Weight Gain During Pregnancy

When it comes to weight gain during pregnancy, the right amount to gain is different for everyone. There are many different factors that determine the correct amount for everyone, such as your weight and height, the size of your baby and how healthy you were before you got pregnant. How much weight you gain could affect your health as your pregnancy progresses.

If you experience nausea and vomiting during pregnancy you may find it difficult to gain the ideal weight at first, but this does not hurt your baby as long as you start to gain weight soon. In the second trimester the nausea and vomiting will decrease or completely stop and allow you to gain the weight you need.

Your baby gets everything it needs from your body that is continuously supplying him or her with vitamins and nutrients that it needs to grow. So the entire time you are sick your baby is doing fine because your body is still able to nourish him or her.

In order to gain the correct amount of weight during the time you are nauseated and vomiting, eat small meals more often. Don’t put a lot of food in your stomach to digest. Break it up so that you are not overwhelming your system.

When you do eat, try to eat healthy foods as much as possible. Follow the guidelines set by the food pyramid and you'll gain the right amount of weight for you and your child.

Your doctor may recommend a special diet for someone who is a diabetic or lactose intolerant. Since Calcium is very important in building strong teeth and bones you may need to concentrate on foods that contain high amounts of calcium that you can tolerate. Yogurt is usually well tolerated by people who are lactose intolerant.

Another special diet is a vegetarian diet. Since proteins are more easily found in meats, a vegetarian will need to get their protein from other sources like eggs, peanut butter, or beans. Protein helps cell growth and it is very important to get the recommended serving amounts into your diet.

You will most likely take a prenatal vitamin which will contain a lot of the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. This pill should supply you and your baby with almost everything that it needs to grow healthy, but you need to make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals from your diet to balance it out. Nutrients that your body absorbs from real food will always work better than from a pill.

If you are not sure that you are getting enough of everything in your diet, keep a journal of everything you eat and take it to your next prenatal appointment. Your doctor can look over it and let you know if there is something that you need to add or take away to balance out your diet.

Writing everything down will also come in handy if you have to go to the hospital unexpectedly. You may not be able to remember what you have had to eat or drink when asked. This journal will help you to recall these important details.

You can also keep track of your fluid intake as well. Make sure you drink enough fluids throughout your pregnancy. It promotes healthy skin, keeps your system refreshed and running smooth and it makes you feel better.

If you notice a sudden weight gain during pregnancy, you need to call your doctor to report the change. If you have any questions write them down and ask your doctor during your next appointment.