Gaining weight during pregnancy is a good thing. You are meant to gain weight because your body is growing and changing to give you the best chance for having a healthy baby. The extra weight you gain during pregnancy provides nourishment to your developing baby and is also stored for breastfeeding your baby after delivery.

 

Women who do not gain enough weight during pregnancy may deliver a low-birth weight baby. Babies born with a low birth weight tend to have a number of problems and illnesses.

 

Weight Gain in Pregnancy

 

The amount of weight you need to gain during pregnancy will depend on how much you weighed, or your Body Mass Index, before pregnancy.

How fast you gain weight during pregnancy is just as important as how much you gain. During the first three months (first trimester), weight gain is small and slow (1.1 to 4.4 pounds in total). You should gain more weight, depending on your pre-pregnancy weight/BMI in the last six months of pregnancy. See the chart below for how much weight to gain in the second and third trimesters and overall.

  

Pre-Pregnancy BMI category	Recommended range of total weight gain		Mean rate of weight gain in the second and third trimester
	kg	lbs	kg/week	lb/week
BMI < 18.5 Underweight	12.5 - 18	28 - 40	0.5	1.0
BMI 18.5 - 24.9 Normal weight	11.5 - 16	25 - 35	0.4	1.0
BMI 25.0 - 29.9 Overweight	7 - 11.5	15 - 25	0.3	0.6
BMI ¡Ý 30 Obese	5 - 9	11 - 20	0.2	0.5

* Calculations assume a total of 0.5 - 2 kg (1.1 - 4.4 lbs) weight gain in the first trimester.
** women with a BMI over 35 and women pregnant with twins or higher order multiples should discuss their individual weight gain needs with their health care provider. 
 

 

The weight you gain is important to provide a healthy environment for your baby to grow in for nine months. This includes extra fluids, extra blood, the placenta and amniotic fluid and your uterus. Your breasts will also get larger as they prepare for breastfeeding and you will deposit a little fat which will be used for energy once the baby is born. The baby will only make up about 6-8 lbs of the weight you need to gain.

 

Where the weight gets deposited

 

Location	Amount
Breasts	2-3 pounds
Uterus	2-3 pounds
Blood	4    pounds
Extra fluids	2-3 pounds
Placenta and amniotic fluid	4-6 pounds
Energy stored as fat	5-8 pounds
Baby	6-8 pounds

 

 

Post-baby Weight

 

After the baby is born, follow Canada's Food Guide and get active to help you return to a healthy weight.

 

External Links:

 

Healthy Eating for a Healthy Baby  - A booklet full of tips on healthy eating during pregnancy from Best Start Resource Centre

Also available in the following languages: French, Arabic, Filipino, Hindi, Punjabi, Spanish, Simplified Chinese, Tamil, Urdu 

 

My Food Guide Tracker for Pregnancy - Print the My Food Guide Servings Tracker and use it to keep track of the amount and type of food you eat each day

 

Health Canada's Gestational Weight Guidelines - Information and frequently asked questions about Canadian Gestational Weight Guidelines

 

A Health Pregnancy is in Your Hands -  Practical advice for those who are pregnant or planning on becoming pregnant.  By Public Health Agency of Canada