Weight Gain during Pregnancy – What’s healthy?

Is it normal to gain weight during pregnancy? How much weight is safe to gain during pregnancy? These are valid questions, and questions that 93% of women have at some point during their pregnancy. The good news is, we have the answers for you. In this article, we explain where you’ll gain weight during pregnancy, how much weight is considered normal to gain, and a few tips on managing weight gain during pregnancy. 

It goes without saying, you will gain weight during your pregnancy. 

We expect you, as Mum, to gain weight during pregnancy because this is a good sign that your baby is growing and your pregnancy is progressing. 

But! There is a point where weight gain can be considered too much and potential to have a negative impact on your health, your baby’s health and the birth.

 

The normal amount of weight to put on during pregnancy depends on what your BMI was when you conceived. 

Your Midwife will calculate your BMI at your booking appointment. 

Here is how much weight you can expect to gain:

To work out your BMI at conception, click here

 

There are a number of things that will contribute to your weight gain during pregnancy:

• Your growing baby – The average baby weights 3.2kg (7lbs)
• Your placenta – Weighing 1.2lbs on average
• The amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby – 800ml or 0.8kg 
• Extra blood volume – Approximately 1.5kg (3.5lbs)
• Hormonal shifts will also cause your weight to fluctuate – Prolactin is the hormone responsible for breast milk production that increases as your pregnancy progresses and causes your breasts to become fuller and heavier. 

Without even gaining a single pound of fat (that also happens during pregnancy) you can expect to gain over 6kg or 14lbs just from growing your baby!

What about weight gain not related to the baby?

You’ll also gain weight during pregnancy because of the fat deposits your body builds up. This is for breast production and to make sure you have enough energy available for your body to use during child birth. 

Outside of this, excessive weight gain during pregnancy is likely caused by reducing your physical activity or exercise and eating more food than necessary.

A common misconception is that you need to eat for yourself AND your baby during pregnancy. 

This is untrue, and puts you at risk of gaining excessive weight during pregnancy.

 

You may be wondering why your BMI matters. Let us explain.

Your BMI matters because with a BMI that isn’t considered normal, you are at an increased risk of complications or risks during your pregnancy, the labour, birth and the postnatal period. This is also the case for women who have a BMI that categorises them as underweight.

Many women who have a raised or low BMI go on to have normal and healthy pregnancies, but they may be at risk of:

• Gestational Diabetes
• Miscarriage
• Induction of Labour
• High blood pressure or Pre-Eclampsia 
• Emergency c-section
• Complications with anaesthetic, and postpartum bleeding

 

It is normal for you to gain weight during pregnancy (you are growing a whole human being after all!) but any weight gain that is more than recommended may cause concern. 

It isn’t possible to know your BMI during pregnancy, but your Midwife and GP should be able to tell you if you are putting on too much weight. 

If you gain too much weight during pregnancy you risk developing gestational diabetes, having a baby with a high birth rate, and complications during the birth. 

 

Stop eating for two

As we mentioned above, you only need to eat for yourself for the majority of your pregnancy. 

Focus on eating as you normally would pre-pregnancy, but try to make your choices as healthy as possible!

Keep on moving

One of the biggest misconceptions during pregnancy is that exercise may put your baby or pregnancy at risk. 

This is completely false!

You need to keep moving. 

Not only is it beneficial for you when keeping on top of your weight gain, it will help you when it is time to give birth. 

The fitter you are during your pregnancy, the quicker you will recover after the birth and you’ll be more efficient at pushing your baby out. 

Before you go, we want to remind you that your weight is not something that you should be worrying about during pregnancy. 

Weight gain is expected – as long as it isn’t in excess. 

Focus on being as healthy as possible throughout your pregnancy, for your baby and for yourself. 

If you have any concerns or questions, reach out to your Midwife or Doctor. They’re there to help.