One of the greatest fears of women, particularly first-time mothers, is the thing about the average weight gain during pregnancy. We’ve see women getting really big when pregnant, while others still look sexy and blooming even when pregnant. Traditionally, we think that those women who get fat when pregnant will certainly have a healthy and bouncy baby. But is it really true? Do women really need to eat a lot in order to gain a lot of weight to ensure their baby will be really healthy? This article will help you understand how much weight should a woman gain during her pregnancy?
So how much weight should a woman gain to ensure a healthy baby in her labor? Actually, it all depends on how much you weighed before you already have and how appropriate it is for your age and body frame. The relationship between a woman’s height and weight should complement to the ideal numbers in the BMI, or the ‘body mass index.’ BMI is the standards made by physicians for a healthy and appropriate weight for every individual. The BMI for women, men, children and pregnant are different from each other and has its own guidelines.
The ideal weight for pregnant women is issued by the IOM (Institute Of Medicine) in May of 2009. Here are some of their recommendations:
If your weight prior to the pregnancy was in the healthy range, meaning height and weight compensates with each other in the BMI (18.5 to 24.9), then you should gain an average weight of 25 lbs to 35 lbs more. Gaining 1 to 5 lbs in the first trimester of the pregnancy and a pound per week for the rest weeks of the pregnancy ensures optimal growth of your baby inside the womb.
If a woman in underweight, then of course she has to gain a lot more of weight to keep the baby healthy insider her womb. A woman with 18.5 BMI grade or below, should gain about 28 lbs up to 40 lbs of weight.
If the woman is overweight, then she should gain a little less of weight. A woman with 25 to 29.9 BMI should gain only about 15 lbs to only 25 lbs more of weight. Obese women (women who has 30 BMI or higher) should definitely significantly lesser weight to keep the baby healthy in her womb. 11 lbs to 20 lbs of gain can be enough for pregnant obese women.
Of course, if a woman with healthy BMI grade is having twins, then the average weight gain during pregnancy should be significantly higher. 37 lbs to 54 lbs of weight gain is enough to keep the kids inside healthy. An overweight woman who’s having twins should gain only 31 lbs to a maximum of 50 lbs. And Obese on the other hand, should just earn about 25 lbs to 42 lbs more.
You can always use the pregnancy weight estimator to evaluate your self and keep track of your weight gain each week. To ensure optimal weight gain and good baby health, regular prenatal appointment is highly encouraged. Also, pregnant women should definitely take a lot more of healthy foods to keep her body and her baby inside her womb healthy.
