Weight Gain During Pregnancy

If you are pregnant and looking forward to a happy child birth, you might have one fear lurking in the corner of your mind and that is whether you would be able to shed off the extra weight upon you due to pregnancy. After all you are happy with the coming on of your first baby, but you cannot deny the fact that you still sigh looking at the old pair of jeans or the short shirt that was so much your favourite. And now you wonder whether you would be ever able to get back to them. Well you are a woman and you should know motherhood is all about sacrifice for your precious one. Don't lose hope as your doctor is the best person to guide you to the right health regime during and after pregnancy for a healthy weight loss. There are certain general guidelines to be followed too.

Depending on what your weight is, the doctor, at the onset of pregnancy would tell you that a healthy gain of weight for you would be 15 to 40 lbs. If you are underweight a gain of weight equaling to 15 and 40 lbs is fine. If you are overweight, you can stick to a gain of weight of 25 lbs. 6-8 lbs gain of weight is for the baby while the rest of the gain of weight is for the increase in breasts and placenta. You will perhaps lose around 15 lbs with the child birth.

Pregnancy is not the ideal time to maintain a diet. Both you and the baby would need the nutrients for a balanced and adequate diet and it is generally said that you eat for two at this stage. You would need 300 calories extra, approximately for giving birth to a healthy baby. Generally there would a weight gain of 2-4 lbs in the first 3months. There would be a weight gain of 2-4 lbs. During the second trimester, there could be a gain of 3-4 lbs while during the last 3 months it would be an extra gain of eight to ten pounds. However, a very sudden weight gain may cause gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia.

If the doctor feels you should lower your weight a little during pregnancy, you have to choose a diet that is healthy and rich in nutrition with additional vitamins, nutrients and minerals.

Regular exercise is essential for your baby and yourself. Do go for regular exercise, and work outs but never during pregnancy should you go for strenuous exercise. In this case, your body will not complain of aches and pains of any sorts. Do not indulge in activities where there is a risk of falling down or getting hurt. Also remember that when you are carrying your baby within, there is a change in your balance and so you should step lightly with care. A consultation with the doctor is a must at every step of pregnancy. You may also consult the dietician who would treat you with care and tell you what you need to do due with the gain in weight during pregnancy.