I want to preface this blog post by saying that one persons “normal” weight gain during pregnancy is going to look different than another. This may look different from one woman to the next and it also may look different from one pregnancy to the next. There is a large emphasis placed on weight gain during pregnancy and there are “normal” values out there. I am going to share those “normal” values with you today mostly because as you move through your pregnancy you are going to hear all about them anyways but I also want you to understand that these values do not define you or your pregnancy.
If I’m being 100% honest, I hesitated to share numbers of any kind at all. Why? Well society seems to see numbers and take it for being worth everything. This isn’t only true of pregnancy but of all things in life. Numbers are like a cold, hard fact. Either you achieve the numbers and you succeed, or you don’t achieve the numbers and you fail. Do you see why numbers can be so damaging?
There is a lot of emphasis placed on weight gain during pregnancy. Your health care provider will take your weight frequently throughout your pregnancy. First of all, I want to emphasize that weight gain during pregnancy is NORMAL and HEALTHY! Because of media outlets and general society pressures weight gain is often looked at as a negative thing. For many moms-to-be these pressures can cause some body image discomfort, even when they are fully aware that weight gain during pregnancy is a healthy, normal thing. On top of that to then have your weight constantly taken and in your face throughout the duration of pregnancy you may feel these fears and concerns even more. If you have struggled with the scale or body image issues in the past have this conversation with your health care provider. They are still going to take your weight throughout your pregnancy however there may be an option for you to step on the scale backwards or for them to keep the number from you unless they have concerns about it. Even if you have never struggled with weight or body image in the past sometimes pregnancy can bring these feelings up for the first time. Again, if you are starting to have these feelings be sure to have a conversation with your health care provider or ask them if there are other supports available to you around this topic. Body image is a struggle for so many women (pregnant or not) and if you are having these feelings know that you are not alone.
So why do you gain weight during pregnancy. Well, there is the obvious reason that you are growing a human, but there is a lot more to it than that. Without getting super nerdy and going into all the physiology of pregnancy know that the weight that you gain during pregnancy is not all baby. The weight of the baby is combined with the weight of the placenta as well as the amniotic fluid which can total an additional few pounds (again, I’m going to avoid cold hard numbers here and give you rough estimates instead). In addition to the weight from the growing baby, there is also weight gain that occurs with regard to mom’s body. With pregnancy, blood volume in the body is increased fairly substantially and you are carry an extra few pounds in blood alone. This additional blood, does not account for the increase in fluid, which can be another few pounds and fluid retention can vary drastically from one individual to the next and from one pregnancy to the next. It is also no secret that your breasts and uterus grow during pregnancy which can add an additional few pounds as well. Finally, your body stores more energy when you are pregnant. Your body will increase both protein and fat stores during pregnancy to ensure that there is enough energy to serve both mom and baby. All of this is to say that there’s a lot that goes on to grow a tiny human and any weight gain that you experience is for the benefit of both your little one and your health throughout the process.
As promised, I will give you the “normal” weight gain values just to give you a rough idea. What I want to emphasize before I give these values is that if you fall outside of these “normal” values (whether it is above or below), and you and your baby are both healthy then kick these numbers to the curb. Do not base your worth on them, do not let them impact your mindset and do not let dictate “success” or “failure”. The other caveat I will make is that these numbers are generally based on your BMI pre-pregnancy. Although BMI is used frequently as a measure of overall health it only takes your weight and your height into account. BMI does not consider your actual body composition (muscles versus body fat masses) so keep in mind that there can be a margin or error with BMI to begin with.
- If you are considered at a healthy BMI pre-pregnancy the recommended weight gain is 25-35 pounds
- If you are considered at an underweight BMI pre-preganncy the recommended weight gain is 28-40 pounds
- If you are considered at an overweight BMI pre-preganncy the recommended weight gain is 15-25 pounds
Remember that it is normal to gain weight during pregnancy. Weight gain will look very different from one individual to the next and can look different from one pregnancy to the next. Some women will gain weight steadily throughout their pregnancy, others will go through growth spurts. Ideally, during pregnancy you want to strive to be your healthiest self in whatever way is appropriate for you. Do not let any numbers or outside influences impact your health and wellness. Your concern right now is you and your little one…don’t let anyone tell you any different!
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