Gaining Weight During Pregnancy

Conceiving and then knowing that you are going to be a mother are like those milestones and poster or pin-up events in a woman's life. But yes, the bundle of joy doesn't come only without a fair deal of goose bumps and butterflies (butterflies? not literally!) in the stomach. Mood swings, weight gain (for obvious reasons), major shuffling of hormones and overall a reasonably tough period ahead ensues. But after the delivery, when you see your own flesh and blood alive, it is absolutely miraculous! I am sure those who have kids will vouch for it! Having spoken about weight gain, that is the most visible, evident and obvious effect of pregnancy. Oh and mind you, this weight gain is immune to diet pills!

Beginning of Weight Gain during Pregnancy
When do you start gaining weight after getting pregnant is the first question which crops up. Now the answer to that is somewhere close to three months. That is, before that, you do gain weight, but it is negligible. The real weight gain begins from around 3 months. In short, the first trimester is when weight gain normally happens. Typically, women will gain around 1 pound per month during the first trimester. Although, the baby at this stage grows rapidly, the development is too minor and you do not need to eat more, thereby, preventing weight gain in this period.

What Happens Next
Now, the baby has really got going in the second trimester and as a result, you put on weight. At the onset of second trimester, gaining weight steadily is a must. If you do not, try to put on about a pound each week with a pre pregnancy BMI of 24.9 and below, and about a half pound a week if the pre pregnancy BMI was 24.9 and above. A good ball park figure for gaining weight is around 34 pound gain for underweight women, 25 to 35 pounds for women with normal weight and 15-20 pounds for overweight women. Now, this a generic figure regarding weight gain during pregnancy week by week. The amount of weight a woman will gain during pregnancy depends on factors like your overall health, weight before pregnancy and the number of babies you are carrying. Nevertheless, on either extremes of the scale women will naturally have to either gain or lose weight. Pregnancy diet might be advised for those who might need to lose weight.

What is the Weight All About
Well, weight gain during pregnancy is a result of the addition of weight of a number of things - most importantly the baby, then the blood volume of a woman's body, fluids - including the one surrounding your baby and finally, maternal fat stores and nutrients. Don't worry about these fats ladies, these are essential for your energy supply and breast-feeding. These should not give you undue stress and if ever you wanted to indulge in those sinful goodies and be without guilt, this is the time to do that! But of course, over doing this would not be a good idea!

Over Weight and Under Weight Complications
Excessive weight gain during pregnancy may lead to a cesarean delivery, and can be really painful and problematic for the woman. Moreover, they can also retain that weight post pregnancy and may be more prone to gestational diabetes. Breast feeding problems too, can arise in that case. On the other hand, if a woman who is under weight before pregnancy and does not manage to gain enough weight may have increased chances of delivering a premature baby.

Your gynecologist/ obstetrician will tell you about more by referring to a pregnancy weight gain chart. Whatever you do, consulting the concerned specialist is crucial. Take care!