What is the ideal weight gain for pregnant women?

Did you know that gaining weight during pregnancy affects the health of you and your fetus? Either the mother's condition is overweight or underweight, is at risk of developing pregnancy-related diseases. So, it is important for you to know the status of weight gain during pregnancy.

Causes of weight gain in pregnant women

Quoting from Medlineplus, the average pregnant woman experiences weight gain of 11.5-16 kilograms during the pregnancy period.

When divided into each trimester, this usually increases as much as 1-2 kilograms in the first trimester and 500 grams per week.

As much as 1/3 of the weight gain during pregnancy is for the fetus, placenta and amniotic fluid.

Meanwhile, the remaining 2/3 is earmarked for:

• Uterine (uterine) muscles that continue to enlarge
• Breast tissue
• Increased blood volume
• Storage of fat for pregnant women as preparation for breastfeeding.

In this weight gain, pregnant women store large amounts of body fat in normal pregnancy to meet the needs of the mother's body and the energy needs of the fetus.

Fat also plays a role in preparing energy needs while breastfeeding.

The body stores the most fat between 10 and 20 weeks of gestation or before the fetus's energy needs are highest.

Fat reserves tend to decrease before the final phase of pregnancy. Only 0.5 kilograms of the approximately 3.5 kilograms of fat reserves during pregnancy are stored in the fetus.

Risk of pregnancy complications if you are overweight during pregnancy

Pregnancy complications are one of the impacts that can arise when pregnant women are overweight.

The complications that usually occur are:

• Gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy)
• Gestational diabetes
• Large baby size (macrosomia)
• Preeclampsia
• Delivery by caesarean section

Quoting from the March of Dimes, pregnant women who are underweight during pregnancy have several risks.

The two most common were preterm birth (birth before 37 weeks gestation) and low birth weight (LBW).

Therefore, try to keep your weight within the normal range during pregnancy.

If you are overweight, you should reduce your intake of high-fat foods and exercise.

Meanwhile, if you are underweight, you should eat healthy foods high in nutrition to meet your daily calorie needs.

Rules for weight gain in pregnant women

Weight gain during pregnancy depends on the mother's weight before pregnancy.

The pregnant mother underweight tends to maintain her weight gain during pregnancy for her own needs.

This is what makes pregnant women who are underweight need to gain more weight than other pregnant women during pregnancy.

Meanwhile, pregnant women who are overweight can use part of their energy reserves to support fetal growth.

This makes pregnant women with excess weight only need to gain a little and need to control their weight during pregnancy.

Gaining weight during pregnancy does not guarantee that the baby will have a normal weight at birth because many other factors affect the birth weight of the baby.

However, gaining weight during pregnancy increases the likelihood that your newborn's weight will be in the normal range.

The range of weight gain during pregnancy varies between individuals depending on the weight the mother had before pregnancy.

Following are the recommended weight gains during pregnancy, based on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations:

For underweight pregnant women

For mothers who are underweight (underweight) before becoming pregnant, it is advisable to increase body weight by 12.7-18 kilograms during pregnancy.

Underweight or underweight here means that pregnant women have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of less than 18.5 kg / m2.

For pregnant women of normal weight

For mothers who have normal weight before pregnancy, it is advisable to increase body weight by 11.3-15.9 kilograms during pregnancy.

Normal body weight means that pregnant women have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5-24.9 kilograms / m2.

For pregnant women who are overweight (overweight)

For mothers who have more weight (overweight) before pregnancy, the recommended weight gain is 6.8-11.3 kilograms.

Being overweight means having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 kg / m2 or more.

For mothers with obesity

For mothers who are obese before becoming pregnant, it is advisable to gain weight by 5-9 kilograms during pregnancy.

Obese pregnant women have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25-29.9 kg / m2.

For mothers who are pregnant with twins

For mothers who are pregnant with twins, it is advisable to increase body weight by 11.5-24.5 kilograms during pregnancy.

To find your Body Mass Index (BMI), calculate it with a BMI calculator.

Meanwhile, if you want to know whether you have excess weight during pregnancy or not, you can calculate it with a pregnant woman's weight calculator.

How to regulate weight gain for pregnant women

To keep your weight gain during pregnancy well controlled, you need to adjust several lifestyles according to your body condition.

For example, if you are overweight during pregnancy, consume a variety of healthy foods for pregnant women, such as:

• Rice, potatoes, bread and cereals containing complex carbohydrates.
• Vegetables and fruits, at least 5 servings a day.
• Meat, fish and eggs that contain animal protein, and tempeh, tofu, and nuts that contain vegetable protein.
• Milk and dairy products, such as yogurt and cheese.
• Choose low fat if pregnant women are overweight.

To be healthier, you should limit sugary foods or drinks, salt, and fried snacks.

In choosing a breakfast menu for pregnant women, you should choose foods that are cooked by boiling, grilling or steaming to make them healthier.

Try to eat small amounts of food often, about 5-6 meals a day. In addition, do light exercise during pregnancy, such as walking and swimming.

Always active in motion can maintain weight and help mothers go through labor easily and smoothly.

Meanwhile, for pregnant women who are underweight or underweight underweight , add fat in every food intake.

But still control it so that pregnant women do not experience excessive weight gain.

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