Losing Weight During Pregnancy: Crazy or Sensible?

If you are pregnant, the first thing you probably do not think about is your next diet. You can find out here when it makes sense to lose weight during pregnancy.

Losing weight during pregnancy: Introduction

Losing weight during pregnancy probably sounds strange to many people at first. While losing weight after pregnancy is a big issue, pregnant women are in joyful anticipation of the baby and marvel at their steadily growing belly.

During pregnancy the body generally gains weight, after all a baby grows in the belly. At birth after a long pregnancy, a baby weighs between three and three and a half kilos.

Other factors that speak for an increase in pregnancy:

• Uterus and placenta grow
• Water retention in the body
• Breasts become bigger
• Amniotic fluid
• More blood in circulation

How much can I gain weight?

• In the first three months of pregnancy, however, the weight remains relatively stable. Many women even lose weight slightly in this early phase of pregnancy if they vomit more often due to nausea.
• In the second trimester of pregnancy an increase of 250 to 400 grams per week is expected and also recommended.
• In the last three months of pregnancy before giving birth, women gain about 500 grams per week.

The total weight gain during pregnancy depends on the woman’s figure:

• Underweight (BMI below 18.5): 12 to 18 kilos
• Normal weight (BMI 18.5 to 25): 11 to 15 kilos
• Overweight (BMI 25 to 30): 7 to 11 kilos

All in all, it can be said that very thin women also gain more weight during pregnancy. The values are of course only guidelines and not set in stone.

Diet during pregnancy?

• Pregnancy is not meant to be a competitive fast. It’s not healthy. For the child, this can result in malnutrition, which in turn endangers its development. If women show abnormal eating behaviour during pregnancy, they should always seek medical help.
• The diet should even be adjusted slightly upwards during pregnancy (about 20 percent more calories) so that the child is sufficiently supplied with nutrients. Do not worry if you gain weight during pregnancy. This is a sign that your child is well supplied. After pregnancy you will lose weight simply by breastfeeding.

Losing weight and doing sports

• If you are very overweight, i.e. have a BMI of over 30, an adapted diet and some exercise may be useful. A study has shown that overweight women who did sport five times a week (about 30 minutes) were able to maintain their weight despite pregnancy or even reduce it slightly.
• The baby can benefit from this, as it is then also not born with too much weight, which often happens as a result of hyperglycaemia. In addition, the children of these athletically active women were rarely born by caesarean section.
• In any case, the diet and exercise should be coordinated with a doctor, even in the case of overweight people. Regular check-ups can also be used to check whether everything is going as desired.
• Also overweight people should not follow a one-sided diet during pregnancy. It is rather a matter of reducing calories a little (if the calorie intake is too high) and to focus on a healthy, balanced diet. Now is not the time for experiments like low carb.