bebe.club logo

How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

The amount of weight that expectant mothers should gain during the pregnancy period is calculated based on the weight at which the expectant mother started pregnancy.

How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?
Posted Apr 13, 2022

Ideal Weight Gain by Week in Pregnancy

During the pregnancy period, which lasts approximately forty weeks, many question marks arise in the minds of expectant mothers. One of these questions is how to achieve ideal weight gain during pregnancy. Weight gain, which is very important for both the health of the expectant mother and the healthy development of the baby in the mother's womb, has a special place during pregnancy. What should be the weight gain during pregnancy? Ideal weight to be gained during pregnancy and how much weight should be gained during pregnancy varies according to the body mass index (BMI) of the expectant mother at the time of pregnancy. (You can calculate your body mass index from the link below.) On the other hand, there are calculators on the internet that provide ideas for expectant mothers about ideal weight gain week by week during pregnancy. These calculators give the lower and upper limit weight values that the expectant mother should take on average, according to the gestational month (week). Weight distribution during pregnancy varies according to the gestational week of the expectant mother. So, how much and how many kilos should be the ideal weight gain during pregnancy?

How Should You Gain Monthly Weight During Pregnancy? - First 3 Months (1st Trimester)

The first trimester of pregnancy is the period when the least weight should be gained. Obstetricians and Gynecologists say that a weight gain of approximately 2.5 kilograms is normal during the first trimester, that is, until the 13th week of pregnancy. It is also said that some expectant mothers may lose weight instead of gaining weight due to the nausea and vomiting they experience during this period. However, it is recommended to gain half a kilo per week during the ongoing process of pregnancy. It is emphasized that if expectant mothers are overweight or underweight during the period of pregnancy (according to the Body mass index), or if they are pregnant with twins, weight gain should be regulated by their doctors. To give an example; The expectant mother who started the pregnancy with excess weight 250 g per week. While it is recommended to take.

How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

How Much Weight Can I Gain During Pregnancy?

While experts say that it is normal to gain 9-12 kilograms during pregnancy, they also point out that the weight to be gained may vary depending on the pre-pregnancy weight and the age at which the pregnancy was conceived. Expert doctors say that the ideal weight gain during pregnancy is 9-12 kilos on average, and if the expectant mother is underweight, it will be normal to gain 16 kilos, and if she is overweight, up to 11 kilos. Doctors who recommend that the expectant mother apply a healthy nutrition program before her pregnancy in planned pregnancies, explain weight gain during pregnancy as follows;

  • in the first trimester of pregnancy; (1st Trimester) 1-3 kilos,
  • 4-5-6 weeks of pregnancy. in the months; (2nd trimester) average 1 kilo each,
  • 7-8-9th of pregnancy. in the months; (3rd trimester) average 2 kilos each.

If expectant mothers have nausea, weight loss is usually achieved during the first four months. Sudden weight gain can be seen with the cessation of nausea. Although weight gain during pregnancy differs from person to person, it is said to be normal to gain 1-2 kilograms per month.

Monthly (Week to Week) Weight Gain Chart during Pregnancy

Obstetricians say that the average weight that expectant mothers should gain during their pregnancy is between 9 and 12 kilograms. However, it is stated that there are expectant mothers who do not gain too much weight, as well as expectant mothers who gain more than 30 kilos. For this reason, it is underlined that the stated values are within the scope of general information statistics and that there is no rule that x weight must be gained or it must be so. The mother-to-be of the situation in question;

  • Pre-pregnancy weight status,
  • state of health,
  • The condition of the baby in the womb

will differ accordingly.

How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

Ask Your Doctor If You Are Overweight or Underweight

Experts, in the period when expectant mothers start pregnancy; While they recommend that they get information from their doctors about how their weight should be monitored at the first doctor's examination, if they are overweight or vice versa, they draw attention to the fact that all doctors monitor the weight of both the baby and the expectant mother during the examination.

How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

Calculating Weight Gain Month by Month during Pregnancy

How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

Weight gain of the expectant mother during pregnancy is not just her body weight, which consists of what she eats. Because this weight includes the weight of the growing baby, the weight of the water the baby is in (amniotic fluid), the weight of the breasts collecting milk, and the weight of the placenta (baby's spouse) growing with the baby. For this reason, experts calculate the weight to be gained during pregnancy as follows;

  • Birth time baby approx; Between 3-4 kg,
  • amniotic fluid; 900 gr.
  • Placenta; 900 gr.
  • Enlargement of the breasts of the expectant mother (starting to accumulate milk); 1-2 kg.

When all these are added together, it is stated that the expected weight gain varies between 9-12 kg, thin and tall women should gain up to 15 kilograms until they give birth, and it is more appropriate for short women to gain weight between 8-9 kilograms.

24-25 of pregnancy. Weight Gain in Weeks

Until the 24-25th weeks of pregnancy, the total weight gain is 4-5 kg. However, it is recommended not to gain more than half a kilo in the following weeks. The total weight gain of the expectant mother, who gains half a kilo per week from the beginning of pregnancy, is 20 kg in the 40th week. is expected to arrive.

How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

How Should You Weigh Your Weight With Your Own Scale?

Experts recommend that expectant mothers pay attention to the following points when weighing their weight with their own scales;

  • When you get up in the morning; bare, hungry, bowels and bladder empty,
  • The scale must be on a hard and smooth surface,
  • Make sure that the needle is at the "0" setting.

Distribution of Weight Gained by the Expectant Mother Who Gained 12.5 Weight During Pregnancy

The weight distribution of the expectant mother who has gained 12.5 kilograms during her pregnancy and has given birth to a baby weighing 3400 grams in her normal time is approximately (estimate) as follows;

  • Duck; 3400 grams
  • Increased fat stores : 3500 grams
  • Amniotic fluid 0.8 liters : 800 grams
  • Increase in blood volume: 1450 grams
  • Breast tissue development: 400 grams
  • Uterus (uterus): 900 grams
  • Placenta: 600 grams
  • Increased interstitial fluid: 1450 grams

How Many Weights Do New Mothers Discharge From The Hospital After Giving Birth?

According to statistics, after many of the factors mentioned above leave the mother's body after birth;

  • "A mother who gained weight within normal limits during her pregnancy and gave birth to a baby of normal size is discharged from the delivery room with an average of 4.5 kilograms of her pre-pregnancy weight." is called.

However, women who gain more weight during pregnancy lose that much weight after giving birth. An increase in the number of births alone increases the amount of weight remaining after pregnancy. In other words, women who have given birth consecutively are not included in the normal statistical data after birth.