Pregnancy Weight Gain

Dear MrsM-I am 20 weeks pregnant and I have gained 15 pounds.  I am freaking out because I look as big a house-every time I look into the mirror I want to cry!  I was never a small girl, and I was okay with that, but this is driving me crazy!  How much weight should I be gaining?  How do I make myself feel better about my weight gain?

Every pregnant woman is shaped differently and gains weight in different areas, so how big you look isn’t really a good indicator of whether or not you are healthy. How much weight you should gain during pregnancy depends on your pre-pregnancy BMI (Body Mass Index).

The standards for BMI are:

Below 18.5=Underweight
18.5-24.9=Normal
25.0-29.9=Overweight
30+=Obese

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends a weight gain of 25 to 37 pounds during pregnancy for women who were a normal weight before pregnancy.

A woman who is normal weight is recommended to gain weight at approximately the following pace:

First trimester: 3-5 pounds total
Second trimester: 1-2 pounds per week
Third trimester: 1-2 pounds per week

Both of these expectations obviously change if you were underweight, overweight, or obese before your pregnancy.

According to ACOG, women who were underweight before pregnancy should gain between 28-40 pounds unless your health care provider says differently, and women who were overweight should gain between 15-25 pounds unless your health care provider says differently. Women who were obese are advised to talk to their provider for individual instructions, but from what I have read the general consensus is that obese women should gain no more than 10-15 pounds during their pregnancy.

Obviously, your doctor will take other more personal factors into consideration when recommending how much weight you should gain. If you have a medical condition which affects your weight (either a pre-pregnancy condition like thyroid or hormone issues, or a pregnancy condition like gestational diabetes or being put on bedrest) your doctor will take that into account when he or she tells you how much you should gain during your pregnancy, so talking to them would be your best bet for determining what amount of weight gain is healthy for you and your baby.

As long as you follow your doctors recommendations, eat a healthy diet, and excersise (as allowed by your doctor) you and your baby should be just fine.  Try to keep in mind that you and your baby’s health are the most important things during your pregnancy.  I know it’s hard when you look lumpy (from personal experience) but try to focus on your baby and remember that you’re carrying a person around in there-you can’t be expected to look glamorous 24/7 and you have bigger and better things to worry about!