Usually, most people shrink away at the words ‘weight gain’. It’s got a ton of negative connotations and a pretty bad reputation in our society, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
During pregnancy, in particular, you actually should be gaining weight! If you manage to grow a little human being inside you without putting on any pounds, then you should probably see a doctor.
But, how do you know when weight gain’s healthy and when you might be going a little overboard? What is a healthy BMI and when has yours tipped the scale? Let’s take a look.
Your Starting Weight
To ensure the weight gain you’re seeing is healthy, you need to be able to track it. To do this, you need a starting point either from before you became pregnant or from the earliest point in your pregnancy.
Measure your BMI and record it. Now you can start to monitor your gain and make sure your little one is growing as he or she should be!
How Much You’ll Gain Varies
No doctor, dietician or pregnant pal can tell you how much weight you’re going to gain. It’s completely personal to you! Everything from your metabolism to your genetics can alter the number of pounds you’ll put on, but you can get a rough idea of a healthy weight gain ahead, so you know you’re on the right track:
- First Trimester
As your baby is still only very, very little at this point, you won’t gain very much at all. Usually, about four pounds is normal – although morning sickness might get in the way of that. You may even loose a little! Just make sure you don’t start really dropping numbers on the scales.
- Second Trimester
This is when your weight gain will speed up as your baby’s growth does, too. Your little one’s doing a lot of growing in there, so it makes sense you’re going to get heavier! If your BMI was healthy when you started the pregnancy, a healthy amount to put on about now is around 14 pounds.
- Third Trimester
As you and your baby run to the finishing line, you’ll probably pop on about 10 more pounds before you give birth. In the ninth and final month, weight usually remains the same or may even go down by a couple of pounds; this is totally normal and nothing to worry about.
Healthy Weight Gain for Everyone
To make sure you’re staying healthy during your pregnancy, know how many pounds you should be putting on overall depending on your initial BMI.
- Underweight BMI (less than 18.5), gain 28-40 pounds
- Normal BMI (18.5-24.9), gain 25-35 pounds
- Overweight BMI, gain 15-25 pounds
- Obese BMI, gain 11-20 pounds
It’s important to keep track of your weight during your pregnancy to make sure everything’s going smoothly. If you think you’re gaining too little or too much, see a doctor as soon as you can. It’s always better to be safe when it comes to your baby!
