If your mother says that you should "eat for two" it doesn't mean that you should get twice as much food. Try not to overeat! Too much food is the way to obesity, which carries with it a number of complications: difficult childbirth, the birth of “bigger” children (children over 9.9 lb at birth are at increased risk of obesity later in life, as well as the diseases associated with obesity).
It is important to take into account not only the amount of food you will eat during the day, but also on the quality of the food (ie, choice, method of preparation and biological value of dietary foods). Proper nutrition is considered to be properly balanced and varied diet, that diet that satisfies both your needs and the needs of the fetus with nutrients (proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals).
What is considered desirable or optimal weight gain?
To gain 19.84-24.25 lb is considered optimal weight gain for pregnant women. It is crucial, both for you and for your baby, to regularly control the weight, and therefore the diet. Specifically, as deficient ("poor"), and too much food are often responsible for causing miscarriages, difficult birth, low weight of new born baby, the slow recovery of the mother after delivery ... Also, low calorie and poor die may leads to the formation of ketone bodies (causing degradation of fats from the mother’s body) responsible for the mental impairments of the child.
In the first trimester of pregnancy is recommended to gain 2.2- 8.82 lb. But, during this period, many women keep the same body weight as before pregnancy or even experience a slight weight loss (due to morning nausea and frequent vomiting during early pregnancy). During the second and third trimester of pregnancy weight increase should not be greater than 1.1 lb per week. If you notice that there is the risk of obesity, make sure you control your weight and try not to gain more than 0.66 lb per week.
However, optimal weight gain is also very individual and depends on age, overall health and how active future mom is. Also, if twins are on their way, shown weigh chart can't be applied.
In the chart below, you can see who is using all these gained pounds
|
5.3 lb |
Reserves of fat, protein and other nutrients |
|
3.3 lb |
Blood |
|
1.99 lb |
Amniotic fluid |
|
3.3 lb |
Other liquids (including excess water) |
|
1.33 lb |
Breast enlargement |
|
1.33 lb |
Uterus enlargement |
|
1.1 lb |
Placenta |
|
6.6 lb |
Baby :-) |
|
24.25 lb |
Total weight gained during pregnancy |