1) Every now and then we find expectant women fussing about too much or too little weight gain during their pregnancy. One must remember that the absolute weight of the mother is not an indicator of the baby’s well being inside the womb. Instead, another indicator called as the Basal Metabolic Index (BMI– taken as a ratio of weight in kg/ height in m2) is more useful.
2) A normal healthy woman should have a BMI of 20-25 at the start of her pregnancy and the total average weight gain that she should achieve is between 12-16 kg spread over 9 months. Around 50% of this weight should be gained in the last three months of pregnancy. For women whose BMI is more than this value, should target less overall weight gain and vice-verse.
For example, if a woman weighs 80 kg at the start of her pregnancy and is 1.72 m (172 cm or 5-7 feet) tall, her BMI would be approximately 27 and the average weight gain during pregnancy should now be between 7- 11.5 kg. Given below are approximate weight gain allowed for BMI values:
BMI Interpretation Recommended Weight Gain in Pregnancy
15–20 Underweight 12.5–18 kg
20–25 Desirable weight 11.5–16 kg
25–30 Overweight 7–11.5 kg
30 and above Serious obesity 5–9 kg
4) Some women loose 1-2 kg of weight in the first three months of pregnancy due to poor appetite and frequent vomiting. This is totally acceptable as long as their general health is not affected and there are no ketones appearing in their urine.Similarly there might be times anytime during pregnancy when the weight gain would slow down or a woman may loose weight also due to poor appetite or loose motions.3) Women who start their pregnancies at a higher than normal BMI are at higher risk of pregnancy related complications but pregnancy is not the time for dieting or other weight loss procedures. One should aim to have a balanced approach and limit the total gain within the permissible range.
5) At times there would be a very rapid maternal weight gain in a span of a few weeks. Again there is no correlation with the baby’s weight gain. Please have a look at your food intake and if there is no significant difference with the previous weeks, then have your blood pressure checked because water retention and swelling in the feet are common reasons for a sudden weight gain. Please ensure that you continue to hydrate your skin in this situation, to avoid getting too many stretch marks. Quick weight gain around the belly and thighs has been suggested as the number one reasons for excessive stretch marks.