When you are pregnant, majority of doctors may tell you that you should only gain between 25-30 pounds, through your entire pregnancy  5 pounds during your first trimester, although more often than not most women find that they lose weight their first trimester.  Morning sickness can sometimes be the main reason for the weight loss.  A few women may suffer from an extreme form of morning sickness, where they can’t keep anything down.  The good news is that your doctor won’t be too concerned about you losing a few pounds during your first trimester, as long as you are able to gain a few more pounds during the next two trimesters.

The second trimester is where you will find yourself gaining the most weight.  Most women put on about a pound a week, so roughly four or five pounds a month which brings their second trimester weight gain to about 12-15 pounds.  Some women put on more while others put on less.  Don’t be at all surprised if you put on more weight one month, compared to another month.

For the 7th and 8th month you will should probably continue about a pound each week or so.  Look to gain between 8 and 10 pounds those months.  Most women find that their weight gain slows down in the 9th month.  You might find your weight gain coming to a end as your due date draws nearer.  This could possibly be an indication that labor is just around the corner.  Or, you could still find yourself gaining weight, but it’s mainly water retention.

So, where does all this weight gain go? It doesn’t really make sense that you should gain between 25-30 pounds if your baby is only going to weigh between 7 and 8 pounds.  Let’s break down where the extra weight goes.

Well, first you have your baby.  A average baby weights about 7 1/2 pounds.  Some can weigh more and some weigh less.  The amniotic fluid that your baby has been growing in, for the past 9 months, will weight around two pounds.  Figure in about 2 pounds for your breast enlargement and 1 1/2 pounds for your placenta.  Your uterus, which began as a golf ball, now weights around 2 pounds.  Your body will continue to produce about four pounds of extra blood and by the end of your pregnancy, you will have gained 7 pounds of additional fat.  Let’s also not forget about the extra fluid, which may be in excess of 4 pounds that your body may still be holding on to.  All this equals to the grand total of about 30 pounds.

Keep in mind, that this is just an estimate of how your weight will fall.  There are women who wind up having a 10 pound baby and others who have a 5 pound baby.  An important element is maintaining a healthy weight gain throughout your pregnancy  To sustain a healthy pregnancy, your body requires additional calories to feed your baby and these are acquired from rich nutrient foods, such as fruits and vegetables and organic meats for protein.  Staying away from junk for will help you curb your weight gain.

When it comes to losing the weight after giving birth, don’t panic if the weight doesn’t drop off immediately.    Once you are home keep this in mind that it took nine months to gain that weight so gives yourself at least a good nine months to take it off.

Are you trying to conceive or know of someone who is trying to get pregnant?  Check out the conceiving website for all your conceiving answers.