Weight gain in pregnancy – when is it too much?
When I was pregnant, I was at my ideal body weight and I gained 45 pounds. My doctor was happy, I was happy, and my baby was healthy and happy. Today, if I gained 45 pounds, my doctor would NOT be happy, I’d be stressed… and I probably would still have a happy baby.
My, how things have changed!
But the issue is that many people are NOT at their ideal body weight and if they are when they get pregnant, they often have a hard time losing that extra weight.
I did a lot of walking before, during and after my pregnancy, though. My daughter was outside either in her stroller, watching the world roll away, or in her backpack, hiking with Mom. That is much less common, today.
As a consequence of today’s society, physicians are now pushing to change the medical guidelines for weight gain in pregnancy. They say moms are gaining too much weight and the current recommendations don’t take into account our country’s obesity epidemic.
In fact, this fall the Institute of Medicine, who often advises the government, will begin the process of gathering all the scientific evidence that will help them decide if the current guidelines should be changed.
There are several studies that show harm to mothers from carrying too much weight while pregnant. The March of Dimes lists birth defects, labor and delivery problems, fetal death and delivery of large babies as just a few. If these reasons aren’t enough for a pregnant woman to be concerned about her weight during pregnancy, she may be more interested to learn what research is finding about what happens to the babies and children of obese mothers. More and more research is showing a correlation between an obese pregnant woman and obesity in her toddler and adult child. I’ve listed a few studies below. These don’t even include the studies that also link the connection between a pregnant woman’s high blood sugars and obesity and diabetes in her offspring.
The current guidelines are from 1990, which suggests a weight gain of 25-35 pounds for a woman with ‘normal’ body mass index (BMI). Women with a ‘lower’ BMIs should gain up to 40 pounds and women with a ‘higher’ BMI should only gain 15 pounds.
According to statistics, back when the 1990 guidelines were issued, about one in five women gained more than 40 pounds while pregnant. Today it’s now one in four women. Many women today are gaining 50 to 60 pounds! When the guidelines were issued, the biggest concern was babies not getting enough nourishment and growing adequately. Today the concern is they are getting too much!
Actually seeing where the weight goes during pregnancy is very eye-opening. Check out these figures:
Weight of a developing fetus 7-8 pounds
Placenta 1.5-2 pounds
Amniotic fluid 2-2.5 pounds
Increased uterine size 2.5-3 pounds
Breasts 2-3 pounds
Increased blood volume 3-3.5 pounds
Normal water retention 3-3.5 pounds
When you total this all up, it comes up to 21 -25.5 pounds!
So what is the message to take away from this?
First of all, if you are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant soon, talk with your doctor about your current weight and weight gain goals. If necessary, work with a registered dietitian to help you create a healthy plan to either maintain a healthy weight, gain if necessary, or lose in a healthy manner.
Second, if you are not active, start picking it up! Walk if possible, every day. Start out with just 15 minutes a day, but get up and out and increase your activity. Find activities that you enjoy, and if you don’t do a lot of socializing, perhaps find some classes for pregnant women to join so you can develop a network of friends you can talk to and share your experience with.
Finally, no matter what your weight gain goal is, focus on healthy foods. All foods fit, so don’t start avoiding whole food groups. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins are all a part of a healthy diet that will supply your baby with all the necessary ingredients to grow that baby into a healthy person!
For more on what research has to say, click here, and here.
My, how things have changed!
But the issue is that many people are NOT at their ideal body weight and if they are when they get pregnant, they often have a hard time losing that extra weight.
I did a lot of walking before, during and after my pregnancy, though. My daughter was outside either in her stroller, watching the world roll away, or in her backpack, hiking with Mom. That is much less common, today.
As a consequence of today’s society, physicians are now pushing to change the medical guidelines for weight gain in pregnancy. They say moms are gaining too much weight and the current recommendations don’t take into account our country’s obesity epidemic.
In fact, this fall the Institute of Medicine, who often advises the government, will begin the process of gathering all the scientific evidence that will help them decide if the current guidelines should be changed.
There are several studies that show harm to mothers from carrying too much weight while pregnant. The March of Dimes lists birth defects, labor and delivery problems, fetal death and delivery of large babies as just a few. If these reasons aren’t enough for a pregnant woman to be concerned about her weight during pregnancy, she may be more interested to learn what research is finding about what happens to the babies and children of obese mothers. More and more research is showing a correlation between an obese pregnant woman and obesity in her toddler and adult child. I’ve listed a few studies below. These don’t even include the studies that also link the connection between a pregnant woman’s high blood sugars and obesity and diabetes in her offspring.
The current guidelines are from 1990, which suggests a weight gain of 25-35 pounds for a woman with ‘normal’ body mass index (BMI). Women with a ‘lower’ BMIs should gain up to 40 pounds and women with a ‘higher’ BMI should only gain 15 pounds.
According to statistics, back when the 1990 guidelines were issued, about one in five women gained more than 40 pounds while pregnant. Today it’s now one in four women. Many women today are gaining 50 to 60 pounds! When the guidelines were issued, the biggest concern was babies not getting enough nourishment and growing adequately. Today the concern is they are getting too much!
Actually seeing where the weight goes during pregnancy is very eye-opening. Check out these figures:
Weight of a developing fetus 7-8 pounds
Placenta 1.5-2 pounds
Amniotic fluid 2-2.5 pounds
Increased uterine size 2.5-3 pounds
Breasts 2-3 pounds
Increased blood volume 3-3.5 pounds
Normal water retention 3-3.5 pounds
When you total this all up, it comes up to 21 -25.5 pounds!
So what is the message to take away from this?
First of all, if you are pregnant, or plan to become pregnant soon, talk with your doctor about your current weight and weight gain goals. If necessary, work with a registered dietitian to help you create a healthy plan to either maintain a healthy weight, gain if necessary, or lose in a healthy manner.
Second, if you are not active, start picking it up! Walk if possible, every day. Start out with just 15 minutes a day, but get up and out and increase your activity. Find activities that you enjoy, and if you don’t do a lot of socializing, perhaps find some classes for pregnant women to join so you can develop a network of friends you can talk to and share your experience with.
Finally, no matter what your weight gain goal is, focus on healthy foods. All foods fit, so don’t start avoiding whole food groups. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins are all a part of a healthy diet that will supply your baby with all the necessary ingredients to grow that baby into a healthy person!
For more on what research has to say, click here, and here.
posted by Margie Geiser, MBA, RD, NSCA-CPT at
6:40 AM
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