Pregnancy and Weight Gain

 A pregnant woman gains weight during pregnancy and this is due to the placenta which holds the baby and the amniotic fluid that provides a frictionless support layer to the baby during growing phase. Normally your intakes increases which results in increase of fat deposits, these fats provides food and nutrients to the baby and also helps mammary glands in producing milk after pregnancy.

Since pregnant women need extra calories for the growth of their baby therefore during pregnancy gaining weight is a normal phenomenon. But the question is how much extra weight should be put on because excess weight can lead to many problems and result in complications at the time of delivery. The exact amount of weight one should put on during pregnancy depends on the actual weight i.e. before pregnancy.

Your body requirements increase during pregnancy as it is also taking care of your baby therefore if you are underweight before pregnancy then  it is advisable to gain some extra weight during pregnancy because you not only fulfill your body requirements but your baby’s as well. If you are underweight during pregnancy, you can suffer from multiple problems like premature delivery and low birth weight baby.

Women who have normal weight before pregnancy should also gain some weight. The major  weight gaining is during the first trimester of pregnancy but it might create a problem as maximum weight gain in early pregnancy increases body cells resistance to insulin which result in the development of gestational diabetes. Therefore only increasing weight during pregnancy is not important but a continuous monitoring of your weight at all stages of pregnancy is also very essential.  Therefore in order to avoid complications during pregnancy and at the time of delivery you should maintain your weight at a safe level.

If you are already overweight and also put on some weight during pregnancy then the probability of gestational diabetes is very high at the later stages of pregnancy. In gestational diabetes your body cells offer resistance to glucose and thus the glucose content in your diet does not dissolve properly and can cause multiple problems for you and your baby.

No matter whether you are underweight, normal or overweight before pregnancy you should give due care to your weight during pregnancy. However if you are expecting twins or triplets than your weight should increase as per the feed requirements of your babies.

*Do you know that unexpected weight gain is a signs of pregnancy as well..