Monday, February 16, 2009

How Much Weight Should a Woman Gain During Pregnancy?

By Ricardo d Argence

During and after the pregnancy, weight gain is common and something most women dislike. Putting on pregnancy pounds is absolutely necessary for the embryo to get the appropriate vitamins and minerals for healthy growth.

In years past weight gain was considered detrimental for the pregnant woman, but now it is accepted as a normal part of embryo development. Actually, the huge problem of pregnant women is, how much should they ideally put on weight while they are pregnant.

Some exercise and a proper diet is extremely important for the mother and her child. The weight gained during pregnancy is distributed throughout a woman's body; most of it is the baby, some the placenta, some to the breasts (for milk production), and some as extra fluids needed during pregnancy.

The average pregnant woman should be prepared to gain approximately 15 lbs. Skinny women who gain 45 or 50 lbs is still considered a good weight during pregnancy.

However, with the use of ultra sounds some women find out they are going to have more than one baby. In this case, it is natural for pregnant mother to gain even more than that, because there are now more vitamins and minerals that need to be divided between the embryo's. Women who do not gain weight tend to have troubles with the development of the embryo, and can cause trouble for the newborn baby, they tend to be sickly babies.

300 calories a day is what a pregnant woman should consume. Junk foods are not really good for pregnant women. Mothers who will be expecting children will most likely see some gain in their weight when pregnancy begins, yet they possibly will not experience a significant amount of weight gain until in a later stage.

Losing weight when you gain too much weight is definitely not a good idea. You should not eat salt while you are pregnant, as it could cause the baby some future troubles.

If a woman is overweight while she is pregnant she will most likely have higher blood pressure readings and be at a risk for gestational diabetes along with many other issues. They also increase the chances of having a miscarriage.

With her doctor's approval, the pregnant woman can engage in light exercise, including swimming. Swimming is a great way to burn calories; for further help in proper pregnancy development you can also take short walks or perform some of the exercises that your pediatrician can instruct you on.

Keep in mind that you are now taking care of at least two people now, so it is that much more important to take care of yourself. - 15438

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