Pathological weight gain during pregnancy. Nothing extra. Weight gain during pregnancy Pathological weight gain during pregnancy

Natalya Kalitina

While carrying a long-awaited baby, unfortunately, not all expectant mothers can calmly enjoy their situation. In some conditions, a woman has to frequently visit her gynecologist, undergo various examinations, and constantly undergo tests. For example, if CPRF is diagnosed during pregnancy, then constant medical supervision is necessary, since such a pathology is fraught with oxygen starvation for the baby.

But this pathology does not occur in the same way in all pregnant women. Manifestations and consequences depend on the duration and severity of the condition. Fetoplacental insufficiency is a whole complex of disorders of the placenta and fetus as a result of complications during pregnancy or gynecological pathologies.

Signs and symptoms of pathology

Manifestations of CPRF depend on the form of the pathology; if there is compensated placental insufficiency, then the mother’s anemia is insignificant, as a rule, no pronounced symptoms are observed.

A pregnant woman feels fine, but if you do an ultrasound, the doctor will always be able to recognize the signs of fetoplacental insufficiency.

It is much more serious when an acute or chronic form develops. Anemia is more pronounced, so a woman may notice the following obvious signs:

  1. The baby's activity changes. The child begins to move actively, and then suddenly suddenly calms down. Every pregnant woman should know that after 28 weeks you should feel at least 10 movements of the baby per day; if this figure is lower, then you should visit a doctor, because most likely the woman develops anemia, the baby suffers from a lack of oxygen.
  2. Another characteristic symptom of CPRF is slow growth of the abdomen - the period becomes longer, but the volume of the abdomen changes slightly. This is already fraught with delays in the child’s development. The gynecologist will be able to determine this during a subsequent visit; each time the doctor measures the volume of the pregnant woman’s abdomen.
  3. If fetoplacental insufficiency develops with severe anemia in the mother, then there is a great threat of termination of pregnancy. Bloody discharge may indicate this. Such a symptom should immediately force the woman to see a doctor, maybe even call an ambulance, because often the sign indicates the onset of placental abruption.
  4. If a woman has anemia and gradually develops FPN, this is reflected in weight gain. In the second trimester, weight should increase by at least 0.5 kg per week, as the fetus grows, the placenta enlarges, and fat deposits appear. If, at the next visit, the doctor discovers that the pregnant woman has not gained weight in a week, then he has every reason to suspect the development of pathology. The woman must be sent for tests, which will immediately show the presence of anemia and other abnormalities.
  5. Another symptom of the development of fetoplacental insufficiency is the growth of the child. You can determine how well it corresponds to the gestational age using an ultrasound.
  6. With the development of CPRF, a disorder of the intrasecretory function of the placenta is observed, so very often a woman gives birth prematurely or, conversely, there is a post-term pregnancy.
  7. The amount of amniotic fluid changes, usually the amount decreases, and ultrasound diagnoses oligohydramnios, but with diabetes mellitus and intrauterine infections, polyhydramnios is noted.

In serious cases, deficiency can cause a missed abortion.

If a pregnant woman takes her situation responsibly and cares about the health of her baby, then she will definitely register with the antenatal clinic on time. In this case, the doctor will always be able to recognize the pathology at the very beginning of its development.

What can trigger the development of CPRF?

We can name some factors that can lead to the development of fetoplacental insufficiency:

  1. The presence of chronic diseases in a pregnant woman, especially with regard to heart and vascular diseases, thyroid pathologies, diabetes mellitus and heart disease.
  2. Infectious diseases of the respiratory system.
  3. Viral diseases.
  4. Venereal diseases.
  5. Complications during pregnancy in the form of gestosis, Rh conflict or threat of miscarriage can also cause the development of fetoplacental insufficiency.
  6. The presence of pathologies of the uterus and reproductive system.
  7. Disturbances in the attachment of the placenta.
  8. A history of abortions or miscarriages.
  9. Love of cigarettes during pregnancy greatly increases the risk of developing anemia, and therefore CFRD.
  10. Unsatisfactory living conditions.
  11. Late or early pregnancy.

Treatment of CPRF

Therapy when fetoplacental insufficiency is detected is reduced to solving the following problems:

  1. Improving blood circulation in the uterus and placenta.
  2. Correct the blood clotting process.
  3. Improve gas exchange.
  4. Eliminate anemia in the mother.
  5. Normalize the tone of the uterus.
  6. Improve metabolism.

A pregnant woman should understand that there is no special treatment that would 100% eliminate the pathology. You can only stabilize the condition and reduce the risk of abnormalities in fetal development to a minimum.

The first step is to prescribe drug therapy:

  1. Curantil is prescribed, it eliminates anemia, improves blood circulation, and prevents irreversible changes in the placenta. The advantages of the drug include the almost complete absence of side effects. The course of treatment lasts at least a month.
  2. Actovegin is also often prescribed to activate metabolic processes and improve blood circulation. The pregnant woman's condition improves significantly. But among the negative consequences of such treatment is the birth of a large child, therefore, if ultrasound determines the large weight of the fetus, then the medicine is not prescribed.
  3. In the hospital, treatment is carried out with the appointment of droppers with Eufillin, as well as a mixture of glucose and Novocaine.
  4. To relax the uterus, a dropper with Magnesia or Ginipral is recommended.
  5. If coagulability is increased, then the woman is prescribed Clexane, Heparin.
  6. To normalize antioxidant protection, the expectant mother is prescribed vitamins E and C.
  7. If there is a risk of miscarriage, then tocolytics are prescribed, for example, Fenoterol, Hexoprenaline.

There are quite a few medications for the treatment of fetoplacental insufficiency, but in each specific case the doctor prescribes the drugs individually.

Every expectant mother worries about weight gain during pregnancy. Her anxiety is understandable, because she not only wants to bear a healthy and strong baby, but also quickly returns her body to normal after the birth of the baby, losing excess weight. In this case, it is very interesting how a pregnant woman should eat and how to avoid pathological weight gain during pregnancy.

Normal weight gain during pregnancy ranges from 9 to 17 kilograms over 9 months, depending on the body type and pre-pregnancy weight of the expectant mother. At every appointment with a gynecologist, a woman must be weighed, and the doctor records the results in a card that allows her to monitor normal weight gain. Women who gain weight within a reasonable range throughout pregnancy usually have an easier time with childbirth and are less likely to have miscarriages or stillbirths.

Without a doubt, overeating and excessive obesity in a pregnant woman can negatively affect both the health of the expectant mother and the health of the baby. An overweight pregnant woman gets tired more often and more, becomes very irritable, her back and calf muscles often hurt, blood circulation in the legs is impaired and varicose veins may be observed. Moreover, in this case, the baby may grow so much that his natural birth becomes problematic or completely impossible.

Pathological weight gain during pregnancy is a rather dangerous phenomenon. Excessive excess weight can cause late toxicosis, which is dangerous for the embryo due to regular oxygen starvation, which can result in the death of the fetus. In addition, the excess weight of a pregnant woman clearly hints at the unhealthy condition of the pregnant woman, in which she may experience pain in the lower back or lower abdomen, as well as swelling in the legs, arms or the front wall of the abdomen. In some cases, this pathology can lead to premature birth or premature separation of the placenta.

It is difficult to predict the number of kilograms that a woman will gain during pregnancy, but it is reliably known that the lower a woman’s weight before pregnancy, the fewer kilograms she will gain during pregnancy.

A large weight gain does not always mean that there is something wrong with a woman. You should not try to go on a diet and seriously limit yourself in nutrition. First, you should look at the overall picture of the distribution of kilograms. The fetus weighs on average 3400g, water - 800g, placenta - 600g, enlarged mammary glands and uterus - 1300g. The increase in body fat will be approximately 2800g, and the increase in blood and fluid volume in the body will be 2800g. Having calculated, it can be noted that this is a significant but necessary increase, which means you should not worry about gaining kilograms.

But if doctors note pathological weight gain, you should think about the factors that cause it. First of all, this is a tendency to gain weight, which increases with the age of the expectant mother. Excess weight gain is also caused by a large fetus, because in this case the pregnant woman will have a larger volume of fluid in the body and a larger placenta. A sharp increase in weight can be observed after the manifestation of toxicosis has ceased, but this fact does not affect the course of pregnancy in the future.

It should be noted that all of the above reasons are not pathological. In the case when the doctor ascertains the fact (exceeding the norm of amniotic fluid), as well as severe swelling in the pregnant woman caused by fluid retention in the body, he must take appropriate measures to prevent the development of gestosis or such unpleasant complications as diabetes mellitus or Rhesus conflict.

Excess weight gain during pregnancy, even if not caused by pathology, will certainly increase the risk of shortness of breath, hemorrhoids, hypertension, and pain in the legs and lower back. That is why it is extremely important to control this health indicator, eat nutritiously, but at the same time eat small portions, eating 5-6 times a day, and also not get carried away with high-calorie and fatty foods. Watch your health!

A mandatory procedure for every routine examination of pregnant women is weighing. Weight gain during pregnancy is considered an important indicator of the health of the mother and child, and significant deviations from the norm are considered a signal of trouble.

What weight gain indicators are considered normal?

Weight gain during 9 months of pregnancy is about 10-12 kg. This is an average figure; usually women who had low body weight before pregnancy gain more kilograms, obese women gain less. During multiple pregnancies, weight gain can reach 16–20 kg.

The kilograms gained during pregnancy are the weight:

  • child - about 3 -3.5 kg:
  • grown uterus – 1 kg;
  • amniotic fluid (fetal fluid) and placenta - approximately 1.5 kg in total;
  • additional blood volume - 1.5 kg (during pregnancy, the so-called “third circle of blood circulation” is formed, connecting mother and fetus);
  • enlarged breasts and additional fat deposits - up to 4-5 kg ​​(the layer of subcutaneous adipose tissue serves as a protective buffer and heat insulator for the fetus).

In the first trimester of pregnancy, weight gain is usually small, up to 500-700 g per month, and slight weight loss is not considered pathological. Then the weight begins to gain faster: in the second trimester, about a kilogram per month, and in the third trimester – up to one and a half kilograms (that’s 50 g per day). In the last month of pregnancy, weight may decrease by 1-2 kg. This occurs due to the fact that the level of progesterone, which retains fluid in the body, decreases before childbirth.

In addition to weighing yourself during a visit to the gynecologist, it is recommended to weigh yourself on a home bathroom scale to more closely monitor your weight gain. It is advisable to do this every day, at the same time and in the same state: for example, in the morning, after visiting the toilet and on an empty stomach.

You can determine whether your rate of weight gain is normal using a calculator program developed specifically for pregnant women. Ours is extremely easy to use. By entering three numbers into the program window: your height, pre-pregnancy weight and gestational age, you will instantly get the result - normal weight limits, calculated for you personally.

Causes and dangers of gaining weight too quickly or too slowly

Even a short-term lack of weight gain or a noticeable tendency towards pathologically rapid weight gain should be the reason for a pregnant woman to make an unscheduled visit to the doctor. Both are indicators of an unsatisfactory pregnancy.

If a pregnant woman’s weight grows too slowly, her body is not able to provide the fetus with adequate nutrition, and this will negatively affect the formation of the child’s organs and systems. A situation where weight is not gained or lost can result in premature birth: with a calorie deficit, estrogen production decreases, and it is necessary for the normal course of pregnancy. The most common reason for weight loss is lack of appetite due to severe toxicosis.

Gaining weight too quickly during pregnancy is no less dangerous. Pathological weight gain (PPW) increases the risk of developing:

  • gestational diabetes, the consequences of which can be fetal hypoxia and the birth of a high-weight baby;
  • gestosis - a severe complication of pregnancy that threatens the life of the mother and child;
  • hypertension that occurs against the background of edema;
  • functional disorders of the cardiovascular system;
  • varicose veins.

In addition, if a pregnant woman rapidly gains weight, the baby in her womb may grow too large, which will cause difficulties during childbirth.

How can you adjust your rate of weight gain?

If your weight stubbornly doesn’t increase because you don’t feel like eating at all due to painful toxicosis, don’t despair. You still need to eat, even if it’s a small piece, but many times a day, choosing a time when you are not bothered by attacks of nausea.

The daily diet should contain a sufficient amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates; a course of taking a vitamin-mineral complex for pregnant women is also recommended (the doctor will select it). In case you want to snack, always carry healthy and high-calorie “goodies” with you: nuts, banana, dried fruits, cookies.

In the case of pathologically rapid weight gain, the main tasks are to reduce the accumulation of fluid in the tissues (it is the excess fluid that most often causes excess weight gain) and to activate blood circulation in the capillaries (this is necessary for the effective functioning of the mother-placenta-fetus system). Therefore, daily fluid intake is limited to 1.5 liters, and, if necessary, drugs that improve placental function (chophytol or actovegin) are prescribed.

Methods for correcting PPV also include diet. Of course, we are not talking about any fasting during pregnancy. This only means excluding from the diet foods that stimulate excessive appetite and cause weight gain. These are flour products, sweets, fast food, fatty meats, animal fats, smoked foods, hot spices.

The menu must include fish and meat (lean varieties), whole grain cereals, vegetable fats, vegetables and fruits. It is better to cook dishes by steaming, boiling or stewing. The amount of food should be moderate, and the calorie content should be distributed approximately as follows: breakfast - 30%, second breakfast 10%, lunch 40%, afternoon snack and dinner - 10% each. If you follow all the recommendations, in most cases you can cope with the problems of weight gain during pregnancy.

Grandmother's advice to not deny yourself anything and to eat for two is a thing of the past - according to modern views, such passion for food during pregnancy can lead to very negative consequences for both mother and child. Moreover, such medical forecasts have nothing to do with aesthetic canons - we are talking primarily about the health of mother and baby. But gaining excess weight can become a serious problem - both physical and psychological - after the birth of a child. How to avoid this kind of danger?

What is considered normal?

Naturally it consists of several components:

  • child (fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid);
  • mother (enlarged uterus and mammary glands, blood volume, fat volume, water retention).

Based on this, the optimal weight gain during pregnancy considered 8-12 kg. By the way, according to American standards, an increase of 11-17 kg is considered acceptable.

Weight gain is uneven, with each component increasing differently throughout pregnancy. In general, weight gain increases after the 20th week of pregnancy.

In the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus gains weight slowly, and in the second 20 weeks - faster. The weight of the placenta increases in inverse proportion to the weight of the fetus. The volume of amniotic fluid increases rapidly starting from the 10th week, at 20 weeks its volume is 300 ml, at 30 weeks - 600 ml and reaches a peak value of 1000 ml at 35 weeks, after which there is a slight decrease.

The weight of the uterus increases in the first 20 weeks, when the process of muscle fiber growth occurs, but already in the second half of pregnancy, the enlargement of the uterus occurs due to stretching of the muscle fibers. The weight of the mammary glands increases due to the proliferation of glandular tissue, partly due to the deposition of fat cells and fluid retention. Blood volume increases throughout pregnancy. The amount of fat deposited in fat depots depends on the fat content of food. An increase of 2.5-3.0 kg of fat is common. 90% of them are deposited in the first 30 weeks of pregnancy. During normal pregnancy, the total amount of fluid in the body increases by 6-8 liters.

After childbirth, no less natural weight loss occurs. On average, women 6 weeks after giving birth weigh 3 kg more than they weighed before pregnancy, and 6 months after giving birth the difference decreases to 1 kg.

What weighs how much?

Child – 3.0-3.5 kg

Uterus – 0.8 kg

Blood volume – 1.3-1.8 kg

Fluid, fat, breast tissue – 4.5 kg

Placenta – 0.45-0.8 kg

Amniotic fluid (amniotic fluid) – 1 kg

During a routine examination in the last three months, when the problem weight during pregnancy becomes the most relevant, the doctor can use a special scale of average physiological weight gain. The calculation goes something like this: weekly weight gain should not exceed 22 g for every 10 cm of height. This means that with a height of 150 cm, a woman can gain 330 g in a week, with a height of 160 cm - 352 g, and with a height of 180 cm - 400 g.

Body mass index

It’s worth mentioning right away that all of these values ​​are relative and depend on many factors, primarily on the initial body mass index (BMI) that existed before pregnancy.

BMI is calculated as follows: weight in kilograms must be divided by height in meters squared. Weight (kg): height (m)2. For example, height – 1.70, weight – 67 kg. Height squared: 1.70x1.70 - it turns out to be 28,900. Now we divide 67 by 28,900 - we get 23 (take the first two digits). This is the body mass index. If your BMI is less than 19.8, you are underweight. From 19.8 to 26 – normal weight, more than 26 – overweight. How does this affect weight gain during pregnancy?

Women with a BMI greater than 26 should be advised to limit weight gain during pregnancy, as they have a risk of high blood pressure caused by pregnancy, as well as the risk of having a large fetus. Such women are usually recommended to follow a low-calorie diet. In addition, there may be problems with accurately determining the duration of pregnancy, since it is difficult to determine the height of the fundus and the size of the uterus during examination due to excess fat deposits.

Women with a BMI less than 19 are often advised to delay pregnancy until they have gained weight, as 20% of these women have underweight babies. During pregnancy, due to the initial weight deficit, such a mother has the right to gain more kilograms. And vice versa, if a woman’s weight before pregnancy was more than normal, then it is wiser to try to gain less weight.

The calculation of the ideal presented here is only a guideline: the doctor makes a conclusion about whether weight gain is normal, based on the individual characteristics of the woman’s body.

Week of pregnancy

Weight gain (kg)

BMI<19,8

BMI=19.8 - 26.0

BMI>26.0

What will increase weight gain during pregnancy?

There are several quite objective reasons here:

  • With age, the tendency to become overweight increases.
  • Weight loss in the early stages due to toxicosis - in the future the body will try to quickly compensate for the loss of kilograms, hence there may be a weight jump. In this case, when calculating weight gain, you should focus on the weight that was before pregnancy, and not on the one that was recorded after losses caused by toxicosis.
  • Fetal weight: if a large baby is expected (more than 4000 g), then the placenta will probably be larger than usual.
  • Twins.
  • Polyhydramnios.
  • Edema (fluid retention in the body).

The last two reasons are a reason to see a doctor.

Polyhydramnios (from 1.5 liters of amniotic fluid) can appear in multiple pregnancies, diabetes mellitus, severe forms of Rh conflict (in this case, the body of a Rh-negative mother produces antibodies to Rh-positive red blood cells of the fetus, these antibodies destroy the red blood cells of the fetus).

Swelling and fluid retention in the body are often a consequence of pregnancy complications such as gestosis, which affects all organs and systems of a woman and affects her condition. Preeclampsia is manifested by the appearance of edema, protein in the urine, and increased blood pressure.

Why is this dangerous?

Why is the question of correct weight gain during pregnancy? First of all, because the health of the mother and fetus depends on it.

  • hemorrhoids;
  • high blood pressure;
  • varicose veins;
  • back pain;
  • fatigue;
  • shortness of breath.

In addition, with an increase in body weight, tissues, including muscle, lose their elasticity due to an increase in the amount of water and fat in them. The consequence of this is difficult childbirth.

If a woman is overweight before pregnancy, the risk to her health and the health of her baby increases. In particular, the likelihood of excess blood pressure and diabetes mellitus in pregnancy increases.

In addition, in overweight expectant mothers, the fetus is often larger than usual, and the pregnancy proceeds with complications.

Healthy lifestyle during pregnancy

Of course, no revolutionary new means of controlling one's own weight during pregnancy, except for the long-known combination of physical activity and a balanced diet, no one has yet come up with. There is a special set of exercises for pregnant women, which helps not only to keep yourself in shape, but also to train those muscle groups that will be involved in childbirth. Here it should be taken into account that heavy physical activity during pregnancy is unacceptable, including strength training in the gym, aerobics - all this can lead to irreparable consequences for the expectant mother. It is necessary to pay more attention to proper nutrition. Its basic principles are:

  • Food should not be spicy, salty or rich in extractives and essential oils, as all this helps increase appetite.
  • You should eat more often - 6-7 times a day, breaking food into small portions.
  • The caloric content of the daily diet of the expectant mother should not exceed 2500-2800 kcal.

Now a few words especially for supporters and admirers of diets - they should be postponed until later, since the effect of all diets is based either on reducing the number of kilocalories consumed, and therefore on reducing the consumption of nutrients, or on excluding certain foods from the diet. Lack of nutrients can adversely affect the development of the child and lead to anemia in the mother.

There is another common misconception: if you severely limit yourself in food, the baby will be small and the birth will be easier. This is completely false: despite a strict diet, the baby will take his own and, most likely, will be born with a normal body weight. But due to the fact that the mother severely limits herself in food, she may develop various conditions associated with a deficiency of certain nutrients.

"Ambulance" for reduction weight during pregnancy These are fasting days. The rules for conducting them are not at all complicated: throughout the day, the daily diet should consist of some type of low-calorie foods - vegetables, fruits, fermented milk - kefir, fermented baked milk, curdled milk with reduced fat content (1-2%). A fasting day can be arranged no more than 2 times a week and only after consulting a doctor.

Nutrition during pregnancy

The body of a pregnant woman and a growing fetus needs a balanced amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts and vitamins.

New tissues and organs of the fetus are formed from proteins, so the need for protein consumption during pregnancy is 100 g per day, of which 60% should be animal proteins (they contain essential amino acids). Of all proteins, meat and low-fat fish should make up 30%, dairy products - 25%, eggs - 5%. This means that per day the expectant mother should eat approximately 100-150 g of veal or beef or 150-200 g of cod, pike perch, pollock; 100-150g low-fat cottage cheese; 50-70 g cheese. The remaining 40% are vegetables, fruits, legumes, and cereals. A lack of protein in the diet during pregnancy can cause fetal growth retardation.

Amount of fat during pregnancy should average 80 g, of which 30% are vegetable. Fats are a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are very important for the body, the deficiency of which can lead to disruption of the development of the retina and brain. To prevent this from happening, it is enough to consume 25-30 g of unrefined vegetable oil per day. If a woman is prone to obesity, then fat intake can be reduced, primarily through animal fats.

A pregnant woman's need for carbohydrates is approximately 400 g per day. The main source of “healthy” carbohydrates, primarily starch, is bread, and it should not be white bread made from premium flour, but rye bread made from wholemeal flour or grain bread. 50 g of bread per day provides the body with 70% starch, and a woman can get the remaining 30% from fruits. Sources of carbohydrates such as sugar, confectionery, bread made from premium flour, chocolate should be limited.

A pregnant woman’s body also needs a sufficient amount of vitamins, some of which she receives from foods. Numerous studies have shown that a lack of vitamin A reduces the body's resistance to infections. Vitamins B1 and B2 prevent the development of early toxicosis of pregnancy in pregnant women; A lack of vitamin B1 manifests itself in mild fatigue and can lead to weak labor forces during childbirth. Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphorus metabolism, so it is necessary to prevent rickets. Vitamin E protects against spontaneous miscarriage. Other vitamins are also important.

In addition to proteins, fats, carbohydrates and energy, food is a source of minerals, also necessary for both mother and baby. During pregnancy, you need to pay special attention to such elements as:

  • iron (meat);
  • calcium (milk, cheese, fermented milk products);
  • phosphorus (fish, green peas);
  • magnesium (seaweed, watermelon, wheat bran, apricots, oatmeal, beans, millet, peas, buckwheat and pearl barley, eggs).

To summarize what has been said, it is worth noting once again that the health and beauty of the mother and her child are in the hands of the mother even during pregnancy.

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Every woman knows that she needs to watch her weight. And the time of bearing a baby is no exception. In this article I would like to tell you what weight gain should be during pregnancy. About norms, numbers and indicators - you can read about this in the text below.

About weight

All women know that while carrying a baby, weight will increase. However, not everyone knows that this should happen according to certain rules. If a woman gains weight suddenly, or it remains practically unchanged over a long period, this is not very good. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to tell you what the norm for weight gain during pregnancy should be. You need to know this in order to preserve the health of your baby while still in the womb.

How is weight gain distributed?

It is worth saying that during pregnancy, not only the woman’s stomach will increase, i.e., not only the baby will grow. What else will increase in weight? So, on average, over the entire period of bearing a child, a woman should gain approximately 11-13 kg, which are distributed as follows:

  1. Baby weight: approximately 3000-3500 g.
  2. Weight of the uterus itself: about 900 g.
  3. Weight of the child's place, or placenta: 400 g.
  4. The volume of amniotic fluid will be about 1 liter.
  5. The mammary glands will increase by about half a kilogram.
  6. The volume of circulating blood will increase by 1200 g.
  7. Adipose tissue will increase by about 2 kg.
  8. The mass of tissue fluid will increase by approximately 2500 g.

First trimester

It is also important to consider what the rate of weight gain during pregnancy is by trimester. As for the first third of pregnancy, during this time the woman will gain quite a bit, about 1-2 kg. An exception, of course, may be those women who previously followed a very strict diet, or athletes who, during pregnancy, are simply forced to change not only their lifestyle, but also their diet. Why is there so little weight gain at this time? So, the baby himself is still very tiny, he doesn’t require much yet. In addition, at this time, most women suffer from toxicosis, so they do not eat much (and the body does not yet require this). Hormonal changes in the body of the expectant mother also do their job.

Second trimester

In the second trimester, the rate of weight gain during pregnancy will be significantly higher. And if in the first half of the second part of pregnancy a woman begins to gain weight more actively, then in the second half these indicators will increase even more. As for the numbers, a woman should gain approximately 250-300 grams per week in this trimester.

Third trimester

The rate of weight gain by week during pregnancy in the third trimester will be almost the same as in the second half of the second trimester. According to the figures, the weight of the expectant mother should not increase by more than 300 grams weekly. If the scales say otherwise, you need to consult a doctor; this may be an indicator of certain abnormalities in the body of the expectant mother.

General figures

What is the general rate of weight gain during pregnancy? So, on average, over the entire period of bearing a baby, a woman should gain from 10 to 13 kg. If the indicators are in this range, the expectant mother led a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy. If the numbers differ from the average, this may indicate the presence of certain problems in the woman’s body (which can also affect the baby).

Effect on weight

It is also worth saying that weight gain during pregnancy is influenced by many different factors.

  1. Woman's age. The older a woman is while pregnant, the more prone she is to excess weight gain.
  2. Initial weight. It all depends on the initial BMI, i.e. body mass index. Depending on it, you can individually calculate weight gain during pregnancy. The less weight a woman had before conception, the less she will gain.
  3. Toxicosis. If a woman had early toxicosis (in the first trimester), her weight will be slightly less than that of those women who did not suffer from a similar problem.
  4. Baby's weight. There are larger children, and there are very small ones. This will, of course, also affect the amount of weight a pregnant woman gains.
  5. Features of the body constitution. It will not be a secret to anyone that there are women who are more and less prone to gaining excess weight.
  6. Increased appetite. Some women eat a lot during pregnancy. This will of course affect your weight changes.

Nutrition and weight gain

And, of course, weight gain during pregnancy depends on what the woman eats. However, you shouldn’t rush to just any food. The period of bearing a baby is a period when a woman should carefully monitor what she eats. The following fact will be interesting and unexpected: during pregnancy, a woman needs only 200-300 calories above the norm. This will be quite enough to ensure that both the child and the mother receive everything they need from the food they eat. While carrying a baby, it is best for a woman to give preference to cereals, vegetables, fruits, natural juices and black bread. It is also worth remembering that it is best to avoid high consumption of flour, coffee, sweets, spicy and fried foods. Prohibited foods are fast food, carbonated drinks, chips, crackers, and alcohol.

It is also worth remembering that while carrying a baby, the expectant mother should not go on various diets. After all, a child should receive a little of everything. Refusal of certain necessary foods can lead to various problems associated with the development of the baby.

Weight reduction

Expectant mothers may begin to feel anxious when there is no weight gain at all during pregnancy. Moreover, they get scared when they even lose a couple of kilograms. However, if this happens in the first trimester, it’s not scary. This may be so, because there is a hormonal change in the body of the expectant mother. In addition, weight loss can be affected by toxicosis that torments a woman. In this case, the problem can be corrected with proper nutrition. You need to remember that it is best to eat small portions and often. If a woman loses weight late in pregnancy, this may be an alarming sign. In this case, the lady will most likely be admitted to the hospital for a serious examination.

Large weight gain

However, a much bigger problem is gaining too much weight during pregnancy. In medicine, this state of affairs is called PPV, i.e. pathological weight gain. And this can lead to the development of gestosis, a serious condition during pregnancy, which threatens not only the health, but also the life of not only the child, but even the mother herself.

Why is this happening?

Knowing what the norm for weight gain during pregnancy should be, a woman should carefully monitor her indicators. After all, excess fat mass leads to the accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues. And this, in turn, is fraught with swelling. Then problems with blood pressure will begin to arise. And all this, of course, affects the child (blood circulation worsens, the baby does not receive enough nutrients). In the worst case scenario, even death is possible.

Observation

If a woman does not achieve normal weight gain during pregnancy, certain actions will need to be taken.

  1. Frequent weight checks. A woman should see a doctor every 3-5 days to regulate her weight gain.
  2. Weekly blood test (with electrolytes).
  3. Daily diuresis (urine collection). This is necessary in order to determine what fluid retention is in the mother’s body.

What to do

In order for the normal weight to be observed during pregnancy with PPV, a woman will need to follow certain rules. What does this mean?

  1. Therapeutic and protective regime. Most likely, the expectant mother will be placed within the walls of the hospital for more careful monitoring of her condition.
  2. Maintaining a diet rich in proteins. Also, the woman will be recommended to eat small meals frequently.
  3. Fasting days. In this case they will be necessary. Once every seven days, the lady will have to follow a mono-diet: eat only one product per day. This can be cottage cheese, apples, fermented milk products, etc. It is worth remembering that a mono-diet should be prescribed exclusively by the attending physician.
  4. You will have to limit your fluid intake, including soups and compotes. Its volume should not exceed one and a half liters per day.
  5. Use of medicinal drugs. Often this is a necessary measure; medications should only be prescribed by a doctor. It is worth remembering that self-medication, especially during pregnancy, is simply unacceptable.

How to keep yourself normal?

What should a woman do to keep her weight normal? So, you just need to follow the correct daily routine.

  1. Food consumption mode. You need to eat often and in small portions.
  2. We must avoid overeating.
  3. You need to consume exclusively healthy foods.
  4. It must be remembered that while carrying a baby, protein foods are of particular importance.
  5. Frequent walks in the fresh air. No less than food, the baby needs fresh air.
  6. Moderate physical activity. We must remember that being pregnant does not mean being sick. You can’t lie on the couch for days watching TV.
  7. Alternation of activities. A pregnant woman should not sit all the time. If this is your job, then once every half hour you need to go for a five-minute walk, if not on the street, but at least in the corridor.

This is not a complete list of recommendations that a woman should adhere to while carrying a baby. However, by observing at least these points, you can avoid many different problems not only with your own health, but also with the intrauterine state of your baby.

Simple conclusions

How much weight gain should there be during pregnancy? How many? The normal weight during pregnancy for the entire period of this wonderful state allows an increase of only 10-13 kg. And the expectant mother needs to monitor these indicators very strictly. After all, at this time the main thing is how the future baby feels in the womb. But what the mother does and how she eats fully affects the condition of the baby. Women should not forget about this when they want to once again eat a bun or eat a hot dog that is harmful to the body. By maintaining her health, the mother thereby protects her baby.