Wait…….! WEIGHT???

Depending on your weight to begin with, most women will gain between 8 and 13 kgs on average, with most of that weight gain after week 20. Most of the extra weight is due to your growing baby. You may expect to gain around 2 kgs in the first trimester and then up to a 0.5 kgs a week for the next six months, but this varies greatly.

If you are underweight or unable to gain the desired weight, it could affect the baby’s health and result in low birth-weight (small) baby or preterm labor. And, if you are overweight or obese, or gain weight excessively, it will affect both you and the baby causing complications in labor like sugar or BP, C-section or a miscarriage.

So, the bottom line is stay NORMAL - Aim for Healthy Food!

‘Eating for two’ is a myth - There’s actually no need to eat any more than you usually would.  Instead continue to eat healthily, according to your appetite.

Pre-pregnancy BMI	Category	Recommended Weight Gain
< 18.5	Underweight	28-40lb (13-18kg)
18.5 – 24.9	Normal	24-35lb (11-16kg)
25-29.9	Overweight	15-25lb (7-11kg)
> 30	Obese	11-20lb (5-9kg)

  

Appropriate weight gain during the weeks or trimesters of pregnancy depends on certain factors such as pre-pregnancy weight and BMI.

What is BMI?
A measure of Body fats in Adults.

When you start ‘looking pregnant’ can vary a great deal. Ask other mums about their experiences and you will find some women noticed a slight difference in shape in the early weeks, whereas others didn’t notice any changes until about four months.

By four to five months, almost all women will find their waistbands are uncomfortable, its common.

While some women embrace the changes in their body, seeing it as a sign of their baby growing, others may have negative feelings about their changing body shape. Dissatisfaction with the way you look when you are pregnant is very common, especially so in the second three months, according to some research. This is sometimes linked to previous body image feelings – if you already feel self-conscious or self-critical about your body - being pregnant is unlikely to make these feelings suddenly go away.

However, other research shows that some women find being pregnant gives them a chance to feel less pressured – no one expects a pregnant woman to be slim, after all.

  

Fear of childbirth would be our next topic!
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