Gain weight during pregnancy is one of the most dreaded scenarios of women who are so figure conscious. And why not worry? Aside from the pains and major intellectual, emotional, physical and financial adjustments pregnant women should go through, they still have to worry how pregnancy would ruin the years they spent to achieve their figure right now.
But, no matter how frightening or alarming that thought of weight gain during pregnancy is, gaining weight is inevitable. These findings are supported not just by researchers in the field of science but also by some pediatricians, obstetricians and other those who know the real pains of pregnancy.
The importance of weight gain during pregnancy
Experts say that weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable because the hormonal change in a womans body triggers it. Studies show that when women are conceiving, there are drastic changes in their hormonal levels that increase their appetite.
Aside from hormonal changes, women gain weight during pregnancy because they tend to eat a lot in order to supply the nutrients needed by the growing fetus.
Providing food and nutrients for the baby inside the womb, experts say, is the main advantage of weight gain during pregnancy. Aside from supplying nutrients to the fetus by eating a wide range of nutritious foods, gaining weight during pregnancy will also help the woman to protect her back from the belly that grows heavier by the month.
Weight gain pregnancy is very important during the early stages of conception because it will help the woman to adjust to the major changes in her body.
But, too much weight during pregnancyespecially at the latter stagescan also be a disadvantage because it may lead to diabetes mellitus, a condition wherein there is too much sugar in the blood caused by large amounts of starches and other sources of sugar from foods.
For you to know the how weight gain during pregnancy can be beneficial to you, make sure that you visit your ob-gyne right away.
Today, studies say that women should go to ob-gynes even before they conceive to ensure that proper monitoring will be done. If you visit the doctor as early as possible, there is a bigger possibility of a healthier pregnancy because you get the right amount of information and guidance that you need.
During you ob-gyne visit, she or he can tell you how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy, how will it affect your body and you overall health, as well as of your baby, what kind of foods you should and shouldnt be eating, how can gaining weight help your pregnancy to be easier and less stressful or painful, and how can you get rid of the weight you have gained during this stage.
Ideally, the weight a woman should gain during pregnancy should depend on her height and current weight or the total body mass index of her body. Once this has been determined, proper calculation will be done to ensure that you would gain just the right amount of weight during pregnancy.
Ideally, women who are slightly overweight should still gain at least 10 to 15 pounds while women who are underweight should gain more weight, at least 20 to 40 pounds to ensure that her body can supply enough nutrients for the child inside.
Weight gain during pregnancy should also depend on the type of pregnancy that the woman has.
For single pregnancy, the mentioned weight gain standards should apply. But for those who are having double, triple, or quadruple pregnancies, more weight gain is needed to ensure that that babies will get the same amount of nutrients just like the others.