quick clicks

pregnancy today articles

pregnancy today q&a

message boards

research baby names

prepare a birth plan

content channels

ip channel rss feeds

read birth stories

read parenting stories

recommended books

e-newsletters

safety recalls

ip diaries

ip store

mom of the month

dad of the month

editor's letter

letters to the editor

Expert Q&A

	By Tracy Underwood Child and Adolescent Psychologist Children's Medical Center of Dallas

My weight has always been an issue for me, unfortunately I put on 14 pounds in my first trimester. My husband watches everything I eat and is very critical of my weight gain even though I have a good understanding of nutrition and try to eat as healthily as I can. It just seems to me that my weight gain is out of control. I don't know what I can do to keep myself in some kind of shape and still make sure I am meeting the nutritional requirements my baby needs. I just feel like no matter how hard I try, I am still getting to big too fast. What can I do to keep my weight gain healthy?

First of all, don't panic. Panic may lead to caloric restriction, and caloric restriction is not healthy for your developing baby. Avoid skipping meals or skimping on calories. Right now you're eating not only to nourish your body, but also to nourish your baby.

During pregnancy is not a good time to overly concerned about weight gain, mainly because you will gain weight no matter what you do or don't do. The question is, how much is healthy?

What I tell you is general information based on my research, but your doctor or caregiver, who knows your body and health history, would be able to guide you according your specific situation. Please feel free to confirm any information with them to be sure that it applies to you. This has the potential to be a long subject, so I will attempt to be brief.

Your developing baby requires 300 to 500 calories per day. (For twins or more, the calorie requirements would apply to each baby.) More calories would be necessary for an underweight mom. Try to make sure that your calories are largely from whole, healthy foods and avoid excessive sugar.

To calculate your basic calorie requirements you need to know how much you weighed prior to pregnancy. Multiply your previous weight by 10. The total is your average caloric requirements to maintain your weight. Add 300 to that and you have your current requirements. For example, a 145lb woman of average health would require 1450 calories daily. When she gets pregnant she will require at least 1750 calories daily. Adjust this number according to your weekly weight gain. If you're not gaining enough, increase your intake. If you're gaining too much, adjust your intake no lower than the formula that I just gave you allows for.

The best thing to do is to write down everything you eat for 5 - 7 days. Get yourself a book that tells you the fat, calories, protein and carbohydrates of foods (a local bookstore would have these), and use this as a tool to become educated about the nutritional and caloric value of what you're eating. I don't want you to become obsessive, just AWARE. When you become aware of what you're eating you can then make an educated decision about what to eat.

A total weight gain of up to 30 pounds is considered healthy. Anything over that make it difficult for you to move around, and could contribute to a baby too large for vaginal delivery.

If your care giver has given the okay for you to exercise, then do so at a low intensity. It's not wise to exercise for weight loss. Your exercise right now should be to maintain your current fitness level and gain necessary strength for a less difficult delivery. You'll have more strength and stamina to endure the challenge to come.

As a final note, it would be wise to educate your husband and his family on any nutritional information you learn regarding the caloric requirements of a growing baby, and that of a lactating mom after the baby is born, otherwise this is sure to be a stressful time for you regarding your weight.

Wishing all the best.

View more Q&A by this Expert