What is a healthy weight gain during pregnancy?
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Weight gain is a normal part of pregnancy, but you may be wondering how much weight you should gain. Most health care practitioners recommend gaining between 25-35 pounds if you were a healthy weight before you were pregnant or 35-45 pounds if you are carrying twins. If you were underweight before your pregnancy you should expect to gain between 28-40 pounds, and if you were overweight 15-25 pounds.
The weight you gain is comprised of much more than just the weight of your baby; it also includes the placenta, amniotic fluid, the growing uterus, breast tissue, blood and fluids, and fat stores that your body needs while you are pregnant. Eating a balanced diet during your pregnancy, with a wide variety of foods, will help you to gain weight at a steady rate and provide the calories and nutrients that your baby needs to grow. Gaining a healthy amount of weight at a steady pace can lower your risk for shortness of breath, indigestion, stretch marks, backaches, fatigue, hemorrhoids and varicose veins. Staying within the guidelines that your health practitioner gives you for weight gain will help ensure that you have a healthy baby and a hassle free delivery. It will also make it easier to shed any excess weight after you delivery your new baby.
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