Healthy Pregnancy Weight Gain Chart
You want to make sure that Baby's growing at a healthy rate and is getting all the important nutrients for healthy pregnancy development.
Of course it's not necessary to "eat for two" during pregnancy. Your focus should be quality not quantity. The healthy pregnancy weight gain chart below shows you how many extra calories you will need each trimester.
For healthy pregnancy weight gain increase your daily calories by:
| Time Frame | Increase in Daily Energy Intake |
| 1st Trimester | 100 extra calories |
| 2nd Trimester | 300 extra calories |
| 3rd Trimester | 300 extra calories |
An overweight woman would only need to gain between 11 to 25 pounds during pregnancy. An average weight woman should put on around 25 to 35 pounds. And an underweight woman could gain 28 to 40 pounds.
Never try to lose weight during pregnancy. It would be dangerous. Both you and your baby need lots of extra nutrients for a healthy baby pregnancy.
| BMI Before Pregnancy | Healthy Pregnancy Weight Gain |
| Below 19 | 28 - 40 pounds |
| 19 to 24.9 | 25 - 35 pounds |
| 25 to 29.9 | 15 - 25 pounds |
| 30 & Above | 11 - 20 pounds |
On average you should gain only around 2 to 4 pounds your first three months of pregnancy and a pound a week for the rest of your pregnancy.
Of course if you're expecting twins, the numbers are higher. You can gain 35 to 45 pounds during your pregnancy. This would average 1½ pounds a week after the basic 2 to 4 pound weight gain in the first three months.
Where Does all the Pregnancy Weight Gain Go?
| Where Will the Pounds Go? Breakdown of average 29 pounds of pregnancy weight gain. | |
| Your Baby (average weight) | 7 to 8 pounds (7.5) |
| Maternal stores of nutrients | 5 to 9 pounds (7) |
| Increased pregnancy blood | 3 to 4 pounds (3.5) |
| Extra retained body fluids | 2 to 4 pounds (3) |
| Amniotic fluid around baby | 2 to 3 pounds (2.5) |
| Enlargement of the uterus | 2 to 5 pounds (3.5) |
| Breast tissue enlargement | 2 to 3 pounds (2.5) |
| Placenta surrounding baby | 2 to 3 pounds (2.5) |
Putting on weight slowly and steadily is best for both you and your baby. But don't be concerned if you gain less than the recommended two to four pounds in the first trimester. You will probably make up for it later.
Most women have one or two "growth spurts" during a healthy pregnancy. They might gain several pounds in a short period of time and then level off.
The important thing is to eat for great health, while monitoring your overall weight gain and include moderate and sensible daily physical activity. You can use this healthy pregnancy weight gain chart to follow your progress.
Articles you may also enjoy:
A Healthy Pregnancy Food List
Eating Healthy for Pregnancy Baby Health
High Fiber Food Chart Ranking Fiber Sources
Pictures of Pregnancy Stages of Fetal Development
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Posted in: Women's Health
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