⭐Weight in pregnancy, how many kilos can you put on?

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Weight in pregnancy

The moment of pregnancy is characterized for all women by some physical modifications: the shapes are rounded, one feels more swollen and often the perception of self and the image that each woman has of her body changes. All this is natural and physiological and also depends on hormonal changes that aim to create the optimal conditions for the growth of the child. But how much can you gain weight in pregnancy? And how to calculate the weight in pregnancy?

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How to check weight in pregnancy

During pregnancy the increase in body weight therefore responds to a natural physiological need, and is due specifically:

al child (about 3,5 kg),
to the placenta (about 650 grams),
to amniotic fluid (about 1 kg),
enlargement of the uterus (about 1 kg)
and retained liquids (2-3 kg).

It is essential, however, for both the health of the mother and that of the child, that theweight gain is kept within certain limits. First of all it is important to clarify that it is not at all necessary to "eat for two", as a common popular belief, but on the contrary it is very important to keep your body weight under control with constant monitoring from the first weeks of pregnancy.

The weight of the mother is also important before pregnancy, that is, at the time of conception. The best condition for the optimal growth of the fetus is to have a normal weight at the beginning of pregnancy and to control it to ensure that the increase is gradual and generally proceeds at a moderate pace.

It is good for the expectant mother to get in the habit of weigh yourself regularly and note weight changes to show them to your doctor if necessary. In any case, the weight will be checked during prenatal visits and in any case starting from the 12th week (if there were any situations at risk even earlier).

Weight gain in the first trimester

We start from the premise that the weight in the first quarter it shouldn't vary that much. Over the first three months of gestation weight gain is mainly aimed at accumulating energy reserves necessary to guarantee the growing child an adequate supply of nutrients. In this first trimester, the increase in maternal body mass is therefore of limited importance and is essentially linked to the need to meet future fetal needs and physical preparation for breastfeeding.

In this phase, among other things, the weight of the fetus does not increase in such a way as to significantly interfere with that of the mother. Energy reserves are particularly necessary in the last months of pregnancy, when the fetus grows more rapidly, resulting in a significant increase in the weight of the mother.

In general, a weight gain of 1,5 kg to 2 kg is normal. However, it can happen that due to nausea and vomiting instead of gaining weight, you lose it.

Weight in the second quarter

The actual weight gain it becomes more evident starting from the fourth month: in the second quarter, in fact, you feel much better, you are hungry and you begin to put on a few extra pounds. The weight gain, therefore, rises in this period and then slows down in the last three months of gestation during which the development of the fetus profoundly affects the weight gain of the mother.

Weight in the third quarter

In the second and third trimesters an increase in sunshine is recommended 300 Kcal compared to those normally necessary for the mother's diet. Ultimately, an increase in maternal weight that results in the norm must remain low in the first phase of pregnancy and gradually increase with the advancement of the gestational period.

Generally speaking, a woman who was normal weight before pregnancy at the end of pregnancy may have put on 11 to 16 kilos approximately, but the situation can vary on a case-by-case basis.

Pregnancy weight chart

Here is what should be the increase in the average body weight of the pregnant woman during pregnancy:

FIRST QUARTER: 1,5-2 Kg (500 grams per month)
SECOND QUARTER: 4,5-5,5 kg (350-450 grams per week)
THIRD QUARTER: 2,5-3,5 Kg (200-300 grams per week)

Read also: Calculation of weight in pregnancy

Excessive weight gain in pregnancy, causes

Of course, these parameters must be considered a valid reference not an absolute law.

A slight deviation from the recommended values is often physiological and there can be many individual variations that often depend on several factors, some not modifiable, such as:

the height and initial weight of the expectant mother,
inheritance,
the weight of the child;

others, on the other hand, strictly depend on behavior and lifestyle habits such as

daily calorie intake,
the intake of foods rich in salt,
the habit of smoking,
a sedentary lifestyle.

How much to gain weight in pregnancy

If you put on too much weight it is good to contact your gynecologist and follow a more controlled diet. It is important in this case to change the behaviors that can lead to a excessive weight gain. Weigh yourself regularly at home, from the very beginning of pregnancy also allows the expectant mother to promptly detect any abnormal changes. If for example in the space of 10 days you notice a weight gain of more than 1 kg, it is advisable to contact your doctor, especially when this increase is accompanied by edema (bruising) and swelling of the hands and feet. In general, both excessive and poor maternal weight gain require adequate medical checks.

An excessive increase may be responsible, for example, for a greater risk of the fetus being macrosomal (weighing more than 4 kg) with possible complications at the time of delivery. Overfeeding during pregnancy also strains the pregnant woman's digestive system, with possible repercussions on the baby's metabolic progress and with the increased risk of childhood obesity.

Do not gain weight in pregnancy

And do you have to worry if, instead of gaining weight, you don't get fat or even lose weight? If you suffer from severe nausea in the first trimester or even from hyperemesis gravidarum it is quite normal to arrive at the fourth month definitely wasted.

On the other hand reduced weight gain may indicate poor fetal nutrition or an ongoing pathology and consequently increase the risk of premature births and developmental delays, with consequences of various kinds during the later ages of the child. Low birth weight is generally associated with higher fetal and perinatal mortality, increasing the risk of malformations and anemic states due to lack of iron, vitamin A or vitamin B12