Pregnancy Weight Gain

Pregnancy weight gain is always a tough topic. It is something every woman thinks about when they become pregnant, and it is something most women compare to other pregnant women.  Whether it be with a close girlfriend or sneaking on the internet to see what the real norm is, most women want to make sure that they are not alone. Gaining 10-80+ lbs is hard, especially when it happens over a short 9 month period!

But really, the pregnancy weight you gain can depend on a lost of factors such as if you were underweight, at a normal weight, overweight, or obese before you got pregnant. According to experts you should stay within the following guidelines:

* 25-37 pounds if at healthy weight pre-pregnancy
* 28-40 pounds if underweight pre-pregnancy
* 15-25 pounds if overweight pre-pregnancy

Of course that doesn’t always happen and many women stress over it. Personally, I gained most of my weight at the end of pregnancy. I stayed within range and lost most of it with breastfeeding and walking shortly after. This time around it seems to be going the same way. I never stressed too much over it, I would eat what I wanted to but would try and make sensible choices most of the time. Exercise is also an important part of keeping pregnancy weight gain down. I walk almost daily for at least an hour and I truly feel that is what has helped me stay in check. It also helped me relax and sleep better.

I think what matters most is being sure to get healthy after pregnancy. Adding additional stress to pregnancy never seemed rational to me.

Of course you always want to speak with your health care provider about what your personal pregnancy weight gain should be. Everyone is different.

How much weight did you gain during pregnancy?