Maintaining a healthy body weight is important at every life stage.
Safe weight gain during pregnancy
You can expect to gain between 11.5 and 16 kilograms during pregnancy.
Women usually gain 1-2 kilograms during the first trimester (first 3 months of pregnancy), then about 400 grams a week after this time, but this varies from woman to woman.
Monitoring your weight during pregnancy is important for your own health and your baby's health. Check your Pregnancy Weight every few weeks. We have included a simple chart for you to print out to monitor your progress (click here).
Here is what one woman said about maintaining her weight during her pregnancy;
"You get pregnant and you gorge and you sit down and say, I can't do this, I'm pregnant. It's not true, you can do anything."
Women who are overweight before or during pregnancy increase their risk of pregnancy complications. They are more likely to stay in hospital longer, have a caesarean delivery, have high blood pressure, and diabetes. If you are already pregnant, now is not the time to try to lose weight. Going on a weight loss diet may damage your baby’s development. Women who are overweight during their preganncy should aim to gain about 300 grams per week in the second and third trimesters.
Women who are underweight before or during pregnancy should put on more weight during their pregnancy. They should aim for an average of 500 grams a week in the second and third trimesters.
Losing weight safely after pregnancy
Breastfeeding your baby will make it easier to return to normal weight after you have given birth. But to ensure you have enough milk to breastfeed your baby, it is best to lose weight slowly.
If you are trying to lose weight, you should aim for about half a kilogram a week (2 kilograms a month) as you return to your pre-pregnancy weight.
Regular physical activity will help you lose weight and regain muscle tone.
Choosing to eat healthy low fat food will also help you to lose body fat.
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