Gaining too much or too little weight during pregnancy can be harmful to you and your baby. You may want to eat all  the french fries and burgers during pregnancy but you need to remember that you need just 300 calories  a day during pregnancy to support your baby’s growth and development.
 

How important is gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy ?

Gaining the right amount of weight is good for the health of both you and your baby.

Pregnant women who gain too little weight can result in having babies with low birth weight.

On the other hand, women who gain too much weight may have large babies or premature babies. These moms also face the risk of developing diabetes or high blood pressure which may cause pregnancy complications.

How much weight should you gain during pregnancy ?

The amount of weight you gain during pregnancy depends on your body mass index BMI during pregnancy. BMI is a  measure of your body fat based on your weight and height.

If you had a normal healthy weight before pregnancy,  you need to gain about 25 to 35  pounds during pregnancy. You gain about 1 to 4.5 pounds in the fist trimester and about 1 pound a week during the second and third trimesters. If you are carrying twims, you need to gain about 37 to 54 pounds throughout your pregnancy.

If you were underweight before you got pregnant, you may have to gain about 28 to 40 pounds  during pregnancy. You gain about 1 to 4.5 pounds during the first trimester and a little over 1  pound every week during the second and third trimesters.

If you were overweight before you got pregnant, you need to gain about 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy. You gain 1 to 4.5 pounds during the first trimester and a little over  1/2 pound every week during the second and third trimesters. If you are carrying twins , you need to gain about 31 to 50 pounds throughout your  pregnancy.

If you were obese before you got pregnant, you need to gain about 11 to 20 pounds during pregnancy. You gain about 1 to 4.5 pounds during the first trimester and a little under 1/2 pound every week during the second and third trimesters. If you are carrying multiples, you need to gain about 25 to 42 pounds throughout your  pregnancy.

Gaining weight at a steady and slow rate is the best. Even though it is important not to  gain too much weight during pregnancy, you should not try to lose weight during pregnancy.