Healthy Pregnancy Weight Gain: How Much is Right for You?
Understanding Healthy Weight Gain During Pregnancy
Every pregnancy is unique, but the one thing all expecting parents should know is that healthy weight gain is important for both mom and baby. Gaining too little or too much weight during pregnancy can increase your risk of complications, so it’s helpful to know the recommended weight-gain based on your pre-pregnancy BMI.
How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?
We get it, figuring out how much to eat or gain during this time can be overwhelming. First, you need to figure out your pre-pregnancy Body Mass Index (BMI). This is a number calculated using your height and pre-pregnancy weight, and you can calculate your number with this easy-to-use BMI Calculator. Once you know your BMI, determine what Pregnancy Weight Category you fall into in the chart below.
Depending on your pre-pregnancy BMI, you may be surprised that you may not need to add additional calories during your pregnancy, especially during the first trimester. In fact, most women do not need to eat extra calories during their first trimester. For women in the Overweight or Obese BMI category, you may be surprised that you may not need to add additional calories at all during your pregnancy. Pregnant mothers with obesity should focus on improving the quality of their diet by adding more fruits and vegetables and reducing sugar, salt, and fat.
Pregnancy Weight Gain Chart Use this chart to find your recommended range:
You can also download and print the Pregnancy Weight Gain Chart.
| Pregnancy Weight Category | BMI | Total Recommended Weight Gain | Rate of Gain in 2nd & 3rd Trimesters (per week) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Underweight | Less than 18.5 | 28-40 pounds | 1.0 lb (range: 1.0 - 1.3 lb/week) |
| Normal Weight | 18.5 - 24.9 | 25-35 pounds | 1.0 lb (range: 0.8 - 1.0 lb/week) |
| Overweight | 25 - 29.9 | 15-25 pounds | 0.6 lb (range: 0.5 - 0.7 lb/week) |
| Obese (all classes) | 30 and above | 11-20 pounds | 0.5 lb (range: 0.4 - 0.6 lb/week) |
Note: These recommendations assume a 1.1 - 4.4 pound weight gain in the first trimester.
Why It Matters
Did you know that even before you become pregnant, you are already influencing your child’s health? If one of the parents has obesity or has extra weight, your child has a higher risk of developing childhood obesity.1
Following the gestational weight gain guidelines helps support your baby’s development while also reducing risks like gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and complications during delivery.
How to Stay on Track
- Talk to your healthcare provider about your personal goals
- Stay active, if approved by your doctor
- Choose nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables that nourish both of you
- Self monitoring and tracking your progress by counting steps or weight gain is key to success
- Monitor weight regularly without obsessing over the scale
- Avoid foods with high sugar, salt, and fat content like the office snack machine or picking up fast food, which makes it harder to manage gestational weight gain.
- Eat for You not for Two to prevent gaining too much during pregnancy.
- Focus on healthy portions of protein-rich foods such as yogurt, protein shakes, boiled eggs or whole grain snacks.
- Understand the nutritional value of the food you are purchasing. Use our easy-to-understand guide on how to read a nutrition food label.
Want More Tips?
Visit our Expectant Parents section for expert guidance, resources, and tools to support healthy moms and babies across Louisiana.
Citations
- Early pregnancy weight gain exerts the strongest effect on birth weight, posing a critical time to prevent childhood obesity - PMC. Broskey NT, Wang P, Li N, Leng J, Li W, Wang L, Gilmore LA, Hu G, Redman LM. Early pregnancy weight gain exerts the strongest effect on birth weight, posing a critical time to prevent childhood obesity. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2017;25(9):1569-1576. doi:10.1002/oby.21878 (bold indicates PBRC)