Healthy Weight Gain

A healthy weight gain during pregnancy can vary between individuals and may depend, for example on the pre-pregnancy weight of the mother. It may be suitable for overweight women to gain less weight during pregnancy than women who are a healthy weight, as long as nutrient requirements of the mother and unborn baby are met. Women who are underweight should aim to gain more. Specific advice for individual needs should be sought from a qualified dietitian or health professional.

Healthy weight gain is mostly seen in the second and third trimesters (after the first 3 months) of pregnancy. This is the time of pregnancy when mother's energy requirements increase. However, it is best to focus on food quality rather than quantity to meet the nutritional needs in pregnancy. There is no reason to increase food quantity to the point of ‘eating for two’ as this is likely to lead to extra weight gain.

Pregnancy is not a suitable time to be dieting or trying to lose weight. Dieting can have a negative impact on the unborn baby.