Weight Gain is normal, healthy and essential during Pregnancy. Most healthy women gain weight between 8kgs to 15kgs during pregnancy. Most of weight gain occurs during second and third trimester.
Monitoring Weight Gain
You will be weighed at every doctor’s visit. Doctor will monitor that you should not gain or lose too much weight too suddenly. While not gaining enough weight could mean you are not getting enough nourishment, gaining too much weight suddenly could indicate pre-eclampsia.
Why Weight Gain ?
Weight gain is normal and healthy during pregnancy. It is not only normal but essential. Normal weight gain lies in the range of 8 -15 kg. If you are wondering where all this extra weight comes from , here it is :
 
 Ideal Weight Gain
There was a time, when every woman was told to gain 15 kgs, but one size doe not fit all when it comes to pregnancy weight gain. Weight gain varies from woman to woman. You should ideally gain weight gradually throughout the course of pregnancy. If your pre-pregnancy weight is less, you should gain more weight and if you were over-weight before pregnancy, you should gain less. Recommended weight gain based on Body Mass Index (BMI) is :
BMI to Recommended Weight Gain during Pregnancy
|
Category |
BMI |
Recommended Weight Gain |
|
Under-weight |
< 18.5 |
 12.5 -18 kg |
|
Normal |
18.5 – 24.9 |
 11.5 – 16 kg |
|
Over-weight |
25.0 – 29.9 |
 7-11.5 kg |
|
Obese |
>30 |
 not more than 7 kg |
 Dieting during Pregnancy
Dieting is not a good idea during pregnancy. Even if you are over-weight, you should not go on any kind of crash-diets if you are pregnant. Create a diet plan with the help of your gynaecologist and a dietician and stick to it. Cut junk and fatty stuff and eat healthy.
