Doctors recommend that one gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy. Anything below or above this might indicate that the pregnant woman needs to find effective ways of managing her weight. In addition to increasing the food portion that one eats, doctors recommend that pregnant women take special consideration into what they eat in order to avoid unhealthy weights. A pregnant woman needs at least 300 caloriesper day. These calories are meant to provide the baby with the nutrients required during growth. To ensure that the baby is born healthy and strong, the pregnant women should only consume nutritious and well-balanced foods.
Below is how weight during pregnancy adds up.
- The baby weighs 7.5 pounds on average.
- Proteins, fats and other stored nutrients account for 7 pounds.
- The extra blood produced by the body accounts for 4 pounds of the weight gain.
- Other body fluids also account for a further 4 pounds of the total weight gain.
- The enlarged breast add at least 2 more pounds to the body weight.
- The enlarged uterus also adds an average of 2 pounds to the body weight.
- The amniotic fluid also accounts for an extra 2 pounds.
- The placenta accounts for 1.5 pounds of the increased body weight.
Before one panics about her weight gain while pregnant, she should know that weight gain differs from one woman to the other. Women expecting more than one baby will naturally weigh more. Pregnant women should avoid empty calories because the baby’s development relies on the vital nutrients that one consumes during the pre-natal period.