There are a couple of ways to look at pregnancy weight gain:
- "Yay, I'm pregnant and I can eat everything I want because I'm eating for two!"
- "Yay, I'm pregnant and I need to make every meal count as a healthy one."
When women fall into the eating for two category, you tend to see larger weight gain patterns in general. In recent years the beliefs about pregnancy weight gain have been rethought and changed to discuss the fact that there is such a thing as too much weight gain. New research is also showing us that in addition to there being such a thing as too much weight gain, there is also such a thing as weight gain that happens too early.
When you look at the break down of the nutritional needs of a pregnant mom, her first trimester needs are not very great in terms of increased caloric intake. Some sources suggest that 100 extra calories a day in this early part of pregnancy is sufficient. This would be more in line with the research that shows that women who had less weight gain per week in the first trimester had the least risk of gestational diabetes. In fact, women who gained .89 pounds a week or more in the first trimester had a 74% increased risk of developing gestational diabetes. This risk is exacerbated by being overweight already.
One of the key issues here is that many women don't get in to see their doctor or midwife until past the 8th week of gestation, or later. This makes it hard for there to be any counseling on early pregnancy weight gain. Therefore, I'd suggest that the subject of early pregnancy weight gain should be included as a topic for discussion at preconception visits. Another factor to consider is that how we counsel about weight gain in pregnancy is typically to avoid the discussion until there is already a problem!
Think about it this way, at the end of the 12th week of pregnancy, the end of the first trimester, your baby weighs only 14 grams. That is the equivalent of 14 paper clips. You simply don't need that many calories to help you maintain a healthy pregnancy in the first trimester. So in the end, use your common sense about pregnancy weight gain.
Related:
- How much weight should you gain in pregnancy?
- 5 Reasons to Talk to Your OB About Pregnancy Weight Gain
- Gestational Diabetes
- Gestational Diabetes from ADA
- Pregnancy Calendar
- Fetal Development Pictures
Source:
Gestational Weight Gain and Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus Hedderson, Monique M.; Gunderson, Erica P.; Ferrara, Assiamira Obstetrics & Gynecology. 115(3):597-604, March 2010. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181cfce4f