for salad dressings.

Limited quantity: fried foods, marmalade, chocolate, marshmallows, marshmallows, honey, nuts, candied fruits, potatoes, bananas, grapes, melons, butter, heavy cream, sour cream.

Salt provokes the retention of excess fluid in the tissues, which is fraught with the development of edema. It is very difficult to calculate the recommended 5 grams of salt per day, but try at least not to add salt to cooked food, use mustard and lemon juice to dress salads and avoid foods with a record salt content (sausages and sausages, chips, ready-made crackers, etc. ).

You can also arrange fasting days (kefir, cottage cheese, vegetable, apple). On such days, you leave yourself a full meal, and replace other meals with the selected product. But you should not be hungry, the rule of 5-6 meals a day must be observed.

It is also necessary to observe the optimal drinking regimen . On average, the amount of liquid consumed per day should be 1200 - 1500 ml, this includes tea, coffee and other drinks, liquid in soups and cereals, as well as fruits and vegetables. It will not be possible to calculate exactly, but this is not required, it is important to understand the approximate volume. Most of the volume consumed should be pure water.

2) Fight against constipation.

Irregular bowel activity leads to the formation of gases, makes it difficult to absorb even those useful substances that you consume, so you should strive to ensure that stool delays do not exceed 1 to 2 days.

Eat a salad of white cabbage, carrots and boiled beets at night
- daily eat 6 berries of dried apricots or prunes
- if these products are ineffective during pregnancy, it is allowed to use osmotic laxatives based on lactulose (normaze, dufalac, romfalac, goodluck, lactulosestada), take them 2-3 times a day, 1 tablespoon. Sometimes 1 tablespoon of the drug at night is enough to have a stool in the morning.

Fitness for pregnant women is gaining popularity now, in fact, much of the program can be done at home, especially if you purchase a fitball (a large soft rubber gymnastic ball).

Any physical activity should be consistent with the well-being and tone of the uterus.

4) Herbal diuretic preparations(if the weight gain is due to edema).

Kanefron is used (2 tablets 3 times a day), Brusniver (brew 1 filter - a bag 3-4 times a day), the duration of taking both drugs is determined by your doctor.

Also in this case, positional therapy will benefit: take the knee-elbow position for 3-15 minutes up to 6 times a day as you feel.

Diet with carbohydrate restriction, insulin therapy according to indications.

Insufficient weight gain.

Insufficient weight gain means a lack of intake of a sufficient amount of nutrients and vitamins into the body of a pregnant woman. If the mother does not receive enough food, then the future baby will soon be deprived.

Causes:

Malnutrition / malnutrition

Long-term chronic diseases (cardiovascular and bronchopulmonary diseases, diseases of the digestive tract, infectious diseases, including HIV infection and hepatitis)

Bad habits (smoking, alcohol, psychoactive substances)

Malnutrition is the most common cause, and it does not always concern socially disadvantaged patients. It should be remembered that pregnancy is not the time for diets. We have given recommendations for good nutrition above. The only difference is that patients with insufficient weight gain do not need to limit themselves to eating bananas, fatty dairy products and vegetable oil.

With bad habits, the approach is obvious, they are incompatible with pregnancy, and you need to quit as soon as you find out about the onset of pregnancy.

Complications caused by insufficient weight gain:

For mother:

1) Complicated course of pregnancy (threat of abortion)
2) Complicated course of childbirth (discoordination of labor, weakness of labor forces)
3) Anemia, hypovitaminosis (manifestations will be weakness, fatigue, dry skin, hair loss)

For a child:

1) Fetal hypotrophy (low weight), fetal growth retardation (lagging behind the gestational age).

2) Chronic hypoxia of the fetus, increases the risk of antenatal death of the fetus.

3) The frequency of malformations increases (with a deficiency of folic acid, the risk of defects in the nervous system increases), the risk of immunodeficiency in the future.

What to do?

I. Examination

1) UAC
2) OAM
3) TANK
4) Ultrasound of internal organs and kidneys
5) Examination for STIs according to indications
6) Consultations of specialized specialists (infectionist, gastroenterologist, nephrologist)

II. Treatment

1) Rational nutrition (see above)
2) Additional food.

Pregnant women with insufficient body weight and / or anemia (starting with moderate severity) are prescribed additional nutrition free of charge, for example, Juno Dry Instant Mix, which is taken at 3 tablespoons per day.

3) Treatment of pregnant vomiting

Toxicosis of the first half of pregnancy, vomiting of a pregnant woman leads to a sharp decrease in appetite, aversion to food and, as a result, weight loss. The nutrition of such patients should be very fractional, in small portions (if this means that you will eat 10-12 times a day for a cracker or a spoonful of yogurt, then this is your diet for this period), the food should be sparing in temperature and texture . It is also necessary to replenish the lost fluid and drink at least 1500 ml of fluid per day (weak tea, mineral water, natural juices and pure water). Vomiting of a pregnant woman, which is repeated more than 6 times a day and leads to a decrease in working capacity, requires medical intervention, fluid replacement with intravenous saline.

4) Observation and treatment of chronic diseases.

Pregnancy in the presence of chronic diseases should be carefully planned, and the diseases should be in the stage of compensation. If the pregnancy has come unplanned, then you should visit a specialized specialist as soon as possible.

Pregnancy is a wonderful period in a woman's life that cannot be repeated, but along with the joy of expecting a baby, you also acquire a great responsibility. And, in a sense, pregnancy is work, so menu planning, doctor visits and diagnostic procedures, and regular weight control should be treated as work tasks. And the result will be a successful pregnancy, your well-being, uncomplicated childbirth and a healthy baby. Look after yourself and be healthy!

Obstetrician-gynecologist Petrova A.V.