During pregnancy, it is natural that we gain weight as the months go by, as our baby continues to grow day by day. But that this is something normal and expected, does not mean that we should take it lightly and not keep track of the kilos we are increasing.
We tell you why you should maintain a healthy weight and what are the consequences of going over kilos in pregnancy.
Why is weight gain in pregnancy?
Although we can see each other with greater volume throughout our body and not only in the belly, The weight gain that occurs during pregnancy is related to the baby.
Take as an example a pregnancy where 12.6 kilos were gained (which is a recommended average for those with a body mass index in the normal range), these would be distributed as follows:
- Blood volume: 1.3 kg
- Chest: 0.4 kg.
- Uterus: 1 kg.
- Fetus: 3.4 kg
- Placenta: 0.7 kg
- Amniotic fluid: 0.8 kg.
- Fat: 3.5 kg
- Liquid retained: 1.5 kg (although it can reach 4.5 kg).
Why is it important to maintain a healthy weight in pregnancy?
Actually, maintaining a healthy weight is something we should do throughout our lives and not only during pregnancy. A doctor's advice is that he should take care of himself even before seeking to have a baby, so that when the time comes, we will have a healthy pregnancy from the beginning.
Already in pregnancy, we must control and take care of weight gain, but beware: it is not about obsessing and stop eating, but about choose healthy and nutritious options, because also gaining little weight in pregnancy can have consequences for the baby.
At this stage, quality is more important than quantity and we must avoid falling into that famous phrase "eat for two", because The metabolism changes during pregnancy, allowing you to extract more calories from food and conserve that extra energy without having to ingest more.
Having adequate weight control, in addition to exercising regularly during pregnancy (as long as the doctor has approved), will help us to have a calm and safe pregnancy, in which the baby developed healthily and there are no complications, like the ones we will mention below.
Consequences of gaining too much weight
A thought that sometimes we have about weight gain in pregnancy, is that nothing will happen if we spend a few extra pounds, because anyway we are going to gain weight. But as we mentioned, the weight gain is not due to the body fat of the pregnant woman, but to the baby.
And what happens if we gain a lot of weight in pregnancy? Than the probability of certain negative consequences or complications in the mother will be greater, as:
- Hypertension
- Gestational diabetes
- Preeclampsia
- Thromboembolism
- Urinary tract infections
- Threat of preterm birth
- Caesarean section
- Postpartum hemorrhage
- Circulatory problems (such as varices or hemorrhoids)
While in the case of the baby, some problems could also occur, since the conditions of the maternal uterus, condition its development during its postnatal life. Some of them are:
- Develop obesity or diabetes in the future.
- Neurological problems
- Fetal macrosomia (babies born with excess weight). * Congenital malformations, such as spina bifida.
- Increased risk of fetal death.
Also increase too much weight in pregnancy causes the mother to have more fat in the abdomen, which would make it difficult to determine and measure the fetus. In the event that the baby is too large, it would also make it difficult to pass through the birth canal.
How many kilos can I gain during pregnancy?
The recommended number of kilos to gain weight during pregnancy It is different for each woman and the body mass index (BMI) is taken as a reference to determine it:
- If your BMI is less than 18.5, you should increase from 13 to 18 kilos.
- If your BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9 (the normal or healthy range), you should increase from 11 to 16 kilos.
- If your BMI is between 25.0 and 29.9, you should increase between six and 11 kilos.
- If your BMI exceeds 30.0, you must increase between five and nine kilos.
One way to control the number of kilos you increase at this stage, is keeping track of your weight at home, in addition to what they do during prenatal consultations, so that you are more aware of how your weight is evolving and you can make better decisions about your diet.
Always remember to consult with your doctor, it will be he who gives you the most appropriate indications according to your own needs, and so avoid getting too fat in pregnancy and go over kilos.
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