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Limiting weight gain

Keeping the amount of weight gain in pregnancy low is important for women who are seriously overweight as this reduces the risk of pregnancy complications, such as high blood pressure or having a very large baby. Even if you put on no weight in pregnancy, this does not affect the baby, provided you have a balanced diet. Discuss this with your doctor, who can give you specific advice.

Your weight, of course, increases in pregnancy, but only a small amount of this weight gain is fat. Unless you are very underweight or overweight, doctors are not too concerned about weight gain in pregnancy. This is because the growth of the baby is not dependent on your

weight gain, but rather upon the efficiency of transfer of vital nutrients across the placenta. However, on average, women gain around 12 kg (26 lb) during pregnancy. Some women gain less and some more, depending on several factors, including how heavy you are to start with and how big your baby is.

Of the 12 kg (26 lb) weight gain in an ‘average’ pregnancy, most of this is made up by the womb, baby, placenta and amniotic fluid, which by full term weighs almost 6 kg (13 lb) in total. Extra fat and the increased weight of your breasts account for 3.9 kg (8 lb 7 oz) of the weight gain, while the rest is made up of an increase in the volume of your blood and by retained fluid.

These estimates vary enormously from woman to woman and the figures given below are simply an illustration of how the weight gain is made up. Remember that the fat that you gain in pregnancy is there for a reason. Your body is deliberately storing fat on your hips, your back and your breasts to prepare you for breastfeeding. Milk is rich in fats, which are needed by the growing baby. Not surprisingly, women who breastfeed lose weight faster after pregnancy than those who do not.