Prenatal Care

Nutrition and Pregnancy

 

 

Recommendation for weight gain

Underweight women with a low weight gain during pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of having a low birth weight infant and preterm birth . On the other hand, obese women have an increased risk for having a large for gestational age infant, post term birth, and other pregnancy complications.

 

There is an increased risk of small for gestational age births in women who gain less than the recommended weight, based on pre-pregnancy weight .Women who exceed the weight gain recommendations double their risk of having a very large infant . It may also increase the risks ofchildhood obesity and makes weight loss more difficult after delivery.

 

Recommendation for weight gain during a single pregnancy are as follows:

Underweight women (BMI less than 20): 30-40 lb

Normal weight women (BMI 20-25): 25-35 lb

Overweight women (BMI 26-29): 15-25 lb

Obese women (BMI >29): up to 15 lb

 

Healthy Diet

The first step toward healthy eating is to look at your daily diet . Having healthy snacks that you eat during the day is a good way to get the nutrients and extra calories that you need . Pregnant women need to eat an additional 100-300 calories per day, which is equivalent to a small snack such as half of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a glass of low fat milk.