The pregnancy test is positive, the joy is immense, but at the same time a thousand thoughts come into your head. What is right? How should I feed myself? How much weight can I gain? Many pregnant women are unsure how much weight gain is still appropriate and healthy. I want to take away those worries and uncertainty and educate you a little better on this topic. Let’s get started…:)
“Eating for two”, myth or the truth after all?
For healthy weight gain during pregnancy, it is of course important to know how to eat right during pregnancy. Many moms still believe you should eat “for two” during pregnancy. But is that really true? No, you just shouldn’t! It is one of the most widespread mommy myths. Your body doesn’t need much more than before. Energy consumption only increases by about 250 kilocalories per day in the second and third trimesters. This could be, for example, one slice of bread with butter and cheese more per day.
Underweight during pregnancy
Being underweight during pregnancy can have an impact on you and your baby. For one thing, it can negatively affect the baby’s birth weight, and the risk of premature birth can increase because your body won’t make it through the pregnancy to the end. In addition, malnutrition can lead to the deficiency of important nutrients, which can have health consequences for your little one. It can also cause developmental disorders and delayed maturation in the unborn baby. Therefore, be sure to eat a balanced diet during this time.
If you are already underweight before pregnancy, you need to eat enough calories during pregnancy. I recommend that you consume an additional 300-500 calories per day, but be sure to discuss this with your doctor beforehand. The American Institute of Medicine recommends that underweight women gain a total of 12.2-18kg. The most important thing is that your baby gains enough and enough weight. Both of my children have always been absolutely average and big enough and heavy enough. However, I myself have only gained about 7.5Kg. Therefore the advice, as long as you are naturally rather on the slimmer side and at the same time are completely healthy, eat balanced, so in no case dieting, then please do not make yourselves too much stress. If you also have a good body image, then your body will tell you that it needs a little more. In the 1st trimester alone, the feeling here can be a bit deceiving, especially if you suffer from nausea and severe fatigue. However, cravings often have other backgrounds, e.g. that the body requires a certain mineral or vitamin and this then often manifests itself differently.
Overweight during pregnancy
Gaining weight too quickly or too much increases the risk of gestational diabetes for you and your little one. In addition, overweight also affects the birth weight of your baby, often your little one then weighs more than “normal”. This naturally makes the birth more difficult and increases the risk of a caesarean section.
According to the Helios Klinikum, about 42.1% of all women of in the US are overweight. If you are overweight at the time of birth, you should definitely change your diet to avoid risks.
The Institute of Medicine in the USA recommends that normal-weight women gain 11.5-16kg, overweight women 7-11.5kg and obese women 5-9kg. You should still avoid strict diets during pregnancy, because your baby still needs to get the nutrients it needs. Just cut down on the amounts a bit. If you want to have a child, you should at best lose a few kilos before the beginning of your pregnancy. This way you create a healthy basis for your little miracle.
My tip: Only eat when you are really hungry and make sure you eat a balanced and healthy diet. Don’t forget that you now have to eat responsibly for two bodies, but just not twice as much. For more tips on healthy eating, be sure to check out our pregnancy nutrition series.
Exercising during pregnancy is the be-all and end-all!
A regular mommy workout schedule will reduce severe weight gain during pregnancy and keep you and your baby fit. It’s important that you stay active even with baby in your belly, burning off a few extra pounds and getting your circulation going at the same time. This is where our MAMA’S CARDIO BURN series comes in handy, helping you keep weight gain within healthy limits with full-body interval workouts. This not only benefits you, but also your little one. Exercising during pregnancy not only helps you burn calories and gain healthy weight, but brings many more benefits to Mamas-To-Be….
Don’t be worried mama, none of this is rockt science and now that you’re a little more informed and mindful of the weight gain that’s right for you, there’s nothing standing in the way of your healthy pregnancy!
Keep it Moving,
Your Birte
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