Before the 28th week of pregnancy, if everything goes well, the doctor examines the patient 1 time per month, and then 2 times a month. Weighing becomes a mandatory procedure for each visit to the gynecologist and part of the “homework”.
It is better to perform it in the morning, on an empty stomach and in the same clothes, so that the obtained figures can be compared later.
In the first 2 months, until the baby and the mother only adapt to mutual coexistence, the woman usually does not gain weight. Moreover, at this time it can be bothered by toxicosis, which often leads to weight loss.
So, in the 1st trimester of pregnancy there is no intensive weight gain, the expectant mother usually gains 1-2 kg. Major events take place later, because the body weight of the future mother increases mainly in the 2nd half of pregnancy, when the weekly weight gain averages 250-300 g. If the process goes faster, it can mean the appearance of a problem – hidden and then obvious edema (dropsy of pregnant women).
Let’s consider the general rules that have been adopted among doctors to calculate the possible increase. So, for all 9 months of pregnancy, the expectant mother should gain 10–12 kg.
It is believed that starting from 30 weeks of gestation, a woman’s weight increases by about 50 g per day, 300–400 g per week and not more than 2 kg per month.
In order to more precisely determine the allowable weight gain and take into account all the additional circumstances, the doctor can use the table (see box). In addition, the physician has at his disposal the scale of average physiological weight gain in the last 3 months of pregnancy.
The calculation is as follows: weekly weight gain should not exceed 22 g for every 10 cm of height. This means that with a height of 150 cm a woman can add 330 g for a week, with a growth of 160 cm – 352 g, and at 180 cm – 400 g
How many kilograms an expectant mother will recover during pregnancy depends on many reasons.
1. The first one is age. The older the woman, the greater the tendency to corpulence.
2. Initial body weight (i.e. before pregnancy). It is curious that the more there was a shortage of weight, the more kilograms the future mother has the right to add.
3. Weight loss due to early toxicosis. The fact is that, having survived the events of toxemia, the body will try to compensate for the loss of kilograms.
4. Features of the constitution. In this case, it is important whether the woman has a tendency to be overweight or thin.
5. The size of the child. If a patient has a large baby (more than 4000 g), then the placenta is likely to be larger than average.
Consequently, a woman during pregnancy has the right to put on weight more than if she expected a small child to be born.
6. Increased appetite. It happens that during pregnancy, the expectant mother has an unbridled desire to eat and, if she cannot contain it, there are problems with overweight.
Is it possible to influence the weight of the baby at birth, limiting yourself in food? No, he will take his!
And now let’s see what those 10–12 kilograms of weight acquired by the expectant mother “go” to. Indeed, because if she recovered for pregnancy, as recommended, by 12 kg, she had a child weighing 3 kg 300 g, then where is everyone else? They are distributed as follows:
child – 3300 g;
amniotic fluid – 900 g;
an increase in the volume of circulating blood – 1200 g;
mammary glands – 500 g;
adipose tissue – 2200 g;
tissue fluid – 2700 g
And due to what may appear “bust”? Our calculation shows that excessive weight gain depends on various circumstances: the child’s weight (large fruit), the amount of adipose tissue (weight gain during its initial deficiency), amniotic fluid (in case of high water) and tissue fluid (if the body delays fluid) .
If the first two circumstances are normal, then the last two are deviations from the norm, they require the attention of a doctor.
All women get better during pregnancy in different ways – depending on the initial weight.
It happens that the expectant mother decides to follow a strict diet to. don’t get better Someone is afraid to spoil the figure, and someone (mostly women with a narrow pelvis) believes that restrictions on food will lead to the birth of a small child by weight.
Both in the first and in the second case these arguments are erroneous. If a woman adds 10–12 kg of pregnancy, then with the help of a reasonable diet and gymnastics she will definitely regain her former size.
Think, for example, ballerinas quickly return to shape after giving birth, although during pregnancy they usually add up to 18–20 kg!
You can calculate the allowable weight gain yourself. To do this, you need to know your height and initial weight, which then turns into a BMI (body mass index).
Calculate your BMI:
BMI = weight (kg) / [height (m)] 2
BMI less than 19.8 – women of thin build;
BMI = 19.8–26.0 – women of average build;
BMI is over 26 – women of fat build.
Height – 1.60 m, weight – 60 kg,
BMI = 60 / (1.60) 2 = 2.30
It turns out that a woman has an average physique, which means that for a period of 30 weeks the optimal weight gain for her will be 9.1 kg, and for a period of 40 weeks – 13.6 kg.
