If you used to follow a relatively healthy diet and exercise regime pre-pregnancy, all you need to do is continue with that and adapt to a few lifestyle changes recommended by your gynaecologist to maintain healthy pregnancy weight gain. Doing so will also significantly reduce pregnancy problems risks like preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. They will also keep you in a good mood both during and after birth.
Maintain a ‘pregnancy food diary’ to help you ensure that you’re drinking enough water and taking the right nutrients daily. This will also help you track your hunger pangs, cravings, and mood levels so you can easily spot any patterns that require change. If you’re a fairly new regular exerciser, start with DVDs and training sessions for pregnancy exercises with beginners. These will be low-impact workouts like aerobics, swimming, and walking.
Some women will lose weight while pregnant if they make lifestyle and diet changes that are in general healthier for themselves and their babies. If this is happening to you, make sure to check in with the doctor to see if there is any reason for concern.
Also, remember to ask your gynaecologist how much weight you, specifically, can expect to gain while pregnant. Woman with average weight pre-pregnancy will gain 25-35 pounds. On the other hand, underweight women will gain 28-40 pounds while pregnant. Overweight women could only have to gain 15-25 pounds. Depending on your doctor’s recommendations, you may need to gain less or more weight.
In general, you can expect to gain 2-4 pounds in the first 3 months. Then, for the rest of it, you should gain around a pound every week. If you’re expecting twins, you may gain anywhere from 35 to 45 pounds during the entire nine months. This is an average of 1.5 pounds a week post the typical pregnancy weight gain for first 3 months.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy Video
It’s easy to put on weight during pregnancy when the fine line between ‘just enough’ weight gain and ‘too much’ pregnancy weight gain is hard to distinguish. Never try to lose weight while pregnant. Your nourishment is combined with that of the baby within you. This is not something to be compromised on. However, you can avoid excessive pregnancy weight gain in the first place. Here are some useful tips to slow down or totally avoid weight gain during pregnancy:
• When you eat out or take away fast food from restaurants, always choose items that are nutritious and low in fat, like broiled chicken sandwiches with lettuce and tomato and no mayonnaise, side salads entrenched in low-fast dressings, plain baked potatoes, and plain bagels.
• Avoid fried items like mozzarella sticks, breaded patties, and French fries.
• Do not take too many whole-milk products. During pregnancy, you require a minimum of 4 servings from milk products daily. You can, however, use skimmed milk to reduce the amount of fat and calories you consume. Choose low-fat yogurt, milk, and cheese where you have an option.
• Limit your intake of sugary or sweet drinks. Sweet drinks like fruit punch, iced tea, powdered drink mix, lemonade, and soft drinks provide too many calories and little nutrition. Opt for mineral water, club soda, or water instead.
Exercise
As health care providers typically recommend pregnant women for, moderate exercise during pregnancy can help burn off excess calories and avoid weight gain. Swimming, yoga, and walking are typically effective and safe exercises for most pregnant women without complications. However, depending on your case, it is best to consult with a medical practitioner before engaging in any exercise activities.
If you’ve gotten into this predicament and have too much post-delivery baby weight to lose, the best idea would be to avoid trying to lose weight for at least 3 months post-delivery. This is because your body is still recovering from the birth process and attempting to lose weight during this time may affect your future ability to give birth and health as well.
Pregnancy Weight Gain (VIDEO)
