Pregnancy Weight Gain Standards – Do They Exist and How Not to Exceed Them

During pregnancy, a woman’s body weight naturally increases as a necessity for carrying a child. The appearance of a noticeable belly pleases the expecting mother, as it indicates fetal growth and suggests a normal course of the process. Along with doctors, responsible pregnant women carefully monitor their weight results, comparing them with the standard weight norms for this period of carrying a fetus.

Women often worry about gaining excess weight during pregnancy, reasonably associating it with potential risks for the developing baby. The prevailing opinion that a pregnant woman should gain no more than 10 kg throughout the entire period and any deviation from this figure is abnormal is more of a myth. However, because of this, women often blame themselves for gaining weight beyond the norm, thinking they didn’t take the pregnancy seriously enough. The truth is that this indicator depends on a number of factors.

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During pregnancy, many changes occur in a woman’s body. Among them, the expectant mother gains weight. The increase in body mass is due to the enlargement of:

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• breast size, swelling of the mammary glands, which is necessary as a preparation for future breastfeeding;
• placenta – the “baby’s place” also has its weight, which grows during the pregnancy period;
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• blood volume – the circulatory system operates with a double load during this period, supporting two people, so blood production increases.
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• the placenta – 400–600 g;
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• enlarged breasts – 500 g;
• increased blood volume – about 1.5 L;
• fluid reserves in tissues – 2800 g.

What Else Affects the Intensity of Weight Gain

Doctors’ opinions on weight gain during pregnancy are that it’s very individual; there are no universal standards for what is an acceptable range of weight gain while carrying a baby. However, this doesn’t mean one should let things happen on their own. During pregnancy, it is not advisable to eat unhealthy foods and neglect regular weight checks. Monitoring weight will help the pregnant woman avoid many problems throughout the pregnancy and during childbirth, as well as make it easier to return to her pre-pregnancy shape.

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Dependence of weight gain on body index

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The norm for weight gain during pregnancy is a conditional value that should be adhered to “without fanaticism.” At a gynecologist’s appointment, if there is a significant deviation from the norm, the pregnant woman will be informed and receive recommendations. Depending on body type, a woman gains up to 1 kg in the first month. This is mostly due to hormonal changes that have begun in her body. Sometimes, when a pregnant woman suffers from severe toxicosis, she may even lose weight, but this does not harm either the woman or the future child at this stage.

The end of the second month of pregnancy may be marked by an additional 1.5 kilograms, and the beginning of the second trimester by as much as 2.5. The norm for monthly weight gain during pregnancy depends on the woman’s body type. The most active fat accumulation occurs in slim women – they gain more than others.

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The second trimester is characterized by active belly enlargement, and this naturally reflects on the scales. By the 4th month of pregnancy, a woman will have gained an additional 3 kilograms, and another 2 kg the following month. By the end of the 6th month, the ideal weight for a pregnant woman is the initial body weight plus 8 kg. However, it’s worth noting that fuller women may gain half as much.

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• 6-10 kg by the 7th month;
• 7-13 kg by the 8th month;
• 9-15 kg by the 9th month.

From these figures, it is clear that the ‘ideal’ 10 kg gain during a normally progressing pregnancy will likely be achieved only by women who are initially fuller-bodied, whose bodies won’t accumulate additional fat layers.

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The exact figure reflecting the normal weight gain for a specific woman over 7 days can be determined by a specialist observing the pregnancy. It is hypothetically impossible to clearly lay out a weekly weight gain schedule due to numerous individual factors. The weekly gain in the first 20 weeks is almost imperceptible, amounting to only a couple of hundred grams. However, when pregnancy enters the second half, changes in body mass become more noticeable. During this period, a woman consistently gains 400-600 grams per week, with slight variations.

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The formula is as follows:

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The results will indicate that with a BMI value of less than 18.5, the woman is underweight. If the calculated result falls within the range of 18.5 to 25, the woman’s weight is normal. With a Body Mass Index from 25 to 30, it is excessive, and with a BMI over 30, there is obesity.

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{{{TEMP_MARK_67}}}	With normal weight before pregnancy (kg)	{{{TEMP_MARK_5{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}7}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}	0–0.7	{{{TEMP_MARK_80}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}5}}}}}}}}}
6	{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}2}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_81}}}	0–0.6
8	{{{TEMP_MARK_82}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_83}}}	0–0.7
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_8{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_85}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_121}}}
12	{{{TEMP_MARK_86}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}1}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}2}}}}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_87}}}	0.5–2.7	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}2}}}
16	up to 3	{{{TEMP_MARK_76}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}3}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}5}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_98}}}	up to 4.6	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}}}}
20	{{{TEMP_MARK_78}}}	up to 6	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}5}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}6}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}0}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}6}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}7}}}
24	up to 8.5	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}8}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}9}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}7}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_88}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_122}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_129}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}1}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_89}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_123}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}2}}}	up to 12	up to 14	up to 5.9
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}	up to 13	{{{TEMP_MARK_12{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_112}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}}}}	up to 14	{{{TEMP_MARK_125}}}	up to 7.3
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}5}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_9{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_126}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}}}}}}}}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}6}}}	up to 16	{{{TEMP_MARK_127}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}8}}}
{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}7}}}	up to 16	{{{TEMP_MARK_127}}}	{{{TEMP_MARK_{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_1{{{TEMP_MARK_148}}}3}}}}}}8}}}

The table shows that weight gain occurs at different rates.

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To maintain body weight within normal limits, a pregnant woman needs to track her weight increase as accurately as possible. To do this, certain requirements should be followed. First, it should become a habit to weigh oneself quite often. The interval between two weighings should not exceed one week. It is important to remember that the weighing procedure should be conducted at the same time each day, which the pregnant woman should choose based on her convenience.

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Constantly supplying the body with necessary minerals and vitamins, and keeping a regular eating schedule are important for stable weight gain. It’s better to eat several times a day and in small portions, even if you have no appetite. Fractional eating helps prevent weight deficiencies during toxicosis. However, choosing the most calorie-dense dishes for the quickest normalization is not the best approach.

In any case, the diet should remain balanced and healthy. Nausea can be aggravated by fried or overly fatty foods. The menu should include dairy products, meat, fish, salads dressed with sesame or olive oil. Preference should be given to vegetables and fruits, especially avocados, bananas, grapes, and potatoes, which are notably high in calories. Yogurts, nuts, and dried fruits are great for snacks. Expectant mothers should drink more water, as nausea often causes dehydration.

How to Properly Lose Excess Weight

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Substituting one meal several times a week with a glass of low-fat kefir can help slow down weight gain. It’s also important to remember proteins found in seafood, cottage cheese, lean meat, and fish. Physical activity assists with weight control. Pregnant women would benefit from walking or swimming, yoga, and exercises with a fitness ball. These activities help reduce weight and improve well-being.

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Shedding excess pounds is much harder than preventing them. Excess weight does not necessarily mean that the baby will be strong and healthy. Often, extra pounds during pregnancy are a result of a lack of restraint in eating. The widespread belief that the expectant mother should eat for two also plays a role. Additionally, pregnancy is often seen as a reason not to restrict oneself in anything.

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