Rates of weight gain during pregnancy - what are they for?

Every visit of a pregnant woman to a women's consultation begins with a weigh-in. The fact is that the increase in body weight is one of the indicators by which gynecologists make conclusions about the course of pregnancy and the development of the fetus.

The norms for weight gain in pregnancy of singleton are in the range of 6-18 kilograms. If a woman is waiting for twins or triplets, then an increase of 16 to 21 kilograms is considered normal.

The norm of gaining weight during pregnancy for future mothers of different builds is different. It is determined based on the body mass index, which is calculated as follows: the weight before pregnancy in kilograms should be divided into height, translated into meters and squared. For example, the body mass index of a woman of 166 centimeters and weighing 60 kilograms will be equal to 22 (weight 60 divided by 1.66 in a square).

The more skinny a woman was at the time of pregnancy, the more kilograms she was allowed to take. The permissible rates of weight gain during pregnancy can be seen in the following table:

What is the norm for weight gain during pregnancy?

The woman's organism prepares for the forthcoming birth and the period of breastfeeding, it actively accumulates fats and stores so much intercellular fluid that will avoid dehydration during the birth of the child and after. If all these extra kilograms are translated into figures, we will see what the weight gain is:

• 3-4 kilograms - the child;
• 0.5-1 liter - amniotic fluid;
• 0,3-0,8 kg - placenta;
• Up to 1 kg - uterus;
• 1-1,4 liters - blood, the volume of which increases during pregnancy;
• Up to 3 kilograms - glandular, fat and muscle tissue;
• Up to 2 liters - intercellular fluid.

Why do we need to control the rate of weight gain during pregnancy?

The fact is that a significant shortage of body weight can serve as an alarm signal. Perhaps, the fetus experiences oxygen starvation and does not receive the necessary amount of nutrients, as a result of which a full-term baby will be born with a weight of less than 2500 grams. He may have physical and neurological abnormalities in development. In some cases, malnourishment of the mother may even provoke a miscarriage. For a woman is also important enough weight gain. If the entire pregnancy is to sit on diets and limit oneself in eating, then the body simply will not be able to make all the necessary adjustments, as a result there will be difficulties in childbirth, severe postpartum physical weakness, emotional stress and depression. There are significant problems with the establishment of lactation.

Women with obesity should be observed from the very first weeks of gestation at the gynecologist, because they have a high risk of having a child with congenital defects. Overeating and exceeding the rate of weight gain during pregnancy can also harm mothers and crumbs. Extra pounds create a big load for the spine, especially in the situation of preparing the body for childbirth, when the bones and joints become more mobile. Excessive weight gain can trigger a life-threatening condition, such as pre-eclampsia of pregnant women, or late toxicosis. Perhaps, this is the main reason that gynecologists carefully control the weight of expectant mothers and strongly recommend adherence to a special diet if they see increases that exceed the weekly norm. Women should not ignore such advice. First, you can, as they say, "fatten" the child and get in the end difficult and difficult births. And secondly, then it will be difficult to bring yourself into the form that my mother had before pregnancy.