How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

During my pregnancy with Madi, my mom told me to enjoy myself and indulge in my all of my cravings. One of my early pregnancy symptoms was cravings for junk food.  For the first month after I found out I was pregnant, I over-indulged and ate food that I don’t typically eat like fried food, ice cream, and lots of bubble tea. Within 1 month I gained over 15 pounds, and 55 pounds by the end of my pregnancy.  My mom gained 80 pounds during her pregnancy with me.

It was only during my 12-week check-up when I
realized that I gained 15lbs and that:

1. I was outside of recommended guidelines for
   weight gain.
2. I was
   putting myself at risk for gestational diabetes.
3. I needed to get the weight gain under
   control.

During pregnancy, the
Society
of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada states:
“Weight gain during pregnancy supports the growth of your baby and the
placenta, as well as changes in your body (such as an increased volume of blood
and fluid, larger breast size, and some storage of fat). Evidence shows that
women who gain the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy have fewer
complications, such as caesarean section, gestational hypertension, and low or
high birth weight.”
Having a body mass index (BMI) above 30 prior
to pregnancy can increase your risk of serious health problems during and after
pregnancy.  Most concerning are:

• Gestational diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Early labour and delivery
• Miscarriage
• Increased risk of blood loss during pregnancy
  or delivery
• Having baby that is very large. 
• Furthermore: birth defects, caesarean section
  rates, and delivery complications all increase with mothers whom have a high
  BMI prior to pregnancy. 

Everybody experiences pregnancy different.  One of my early pregnancy symptoms was
cravings for lots and lots of (“junk”) food. 
Because of the concern for weight gain in pregnancy, the Society of
Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada has made recommendations for weight
gain in pregnancy based on what your BMI is before you were pregnant.
To calculate your own BMI, you can use this
formula:
BMI = weight(kg) / height(m)^2
BMI before pregnancy Recommended weight gain Less than18.5 12.5 to 18 kg (28 to 40 lbs) Between 18.5 and 24.911.5 to 16 kg (25 to 35 lbs) Between 25 and 29.97 to 11.5 kg (15 to 25 lbs) More than 30At least 7 kg (15 lbs) Twin pregnancies16 to 20.5 kg (35 to 45 lbs)
After my first trimester, I realized I was
gaining too much weight.  I implemented some
changes in my diet to help protect the health of my baby and myself. 

1. My pregnancy cravings were still out of
   control, and I still wanted to enjoy myself. 
   I decided to indulge in sweets only in moderation. Once or twice week I
   would let myself have the treats that I craved.
2. I
   would have more healthy snacks around the house such as cut up fruit, vegetables,
   and boiled eggs.  Having these
   pre-prepared made it easy to grab a health quick snack if I was hungry.  This prevented the sugar binges that I craved
   in my early pregnancy.
3. My husband and I love trying new restaurants.
    Once I found out I was pregnant we were eating
   out a lot more than usual. After my first trimester weight gain, we went back
   to our normal 1 dinner out per week. This was better for our health (and
   finances)!

I continued to stay active during my pregnancy.  I did have to modify my workouts, especially as the pregnancy progressed.
This post was authored by Stephanie Liu, MD, MSc, CCFP, BHSc and Suzanne Black, MD, BSc