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10/30/2008 - by Anne Marie Nielson
  
Weight Gain During Pregnancy

  
Many women worry about weight gain in pregnancy. While gaining weight is a given in pregnancy, our culture values thinness, and especially for women who have always been weight conscious, gaining weight during pregnancy can cause anxiety.

The old adage "eating for two" really isn't accurate. While you do need to increase your caloric intake, you certainly don't need to eat for an entire additional person. Adding 100 to 300 nutritious calories per day to your diet is sufficient to support you and your growing baby adequately during the pregnancy. By making choices like leafy greens, lean meats and fresh fruit, you can almost guarantee that you'll gain just the right amount. Eating out at fast food restaurants, consuming processed foods like boxed meals, and eating a lot of sugary foods will add weight without giving you and your baby the proper nutrition you need.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends the average woman gain 25 to 35 pounds during the course of a pregnancy. Underweight women should gain a little more, and overweight women should gain a little less. However, stressing over a few pounds can be counterproductive. If you are concerned about your amount of weight gain, talk to your doctor or midwife for advice. They may ask you for a record of what you normally eat to properly assess your nutritional intake.

You may be curious as to where this weight gain goes. No, it doesn't all go to your hips! An average baby is 7 or 8 pounds at term. That is a significant amount right there. If you are like some women, your baby may even be 9 or 10 pounds. Any of these weights are normal for full term infants, and make up a large chunk of your average 25 to 35 pound weight gain. A fully developed placenta can weigh from 2 to 3 pounds. You want a healthy placenta… this organ makes sure your baby gets nutrients and oxygen during development. Add in another 2 or 3 pounds for the amniotic fluid your baby floats in, and another couple of pounds for additional breast tissue as your body prepares for breastfeeding. Your normally small uterus grows quite large during pregnancy, increasing in muscle mass, so add another 2 to 5 pounds for that. Your blood volume expands during pregnancy (be sure to drink enough water!), and that accounts for another 4 pounds of weight. Your body does prepare for postpartum breastfeeding, and packs on 5 to 9 pounds of fat stores in preparation for nourishing your baby. Do not try to avoid this… these stores are necessary!

If you're wondering how you can possibly add more food to your meals, relax. Instead of eating three large meals per day, spread it out over the day in five small meals. This keeps your blood sugar level, your stomach at least partially full, and provides a constant stream of nutrients to you and your baby. Keep easy snacks on hand like cheese and crackers, nuts, dried fruit or yogurt. Add cheese to a favorite recipe to up the calories and the nutrition.

If you notice you are losing weight during pregnancy, seek the advice of your caregiver.

At From Pregnancy To Baby, we try to provide you with all of the latest information about going through your pregnancy from your first trimester to the first years of your new babies life. We also provide the highest quality books and products to help you through that time.

Source: http://www.frompregnancytobaby.com/Articles/Weight-Gain-During-Pregnancy.html