Recently, after one of my classes at the Prenatal Yoga Center, several students were discussing their doctors’ recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy–a very hot topic among pregnant mamas! Some women were saying their doctors are very lenient about how much weight they put on, while other women told of doctors with stricter guidelines who warned against gaining more than 25 pounds.— One woman remembered her mother telling stories about walking out of the hospital in her pre-pregnancy clothes because “back in her day” doctors didn’t want women gaining more than 20 pounds.
So what is a healthy guideline for weight gain during pregnancy? To find out, I asked New York City-based OBGYN Dr. Gae Rodke, with whom I have worked a number of times and greatly respect. According to Dr. Rodke, “There seems to be an ideal range of weight gain in pregnancy. In normal weight women, 25 to 28 pounds gives a nice 7-pound baby and all the necessary accessories (breast tissue, amniotic fluid, placenta, extra blood volume, etc.).” She goes onto explain that “Less than 20 pounds can be associated with poor fetal growth (and possible developmental delays), and more than 40 pounds statistically increases the risk of Cesarean delivery. Not only are the babies bigger, but the fat upholstering the inside of the pelvis reduces the space available.”
For some women, hearing that they will be gaining 25 to 30 pounds may be overwhelming. But consider the overall weight gain distribution to better understand where it all goes. Here is a sample breakdown provided by the Mayo Clinic:
* Baby: 7 to 8 pounds
* Larger breasts: 1 to 3 pounds
* Larger uterus: 2 pounds
* Placenta: 1 1/2 pounds
* Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
* Increased blood volume: 3 to 4 pounds
* Increased fluid volume: 2 to 3 pounds
* Fat stores: 6 to 8 pounds
Healthy eating is definitely part of the equation for healthy weight gain. The idea of “eating for two” is more a myth than a reality, since you are not trying to feed another grown adult. Nutritionist Stephanie Clarke MS, RD from C & J Nutrition says, “If you are normal weight pre-pregnancy, you’ll need about 300 extra calories per day during the second and third trimester; if you are overweight you may need as little as 150-250 extra calories per day.”
Remember that it is important not to make those extra calories empty calories. The food you take in should be of high nutritious value to benefit you and your baby. Dr. Rodke says that it is important to remember that what you eat while pregnant can directly affect your baby.“I find that refined carbs (white flour, white sugar, white bread, cakes, cookies, candy, white rice, white potatoes and other high glycemic index foods) are prone to increase the size of the baby beyond what one would expect from the amount of weight gained,” she says. She explains, “Changes in the mother’s hormonal pattern keep these rapidly absorbed sugar molecules in her bloodstream longer, and babies are very efficient in taking sugars and making big bodies (just like in gestational diabetes).”
Clarke offers these tips for quick and easy ways to make the most of your calories:
* Add canned beans, dried fruit, whole grains like quinoa, and nuts/seeds to salads
* Choose whole grains and whole grain products (cereals, crackers, bread, wraps, etc.)
* Make oatmeal with fat free milk, rather than water (to add more calcium and protein)
* Top cold cereal with fruit and nuts
* Add veggies (spinach, mushrooms, salsa, etc.) to scrambled eggs or egg sandwiches
* Make snacks that combine calcium and fiber (low fat whipped cottage cheese with strawberries, low
fat plain yogurt with fruit and cereal, part skim string cheese with a piece of fruit or 100% juice)
* Use avocado on sandwiches instead of mayo
* Stir frozen veggies into canned/boxed soups
It is crucial to understand that pregnancy is not the time to try to lose weight or greatly restrict yourself. It can and should be a time of bringing greater consciousness to your eating habits and food choices. After all, that old saying, “You are what you eat,” means that much more to your little bun in the oven!
