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Many women, and their husbands for that matter, are
often concerned with the amount of weight gained during pregnancy. So, this
week I wanted to go over what the appropriate weight gain is during a normal
pregnancy.
The first thing to deal with is the fact that you will gain weight, that’s
just the name of the game. This is not a time to be overly concerned with
dieting. Weight gain during pregnancy is necessary, healthy and in most
cases unavoidable.
The average weight gain during pregnancy is 30 to 35 pounds. Women who are
thinner before they become pregnant may gain more, while heavier women often
gain less. Keep in mind that the weight you gain during pregnancy is
accounted for by more than just the weight of the baby. There is also the
placenta (‘after birth’), which can weigh 1-2 pounds with a full term
pregnancy. In addition, the amniotic fluid and the extra blood volume that
you normally develop with pregnancy will also contribute to your overall
weight gain.
No matter what your weight gain is, the growth of your baby is the most
important variable. Your physician should assess the baby’s growth at each
prenatal visit. Most commonly this is done by measuring the fundal height
with a tape measure. The fundal height is a measurement of the growth of
your uterus, and should increase slightly every 1-2 weeks during pregnancy.
If your fundal height measurement is not progressing as expected, an
ultrasound can be performed to confirm that the baby is growing
appropriately. These ultrasounds are not necessary when the fundal height
measurement is increasing normally.
While some women can gain a higher than average amount of weight with no
problems, sometimes the higher weight gain can be a warning sign of
something more serious. If the weight gain is rapid and associated with high
blood pressure, this could be a sign of “pre-eclampsia”. This is a
potentially dangerous condition, and can be diagnosed by your doctor. Women
with gestational diabetes can also gain more weight than average.
This is why it is important to keep all of your prenatal visits... so these
potentially harmful conditions can be detected, and treated early.