Weight gain during pregnancy is completely normal and is monitored by the gynecologist at regular intervals. Nevertheless, the pregnant woman herself should also get a feeling for normal weight gain, in order to consult a doctor if necessary in case of deviations.
When do I start gaining weight?
Weight gain during pregnancy is not only due to the increasing weight of the unborn child. The amount of blood during pregnancy is greatly increased and alone provides for approx. 1.5 kg more on the scales.
Placenta, amniotic fluid and uterus together add about 3 kg to the weight. In addition, water retention, fat reserves for breastfeeding and growth of the breasts, which provides an additional 5 kg on the scale. The final weight gain during pregnancy depends on the initial weight of the pregnant woman, her height, eating habits, activity level and the type of pregnancy (single or multiple).
The average weight gain during pregnancy is between 12-13. 5 kg. The point at which you start gaining weight during pregnancy varies from woman to woman.
Especially in the first trimester, women who suffer from the typical morning sickness can even lose weight. If a pregnant woman gains a lot of weight during this period, this is usually due to her eating habits and not to the actual pregnancy. Only from the second trimester on (from 12 weeks on) a weight gain becomes clear, this increases again with the beginning of the last trimester. During this time, some pregnant women get additional attacks of ravenous hunger, which can cause one or two extra kilos on the scales. For pregnant women, it can be useful to document the weekly weight gain and present it at the gynaecological appointments.
How much do I gain per week?
In the first third of the pregnancy it is not yet possible to make any statements about the weekly weight gain, as this usually only begins in the second trimester. In a normal pregnancy of a woman who is normal-weight at the beginning, the weekly weight gain from then on is 250-400g per week. In the third trimester it is about 400-600g per week. This corresponds to an average monthly weight gain of about 2 kg.
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