Subscribe Feed (RSS)Why Expectant Moms Need to Monitor Their Weight How a Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator Can Be a Huge Help
Expecting your first child, but on the hefty side and worried that the excess weight may create some complications when it’s time to for you to give birth? There is what you may call a healthy weight gain, meaning there’s just enough fat reserves adding up to an expectant mom’s total weight (including about seven pounds of fat stores, a few pounds of enlarged body parts like the uterus and breast, plus extra blood, body fluids, amniotic fluid and baby itself) who’s carrying a baby full term. On the other hand, there is the unhealthy weight gain that may have a negative impact on mother and child during delivery.
Your obstetrician/gynecologist won’t dispute the fact being overweight, or worse, obese, may lead to greater risks for you and your child. There are cases of poorly nourished obese women who died or almost died of eclampsia. Other repercussions of excess weight on pregnant women include high blood pressure and complicated deliveries. Being overweight (a body mass index equivalent to or greater than 30) may also lead to babies having to be brought to the intensive care unit or getting neural tube defect.
It is therefore important to not to overlook regular check-ups and weight checks by your ob-gyn. A pregnant woman may also rely on tools like a pregnancy weight gain calculator to measure weight. The device, which may be found online, enables expectant moms to see if they are within the normal weight range for the duration of the pregnancy. For some expectant moms on the heavy side, maintaining healthy weight can be a big challenge. However, when looking at the benefits of curbing excess weight, like ensuring a normal baby and reducing risks of personally experiencing health problems like diabetes or high blood pressure, the effort can be worth it.
If you started your pregnancy with a normal weight and a few months later your pregnancy weight gain calculator shows a reading between 25 to 35 pounds, you can heave a sigh of relief. You’re on the safe and acceptable weight range. Following your doctor’s nutritional guidelines and prenatal care prescriptions as well as approved exercise regimen, and avoiding emotional eating or indulging in unhealthy comfort foods when feeling anxious or tired may help you maintain normal weight. Keep in mind that excess pounds beyond the allotted fat reserves will not only make your pregnancy an ordeal (think back aches, varicose veins, exhaustion, and unsightly flab you will be lugging around even after giving birth) but may also harm your baby.
Women, who were fit even before conceiving, stand to enjoy their pregnancy more. If they do gain calories, smart, health-conscious moms know that the extra calories they gain should come from nutritious foods or balanced diet.
