Weight gain is a major topic of discussion throughout a woman’s pregnancy. It’s not uncommon to hear of women gaining upwards of 60 pounds - but is this healthy? While it’s important to provide your baby with optimal nutrition, gaining excess weight during pregnancy can put both you and your baby at risk for complications.
Did you know that a female fetus develops her eggs while in utero? This means that you can alter the genes of your future grandchildren during preconception care and pregnancy. Optimal nutrition is essential for healthy development.
When planning a pregnancy, it’s never too early for both parents to start thinking about forming healthy habits and working toward a healthy weight. Starting with healthy eggs and sperm optimize the chances of conception as well as the health of your baby. Involving both parents also sets the stage for establishing good nutrition as an important part of your family values.
To identify how much weight you can gain when you’re planning your pregnancy, start by knowing your BMI. To determine your BMI, go to our free BMI calculator (you'll find it at the bottom of this page). Enter your height and weight and you’ll get a number between 5 and 90.
Ideally, both parents should start with a healthy BMI (body mass index) that is between 18.5 and 24.9. BMI can fluctuate a few points depending on the person’s body composition, however, when it comes to fertility, studies have proven that being classified as overweight or obese increases the risk of pregnancy complications. The good news is that even small weight reductions before pregnancy can greatly improve the outcome.
Women who start their pregnancy with their BMI in the “normal” range can safely gain between 15 and 25 pounds during pregnancy. The higher your BMI, the less weight you should gain during pregnancy. For women with a BMI over 40, it’s safe to carry the baby to term and not gain any additional weight at all.
Having a sound eating plan that provides you and your baby with essential nutrients is a vital component to a healthy pregnancy. Contrary to popular belief, you can provide your baby with excellent nutrition without gaining unnecessary excess weight which puts you and your baby at risk for complications like gestational diabetes.
Sound Medical Weight Loss provides holistic support to help women who are overweight or obese have a healthy pregnancy. We offer customized nutrition programs to meet the needs of both mother and baby, and help women reach and maintain a healthy weight at any stage of pregnancy, including fertility, pre-conception, post-conception, breastfeeding, and long-term weight management. Contact us for a personalized nutrition program for healthy pregnancy. Learn more at www.SoundMedicalWeightLoss.com.
