Weight gain

Most women wonder what the ideal amount of weight gain is during pregnancy. The recommended weight gain during pregnancy is generally somewhere between 25 and 35 pounds, but it will depend on your weight before pregnancy and other factors that your health care provider will discuss with you. Wherever your starting weight stands, you should not go on a diet, nor should you eat for two or more during your pregnancy. Too little and too much weight gain can lead to problems for both you and the baby in the months ahead. Eating the right foods is more important than just eating a lot. (See our articles on nutrition.)

A second-trimester highlight is when you transition from feeling fat to looking pregnant -- sometime during the fourth or fifth month -- and the outside world takes note. Total strangers in the grocery store might wish you well or inquire as to which month you're in. And if you take public transportation, something out of the ordinary may happen -- someone might actually offer you a seat!

Depending on how much weight you're carrying and how flexible you are, you might be feeling like you just can't lean down anymore. Some moms we know highly recommend wearing strapless shoes - for example, mules, clogs or thongs - so you can slip your feet in and out without having to bend over your belly all the time. Whatever shoes you wear, though, make sure that they have good support.

Keep in mind that most of the weight that you gain during pregnancy is baby-related (not fat) between the baby, the placenta, amniotic fluid, and the fluid that accumulates in your body tissues.

Review Date: June 29, 2001
Reviewed By: Peter Chen, M.D., Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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