| Are you pregnant and wondering what is | | | | range for your height (a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9), you |
| considered to be normal weight gain? Pregnancy is | | | | should gain between 25 and 35 pounds, gaining 1 |
| a time where it is not only normal but healthy to | | | | to 5 pounds in the first trimester and about 1 |
| gain weight. But putting on too many pounds can | | | | pound per week for the rest of your pregnancy |
| be harmful for both you and your baby. | | | | for the optimal growth of your baby. |
| Pregnancies are not all created equal | | | | You'll no doubt have other questions that need |
| Each pregnancy is different, ergo weight gain | | | | answering like: how can I stay within the |
| during pregnancy varies from one pregnancy to | | | | recommended amount? How can I maintain my |
| another. Pregnant women should never | | | | ideal weight? What if I gain more or less than this |
| stereotype each other as each pregnancy is | | | | amount? How can I make sure I don't pack on |
| dependent on various factors. One of these is | | | | more pounds that I should? |
| how much weight the mother-to-be has put on. | | | | Where can I go for the answers I need? |
| What is normal weight gain? | | | | Having a rough idea is fine normally, but in the |
| There are guidelines to follow that are of great | | | | case of pregnancy it's highly recommended that |
| help and benefit in determining normal weight gain | | | | you remain under the supervision of your doctor |
| during pregnancy. To find these out, apart from | | | | and also find a guide to provide a proper |
| checking with your doctor, it pays to invest in | | | | breakdown with a pregnancy weight gain chart |
| getting the answers for yourself and not relying | | | | and the like, to take the guesswork out of |
| totally on hearsay or the experiences of your | | | | figuring what your ideal weight should be at |
| friends, however helpful they mean to be. | | | | different stages throughout your pregnancy. |
| What should my normal weight gain be? | | | | Added bonus |
| Again, there's no hard and fast rule. Several | | | | A sound guide will typically offer other useful info |
| factors come into play e.g. the relationship | | | | such as tips for healthy, nutritional eating and |
| between your height and weight (expressed in a | | | | what's entailed in moderate exercise, both key to |
| number called a "body mass index") or BMI | | | | maintaining your ideal weight. |
| before pregnancy. | | | | Investing in such a program geared towards |
| The most current recommendations from the | | | | healthy eating coupled with precise exercises for |
| guidelines for pregnancy weight gain issued by the | | | | pregnant ladies is a must, especially if your goal is |
| Institute of Medicine (IOM), most recently in May | | | | to maintain normal weight gain. Pregnancy weight |
| 2009 are: | | | | gain can be controlled following a diet and exercise |
| If your pre-pregnancy weight was in the healthy | | | | program designed for expecting mothers. |