As per Gynaecologist's or doctors who specialize in women's health the recommended weight gain for pregnancy is 11 to 14 kgs.
Some women will gain more, some will gain less. But how can you tell if you are gaining too fast during your pregnancy.
Too much weight gain can increase your chances of a c section and put you at risk for being overweight after.
Some doctors say that if you put on more than 1.5 Kgs in your first trimester and are of a normal weight you are putting weight on too fast.
If you are overweight and put on more than 1 kgs., you are gaining too fast.
Keep in mind though that even if you gain a lot in your first trimester, it doesn't mean that you will gain a lot your whole pregnancy.
Some women gain a lot in the first trimester because morning sickness has them only able to eat carbs and nothing else and still end their pregnancy gaining no more than 11 kgs. If however you find that your weight gain is still not slowing down once you enter your second trimester, there are some tips you can try to help slow it down.
Tips to Slow down Fast Weight Gain During Pregnancy:
First, cut out the useless calories. It is never a good idea to diet while you are pregnant but if you are gaining too much you do need to slow down the rate at which you are gaining. Apply some basic calorie cutting strategies such as using skim milk instead of whole milk. Eat Less Sweets. These are empty calories that are providing no nutritional value to you or your baby.
Next, cut down on the fat you are taking in. Look at what you are eating and how it may have hidden fat in it. Some salad dressings can be loaded with fat, so you might want to try putting your dressing on the side. Watch how much oil you use when you are cooking or when you are going out to eat and stick to good oils such as extra virgin olive oil.
Get active! You could be gaining weight faster because you are not active. As long as your doctor gives you the go ahead, start a walking program. Walking is one of the best things you can do for your body and your baby. Not only does it help with your weight gain, but some women and doctors swear that walking through out most of your pregnancy could help ease the pains of childbirth. If you can not walk due to weather conditions you might want to look into joining a prenatal exercise class.
Lastly pay attention to what you are eating. So many people don't pay attention to what they eat and find that they are overeating without even realizing it. How many times have you sat on the couch watching a movie and decided to have some potato chips only to realize that you have eaten the whole bag? Try to keep all your meals at the table and take your time while eating.
Even though you are eating for two, gaining just enough weight will not only make delivery and recovery easier for you, it will also make getting the weight off after pregnancy come off that much faster.
