Pregnancy and Weight Gain: How Much Can You Expect?

When you find out you’re expecting, it’s natural to have many questions: “Is the baby a boy or girl?” and “Will I feel sick while I’m pregnant?” Another common question you may have (and don’t feel badly about it) is: how much weight will I gain while pregnant?

Your Starting Weight

How much weight you will gain during your pregnancy often depends upon how much you weighed prior to your pregnancy. Remember you are gaining the weight of your baby, the amniotic fluid that protects him or her, extra blood to nourish your baby, extra fat for the delivery process and the placenta that nourishes your baby.

If you were underweight prior to your pregnancy, you can expect to gain between 28 to 40 pounds.

If you fall in the “average” or “normal” weight category, you can expect to gain between 25 and 35 pounds while overweight women will gain about 15 to 25 pounds throughout their pregnancies.

The amount of weight you gain varies by trimester, or each third of your nine months of pregnancy.

You will gain an estimated 2 to 4 pounds during the first trimester of your pregnancy and about one pound each week after your first trimester.

If you are gaining more or less weight during this time, your doctor may ask you to keep a food diary of what you are eating and make recommendations for healthy foods that can keep you on track for a healthy pregnancy.