A. WEIGHT GAIN
It is natural and healthy to gain weight during your pregnancy. The weight you gain will help create a healthy baby, keep you healthy, and get your body ready for breastfeeding. This is not a good time to lose weight!
a. Weight Gain
The amount of weight you should gain during pregnancy depends on your pre pregnancy BMI (Body Mass Index).
Women who are underweight before pregnancy should gain more weight than women who are heavier. If you are younger than 20 years old, your weight gain should be as close as possible to the maximum recommended weight gain. If you are pregnant with more than one baby your weight gain needs will increase.
To find out how much weight you should gain, use the following formula. You must know your height and weight before your pregnancy.
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/nutrition/prenatal/bmi/index-eng.php
b. Distribution of Weight Gain
The following diagram shows where the weight goes if you gain about 13 kg or 28 pounds by the end of your pregnancy.
c. Gaining Weight Gradually
When you gain weight during pregnancy is just as important as how much weight you gain.
Most women do not gain much weight during the first three months of pregnancy. A total of 0.5 to 2 kg or 1 to 5 pounds is normal. Although still very small, the baby is developing very rapidly. Healthy eating is important throughout your pregnancy.
For the rest of your pregnancy, the baby continues to grow bigger and stronger. You should expect to gain about 0.5 kg or 1 pound per week.
Gradual weight gain is a sign of a normal and healthy pregnancy. If you gain much more or much less than 0.5 kg or 1 pound a week in your second and third trimesters, talk it over with your health care provider.