In general, you can expect to gain between three and five pounds during your first trimester if you were at a healthy weight before conception. However if you are underweight your doctor will want to see a 5-6lb. gain during this time.
Weight gain during pregnancy is normal and healthy. The extra weight helps your baby grow at a steady rate. It also decreases your chance of developing varicose veins, stretch marks, hemorrhoids, fatigue, backache, indigestion, shortness of breath and morning sickness.
Remember to eat a healthy diet rich in vitamins and minerals. Ask your health care practitioner if you should be taking pre-natal vitamins, some insist on it and others feel that if you eat a healthy diet you don’t need the vitamins. However, the baby will get what she needs from your body stores, and you can be depleted. Follow the advice of the doctor or midwife. Pre-pregnancy, if your weight was in the normal range your doctor will recommend a total weight gain between 25 and 37 pounds total. You’re probably asking why you have to gain so much weight.
Well let’s look at where all of that extra weight goes:
The baby - 7 lbs. Maternal blood - 4 lbs.
Placenta - 1-2 lbs. Fluid in tissues - 4 lbs.
Amniotic fluid- 2 lbs. Maternal fat stores - 7 lbs.
Uterus - 2 lbs. Nutrient stores - 7 lbs.
You should lose at least nine pounds almost instantly when the baby is born and another few pounds in the next couple of days. The remainder of the weight will come off gradually as long as you maintain a healthy diet and exercise.
Another thing that contributes to weight gain in the first trimester is giving in to food cravings. Especially when your cravings are for things like ice cream, fried foods, pastries, etc. Forty plus years ago we were told that if you craved a particular food your body needed some vitamin or mineral that was in that food. However that theory still holds true today. Crave ice cream? Drink some fat free milk since it is probably the calcium your body is asking for.
Many women for some reason crave ice. Some nutritionists believe that craving ice may indicate an iron deficiency. Fortunately the cravings tend to lessen around the fourth month, just into the second trimester.
That being said there are women who have cravings throughout the pregnancy. However long the cravings last, they can wreak havoc with your weight. If you are eating a pint or so of ice cream every day you will gain weight that is not a normal part of pregnancy weight gain and you won’t lose it in the immediate post-partum period. So try to satisfy the craving with a low fat variation.
Cravings may actually be a way of prompting you to consume a nutrient that you are lacking, or that your baby needs. So give in to it in moderation and you may be able to avoid a big weight gain in the beginning. Remember you still have six months to go and will continue to gain baby weight.
Hopefully your cravings will disappear or greatly weaken around 12-15 weeks after conception. If not, you can try to wean yourself off of the craved foods gradually.
It has been mentioned before, it is vital to maintain a well balanced diet throughout the pregnancy and especially during the first three months when your baby is starting to grow and form her body.
Part of your early weight gain can be due to excessive water retention. This must be monitored and treated if severe since it can cause problems for you and the baby.
When you move into your second trimester you will begin to gain one to two pounds a week as the baby’s growth and development really starts to take off.
If you don’t gain enough weight your baby may be small and at risk but don’t go too far in the other direction either. This can also cause problems for the both of you. A large weight gain can cause problems with a vaginal delivery.
Make sure that your doctor or other health care provider knows of any chronic health problems that you have since that could have an effect on the course of your delivery. For instance, a blood disorder could present a serious problem during the birth of your baby.
High blood pressure would need to be closely monitored during labor and delivery. A condition that has an effect on neurologic or muscular disorders might make vaginal delivery difficult.
Since we are discussing the first trimester, your health care providers have plenty of time to plan for a safe delivery of your child, even if it has to be caesarian section, before you go into labor.
The earlier your medical team is aware of any potential risks to your child, the better prepared they can be to handle whatever situation that might arise. Their objective is to keep you and your baby healthy throughout the pregnancy and delivery.
Gaining a lot of weight during your first trimester can make you feel tired and depressed since you know you are likely to gain another twenty or so pounds in the second and third trimesters.
Just relax and try to resist cravings for high calorie foods and opt for fruits and veggies instead of chips, cookies and other junk foods.
