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We are bombarded every day by weight loss and diet information. Everywhere you turn; magazines, TV commercials, radio ads, in-store displays, etc. being skinny is considered ideal. How often is reaching a smaller size associated with being healthy? Unfortunately, most women are reminded of weight much too often. Pregnancy is a time to let go of the hype and myths of being a certain size and simply be healthy.

Gaining weight during pregnancy is something that every healthy woman does. There are several factors that add up to the total weight of a pregnancy; increased eating is only one very small part, and doesn’t always have to be. Your body is holding on to and is also filling with a lot of fluids to keep your own and baby’s bodies healthy. Your baby’s body is also part of your weight gains. Therefore, if you are gaining up to 25-30 pounds by the end of your pregnancy, you are in the normal range.

On the flip side of weight gain, during pregnancy, we think of ourselves as “eating for two”. Those cravings of ice cream hot fudge sundaes with triple brownie and whipped cream toppings don’t have to come in a 5-gallon bucket. You don’t have to eat double orders of onion rings with your quarter-pound super cheesy burger and extra large super size milk shake. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy is not good for you, your baby, or the overall health of you both. Keeping food portions within reason and making sure that you don’t indulge every craving all of the time is important for blood pressure, gestational diabetes (which can cause heart and delivery problems for you and the baby as well), and other health related maladies.

Of course, diet is only one part of the best way to keep gaining a healthy weight. Your doctor can recommend the best way to exercise with specialized movements and stretches just for pregnant women. When you keep moving, your muscles will stay strong and will be able to get through laboring more easily. Also, when you keep a strong body during pregnancy and a healthy weight, your recovery after delivering your baby is much faster. Who doesn’t want to be back in their favorite jeans just a few weeks earlier? Exercising properly is one way to keep your weight gain under control.

Healthy weight gain during pregnancy is one key to making sure your labor and delivery, recover, and baby’s health are taken care of as well. If you are able to eat a balanced diet with the proper nutrition and participate in a doctor approved exercise program; you will find that your weight will be more under control than if you followed every craving and relaxed all of the time. Keep moving, eat well, and see your doctor for changes in weight. You will soon see that some of the changes in your body may be new to you, but they are quite normal during pregnancy.

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