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| Ask the Dietitian | |||||||||||||||||||
Whether you are pregnant or a health care professional, you may have questions about nutrition or weight gain during pregnancy. For answers to your questions, click here:
We will post as many questions and answers as we can. Questions will be posted anonymously. We are unable to answer questions unrelated to the topic.
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Why do I need to gain SO much weight? Q : My doctor has told me that a healthy baby usually weighs about 6-8 pounds when it is born. So, I don't understand why I need to gain 25-35 pounds. Won't I just be getting fat? A: Weight gain is essential for the growth and development of your baby and it is also temporary. There are many components of weight gain beyond the weight of your developing baby. Women who gain too little are at greater risk for having a low birth weight baby (weighing 5 pounds, 8 ounces or less). These babies tend to have more health problems than normal weight babies. Below are some estimates of how the weight adds up for your total weight gain. Not all women should gain this amount. Underweight women need to actually gain a little more, 28-40 pounds, while overweight women are encouraged to keep their weight gain in the range of 15-25 pounds. Where the weight goes:
How can I gain more weight? Q: I have been skinny all my life and I have tried before to gain weight and never can! I am hungry all the time, but I don't think there is any way I can gain near 30 pounds! Do you have any suggestions? A: Pregnancy is a time when many women who have not been successful gaining weight in the past are actually able to gain weight. This is due to the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy that help your body prepare to carry a healthy baby for 9 months. It is a good thing that you are hungry all the time, as this will help you achieve your goal. It will also be important to choose healthy foods to keep your weight increasing at a healthy rate and to provide your baby with the nutrition that it needs. Try to have 3 regular sized meals a day that include a variety of nutrients from all food groups, then add in extra snacks 2 or 3 more times during the day. Be sure those snacks are also nutritious foods (think of 2 food groups you can include for each one)! A few good snack examples would include:
If eating frequently throughout the day does not seem to be enough, you may need to add extra calories to your meals. For example, use extra cheese or butter in food preparation, drink and cook with whole milk, and choose higher calorie snacks such as fruit smoothies or milkshakes.
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