Pregnancy is that joyful stage in a woman’s life when a newborn arrives, spreading happiness on everyone’s face. It is the most beautiful and miraculous gift for every woman. On the other hand, it can also cause anxiety and fear for many women.
Today, we are going to talk about the outcomes of weight gain after pregnancy. Gaining weight during pregnancy is common, but how much is too much? Studies suggest that a pregnant woman should lose her extra weight by six months after she gives birth.
What Causes Weight Gain During Pregnancy?
As we all know, a newborn baby doesn’t weigh that much. Studies suggest that the weight gain during pregnancy is the combination of two things – products of conception and maternal tissue accretion.
The pounds you gain during pregnancy also come from the growing breasts, placenta, uterus, and increased fluid volume. And fat is added too.
Products of conception are generally the placenta, fetus, and amniotic fluid. The fetus is almost 25% of total weight gain during pregnancy, placenta is almost 5%, and amniotic fluid is 6% of the total weight gain.
Two-thirds of the total gain is expansion of maternal tissues in pregnant women. When we say weight gain during pregnancy, we actually talk about the expansion of maternal blood and extracellular fluid volume, fat stores, and increase in uterine and mammary tissue.
Now we know what causes weight gain during pregnancy. Let’s see how much weight women gain during pregnancy.
How Much Weight Do Women Gain During Pregnancy?
The answer to this question totally depends upon the Body Mass Index (BMI) of women before pregnancy.
- If a woman’s BMI is normal, she should aim to gain 11.3 kg to 15.9 kg (25–35 lbs).
- Underweight women should achieve 12.7 kg to 18.1 kg (28–40 lbs) of weight.
- Women who are in the overweight category should aim to gain 6.8 kg to 11.3 kg (15–25 lbs) of weight.
- If a woman is in the obese category, she should not gain more than 5–9.2 kg (11–20 lbs) of weight.
Why Is It Important to Lose Pregnancy Weight?
According to various studies on this topic, gaining too much weight during pregnancy might not be favorable for both mother and baby. Holding on to pregnancy weight can lead to several repercussions in moms.
This may increase the chances of C-section delivery (Cesarean section). Although this type of delivery is generally considered safe, it comes with some extra risks.
Certain health consequences like diabetes are also the results of holding pregnancy weight. Preeclampsia is a serious problem that develops due to high blood pressure and excess protein in urine during pregnancy. Preeclampsia is also associated with gaining too much weight during pregnancy.
Also, if a woman goes into a future pregnancy with higher weight, it might result in hypertension and gestational diabetes.
Should a Woman Lose Weight During Pregnancy?
You might feel that you are gaining too much weight during pregnancy. But think about this – you will immediately lose some weight after giving birth. Mainly, the weight of the placenta, amniotic fluid, and baby will be reduced from your body. Now, the additional fat will remain, which you have added during pregnancy.
So, basically many women naturally lose the weight gained during pregnancy. This was about after pregnancy, but should a woman lose weight during pregnancy?
The straightforward answer to this question is NO. You should not try to lose weight during pregnancy without the suggestion of your healthcare provider.
There may be some cases when the doctor wants some overweight women to lose weight. Sometimes doctors also suggest some pregnant women to gain some weight. In that case, you can add extra to your meal such as:
- Cream cheese
- Nuts
- Raisins
- Butter
- Yogurts
How to Slow Down Weight Gain During Pregnancy?
Studies show that an average pregnant woman needs about 300 extra calories per day than she did before pregnancy.
With the help of the following beneficial changes, one can slow weight gain during pregnancy:
- Adding extra salt to your diet can cause you to retain water, so it’s better not to add salt to food while cooking.
- Cooking oils, butter, sauces, salad dressings, and mayonnaise are sources of fat. You should use fats in moderation during pregnancy.
- Choosing lower-fat or fat-free products is a better way to slow down pregnancy weight. For this, try to avoid whole milk products. You can use skim milk, which being approximately 2% milk, will help you reduce calories and fat.
- During pregnancy, doing moderate exercises like walking or swimming can help you burn extra calories. But you should always ask your healthcare provider before starting any exercise. He/she will guide you on which exercise would be perfect for you and your baby.
- Are you consuming a lot of snacks and sweets? As we all know, candies, donuts, cakes, honey, and cookies have low nutritional value. That’s why you should limit snacks and sweets.
- Fried food adds extra calories and fat to your meal. So, replace it with boiling, baking, grilling, or broiling foods.
How Does Breastfeeding Help in Weight Loss?
Now we know that nutrition and physical activity are important for losing weight. Studies suggest that walking during the postpartum period is really helpful. But what is the effect of breastfeeding? Does it help in losing weight?
Yes, breastfeeding is the most important factor in losing weight. It helps you burn calories. Researchers have found that women who breastfeed can burn about 500 extra calories a day compared to those who don’t breastfeed.
Breastfeeding is considered to be the best approach because it is equally beneficial to both mother and baby. The baby gets the best nutrition, and the mother will also lose weight. But if a mother wants to lose more weight, she can try other options too.
