During a healthy pregnancy, women gain weight as the baby grows. This is normal and necessary.
But recent research indicates that excessive weight gain during pregnancy increases health risks for mothers and their children.
Yet half of mothers-to-be gain too much weight, according to research involving half a million pregnancies published in JAMA last year.
Even women who started pregnancy at a healthy weight (those with a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9) typically pilled on too many pounds.
So how do you get the right balance? You do not need to eat any extra food to support the baby’s growth – however, experts warn the ‘eating for two’ mantra is dangerous.
Here, writing for The Conversation, Clare Collins, Professor in nutrition and dietetics from the University of Newcastle, Dr Jenna Hollis, conjoint lecturer at the University of Newcastle and Siân Robinson, Professor of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Southampton, answer the question and give their tips for gaining weight healthily.
Half of mothers-to-be gain too much weight, a study suggests, risking their health and that of their child’s (stock image)
They carried out a study that found excessive weight gain was more common among UK women who were having their first baby.
The experts stress that it’s important for mothers-to-be to calculate their recommended weight gain in pregnancy based on their body weight and body mass index (BMI) prior to them becoming pregnant.
‘Most weight gain occurs from week 13,’ they explain.
‘For some women, body weight will not change too much during the first trimester of pregnancy, particularly for women who have had morning (noon and night) sickness.’
So why is it important?
‘Excess weight gain has been linked to a higher risk of developing diabetes in pregnancy, high blood pressure, and complications during birth,’ said the trio.
‘It can also affect the health of the baby in both the short-term and in the future.’
Indeed, children with obese mothers are 36 percent more likely be autistic and a 62 percent more likely to have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to findings from the Virginia Commonwealth University last November.
Obese pregnant women also have a higher risk of birth complications from delivering an overgrown baby, found a study by the National Institutes of Health during the same month.
And children of mothers who gained too much weight were then at a higher risk of becoming obese as a child or adult, found a study by researchers from the School of Population Health at the University of Queensland, Brisbane, which was published in 2014 in the journal Obesity Reviews.
Excess pregnancy weight gain can also make it more challenging to lose weight after the baby is born, warns Professor Clare Collins and her co-authors.
‘Our recent study showed that women who gained more weight than recommended retained, on average, an extra 4kg six months after their baby was born.
‘Of concern is that this extra weight can still be retained decades after pregnancy. Not shifting those extra few kilos after pregnancy increases the chances of developing obesity in the future.’
Warning not to ‘diet’ during pregnancy
However, they also warn that not gaining enough weight in pregnancy can also be a problem.
‘Weight gain below the recommendations is associated with having a baby that is small for gestational age, or a preterm birth,’ they explained.
‘It’s important for women not to try and lose weight during pregnancy. Dieting or limiting food intake could mean the baby doesn’t get enough nutrients needed for their development.’
The NHS states that you don’t need to go on a special diet, but it’s important to eat a variety of different foods every day to get the right balance of nutrients that you and your baby need.
It says it is best to get vitamins and minerals from the foods you eat, but recommends taking a folic acid supplement as well.
