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Healthy Weight Gain during Pregnancy
Written by Gloria Tsang, RD of HealthCastle.com
Published in September 2005
 (HealthCastle.com) What you eat every day, even before you are pregnant, is important for your health as well as for the health of your baby. Your diet before pregnancy and while you are pregnant should contain the vitamins and nutrients that your body will need to help your baby develop and grow the way he or she should.
Weight Gain during Pregnancy
The weight gain among women who have healthy babies varies. The following is the recommended weight gain during pregnancy based on your pre-pregnant weight. If you do not know your BMI, please use our BMI Calculator.
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Pre-Pregnant BMI
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Healthy Weight Gain during Pregnancy
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<20
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28 - 40 lb.
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20 - 25
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25 - 35 lb.
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>27
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15 - 25 lb.
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In order to gain the above healthy weight during pregnancy, it is recommended to increase your daily energy intake
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Increase Daily Energy by
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First Trimester
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100 kcal
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Second Trimester
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300 kcal
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Third Trimester
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300 kcal
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As you can see, pregnant women only need to add about 100 calories in the first trimester, and 300 calories in the second and third trimesters. Strategically add an extra nutritious snack should be able to take care of your needs.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ACOG recommends increasing the intake of the 4 basic food groups to the following:
- 4 or more servings of fruits and vegetables
- 6 - 11 servings of whole-grain and other grain products
- 4 or more servings of milk products
- 3 or more servings of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, nuts and lentils
Enjoy a healthy pregnancy!
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