Pregnancy & Weight Gain - Losing Weight After Childbirth

Many pregnant women are concerned about weight gain - what is too much and what is too little. It is an important concern. Too much weight gain could increase your chances of experiencing  certain health conditions during pregnancy, like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia. It could also lead to your baby growing very large (resulting in a more difficult delivery or cesarean section). And, of course, it could set you up for a difficult time losing weight after delivery.  Fortunately there are some helpful guidelines that can ease some of the confusion and give you the basic tools you need to address this issue.

The best way to figure out your optimal weight gain now is to determine how close you were to your ideal body weight before you conceived. One way to do that is to look at a ratio called the "body mass index" (BMI), a calculation based on your weight and your height. (You can use the BestDietForMe.com survey to determine you BMI.)

Calculate your BMI before pregnancy. If it was less than 19.8, you were considered underweight, so the recommended weight gain for you now would be 28 to 40 lbs. If your BMI was between 19.9 and 26, you were considered normal weight, and the recommended weight gain would be 25 to 35 pounds. If your BMI was 26 to 29, you fall into the overweight category, and the recommended weight gain would be 15 to 25 pounds. And women with a BMI greater than 29 need only gain 15 pounds or less. 

Weight gain in an average woman should be around 25 to 35 pounds. However, if you are underweight, you may be told to gain more and told to gain less should you be overweight. But remember that your baby, placenta, increased blood flow, uterus, amniotic fluid, maternal breast mass and fluid retention will only account for 17 to 26 pounds. Anything above that are maternal extra stores and can be quite difficult to take off after a birth.

If you gain too much weight, you may be overeating or eating the wrong types of foods. Your physician can review your diet and decide whether you are eating too much. If you are not overeating and are eating a healthy diet, the extra weight is usually extra water. Extra water can be caused by too much salt in your diet. Try to stay within the range your health care provider sets for you. If you gain too much weight, you may have trouble losing the extra pounds after the baby is born.

Is It Safe To Lose Weight During Pregnancy?

No. It is never safe to lose weight during pregnancy. Both you and your baby need the proper nutrients in order to be healthy.

What To Do If You Gain Too Much Weight

There seems to be a myth that weight loss after pregnancy can only be successful if it occurs rapidly. Many women feel that if they have not lost all the pregnancy weight by one year after delivery, something is wrong with them or they failed in some way. Actually, the truth is that weight loss after pregnancy can take a very long time, sometimes a few years, without signifying that something is wrong. Gradual weight loss is the norm, not the exception, and the rate of weight loss depends on several factors, such as whether there were complications with the pregnancy or delivery. Pregnancy complications can make a woman feel weak or interfere with her mobility. Certain diseases like postpartum inflammation of the thyroid gland (thyroiditis), which is a common complication that appears soon after delivery, can cause major weight struggles if they are severe. Other factors include whether the woman has other medical conditions or takes medications that make weight loss difficult in the first place.

According to healthcare experts, there is a myth about what is the best method for weight loss after pregnancy. A myriad of factors contribute to this confusion, beginning with the fact that there is not enough research about what type of weight loss plan is safe for the mother (especially nursing mothers) after delivery. This lack of research, in turn, means that doctors are reluctant to allow "radical diets". As a result, less stringent diet plans are recommended that may take longer to work and are thus less appealing and too frustrating to many women.

Initially, a woman should try to lose the weight on her own by eating a sensible, balanced healthy diet (see the U.S. Surgeon General website for recommendations). Exercising every day, even if it's just walking, is a must. The lack of exercise is what often delays success. Weight loss will simply not be satisfactory if exercise is lacking.

Expectations need to be realistic. We are only human. Rapid weight loss will not keep the weight off, but rational weight loss (1-2 pounds a week) can. And, remember that the biggest predictor of maintaining weight after the weight loss phase is keeping up an exercise regimen.