Pregnancy Week By Week

In other words, pregnant mothers do not need to eat for two.  An increase of 100 to 300 calories per day is essential, but it is also generally enough.  On the one hand, women who don't gain enough weight can hurt their fetuses.  On the other hand, women who gain too much can also hurt themselves and their babies.

Mothers-to-be who have a tendency to be overweight can benefit from a combination of healthy diet and regular exercise during their pregnancy.  If their efforts succeed at maintaining weight gain within the recommended range, they can rest assured that their babies are growing well and getting all the necessary nutrients. 

In the first three months, during the purgatory of fatigue and morning sickness, an expecting mother only needs to gain about 4 pounds, by consuming only about 150 to 200 extra calories a day -- the equivalent of one small low-fat yogurt.   Beginning with the second trimester, the pace of weight gain picks up, and the mother can expect to gain at least 3 to 4 pounds a month, or about a pound a week.  300 extra calories a day is enough to gain this much weight.  The mother's diet should reflect this priority.  Rather than eat high-calorie foods with few nutrients, she can increase her consumption of whole grain breads and pastas, green salads and black beans, or sliced fruit and vegetables.  If she maintains her prenatal appointments, her physicians and other providers can help her monitor her diet and her weight. 

Women who were underweight before getting pregnant should gain 28-40 pounds, which is somewhat more than the recommended range. Overweight women, on the other hand, may need to gain only 15-25 pounds during pregnancy. A good rule of thumb is to gain about 2 to 4 pounds in the first trimester, and 1 pound a week during the second and third. Mothers who are expecting twins may gain 35 to 45 pounds during pregnancy.

Generally, an expecting mother's weight gain breaks is distributed in the following proportions.  The baby itself weighs about 8 pounds at birth.  The placenta, amniotic fluid, and new breast tissue each weigh between 2 and 3 pounds.   Blood supply increases by 4 pounds, body fat for delivery and breastfeeding is between 8 and 9 pounds, and the uterus gains between 2 and 5 pounds. 

For women who need to gain weight during pregnancy, the best options are to eat small, frequent meals about five times a day, and to focus mostly on healthy snacks such as nuts, raisins, fruit, yoghurt, cheese and crackers.  Protein-rich peanut butter can be spread on toast and crackers or fruits and vegetables, and nonfat milk powder can enrich the calorie count of mashed potatoes, cereal or potatoes.  Butter, margarine, cream cheese, sour cream, gravy and cheese can also make the meal more nutritious.  

Some pregnant mothers gain weight quickly and go beyond the recommended weight gain.  They should NOT try to lose weight, because it is not safe for the baby, but they can slow their gain by eating a variety of nutritious foods, choosing low-fat items on the menu -- such as chicken breasts with tomato and lettuce --and going for boiled or baked snacks rather than fried.  Whole milk products can be replaced with foods that contain low-fat or non-fat milk.  They can also stop drinking sweet and sugary drinks such as fruit juice, ice tea, lemonade or sugar sodas, opting to drink water when thirsty and get their calories through nutritious food instead.  Salt should be avoided, because it causes the body to retain water.  Finally, mothers can put away sweet, high-calorie snacks such as cookies, candies, honey or potato chips, and replace them with more nutritious foods that are equally sweet or savory, such as low-fat yoghurt, strawberry shortcake or pretzels.  

It is almost always a good idea to exercise.  Walking and swimming are safe and effective for pregnant women, and they help burn extra calories.  However, before beginning an exercise program, expecting mothers should speak with their physicians.   

Pregnancy weight gain is inevitable, and the growth and development of the baby depend on it. Nonetheless, expecting mothers who are "eating for two" -- themselves and their babies -- do not need to double the amount of food they consume.   A healthy lifestyle allows mothers to control how much weight they gain in pregnancy, support the health of their babies, and make it easier to lose weight after delivery. 

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to pregnancy weight gain. How much weight mothers need to gain depends on their pre-pregnancy weight and body mass index (BMI). The health of the mother and baby also play a role. 

*This article is based on the information at http://en.wikipedia.org,http://www.webmd.com,http://www.mayoclinic.com and http://www.babycenter.com