With everything else you have to do now that you're pregnant, it can be tough to retrieve how much weight you should be gaining and when. Only it'due south actually more important than ever to keep an eye on the scale (within reason!) for your health and your babe'due south.

Gaining likewise much or too little weight tin can atomic number 82 to various bug during pregnancy and after y'all requite nativity, which is why going at a steady footstep is all-time. And in near cases, there'due south a lot y'all can do to keep your pregnancy weight gain nether control — plus, of course, your doc or midwife will be there to guide you.

Read on for more nearly how much weight to proceeds during each calendar week and trimester of pregnancy.

Pregnancy weight gain chart and guidelines

Y'all may take heard that you lot should gain 25 to 35 pounds while you're pregnant. But that range is for people whose torso mass index (BMI) falls into the "normal weight" category before pregnancy. Your BMI is calculated using your height and weight. The first step in figuring out your personal weight gain goal is to determine your BMI before pregnancy, which affects how many pounds y'all should be putting on while you're expecting.

Meet the breakdown in this helpful pregnancy weight gain chart:

pregnancy weight gain chart

If you're carrying twins, the recommended weight gain is as follows:

  • Underweight: 50 to 62 pounds
  • Normal weight: 37 to 54 pounds
  • Overweight: 31 to 50 pounds
  • Obese: 25 to 42 pounds

How much weight y'all should gain each trimester

The process of putting on pounds throughout your pregnancy is not an verbal science. Merely gradual weight gain is as important equally the number of pounds you gain, since your babe needs a steady supply of nutrients and calories to abound during his stay in the womb.

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Your pregnancy weight proceeds timeline will depend on a variety of factors, such as your metabolism, your activity level and your genetics. It'due south just one more reason why information technology'due south of import to keep up your doctor appointments throughout your pregnancy.

Wondering when you lot'll gain the about weight? The following recommendations from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) are for those with a normal BMI before conception:

  • Offset trimester: Your babe is still tiny, which ways you don't need to gain more a total of ii to four pounds. If yous're suffering from morning sickness, you might not gain an ounce or even lose a little. That's okay, as long as you brand up for those pounds over the following six months. Or if you accept abiding pregnancy cravings, you may have more weight gain in the beginning trimester — in which instance keeping a closer eye on the scale during the following two trimesters will aid proceed your overall pregnancy weight proceeds on rail.
  • Second trimester: Your baby starts to abound in earnest, meaning your pregnancy weight gain should ideally increase so that you lot add together a total of about 12 to fourteen pounds.
  • Third trimester: Baby's weight will pick upwards steam, but yours may start to taper off for a internet gain of virtually 8 to 10 pounds. Some women notice their weight holds steady or fifty-fifty goes down during the ninth month, when ever-tighter abdominal quarters tin make finding room for food a struggle. It'southward perfectly normal if you lose a few pounds at the end of your third trimester.

Keep in mind that these are averages, not a hard-and-fast formula. There will be some weeks when you experience hungry all the time and others when eating much of annihilation volition brand your tummy turn.

Try non to worry too much. As long as your overall pregnancy weight gain is on target and you're gaining at roughly the rate you should be, you're right on runway.

Where extra weight goes during pregnancy

Always wonder where the pregnancy weight goes? It may experience similar it'south all in your belly, only that's non actually the instance. For a thirty-pound pregnancy weight gain, here'south the approximate breakdown:

  • Infant: seven.five pounds
  • Placenta: 1.5 pounds
  • Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
  • Uterine enlargement: 2 pounds
  • Maternal chest tissue: 2 pounds
  • Maternal blood volume: 4 pounds
  • Fluids in maternal tissue: iv pounds
  • Maternal fat stores: seven pounds

Yous need to proceeds weight in all these areas to have a salubrious baby and pregnancy, and to set your body for nursing.

How to maintain pregnancy weight proceeds

For the all-time pregnancy weight gain results, go along an middle on the scale. What y'all don't know tin throw your weight off-target. Try to counterbalance yourself:

  • At the same fourth dimension of twenty-four hour period
  • Wearing the same amount of clothes (or none at all)
  • On the aforementioned scale
  • Once a week or every other week (step on more frequently, and the day-to-twenty-four hours fluid fluctuations may drive you lot basics)

If weighing yourself at dwelling house is besides stressful, information technology's okay to wait until your regular prenatal checkup. Just keep in mind that a lot can happen in a calendar month — and getting significantly off-track tin make it harder to hit your overall goals.

Another key to healthy pregnancy weight proceeds is eating a well-balanced nutrition, which includes keeping a rough daily approximate of your calories during pregnancy.

Base your pregnancy calorie goals on how many calories y'all were eating before y'all got pregnant, with your daily corporeality increasing each trimester:

  • Beginning trimester: You likely won't need any actress calories at all, unless you started your pregnancy underweight.
  • 2d trimester: Add almost an additional 300 to 350 calories per day to your pre-pregnancy diet.
  • Third trimester: Y'all'll need about 500 calories more per day than y'all were eating before yous conceived.

If y'all were underweight before y'all got pregnant, y'all may demand to consume more calories. If you lot're carrying multiples, you can add together about 300 calories per infant to these counts.

Wondering how many calories you should eat while pregnant and overweight or obese before yous conceived? Talk to your doctor. Yous may not demand equally many calories. Your practitioner may actually desire you lot to cut back on calories, especially if y'all accept diabetes.

That said, you don't need to maintain a detailed log of all of your food intake and calorie estimates. Keeping track of the number on the calibration is a meliorate mode to know you're eating enough but not too much.

Equally always, it's important to check with your practitioner to become personalized recommendations for your weight gain and daily caloric intake.

How to avoid excessive weight gain during pregnancy

While you lot are technically "eating for two," information technology unfortunately doesn't hateful you need shut to twice the calories just because you're expecting. The key to not gaining too much weight during pregnancy is to go along an eye on both the scale and your nutrition.

As a rule, instead of just eating more, focus on eating nutritious, satisfying foods that are rich in salubrious fats similar basics, legumes, fatty fish and lean meat, forth with poultry and dairy. Also choose plenty of filling sources of fiber, like fresh veggies, fruits and whole grains. And try to limit your intake of empty calories plant in fried and sugary foods.

Eating the right foods volition give you energy and help keep morning sickness at bay. Plus a food-rich diet also fuels the incredible growth your baby is doing, including the development of those tiny bones, brain, skin, eyes and digestive arrangement.

I frequent pregnancy pitfall: juices. They may seem "healthier" than other sweet drinks like soda, but it'south easy to lose track of how much you're sipping. A few glasses tin can add every bit much equally 600 calories a mean solar day of mainly sugar.

It's also quite common to crave salt and carbohydrates during the first trimester. It'southward fine to eat bagels and saltines in moderation if you're feeling nauseated, just regularly giving in tin can lead to too much weight proceeds. Effort to get back on rail with your pregnancy nutrition when you lot're feeling amend in the 2nd trimester.

Has your weight does crept up faster than expected? Skip the diets, which deprive your infant of essential nutrients he needs to grow, besides as appetite-suppressing pills, which can be dangerous. Instead, check in with your doctor. Together you'll be able to readjust your programme to dull downward your pregnancy weight gain without completely stopping it until you're back on track.

When to call the medico

Information technology'south always a good idea to check with your md if you're concerned that you're overstepping or not gaining enough. This actually is a conversation OB/GYNs and midwives are used to having, and they can assistance you find ways to hit your goals — or refer you lot to someone else (similar a registered dietitian) who can.

Also cheque with your practitioner if you gain more than than 3 pounds in any one week in the second trimester, or if yous proceeds more than two pounds in any calendar week in the third trimester. Information technology's particularly important if the proceeds doesn't seem to be related to overeating or excessive intake of sodium, since sudden pregnancy weight gain tin can be a sign of preeclampsia. Finally, be sure to requite your physician a phone call if you gain no weight for more than two weeks in a row during the fourth to eighth months.

Losing pregnancy weight

It'south common to worry about losing weight subsequently pregnancy. Try not to stress most it — you lot'll lose a lot of the baby weight naturally early on on and there are enough of good for you ways to drop the remainder of the extra pounds gradually, including:

  • Eating a nutrient-dense post-pregnancy or breastfeeding nutrition
  • Taking infant out for regular stroller walks
  • Joining an online baby-and-me yoga class to see other new moms.
  • Joining a gym. Many gyms offering child intendance for babies as young as 3 months onetime. They tin can exist a great style for you to heave endorphins and get a break from your petty one, both of which may help elevator your mood.
  • Breastfeeding your baby (or pumping your milk) burns through effectually 500 calories a solar day — so if you are able and cull to nurse, you may be pleasantly surprised at how it helps weight loss after pregnancy even without working up a sweat.

Sticking to your pregnancy weight gain goal is healthy for your baby and your body — and it simplifies losing weight after pregnancy. Try not to focus also much on the ups and downs on the scale forth the style, as long as you're generally on track. And if pounds of a sudden appear out of nowhere (or don't announced at all), attain out to your doctor for help.