Healthy Pregnancy Weight Gain

How much weight should I gain while I’m pregnant? What happens to all that weight after my baby is born? These are normal things to wonder about during pregnancy.

If you ever wanted a good reason to gain a few extra pounds, pregnancy is it! Gaining weight is important for the health of your growing baby. We’re here to help ease your mind about the changes happening in your body.

It’s true you’ll need to eat more food while you’re pregnant, but probably not as much as you think. You surely won’t need to eat twice as many calories per day. What works best is to gradually increase the number of calories you eat to match the rate of your baby’s growth.

During the first trimester, your baby won’t need additional calories. But your body is changing to prepare for the baby’s growth and development. So, even though you may not need extra calories early in pregnancy, your nutrition needs have increased.

It is during your second and third trimesters that your baby’s growth will speed up, so that is when you’ll need to increase the number of calories you eat.

Learn more about pregnancy nutrition on our Prenatal Vitamins page.

Here are daily calorie guidelines for women who are at normal weight before pregnancy and exercise 30 minutes or less per day:

Calories in your first trimester
Continue your usual number of daily calories, which is typically 2,000 to 2,200^* for most women during childbearing years. While your little one’s calorie needs are low, their need for nutrients is high—so make every bite count.

Calories in your second trimester
Add about 340^* calories a day, totaling 2,340 to 2,540. That doesn’t amount to much—about the same as 1 cup of fat-free skim milk and one slice of whole-grain bread with peanut butter and jelly.

Calories in your third trimester
During the third trimester, add 450^* calories per day, for a total of 2,450 to 2,650 calories. That’s equal to about 1 cup of low-fat vanilla yogurt, ½ cup of mixed fruit, and ⅓ cup of low-fat granola.

Quality of food over quantity
You’ll sometimes hear what you eat during pregnancy doesn’t matter and that your little one will just take the nutrients from your body to meet their needs. This is true in some cases, but not in others. If your body is low in certain vitamins and minerals, they will be delivered in low amounts to your baby. So, what you eat when you’re pregnant can make a big difference in your experience and the outcome of your labor.

A nutritious diet during pregnancy builds a good foundation for your baby’s lifelong health. This is why you should focus on the quality of the calories you eat, rather than the quantity.

Eating healthy foods and consuming the right number of calories for your body type and lifestyle can benefit your baby's health—and yours.

For tips on healthy eating during pregnancy, see our What to Eat & What Not to Eat article.

Your weight gain should be gradual and increase as your and your baby’s nutrition needs increase. Some women may even lose weight in the first few weeks due to morning sickness.

At the end of pregnancy, your weight may fluctuate up or down by a few pounds due to fluid retention. In general, the second and third trimesters are when you’ll see your weight creeping up.

Weight gain for women with normal pre-pregnancy weight:

First trimester: 1-4.5 pounds total
Second trimester: 0.5-1.5 pounds per week
Third trimester: 0.5-1.5 pounds per week

Don’t worry if you’re a little over or under these guidelines. Keep eating your healthy diet and staying active and baby will be fine. Consult your doctor if you have questions about what’s right for you.

Looking for some great snack ideas? Visit our Healthy Pregnancy Snacks page.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) has guidelines for how much weight you should gain during pregnancy. These are established using your health and body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy.

While BMI is not a perfect measure of your ideal weight, the IOM recommendations are a good place to start for average ranges and to give you an idea of how to manage your pregnancy weight gain.

† Assumes a first trimester weight gain between 1.1 pounds and 4.4 pounds.
Data from Institute of Medicine. Weight Gain During Pregnancy: Reexamining the Guidelines. National Academies Press; 2009.

Red flags
Staying within the IOM guidelines for healthy weight gain can help you avoid complications like gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy), preeclampsia (a form of pregnancy-related high blood pressure), and cesarean delivery. But there are other reasons you should keep an eye on your weight.

Monitoring your weight can help you identify and stay ahead of issues. Alert your doctor if you experience:

• Sudden, rapid weight gain in the second or third trimester, especially if it’s with severe swelling in the legs and feet or puffiness of the face and hands
• No weight gain for more than 2 weeks in a row during months 4 to 8

It’s normal to gain 29 to 39 pounds during pregnancy. But your baby won’t weigh that much, so where does it all go? As it turns out, your baby will only make up approximately 26% of your total weight gain.

The weight you’ll put on may feel like fat, but most of it will be in in the form of fluids and expanding body tissue. Your little one needs these pounds to support their growth and development. Here’s the average breakdown:

Placenta: 2-3 pounds
Amniotic fluid: 2-3 pounds
Breast tissue: 2-3 pounds
Fluid: 4 pounds
Blood supply: 4 pounds
Stored fat, protein, and other nutrients: 5-9 pounds
Larger uterus: 2-5 pounds
Your bundle of joy: 8 pounds
Total: 29-39 pounds

Yes, you can, and you should! A regular exercise routine can help you stay at a healthy weight and feel your best. It’s also a great way to improve your posture and ease backaches and fatigue.

Studies show that staying physically active helps to relieve stress. It can also prevent gestational diabetes, build your strength for labor and delivery, and reduce your recovery time after baby is born.

Benefits of exercise during pregnancy

• Reduces back pain
• Eases constipation
• May decrease your risk for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and cesarean delivery
• Promotes healthy weight gain
• Improves your overall fitness and strengthens heart and blood vessels

If you exercised before pregnancy, you should be able to continue those activities. Just don’t push yourself to exhaustion and realize your stamina will likely be impacted by your pregnancy. Talk with your doctor about your plans to exercise, and make sure there aren’t any changes you should make.

Also check with your doctor before you begin an exercise program if you have any of these conditions: asthma, heart disease, diabetes, bleeding or spotting, history of miscarriage, previous premature births, or history of early labor.

Safe and beneficial pregnancy exercises

• Swimming
• Brisk walking
• Indoor stationary cycling
• Step or elliptical machines
• Low-impact aerobics
• Yoga

You may be feeling warmer than usual these days. When you exercise, make sure you don’t get overheated. Wear loose, comfortable clothing and avoid high heat and humidity, especially during your first trimester. If you need to rehydrate, Pedialyte^® is a quick way to replenish vital fluid and minerals. 

Can you gain too much weight during pregnancy?

If you gain too much weight during pregnancy, you and your baby could be at increased risk for these conditions:

• Gestational diabetes – Gaining too much weight during pregnancy puts you at risk for gestational diabetes (uncontrolled blood sugar levels) and being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes later in life

• Preeclampsia (high blood pressure) – Also known as pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) or toxemia. This generally can develop after week 20, with a sudden rise in blood pressure

• Larger baby – The heavier you are, the more likely your baby is to be larger. Larger babies can lead to more difficult delivery, increased need for cesarean section, and a greater risk for childhood obesity

Is it necessary to put on weight during pregnancy?
Gaining the right amount of weight is important for making sure your baby is a healthy weight and carried to full term. Women who don’t gain enough weight during pregnancy are at risk for:

• Premature delivery – Babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy are at risk for having more health problems than babies born at full-term gestation

• Low birth weight – Full-term babies born weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces can also have a variety of health issues later in life, including respiratory, cardiovascular, and digestive problems

• Small for gestational age babies – Inadequate weight gain during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of having a baby small for gestational age (born < 10th percentile weight for gestational age)

The good news is, the moment your baby is born, you’ll probably lose about 11 pounds! That’s the combined weight of your little one, the amniotic fluid, and the placenta.

After this, weight loss is a little different for every woman and based on things like:

• How much weight you gained while pregnant
  
• Whether or not you’re breastfeeding
• Your diet and exercise habits

1 month post partum
A couple weeks post birth, your pregnancy hormones should level off and allow your body to release the extra fluid and stored fat. Focusing on how your clothes fit is a better way to know how you’re doing at this point than is stepping on a scale.

Overall, your weight loss will vary depending on many factors, including your diet and fitness program. You may also lose weight faster if you’re breastfeeding, since breastfeeding burns calories.

About a month after delivery, new moms may lose as much as 20 pounds. If you gained the average 29 to 39 pounds, that means you’re almost back to your pre-baby size. In the next couple of weeks, your uterus will also return to its original size. Your belly will begin looking flatter and smaller.

Don’t forget that it took nine months for your body and baby to develop with this pregnancy, so it may take a few months to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight. If you have questions about your postpregnancy weight loss, talk to your doctor.

To learn more about what to expect before baby comes, see our Prenatal Resources page.

^* Based on the Dietary Reference Intake (DRI).

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