Approximate weight gain by week of pregnancy. Norms of weight gain in pregnant women by week. Causes and complications of being overweight

What to do if your weight gain has noticeably increased, and the weight gain table only confirms this? Pregnancy is a difficult time for any woman, full of difficulties and constantly arising questions. One of them is nutrition, since a third of the nutrients received by the mother goes to the development of the fetus (especially in the first trimester). Even before pregnancy, women tend to dramatize about their weight, and during pregnancy, when the nervous system becomes more labile, this issue becomes even more acute. Controlling your weight is a useful activity, as long as you don’t go to extremes and panic about any kilogram. So where is the cherished golden mean? When should you sound the alarm about too much/too much weight and should you worry at all?

Let's weigh ourselves according to the rules!

In order to properly control your weight during pregnancy, you need to learn how to weigh yourself correctly. It is better to carry out this procedure 1-2 times a week, not more often. The exception is when weight is controlled under the supervision of a doctor in a hospital setting.

Weighing according to the rules is the basis of proper weight control

1. Before weighing, make sure the scale is in working order.
2. Weigh yourself only in the morning, since in the evening, what you eat and drink during the day is added to your net weight indicator, i.e. something that has not yet been naturally excreted from the organum.
3. For the same reason, it is worth weighing yourself on an empty stomach, i.e. before taking any food or liquid.
4. Weigh yourself after going to the toilet, as it is necessary to remove the urine that has accumulated overnight from the organum.
5. Weigh in the same clothes, but underwear is best. This will minimize the distortion of indicators from time to time.
6. Take measurements 3 times in a row with an interval of one minute, the result is average numbers.

The norm of fat in terms of medicine

Fat or “adipose tissue” is a type of connective tissue that functions as an energy depot. It is with the help of fat that our body stores energy for a “rainy day” and therefore, with good, plentiful nutrition, fat quickly appears in people, and during fasting it quickly disappears. Adipose tissue is an active component of the body's metabolism, since the entire body is energetically dependent on fat reserves, especially during times of poor nutrition or heavy physical/intellectual stress.

During the transition to puberty, the amount of fat in girls increases sharply, especially in the hips and chest. The first menstruation or “menarche” occurs in girls no earlier than the specific gravity of adipose tissue is at least 16-18% of the child’s total weight. Today, there is an active study of the additional properties of fat. More recently, it was found that it is capable of synthesizing the hormones ghrelin and leptin. These hormones take part in the regulation of the menstrual cycle, and therefore the presence of menstruation, which is the first and main indicator that a woman is capable of procreation, directly depends on the amount of fat.

The work of the brain is no less important for gaining weight, since it is the brain that creates impulse signals that regulate:

• woman's appetite
• energy consumption for physical and intellectual work
• work of the gastrointestinal tract à absorption of nutrients and fats, proteins, carbohydrates

One of the main measuring indicators of the endocrine system is the waist circumference and hip circumference, or more precisely, the ratio of these indicators. In this way, it is possible to control the distribution of adipose tissue numerically. The average is 0.68-0.70. A deviation of the indicator in either direction indicates a hormonal imbalance in the pregnant woman, and specifically, an imbalance in estrogen levels.

Body weight gain by week

The rate of weight gain during pregnancy is a question that is individual for each woman, since each organism is special in many ways. When determining the weight norm, the following are taken into account:

• female body constitution - normosthenic, asthenic, hypersthenic
• height and weight
• general metabolic rate
• hereditary tendency to be overweight
• fruit size
• disorders/features of the endocrine and digestive systems

Table of body weight gain by week taking into account BMI

However, there is still a certain norm established by obstetricians and gynecologists around the world together with WHO - the total weight gain of a pregnant woman should not exceed 12-13 kilograms during the entire pregnancy. The exception is women who were underweight before pregnancy; for them the threshold for maximum weight gain increases to 15 kilograms.

If we talk about weight gain by week, then there are also certain norms that vary individually for each pregnant woman, but the main indicator is BMI (body mass index), which is what all doctors focus on. You can calculate BMI using a simple formula: weight divided by height, divided by itself.

During the calculation, weight is measured in kilograms and height in meters. That is, height 163 will look in the formula “1.63 m” and not “160 cm”.

During the first four and a half months, the expectant mother gains an average of 350-400 grams per week, during the second - 200-300 grams every week.

Body weight: more than normal - worse?

As we have already said, you should not be fanatical about measuring your body weight and measure it every day, worrying about every extra gram of fat on the scale or in the mirror. During pregnancy, the issue of aesthetics should not be paramount, and all indicators and measurements should be considered purely from a medical point of view. Pathologies in weight gain, weight loss or excessive gain may be symptoms of serious infectious diseases or disorders of general metabolism. Neither the first nor the second option will be beneficial for the development of your baby.

The most common and dangerous cause of a sharp increase in body weight is gestosis, one of the manifestations of which is edema. It is the water that accumulates in the body that is not excreted that can lead to a jump in the mass indicator. If symptoms such as arterial hypertension, edema, weight gain, urinary retention, nausea appear, contact your doctor as soon as possible.

The body can store 130-140 grams of fat as fat per day. Everything that goes beyond these numbers is not fat, but retained water, i.e. swelling.

No less dangerous is underweight in a pregnant woman, as this indicates a metabolic disorder, and as a result, impaired fetal development. Deficiency is especially dangerous during the first trimester of pregnancy. According to statistics, more than half (about 75%) of women with underweight are at risk of premature birth. But even in the case of a full-term birth, there is a high probability that the child will have significant underweight, which is one of the main indicators of prematurity. Therefore, a pregnant woman’s diet should be balanced, rich in microelements and vitamins.

During the entire period, women with underweight are more susceptible than others to infectious diseases, which are most dangerous during these nine months. The reason is a decrease in the functioning of the immune system, which does not receive proper energy nutrition from metabolism.

Fat: why, where and how much?

During puberty, the largest amount of fat is deposited in girls on the chest and hips. Girls are growing up, the trend is not changing. During pregnancy, a large amount of fat is deposited on the breasts in order to ensure proper feeding. The fact is that in the process of feeding, the shape of the breast, the nipple and the very attachment of the baby to the breast play an important role. If it is not applied correctly or the breast is too small, the baby will swallow a small amount of air while sucking. This phenomenon has the official term “aerophagia,” that is, literally “swallowing air.” Subsequently, such a feeding disorder will lead to belching, affecting the overall well-being of the baby.

It is worth remembering that the overall weight gain of a pregnant woman consists not only of fat and water.

• fruit - 2600-3600 grams
• uterus - 950-989 grams
• placenta - 640-660 grams
• amniotic fluid - 1000-1500 ml
• blood (due to the creation of additional blood circulation to the fetus) - 1200-1300 ml
• extracellular fluid - 1200-1450 ml

Nutrition

The importance of nutrition for a person cannot be overestimated, especially if she is a pregnant woman, who always needs a little more and a little better, since part of the nutrition goes directly to the development of her baby. But it is important to be able to maintain the golden mean. They say that if a woman wants to eat something during pregnancy, she must definitely eat it, since the body needs it right now. This is only partly true. Yes, this is how the body gives signals, since it is not capable of explaining itself in any other way.

Eat a lot, eat tasty!

But a perversion of taste is one thing (who hasn’t tried biting pineapple with herring during pregnancy?), it’s another thing if you are clearly drawn to foods that are initially unsuitable for food. The simplest example is the well-known chalk. After all, everyone has heard that if you want chalk, this indicates a lack of calcium in the body? We hasten to destroy this myth. An obsessive desire to chew on a piece of chalk is a signal that the body does not have enough iron and there is a risk of developing iron deficiency anemia. In this case, you should consult your doctor, who will undoubtedly send you for a blood test to detect iron deficiency anemia.

What rules should you follow in order to balance on this golden mean, without leaning towards either obesity or underweight?

1. Eat only when you really want to.
2. Don't eat for two. Your diet should be fortified, varied, but not larger than the portion you had before.
3. Drink a glass of water 10-15 minutes before meals. This will help avoid overeating. In addition, our brain often confuses the feeling of hunger and the feeling of thirst.
4. In pregnant women, due to changes in the functioning of the endocrine system, blood sugar levels decrease. The result is a frequent feeling of hunger. Therefore, it is worth eating fractionally, that is, often, but little by little.
5. Don't eat while watching TV. It was not for nothing that our parents told us “when I eat, I am deaf and dumb.” Watching TV or simple conversation will undoubtedly distract the brain, which is trying to concentrate on the process of eating.
6. Chew your food thoroughly.

The body of any pregnant woman undergoes a number of important changes that help to bear and then safely give birth to a healthy and fully developed child. The first trimester is easy for almost everyone, and many people notice that they “bloom” during this period.

Hair gains shine, nails grow quickly, and skin glows. We need to thank for this “pregnant” beauty. They are also involved in less pleasant changes, for example, excessive sensitivity or an uncontrolled desire to absorb foods that are incompatible with taste in large quantities.

Unfortunately, excess weight is becoming a frequent companion for expectant mothers. After all, many pregnant women lack food control. In addition, most people reassure themselves that if they want it, it means it’s necessary for the child’s body.

In a normal (uncomplicated) case, by the end of it, body weight increases by about 10-15 kilograms, everything above these indicators is unnecessary. As you know, excess weight entails serious health problems, which cause a lot of trouble.

Weight gain during pregnancy

We outlined above how many kilograms women gain during their entire pregnancy, during its normal course. Let's talk in more detail about these numbers and what influences them. To begin with, we note that weight gain depends on many individual indicators of the expectant mother. Moreover, it does not increase immediately.

Therefore, if you are tormented by the question “why am I not gaining weight?”, and your interesting situation is only a few months old, then rest assured, everything is going according to plan. The first trimester is like an introductory period, during which the pregnant woman’s body is just beginning to rebuild and prepare for subsequent changes.

After all, the future baby has just begun to grow and develop. Therefore, you should not worry about how to gain the missing kilograms. After all, there are no visible changes yet and cannot be, there are only maternal sensations.

It happens that the opposite picture is observed, and the woman loses weight. This is typical for those who, because of this, cannot eat as before. But this must pass over time, otherwise medical attention is required.

Many people mistakenly believe that weight increases during pregnancy only because intrauterine development of the fetus . However, this is not true, because In addition to the child itself, the woman’s internal organs also increase in size, which gives a certain weight gain.

Baby weight table by week of pregnancy

To clearly illustrate the statement that weight gain depends not only on the increase in the size of the baby, we suggest that you familiarize yourself with the norms for fetal weight by week of pregnancy, presented in the table below.

As can be seen from this table, the child’s height and weight increases gradually over the weeks. Ultrasound or measurements of the height of the uterus and abdominal circumference at a later date helps to calculate these indicators. It is possible to measure the unborn child already in the fifth week of his intrauterine life. The child begins to grow rapidly only in the middle of the second trimester, for example, the normal weight of the fetus at 20 weeks of pregnancy is 300 grams, and by 28 weeks it increases more than three times (1000 grams).

The development of a child, first of all, depends on how well the placenta, the organ that is responsible for transporting nutrients and oxygen to the child’s body from the mother, nourishes it. In addition, amniotic fluid plays an important role, i.e. amniotic fluid, which contains the fetus until birth.

Table of the amount of amniotic fluid by week

If the doctor records deviations from the norm in the fetal weight by week or there are signs of insufficient intrauterine development, then the reasons for this may be:

• poor or unbalanced nutrition of the mother;
• chronic diseases;
• constant stress;
• bad habits;
• genetic failure.

The rate of weight gain during pregnancy by week

It is believed that the average rate of weight gain during pregnancy is 250-300 grams per week or one kilogram per month. In the third trimester, the baby grows at an accelerated pace and an increase of 400 grams per week is considered normal. This is where the previously indicated 10-15 kilograms or 16-21 kilograms for twins come out in nine months.

It is this average weekly rate of weight gain during pregnancy that doctors focus on. If the body weight significantly exceeds or, on the contrary, does not reach the average, the gynecologist will look for the cause in the patient’s health condition. The optimal situation is one in which the weight increases gradually as the fetus develops.

Insufficient weight gain may be associated with toxicosis or a woman’s poor diet, which leads to delays in the development of the child, because he does not receive important beneficial elements from food. Normal weight for newborns should be between 2.5-4.5 kilograms.

Children with less weight are at risk of developing congenital abnormalities of mental and physical development. In addition, the lack of nutrients also negatively affects the health of the mother, thus increasing the risk of premature birth or early miscarriage.

Excess weight is dangerous And . Moreover, it affects arterial pressure , contributes to the development of late toxicosis , leads to fetal hypoxia , as well as to premature aging of the placenta (the tissue that nourishes the baby). It happens that a lot of weight is a consequence of hidden or obvious swelling due to a malfunction of the urinary system.

Fluid accumulates in organs and tissues, resulting in swelling. And this is a good reason to seek medical help, because... This condition is fraught with the development of kidney hydronephrosis and late toxicosis.

Weight is considered overweight if you have gained:

• in any trimester over two kilograms per week;
• in the first trimester over four kilograms;
• during the second trimester over four and a half kilograms;
• in the third trimester over eight hundred grams per week.

Let's talk about how much you can gain and how to calculate optimal weight gain. To find out your norm, i.e. For a “healthy” increase, you first need to calculate an indicator such as BMI (the full name is body mass index), which is calculated using the formula I=m/h2.

Where m is the weight in kilograms, and h is height squared in meters. For example, your weight is 60 kilograms and your height is 1.7 meters. It turns out that BMI = 60/(1.7*1.7) = 20.76. The gain table below shows the optimal weight indicators based on body mass index.

As you can see, the initial weight of women has the greatest influence on how many kg they gain by the end of pregnancy. Skinny women gain weight faster and immediately, which, in principle, will be within the norm for them. Another thing is the weight of overweight mothers, which will have to be constantly monitored.

The age of the pregnant woman is also important. The thing is that as a person ages, he becomes prone to becoming overweight. At a younger age, the fight against extra pounds is much easier. Body type is another factor to consider.

Mothers of asthenic type, i.e. those who are not inclined to be overweight become “visually pregnant” faster. In contrast, the interesting position of women of the hypersthenic type, i.e. those prone to obesity are visible only when the stomach begins to bulge strongly.

According to statistics, in the first trimester a woman gains 0.2 kilograms every day. However, these are very average indicators, because It is during this period that many suffer from severe toxicosis. It is believed that the first half of pregnancy accounts for only 40% of weight gain.

More intense weight gain occurs in the second trimester. This is the “golden time” when everything in the body settles down, hormones do not go wild and new strength comes. Toxicosis is receding and now you can eat for two. The lion's share of weight gain occurs during this period of pregnancy.

The weekly weight gain calendar is a guideline that doctors rely on during routine examinations of pregnant women. The expectant mother herself must exercise control over her body weight so that, if necessary, she can make adjustments to her lifestyle and diet. To do this, you need scales and a notepad in which you can take notes.

It is enough to weigh yourself once a week in the morning on an empty stomach, after emptying your bladder and intestines. For accurate measurements, it is better to take off your clothes or stay in your underwear.

How to calculate pregnancy weight by week?

Calculating weight gain during pregnancy is not difficult and it is quite possible to do it yourself. In addition, you can resort to the help of special programs. They are freely available on the Internet and for convenience they can be installed on your smartphone.

Body weight increases gradually and depends on many individual factors that must be taken into account when calculating. As we said earlier, in the first trimester, a situation in which the weight increases by 1-3 kilograms is considered normal, but in case of severe toxicosis, a woman can lose weight.

Starting from the second trimester, individual weight gain can be determined using the following formula: height in meters (remove the comma) multiplied by 22 grams. Example of calculations: a pregnant woman’s height is 1.60 meters, which means 16 x 22 = 352 grams. This is the optimal weekly weight gain.

To make your task easier and get rid of mathematical calculations, you can resort to help pregnancy weight gain calculator by week . Using such a program is really easy, fast and convenient. You just need to enter the indicators necessary for the calculation - height, weight before pregnancy, current body weight at the time of calculations and gestational age in weeks. The calculator itself will calculate the body mass index (abbreviated BMI), create a chart of weight gain during pregnancy and make a forecast for weight gain by 9 months.

If the result you get is on the normal line in the graph, then there is no reason to worry. And if it is higher or lower, then your weight deviates from healthy levels and there is an excess or, on the contrary, a deficiency. This cannot be left to chance and appropriate measures must be taken urgently.

Nutrition during pregnancy

This topic requires separate consideration, so in this material we will give only general recommendations on how to eat properly. We’ll also talk about which foods are acceptable for pregnant women and vice versa are prohibited. To begin with, we note that the diet of the expectant mother should be adjusted taking into account the needs of her body.

For example, you are a 100% meat eater and don’t like vegetables or prefer sweets to fruits, and so on. Then you will have to reconsider your preferences so that the child grows and develops harmoniously.

In addition, it should be borne in mind that pregnancy is stress for the body and it requires powerful support to ensure the life of two at once.

A balanced diet provides:

• proper functioning of the body;
• meeting the needs of the developing embryo;
• formation and growth of the placenta;
• swelling of the mammary glands and prolonged lactation.

If the balance of vitamins, beneficial compounds and other nutrients is disturbed, then there is a risk of:

• development of intrauterine pathologies in the fetus;
• reduction of all important vital signs of the newborn;
• insufficient child;
• undeveloped intellect;
• hereditary diseases;
• low life expectancy.

Bad habits (smoking, alcohol, etc.) destroy the baby’s body no less than poor nutrition. Therefore, you should give up all this, at least for the duration of pregnancy, if you don’t have the willpower to “quit” forever.

The main nutritional mistakes during pregnancy:

• Irregular meals. The lack of a full breakfast, an erroneous eating schedule, snacks and evening gluttons - all this affects the health of mother and child. Therefore, during pregnancy we adhere to the rules and principles of a healthy lifestyle. The largest meal that provides an energy boost in the morning is breakfast. After it (a couple of hours should pass), you can have a light snack. Eat soup for lunch, cook steamed meat and porridge for second, and fish and vegetables for dinner.
• Overeating at night harms metabolic processes and strains the gastrointestinal tract. As a result, you sleep poorly, and food is not digested normally. Excess calories are instantly transformed into excess fat, which in turn negatively affects weight.
• Eating dry food with your favorite cookies, rolls and other flour products not only adds kilograms, but also increases the risk of developing or.
• Overly spicy food, which pregnant women sometimes crave, also causes harm and also stimulates appetite.
• Sweets and confectionery are acceptable, but only in moderation. Excess blood sugar not only leads to extra pounds, but also significantly increases the risk of developing .

During pregnancy, it is important to eat meat, fish and seafood, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits, sour and dairy products, whole grain bread, cereals and durum wheat pasta. These products will provide the necessary levels of important beneficial compounds. It is better to cook food by steaming, baking or boiling. If possible, it is advisable to avoid salt and sugar or significantly reduce their content in ready-made dishes.

In the first trimester, it is important to get enough vitamin B9 , i.e. , which is indispensable for the growth of organs and tissues, as well as the development of the nervous system. It is rich in cheese, beets, cabbage, legumes and carrots.

Nutrition in the second trimester should be rich in content:

• And calcium (dairy products, fish liver, eggs);
• gland (meat, vegetables);
• (fruits, berries);
• fiber .

How not to gain weight during pregnancy

In order not to gain extra pounds, adhere to the following rules:

• Don't overeat. The good old “you need to eat for two” or “if you want it, then the child demands it,” sounding from the lips of kind grandmothers and aunties should not confuse you and justify night gluttons. The body must receive exactly the amount of calories that is required for the normal development of the fetus and no more. You can eat more often, but in small portions, then you will not feel hungry. It is believed that you can increase the calorie content of your diet during pregnancy by a maximum of 200-300 calories without harm to your health. But here it is important to observe the measure, this is especially true for women whose BMI is higher than normal.
• Give up unhealthy foods that contain fast carbohydrates in excess. All kinds of sweets, chocolates and bars, confectionery and flour are sources of sugar, which is absorbed quickly and gives only a temporary feeling of fullness, disappearing instantly, and you want to eat again. As a result, you absorb harmful sugar along with food additives and confectionery fats.
• Arrange yourself sparing fasting days. This does not mean that we advise you to fast during pregnancy. Once every two weeks you can give your stomach a break. On this day, replace most of your diet with vegetables or dairy products.
• Walk more, and not only in good and sunny weather in the fresh air. This rule helps maintain health for everyone without exception. Physical activity (of course, within reason) is especially important for pregnant women. The more you move, the better your blood is saturated with oxygen, which means you protect your baby from oxygen starvation .
• Avoid harmful and useless drinks. Give preference to regular drinking water or natural compotes, fruit drinks and juices without sugar. The recommended daily volume of fluid for pregnant women is 1.5 liters. It is better to drink two thirds before 16.00 to avoid swelling.

Foods that pregnant women are allowed to eat:

• dietary flour products, bran or rye whole grain bread;
• vegetable soups (limit potatoes, cereals, pasta) to 200 grams per day;
• meat products and meat, steamed, baked or boiled;
• Fish and seafood;
• milk, dairy and fermented milk products (yogurt without additives and sugar, low-fat cottage cheese);
• eggs (preferably quail);
• cereals (oatmeal, buckwheat are the healthiest);
• fresh or steamed vegetables;
• sauces and salad dressings (sour cream, olive oil);
• fresh fruits;
• butter up to 10 grams per day;
• Refined sunflower oil should be replaced with unrefined olive oil;
• drinks (tea, not purchased packaged juices, fruit drinks, water).

It is clear that weight gain for a pregnant woman is completely normal. The question is how much do you gain during pregnancy and what weight gain is considered normal.

The norm is 12 kg, that’s how much you need to gain during pregnancy. On average, the body weight of pregnant women increases by 7-16 kg. How many kg. gained during pregnancy depends on many factors: the woman’s weight before pregnancy, the weight of the fetus, the characteristics of the mother’s body, the presence or absence of diseases, diet, physical activity, etc.

For fragile women who are underweight before pregnancy, it is considered normal to gain about 14-15 kg, for women with normal weight - 12 kg, for large women - about 9 kg. If there is more than one child (multiple pregnancy), then normal weight gain is 14 - 22 kg.

Why does weight gain in pregnant women?

In the first few weeks, a woman needs to accumulate a layer of fatty tissue to prepare her body for milk production and breastfeeding. Fat reserves remain after childbirth, being consumed gradually.

More than half of the total increase in a pregnant woman's body weight occurs in the fetus, placenta and amniotic fluid. The “extra kilograms” of expectant mothers are distributed in this way:

• fruit - about 3 kg;
• placenta - 0.6 kg;
• uterus (increases in size during pregnancy) - 0.97 kg;
• amniotic fluid - 0.85 kg;
• increase in blood volume - 1.4 kg;
• body fat - 2.3 kg;
• increase in the volume of extracellular fluid - 1.5 kg;
• breast enlargement - 0.4 kg.

Remember that the fetus grows slowly in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy and very quickly in the second 20 weeks. The opposite situation is with the weight of the placenta. Amniotic fluid begins to grow only from the 10th week, by 20 weeks its volume reaches 300 ml, by 30 - 600 ml, by 35 - 1000 ml, then the volume decreases slightly.

Scheme of probable weight gain

The most accurate indicators for comparison and analysis are calculated using BMI - body mass index, which is obtained by dividing a person’s body weight in kilograms by his height, expressed in meters squared. Use good online weight calculators. With the help of them, you will find out how much you should have already collected.

Schemes have been developed for the probable weight gain of pregnant women depending on BMI by week of pregnancy. If the BMI is less than 19.8, then this is underweight, with a BMI of 19.8-26 - normal body weight, with a BMI of more than 26 - overweight, with a BMI of more than 29 - obesity.

How much you can gain during pregnancy depends on the initial BMI too. With a BMI of less than 19.8, you can gain 15 kg, with a BMI of 19.8-26, the rate of gain is 12 kg, with a BMI of more than 26 - about 9 kg.

Weight gain by pregnancy

At different stages of pregnancy, the rate of weight gain and absolute rates of weight gain differ. On average, in the first ten weeks of pregnancy there is an increase of 0.2 kg per week. From the 10th to the 20th week, weight gain should be approximately 0.3 kg per week. From the 20th to the 30th - 0.4 kg per week. From the 30th to the 40th - again 0.3 kg per week. In the 9th month, weight decreases in contrast to the 8th month. How much weight is gained during pregnancy is theoretically calculated by week, trimester, in absolute units and as a percentage. However, these are all approximate average indicators that do not take into account the individual characteristics of each particular case.

When to consult a doctor

You should consult a doctor if:

• during 2 weeks of pregnancy there is no weight gain at all (not counting the time of early toxicosis);
• gained more than 1 kg in a week in the third trimester;
• actual growth differs significantly from the planned one;
• if there are changes in body weight.

In any case, how much you need to gain during pregnancy is decided individually only by the doctor conducting the monitoring.

Pregnancy progresses differently. For some, everything is fine and all 9 months are not overshadowed by anything. Many suffer from toxicosis, back or head pain, some have swelling or constipation. Weight is also individual and should gradually increase throughout pregnancy. Newborns differ little from each other in this indicator. But their mothers during the period of wearing can gain a different number of kilograms, some do not gain at all or even lose weight. Let's try to figure out why this happens.

Weight gain: normal

There is a misconception that weight gain is needed only for the fetus. Gaining extra pounds is necessary for the proper course of pregnancy, and is also necessary for a newborn.

Weight distribution:

• Fetus. By the time of birth, the weight of the baby is 2.5-4 kg. From the total weight gain - this is 25-30%.
• Placenta. This organ provides communication between mother and child, delivers oxygen and nutrition, and takes away waste products. Its weight is 400-600 grams, which is 5% of the total weight.
• Amniotic fluid is the liquid medium in which the fetus lives. Its weight is 1-1.5 liters by the 37th week, closer to childbirth - 800 ml. This is 10% of the total weight.
• The uterus is where the fetus develops. At delivery, she weighs 1 kg, which is 10% of the total weight.
• Freely circulating blood - 1.5 kg.
• The intercellular fluid weighs 1.5-2 kg, which is 25% of the total mass.
• Development of glandular tissue in the chest - 0.5 kg.
• Fat deposits that ensure breastfeeding after childbirth are 3-4 kg, which is 25-30% of the total weight.

The total is 10-15 kg.

Weight gain tracking

Weight needs to be controlled. From the first day of pregnancy, a woman must constantly weigh herself and record the results in a notebook. This needs to be done weekly. Weighing rules:

Weight during pregnancy: rate of increase

• some gain weight immediately after conception, while others begin to gain extra pounds after 20 weeks.
• Typically, pregnancy proceeds with an increase in weight by 40% in the first half and 60% in the second.
• During the first trimester, weight increases weekly by 0.2 kg. But for some, it is during this period that toxicosis occurs, so their weight becomes even less than before pregnancy.
• Within three months from the beginning of conception, a pregnant woman gains approximately 2-3 kg.
• Starting from the fourth month, a woman develops an appetite, her general condition improves, and intensive weight gain occurs. Over the course of a week, a pregnant woman gains approximately 300-400 grams.
• In the third trimester, weight gain stops, in some cases due to hormonal changes that are associated with preparing the body for childbirth and removing unnecessary water.

Indicators affecting weight

There is no norm for weight gain during pregnancy. The optimal set depends on the body weight of the woman that she had before pregnancy: the less, the more you can gain. Therefore, often in obese women, pregnancy becomes noticeable only in the later stages, while it is almost impossible for thin women to hide their interesting position.

You can determine your initial weight by calculating your body mass index. It is derived from pre-pregnancy height and weight data. The formula for obtaining BMI looks like this: body weight (in kg) divided by height (in meters), which must be squared. For example, a woman’s weight before pregnancy is 50 kg, and her height is 160 cm, that is, 1.6 m. We multiply 1.6 by 1.6 to get 2.56, then divide 50 by 2.56 to get 19.5 BMI.

Optimal weight gain during pregnancy based on BMI

If the BMI is less than 18.5, then the body weight is below normal. Normal - from 18.5 to 25, overweight is considered when the BMI is from 25 to 30, obese - from 30 and above. So, now let's calculate how many kg should you gain during pregnancy, body mass index will help us with this:

• During a singleton pregnancy, if the weight was below normal, then the pregnant woman needs to gain from 12.5 to 18 kg. With a normal constitution, you should gain 10-15 kg during pregnancy. If you are overweight, you can gain 7-11 kg, if you are obese - no more than 6 kg.
• If the pregnancy is multiple. The lack of BMI indicates that you need to gain 19-27 kg during pregnancy, with a normal BMI - 17-25 kg, with overweight - 14-23 kg, with obesity - 11-19 kg.

What are the risks of being overweight?

During pregnancy, it is considered optimal smooth gain of kg, without jumps, which fits into the indicators. Its deficiency, as well as its excess, has a detrimental effect on the health of the mother and fetus. Inadequate nutrition with insufficient body weight threatens with malnutrition of the newborn, leads to various kinds of delays in the development of the fetus.

If a child is born weighing less than 2.5 kg, then he is at risk of physical pathologies and mental disorders. Undernutrition of a pregnant woman is fraught with hormonal disruptions and an increased risk of miscarriage or premature birth. Not only the lack of weight gain, but even the emerging trend should alert. This is a reason to urgently consult a doctor.

Excess weight should also cause concern and cause a review of the diet:

• At any stage, the increase per week is more than 2 kg,
• During the first trimester more than 4 kg,
• During the second trimester more than 1.5 kg every month,
• In a week, more than 800 g in the third.

Important! Excessive increase threatens: increased blood pressure, the development of diabetes, varicose veins, late toxicosis, osteochondrosis, premature aging of the placenta, fetal hypoxia, complications in childbirth.

The biggest danger of excess weight during pregnancy is edema, which is not only obvious, but also hidden. In this case, the extra pounds are not associated with overeating, the reason is a malfunction of the excretory system, which, unable to cope with the load, refuses to remove fluid as needed and it accumulates in organs and tissues. Edema leads to late pregnancy toxicosis and threatens kidney hydronephrosis, which causes an increase in protein in the urine.

Obvious swelling is noticeable to the eye:

• after taking off socks there is a visible mark on my feet,
• the ring is not removed from the finger,
• face becomes puffy
• urination is rare.

These symptoms indicate swelling, which you need to see a doctor. If the swelling is hidden, you may not know about it, so even if you feel excellent, you should not neglect routine examinations performed by your doctor.

How to stop weight gain:

With the consent of your doctor, take a safe prebiotic, for example, Lactulose-Normaze, Portalac syrup, Goodluck, Romphalac, Lactulose Stada, Duphalac and others. They are allowed to be taken at different stages of pregnancy.

To prevent constipation, give up useless, easily digestible carbohydrates that can only cause harm. These are: baked goods, sweets, sweet dishes, confectionery. These foods are most likely to contribute to weight gain. Various puff and shortbread cookies, buns, cakes, rolls, pastries, ice cream and others. If you have already gained extra pounds, give them up completely.

These products are loaded with harmful food additives and oils: coconut, rapeseed and palm. They load the digestive system, contribute to obesity, and, according to the results of scientific research, lead to oncology.

How to gain missing weight

If you are underweight, listen to the following tips:

• Eat 5 or 6 meals a day without overloading your stomach.
• In case of severe toxicosis, complete refusal of food will only bring harm. Therefore, wait out the attack of nausea and eat at least a small piece. Try moving food to fresh air or to bed, where the symptoms of toxicosis are less pronounced.
• Carry with you everywhere: nuts, bananas, cheese, yoghurts, dried fruits, biscuits.
• Eat peanut butter for energy and protein. For allergies, prohibited.
• Season dishes with olive oil, sour cream, cream, butter, avoid mayonnaise.
• Don't neglect dairy products, drink enough fluids.

How to prevent gaining extra pounds?

No diets are suitable for pregnant women. Avoiding fast food, flour and confectionery products, salty, smoked and spicy foods that cause thirst and force you to take in excess liquid will help you keep your weight at the same level or lose it.

Make the menu like this:

Take your last meal at 19:00. After dinner, a quiet walk in the fresh air is shown. As for liquid, give preference to clean water. Doctors recommend drinking 1.5 liters per day. Divide them into three parts, drink the first two before 16 hours, the rest should be consumed before 20 hours. This ratio will help avoid edema, and the kidneys will be relieved at night.

A balanced diet, a proper daily routine, with room for rest and activity, will help keep the body in order, without gaining extra pounds.

An increase in the amount of subcutaneous fat layer of the expectant mother is an essential condition for the safe and full development of the baby throughout the entire embryonic period. Typically, younger pregnant women gain less weight than older women. But carrying, for example, twins or even triplets will significantly increase the weight of mothers of any age. In each of the listed cases, a pregnant woman in one way or another observes changes in her body weight, which is not always the norm.

To determine the weight indicators of a pregnant woman, you need to get used to properly organized weighing:

• It is recommended to measure body weight once a week; you should try to get into the same time period before breakfast, which increases the accuracy of further calculations and dynamic assessment of results.
• Weighing is done after the bladder and large intestine have been emptied.
• The same scales are used.
• Each time, it is best for a woman to weigh herself in clothing specially allocated for this (with subsequent deduction of her weight) or without it at all.
• To facilitate calculations and track body weight levels, it is better to record the results in a special notebook.

The above tips are only advisable if you weigh a pregnant woman at home with her own scales. But if the expectant mother undergoes this procedure only at the appointment with the leading obstetrician-gynecologist, you should visit it at approximately the same hours, and immediately before getting on the scale, empty your bladder again.

Body mass index table

When evaluating the results of the obtained body weight values, all specialists and trained pregnant women use body mass index calculation. This technique allows not only to simplify all calculations, but also to identify overweight or underweight with the same ease. Special calculators have been created to calculate body mass index. They contain the following values:

• weight before pregnancy (in kg);
• height (in cm);
• presence or absence of twins;

• date of start of last menstruation;
• weight at this weighing (in kg).

In this way, the increase in body weight produced for a certain period of time from the beginning of pregnancy is calculated.

In the case we are considering, weight consists not only of the mass of all organs and biological fluids of a person, but also body fat reserves. In addition to the usual formation of a certain amount of subcutaneous fatty tissue, in the body of the expectant mother, growth of a new organism, which has a constantly increasing from week to week of its intrauterine development.

Do not forget that to ensure normal fetal development the uterus increases in size, there is the formation of female milk in the mammary glands, the placenta is born and grows, constantly present amniotic fluid, fetal membranes and umbilical cord, which also contributes to the level of body weight.

Factors influencing weight gain during pregnancy

• Body weight during gestation is affected by the presence and severity of the fetus, because with it there is an active loss of fluid through frequent vomiting, which leads to dehydration and weight loss.
• Such pathological variants of the course of pregnancy, as well as the presence of severe edema syndrome, contribute to weight gain.
• Gestation two or even three fruits at the same time provides a more pronounced increase in body weight than during a singleton pregnancy.
• , the mode and amount of fluid absorbed during pregnancy has a strong impact on a woman’s metabolism, which indicates a direct influence of these factors on the formation of the fat layer, the growth of the placenta, uterus, the fetus itself and the formation of milk.

Normal weight gain during pregnancy

The rate of weight gain during pregnancy by week

How much weight does one gain during pregnancy? In women who have a usual normal physique and correct build, the increase in body weight over the entire period of gestation, according to the obtained dynamic data for assessing the mass index, including the child, should be 10-15 kg. For cases with reduced weight, a normal gain level is considered to be from 12 to 18 kg, with class 1 obesity – from 6 to 10 kg, with class 2 obesity – from 4 to 9 kg.

If a woman is waiting big addition to the family, then the scale of normal weight gain during pregnancy is slightly different from the scale indicated above. For normal body weight, the increase ranges from 15 to 25 kg, for class 1 obesity – from 14 to 24 kg, for class 2 obesity – from 10 to 19 kg.

Thus, the thinner a pregnant woman is, the more weight she can gain while carrying a baby. On the contrary, women who are overweight are prone to smaller increases.

Weight gain during pregnancy by week: table

Table of weight gain during pregnancy by week

For the convenience of assessing the results and analyzing the weight gain of a pregnant woman, experts have developed indicators norms of weight gain during pregnancy by week.

They still depend on the type of constitution of the mother and her personal body mass index, but most importantly, they reflect in detail the weight gain for each stage of pregnancy. This greatly facilitates not only the work of leading obstetricians and gynecologists, but also the understanding of her pregnancy by the expectant mother herself.

The change in the weight of a pregnant woman in any case depends on the characteristics of her metabolism, the nature of nutrition and the needs of the fetus, which only confirms the strong individuality of these weight parameters.

For women of normal body weight:

1-17 weeks - an increase of 2.35 kg;
17-23 weeks - an increase of 1.55 kg;
23-27 weeks - an increase of 1.95 kg;
27-31 weeks - an increase of 2.11 kg
31-35 weeks - an increase of 2.11 kg;
35-40 weeks - an increase of 1.25 kg;
for the entire period - an increase of 11-15 kg.

For women with grade 1 obesity:

1-17 weeks - an increase of 2.25 kg;
17-23 weeks - an increase of 1.23 kg;
23-27 weeks - an increase of 1.85 kg;
27-31 weeks - an increase of 1.55 kg
31-35 weeks - an increase of 1.55 kg;
for the entire period - an increase of 7-11 kg.

For women with reduced body weight:

1-17 weeks – gain 3.25 kg;
17-23 weeks – gain 1.77 kg;
23-27 weeks – gain 2.1 kg;

35-40 weeks - an increase of 1.75;
for the entire period – an increase of 12-19 kg.

When carrying a multiple pregnancy:

1-17 weeks – gain 4.55 kg;
17-23 weeks – gain 2.6 kg;
23-27 weeks - an increase of 3 kg;
27-31 weeks – gain 2.35 kg
31-35 weeks – gain 2.35 kg;
35-40 weeks – gain 1.55 kg;
for the entire period – an increase of 15-20 kg.

Weight loss during pregnancy

Weight loss in pregnant women should be considered by trimester of pregnancy.

• In the first trimester Weight loss is most often an obvious sign of early-onset toxicosis, in which a pregnant woman loses kilograms due to dehydration and the woman’s frequent refusal to eat a full meal.
• For the second and third trimesters The reasons for weight loss are very similar and are expressed in poor nutrition of the pregnant woman (most often due to the fear of gaining extra pounds, which is a completely unjustified and dangerous desire for the unborn baby) or the presence of somatic pathology of any organs or systems.

In any case, a woman should be sure to consult with the gynecologist leading her pregnancy.

Large weight gain during pregnancy is far from safe. The reasons for its occurrence can be considered due to the weakening of fluid excretion from the body, the aforementioned polyhydramnios pregnancy and the presence of hypothyroidism with a reduced release of thyroid hormones into the blood.

If a gynecologist detects the presence of such a large weight gain during pregnancy, untimely and irrational assistance may lead to the development of gestosis in pregnant women and Rh conflict between the baby and the woman.

Of course, these reasons are pathological for both the mother and the fetus. But physiological reasons (for example, the mother’s advanced age and a genetic predisposition to obesity) are no less dangerous in this regard.

Adequate treatment pathological weight gain during pregnancy is:

• without high-calorie foods;
• in limiting water intake;
• in the most complete laboratory, instrumental and hardware examination of a woman;
• in regular walks and reasonable home physical activity of the expectant mother.
• in the introduction of fasting days.

This type of therapy and prevention of excess weight in a pregnant woman is recommended to be carried out no more than once or twice a week.

Fasting day is eating products of the same kind and water in an amount of about 1 liter. The expectant mother can experiment and independently decide on the menu for fasting days, however, it is still worth discussing her plans with a leading gynecologist.

Examples of unloading days:

• Vegetable(zucchini or pumpkin with a small amount of sour cream).
• Apple(a kilogram of fresh apples or baked for 6 meals).
• Fruit(using the same apples, but all fruits according to the mother’s wishes and the doctor’s recommendations).

Video about weight gain during pregnancy

For a more complete overview of the topic weight gain during pregnancy You can watch a video that popularly covers the causes of increased body weight, rules and recommendations for weighing and calculating mass indices, as well as normal values ​​for weight gain during each week of the embryonic period of the fetus.

A general discussion will only help you fully understand the pregnancy weight gain schedule, so feel free to ask and share your own experiences with other people. Your reasoning will help not only you, but also girls and women planning pregnancy, which is important for their moral preparation for pregnancy.