How Much Weight Should I Gain During Pregnancy?
Your pre-pregnancy weight and the amount of weight you gain during pregnancy can have profound effects on your own health and your baby's health. It’s normal and necessary to gain weight throughout pregnancy. And your goal is to gain weight slowly and steadily as per the recommended guidelines we've shared below.
Gaining too little or too much weight throughout pregnancy is linked to a number of problems — we share these not to scare you, but to inform and motivate you to continue to eat well and make healthful choices throughout the remainder of your pregnancy. To empower you to look after your health and therefore your baby's health.
By gaining less or more than the recommended weight during pregnancy, you increase the likelihood of having a small or large baby, developing gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and complications at delivery. Your baby's predisposition for childhood obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and mental health issues (such as ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression and even Alzeihmer's disease) may also increase. Some studies have even drawn links between prenatal diet and children's intelligence.
How much weight should I gain?
There's no one magic number that fits everyone. A lot of what determines your 'ideal' weight gain is your pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI). Although BMI is not a perfect measure (mainly because it has no way of differentiating lean tissue vs fatty tissue), it's the most convenient way to estimate a weight gain goal. Use your best judgement when interpreting your BMI* and weight gain goals and take your body structure and height into consideration.
*Here's a link to an online BMI calculator
The following weight gain ranges are recommended for pregnant women:
If your your pre-pregnancy BMI is less than 18.5kg/m² your recommended weight gain is 12.5 to 18kg
If your pre-pregnancy BMI is 18.5 to 24.9kg/m² your recommended weight gain is 11.5 to 16kg
If your pre-pregnancy BMI is 25 to 29.9kg/m² your recommended weight gain is 7 to 11.5kg
If your pre-pregnancy BMI is above 30kg/m² your recommended weight gain is 5 to 9kg
During trimester 1, it’s considered normal to gain 1-2kg. The rate of weight gain in the second and third trimesters is dependent on your BMI before becoming pregnant:
BMI <18.5kg/m: 500g per week
BMI 18.5 to 24.9kg/m: 400g per week
BMI above 25kg/m: less than 300g per week
Total weight gain for women having twins or triplets is 11-24kg depending on your BMI before becoming pregnant.
If your pre-pregnancy BMI is 18.5 to 24.9kg/m² your recommended weight gain is 16.5 to 24kg
If your pre-pregnancy BMI is 25 to 29.9kg/m² your recommended weight gain is 14 to 23kg
If your pre-pregnancy BMI is above 30kg/m² your recommended weight gain is 10 to 19kg
If you gain a little less or a little more than is recommended in a given week, don't worry. You may gain a bit more during some weeks and less in others, which can result in the same total weight gain at the end. However, if you find yourself suddenly gaining or losing more weight than recommended (more than 2kg in a week), you should contact your health care provider to rule out any complications.
Now that you know how much weight is considered “healthy” to gain and why too much (or even too little) can be potentially harmful for you and your baby, you can get back to focusing on eating high-quality, nutrient-dense whole and real foods, eating mindfully and regularly moving your body so you and your baby thrive.
N.B. This information is designed to be used in conjunction with, and is not a substitute for, the advice of your doctor or health care practitioner.