Gaining Weight Too Fast During Pregnancy

Any obgyn will tell you that the recommended weight gain for pregnancy is 25-30
pounds. Some women will gain more, some will gain less. But how can you tell if
you are gaining too fast during your pregnancy. Too much weight gain can increase
your chances of a c section and put you at risk for being overweight after.

Some doctors say that if you put on more than 3 1/2 pounds in your first trimester
and are of a normal weight you are putting weight on too fast. If you are
overweight and put on more than 2 pounds, you are gaining too fast. Keep in mind
though that even if you gain a lot in your first trimester, it doesn't
necassararily mean you will gain a lot your whole pregnancy.

Some women gain a lot in the first trimester because morning sickness has them only
able to eat carbs and nothing else and still end their pregnancy gaining no more
than 25 pounds. If however you find that your weight gain is still not slowing
down once you enter your second trimester, there are some tips you can try to help
slow it down.

First, cut out the useless calories. It is never a good idea to diet while you
are pregnant but if you are gaining too much you do need to slow down the rate at
which you are gaining. Apply some basic calorie cutting strategies such as using
skim milk instead of whole milk, taking skin off your chicken and grilling or broil
instead of frying or saut�ing. You will also want to cut out most of your sweets.
These are empty calories that are providing no nutritional value to you or your
baby.

Next, cut down on the fat you are taking in. Look at what you are eating and how
it may have hidden fat in it. Some salad dressings can be loaded with fat, so you
might want to try putting your dressing on the side. Watch how much oil you use
when you are cooking or when you are going out to eat and stick to good oils such
as extra virgin olive oil.

Get active! You could be gaining weight faster because you are not active. As
long as your doctor gives you the go ahead, start a walking program. Walking is
one of the best things you can do for your body and your baby. Not only does it
help with your weight gain, but some women and doctors swear that walking through
out most of your pregnancy could help ease the pains of childbirth. If you can not
walk due to weather conditions you might want to look into joining a prenatal
exercise class.

Lastly pay attention to what you are eating. So many people don't pay attention to
what they eat and find that they are overeating without even realizing it. How
many times have you sat on the couch watching a movie and decided to have some
potato chips only to realize that you have eaten the whole bag? Try to keep all
your meals at the table and take your time while eating.

Even though you are eating for two, gaining just enough weight will not only make
delivery and recovery easier for you, it will also make getting the weight off
after pregnancy come off that much faster.