Nutrition During Pregnancy
Nutrition during pregnancy can be a chance to evaluate and rethink your bodies nutrtitional needs. I really enjoyed a basic article outlining simple facts about nutrition during pregnancy. Today we will write one more blog about how much weight you should be gaining while pregnant. Since many women reading this blog may be pregnant for the first time, it is a very common question to have. How much weight should I be gaining during my pregnancy? What is healthy? As an expecting mother, you want to be sure your baby is getting all the nutrients it needs, without giving in to emotional cravings. Of course it is hard to know what is best! For starters, nearly 30% of American Women today are obese when they begin their pregnancies. This statistic is determined by body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher (5 foot 4 inch woman who weighs 175 pounds). How much weight should be gained while pregnant is constantly being debated. The federal governement updated its pregnancy guidelines in 2009, concluding that gaining 11 to 20 pounds is ideal. Some still argue that this is too much. For an obese pregnant women a nutritious diet of 2000 - 2500 calories per day would lead to weight gain of roughly 10 pounds..... and in some cases weight loss. Nearly 75% of obese women put on more than 15 pounds during pregnancy. More and more studies are linking excess weight gain with health problems with moms and babies. Unfortunately most previous attempts to limit weight gain for pregnant woman have failed because it is not all under the mother's control. During pregnancy the placenta secretes all kinds of hormones that, along with genetic makeup of the fetus, may affect appetite, or metabolism. The most important thing to remember if you are expecting, is to eat healthfully and moderately, while maintaining a low impact exercise program.
