Why Do You Gain Weight In Pregnancy?
Weight Gain in Pregnancy
‘Most pregnant people gain between 10kg and 12.5kg during pregnancy, putting on the majority of weight after 20 weeks’ (NHS, UK, 2023).
Let’s discuss what is ‘normal’ in terms of pregnancy weight gain. I’m going to preface this blog post by sharing my own story, just for context, because I don’t fit into the ‘normal’ bracket in terms of gain and I think it can be helpful to remember that our bodies are all so different.
So here we go, my booking BMI was 22 (just for context) I was very nauseous and frequently vomiting during my first pregnancy, the only thing that subsided the nausea was eating regularly even if I wasn’t hungry. Despite vomiting multiple times a day, I put on 1 stone during my first trimester, with my first baby and overall, I put on just shy of 3.5 stone. During my second pregnancy I gained nearly 4 stone. For all intents and purposes, this weight gain was higher than average - however, what is “normal” will vary dramatically from person to person.
I ate well throughout my pregnancies, and exercised too. I had healthy pregnancies, normal deliveries and lost all of the gained weight within a year postnatally for both. I suppose the reason for sharing this is that I did what I felt my body and babies needed and that can look very different for different people. Some people will gain a very minimal amount of weight and others will gain much more.
What I think needs to be discussed, rather than putting a number to how much weight you gain, is to discuss healthy living and a healthy lifestyle, which is achieved through a good diet and exercise.
Firstly, it is so important to remember that the weight that you do gain in pregnancy is distributed through a lot of different things. Obviously, there is the baby, which takes up a significant proportion, there is also the placenta, amniotic fluid, growing/changing breasts, essential fat storage for breastmilk production and an increased circulating blood volume, explaining why you gain weight during pregnancy. Once you consider the amount that your body is doing, it is easier to accept that weight gain during pregnancy is normal and essential to support your growing baby.
Weight is considered at the very start of your pregnancy in the UK where your BMI will be calculated. But, fortunately, in the UK we do not monitor weight gain during pregnancy as we identify that it can vary dramatically from person to person.
Diet
It is important to eat a variety of foods in order for you and your baby to get a good balance of nutrients.
Aim to eat foods that are rich in fibre, such as fruits, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains.
Aim to eat 5 or more portions of fruit and veg a day
Include dairy, protein and fish (or alternatives)
Use starchy food like bread, pasta and potatoes as the base of your meal
Aim for a minimal intake of fried, sugary and sweet processed foods
Ensure you are eating regularly (little and often can work better than 3 meals a day in pregnancy for some people).
You might be eligible for free milk, fruit and veg in pregnancy – please check out the government’s healthy start scheme.
If you’d like more information in eating well in pregnancy then check out Kat Kimber’s Pregnancy Nutrition Masterclass which she did for The Positive Birth Company over on YouTube. It’s really important to know that dieting is advised against in pregnancy.
Exercise
Exercise is important as part of a healthy lifestyle and is not considered dangerous to baby. High exertion activities are also safe as long as this is something your body is used to, but you may need to slow your pace. It is good practice to continue any exercise that you are doing before you get pregnant. Equally, it is a good time to take up new forms of gentle exercise - lots of people enjoy swimming and yoga during pregnancy. Contact sports and scuba diving should be avoided. And sports with a risk of falling (horse riding, cycling, skiing) should be done with caution.
Being fit and active during your pregnancy can help to support your changing body and can be beneficial throughout labour – aim for around 30 minutes of exercise a day if you can.
Pelvic floor exercises are important to continue or commence during pregnancy, these can help your pregnancy, labour and birth as well as reduce common postnatal symptoms relating to a weakened pelvic floor.
For more information on pelvic floor exercises and pregnancy specific strength-improving exercises check out The Pelvic Health workshop in The Pregnancy Pack led by physiotherapist Lucy Allen.