How Much Weight Do You Gain During Pregnancy

Weight gain during pregnancy affects the health of mother and baby at birth. Pregnant women who are overweight during pregnancy increases the risk of having a disease associated with pregnancy. While pregnant women who have less weight during pregnancy can increase the risk of babies born with low birth weight. Weight gain during pregnancy is very important for the baby because the baby's weight at birth and the status of the health of the baby depends on the mother's weight while pregnant.

How Much Weight Do You Gain During Pregnancy?

Weight gain while pregnant not only because of the baby

As much as 1/3 of the weight gain during pregnancy is intended for the fetus, placenta, and amniotic fluid, while 2/3 of the rest is destined for the muscles of the uterus (womb) continues to perform enlargement, breast tissue, increased blood volume, extracellular fluid, and fat storage of the expectant mother in preparation for breastfeeding.

Pregnant women store large amounts of body fat in normal pregnancy to meet the needs of the mother's body and the energy needs of the fetus, and also to prepare for the energy needs while breastfeeding. The body stores the most fat between 10 to 20 weeks of pregnancy or before the energy needs of the fetus are high. Fat reserves tend to decline before the end of the pregnancy. Only 0.5 kg of about 3.5 kg of fat reserves during pregnancy are stored in the fetus.

Pregnant women who are overweight during pregnancy can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth, such as gestational hypertension (high blood pressure during pregnancy), gestational diabetes, large babies (macrosomia), and cesarean birth. Pregnant women who have less weight during pregnancy can increase the risk of babies born premature (born before the gestational age of 37 weeks) and low birth weight. Therefore, try to weight is in the normal range during pregnancy.

If the mother has excess weight, she should reduce weight by doing exercise and eat less unhealthy foods, like sugary foods and high in fat. If the mother has the less weight she should eat more healthy food that diverse.

Recommendation weight gain while pregnant

Status weight before pregnancy affects the relationship between the weight gain of the mother during pregnancy and baby weight at birth. Because pregnant women who are underweight tend to maintain the increase in body weight during the pregnancy for the needs of her own, they need to raise the weight more than other expectant mothers during pregnancy. While pregnant women who have more weight can use most of the reserves of his energy to support the growth of the fetus, so they only need to slightly raise the weight.

Weight gain during pregnancy does not guarantee the baby will have normal weight at birth because of many other factors that affect the weight the baby is born. However, weight gain during pregnancy can increase the chances of the body weight of the newborn in the normal range.

The range of weight gain during pregnancy is different between individuals depending on the weight that the mother had before the pregnancy. Following this weight gain is recommended during pregnancy:

• For mothers who have less weight (underweight) before pregnancy, i.e. who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) less than 18.5 kg/m2, it is advisable to raise the weight of 13-18 kg during pregnancy.
• For mothers who had a normal weight before pregnancy, i.e. who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 18.5 to 24.9 kg/m2, it is advisable to raise the weight gain of 11.5-16 kg during your pregnancy.
• For mothers who have more weight (overweight) before pregnancy, i.e. who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 25-29,9 kg/m2, it is recommended to raise weight gain of 7-11. 5 kg during pregnancy.
• For mothers who are obese before becoming pregnant, i.e. who have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or more, it is advisable to raise the weight of 5-9 kg during pregnancy.
• For mothers who are pregnant with twins, it is advisable to raise the weight at 11.5-24.5 kg during pregnancy.

How to control weight during pregnancy

Eat a healthy and balanced diet during pregnancy can help keep the weight of pregnant women. Eat healthy foods that are varied, such as:

• Rice, potatoes, bread, and cereals contain carbohydrates. Select complex carbohydrates, like brown rice and wholemeal bread, which is rich in nutrients.
• Vegetables and fruits, at least 5 servings in a day.
• Meat, fish, and eggs contain animal protein, and tempeh, tofu, and legumes that contain vegetable protein
• Milk and dairy products, like yogurt and cheese. Choose low-fat if pregnant women experienced excess weight.

To make it more healthy, you should limit sweet foods or drinks, limit the usage of salt in food, and limit eating fried foods. You should select food that is cooked with boiled, baked or steamed to make it more healthy.

Try to eat little but often, around 5-6 meals in a day. In addition, do light exercise during pregnancy, such as walking and swimming. Always on the move can keep the weight and help the mother live births easily and smoothly.