What is the recommended weight gain during pregnancy?
For many women this is a dreaded question. How much weight you should gain in pregnancy can depend on a number of important factors. Are you pregnant with one (singleton) or two (twins) or three (triplets) babies? What is your age and what is your pre-pregnancy weight? Do you have any additional medical conditions such as gestational diabetes or hypertension that will affect the overall recommended weight gain.

It’s clear that gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy involves eating a healthy and balanced diet so that your baby is getting all the nutrients he or she needs and is growing at a healthy rate. In general you will need to consume 100 to 300 more calories a day to meet the needs of your growing baby. You should gain about 2 to 4 pounds during your first three months of pregnancy and 1 pound a week for the remainder of your pregnancy.

Guidelines for weight gain during a singleton pregnancy are as follows:
• Underweight women (BMI < 18.5) should gain 28-40 pounds. • Normal-weight women (BMI, 18.5-24.9) should gain 25-35 pounds. • Overweight women (BMI, 25-29.9) should gain 15-25 pounds. • Obese women (BMI, 30 or higher) should gain 11-20 pounds. It is important to ask your health care provider how much weight you should gain during pregnancy. A woman of average weight before pregnancy should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. Underweight women should gain 28-40 pounds during pregnancy. Overweight women may need to gain only 15-25 pounds during pregnancy. The good news, in my experience, is that 95% of women will return to their normal body weight within 9 months of having their baby.