Generally,
a pregnancy diet only requires an extra 200-300 calories
a day during the last six months of pregnancy to achieve
adequate weight gain. It is best to receive these extra calories
from healthy foods.
In this
discussion of pregnancy and weight control you will learn
how much weight you should gain and why it is important not
to gain too much or too little.
How
much weight should I gain?
Your health
care provider will suggest a range of weight that you should
gain, usually about 20 to 35 pounds.
You will
gain 20 pounds just by being pregnant as your breasts, uterus,
and baby get bigger. The placenta,
bag of waters (amniotic
sac), and extra blood and body fluids also are included
in this 20 pounds. An additional 5 to 10 pounds are needed
for adequate nutrition for your baby. The picture below shows
just how that weight will be distributed as you near the later
stages of your pregnancy.
If you
are overweight, you should not try to lose weight during
pregnancy. This can be harmful to the baby. You
should still gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy. Overweight
mothers may have larger babies and may be at higher risk
for diabetes during pregnancy.
If
you are more than 10% below the average weight for your height,
you are more likely to have problems such as preeclampsia (blood
pressure problems), premature delivery, and bleeding. Your
health care provider can help you plan a diet to try to correct
this situation.
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What
if I gain too much weight?
If you gain
too much weight, you may be overeating or eating the wrong
types of foods. Your health care provider can review
your diet and decide whether you are eating too much. If
you are not overeating and are eating the right types of food,
the extra weight is usually extra water. Try to stay
within the range your health care provider sets for you. If
you gain too much weight, you may have trouble losing the extra
pounds after the baby is born.
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What if I don't gain enough weight?
If you are
not gaining enough weight (less than 2 pounds a month in the
last 6 months), the baby is more likely to have problems at
birth. It is important not to lose weight while you are
pregnant. Ask your health care provider to help you plan
your diet.
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Special
Situations
If you
are a teenage mother, you have special requirements because
you are still growing yourself and need additional nutrients. Talk
to your health care provider about setting up a diet plan.
If you
need financial help buying nutritious foods, there are government
programs available to help pregnant women buy foods like milk,
eggs, cheese, and cereal.
If you
have cravings for things
that are not food (such as starch, clay, and ice) and eat
these things instead of food, the result is poor nutrition
and poor weight gain. Talk to your health care provider
if you have these cravings.
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When
you are pregnant, you need to get enough calories from your
food to nourish your baby and stay in good health yourself.
You do not need to "eat for two" in terms of the amount of
food that you eat. You do need to consider how the foods
you eat will help or not help your growing baby. 
