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Pregnancy & Weight Gain

What weight gain is reasonable? And how can you avoid 'eating for two' (and wearing knickers for three!)?

Celebrities who ping back to their pre-pregnancy shapes as they leap out of the birthing pool have a lot to answer for.

Pregnancy is not a time for watching everything you eat - but bear in mind as you tuck into your second Rocky Road of the morning that you don't want to feel like Jabba the Hutt after the baby arrives.

EATING FOR TWO?

Sorry girls - you can't look upon pregnancy as a no-holds-barred food fest with the excuse that you are eating for two. For the first trimester (up to 12 weeks) your body only needs about 100 extra calories a day - and that amounts to roughly a piece of fruit. During the second and third trimesters, you need about 300 extra calories per day. That does not mean you should tuck into junk food - rather you should be eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, along with good-quality protein.

HOW MUCH SHOULD I EXPECT TO GAIN?

You should expect to gain around 11-16 kg (25-35 lb), but do not become fixated on your weight. Be aware that women who gain less than 9 kg (20 lb) tend to have smaller babies, who may even be more likely to be born prematurely. Women who excess gain excessive amounts may also be risking their health. The muscles have to work harder, the heavier you get, and this may result in back and leg pain, increased tiredness, piles and varicose veins - and even complications during delivery.

WHERE DOES IT ALL COME FROM?

Of the average of 11 kg (25 lb) of weight gained, roughly 2.5-3.5 kg (6-8 lb) is the baby. Your enlarged womb weighs around a kilo and the placenta and amniotic fluid weigh about 500 g each. Another 2-4 kg of fluid are present as extra blood and fluid, and you carry an extra 2 kg of fat.

Around 1.5-2 kg (3-4 lb) should be gained in the first trimester, then 5.5-6.5 kg (12-14 lb) in the second. In the last trimester, you should expect to gain around half a kilo a week. This slows off in the last few weeks, and you may find that your weight drops slightly just before delivery.

WORRIED - ME?

In a survey of 500 pregnant and newly delivered women, nearly 50% said that losing the weight gained in pregnancy was their main worry.

Around one in five of the women surveyed said the best thing about being pregnant was being able to eat whatever they liked, but a further one in five said they were worried that they would never return to their pre-pregnancy weight. We worry about our postnatal figures because we see supermodels, pop stars and actresses in crops tops parading their neat little bumps, then immediately returning to their svelte selves weeks after the birth as though they were fitted with zippers. Remember: real women can't do this. We don't have personal trainers, chefs and nannies. Then you'll feel a bit better as you collapse in front of the previously undiscovered delights of daytime TV stroking a slurping baby with one hand and a slab of chocolate clutched tightly in the other.


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