{"id":2863,"date":"2019-10-28T18:59:28","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T22:59:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=2863"},"modified":"2022-04-14T17:28:41","modified_gmt":"2022-04-14T21:28:41","slug":"normal-weight-gain-during-pregnancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/normal-weight-gain-during-pregnancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Weight Gain During Pregnancy: What’s Normal?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Weight gain is a top topic for your prenatal care visits. Gain too much or too little weight, and the child is at risk (and your doctor will probably complain). Even more, the concept of \u201ceating for two\u201d may stimulate pregnant women to overeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We’ll cover what the normal weight gain during pregnancy is, and how much exceeds the expected weight gain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Normal Weight Gain in Pregnancy<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the guidelines for suggested weight gain over pregnancy:
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting weight<\/strong><\/td>Suggested weight gain (lb)<\/strong><\/td>Weight gain per week (lb)<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
Underweight (BMI < 18.5)<\/strong><\/td>28-40<\/td>0.85<\/td><\/tr>
Normal Weight (BMI 18.5-25)<\/strong><\/td>25-35<\/td>0.75<\/td><\/tr>
Overweight (BMI 25-30)<\/strong><\/td>15-25<\/td>0.50<\/td><\/tr>
Obese (BMI > 30)<\/strong><\/td>11-20<\/td>0.38<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The higher your starting weight, the less weight gain you should have through pregnancy. Conversely, if you are underweight when you get pregnant, you should gain more than average.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Too little or too much weight gain (<22 pounds and >45 pounds, respectively, for a woman starting at normal weight), increases risk of preterm birth by around 1.4x. But both too little and too much weight gain have unique issues.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Risks of Too Little Weight Gain in Pregnancy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Eating too little in pregnancy could cause the fetus to be smaller for gestational age (SGA). Specifically:<\/p>\n\n\n\n