Pregnancy – How to Gain Weight in 2020?

Pregnancy can be a difficult and challenging period for a woman. One must take care of one’s health and should stay alert to any kinds of new symptoms or new developments. The whole body changes when the gestation period starts. New sensations are developed and the expectant mother is often overwhelmed by raging hormones and emotions. Pregnancy is all about having a balanced diet, exercising, doing kegels and taking care of yourself. 

Concern about Weight During Pregnancy

Many women are concerned about their weight. The issue of weight gain is nothing new. How much weight gain during pregnancy? Should I start eating extra? Should I eat for two? Should I stop exercising? Should I start having special tablets? Believe me ladies, we all have been there. Let’s start with the first important question. According to experts, a pregnant woman should not gain weight during the first trimester. During the first trimester, the embryo is developing into a fetus. It is important to start having more calories, the concept of eating for two is completely false. 

Tracking of Weight During Pregnancy

To keep a track on your weight gain, one can check on her daily intake of calories. About 300 extra calories daily should be sufficient for a pregnant woman to keep track of her weight. This is how much weight to gain during pregnancy. 

Gaining weight during pregnancy is natural but it all depends on the Body Mass Index (BMI) of the woman before the pregnancy. Was she underweight before she became pregnant? Or was she overweight before becoming pregnant? If you were underweight by any chance before you became pregnant, you will need to work extra hard to maintain the weight recommended for expectant mother. If you were overweight before pregnancy then it is suggested to lose some weight.

If you were of average weight before getting pregnant then gaining 25 to 35 pounds is sufficient. Underweight women should gain around 28 to 40 pounds of weight while overweight women should gain only 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy. It is very important to gain the right amount of weight when you’re expecting twins because your weight directly affects the babies’ weight. The fact that twins are normally born before the due date, a higher birth weight is important for their healthy delivery and health. When carrying twins, you may need between 3,000 and 3,500 calories a day to achieve recommended weight.

Extra Weight of Pregnant Women

Now you must be wondering where does this extra weight go?

The extra weight is divided in a lot of things. The baby gains weight, the placenta, amniotic fluid, breast tissues, blood supply, uterus and some storage utilizes the extra weight.

Many women are asking question like how to gain weight fast during pregnancy? Weight gain depends totally on the kind of metabolism you have. For some women, it is quite easy to gain weight while for some women, weight gain can pose quite a challenge. Some tips on how to gain weight fast during pregnancy are to eat many small meals instead of the usual three meals.

Eating cheese, sour cream, ice cream, gravy and peanut butter can help in gaining weight. Avoid processed food and junk food as they do provide fat to the body but not nutrients. Having a diet which includes lots of proteins and dairy products is ideal. This is the answer to how to gain weight fast during pregnancy.

Problems with Underweight During Pregnancy

If the mother is underweight while delivering the baby, the baby will have some complications. The baby is likely to be smaller than usual, weaker and more fragile. He or she will likely be more susceptible to illnesses than other babies. On the contrary if the mother is overweight, the baby is likely to be larger than usual babies. This may cause problems during natural vaginal delivery and the parents may have to opt for a caesarian delivery. The baby will be more likely to face obesity issues. So it is very important to keep track of how much weight is gained during pregnancy and the consequences must be kept in mind.

A health expert is highly recommended to keep track of such medical requirements throughout the gestation period. Apart from your health doctor you can join counseling groups which offer talks spreading awareness in a group of pregnant ladies. From these group meetings you can come to know more about other people’s experiences and about serious mental health issues like postpartum depression. Making friends who are going through the same journey as you can help diminish the loneliness that pregnant women are often prone to. Stay safe and stay healthy.