Weight Loss During Pregnancy

Weight Loss During Pregnancy: Morning Sickness
Prenatal nutrition is very important to the health of both a mother and her growing baby. Typical weight gain during the first trimester is about five pounds. But many women do not gain any weight or experience weight loss during pregnancy due to nausea and morning sickness.


Weight loss during the initial trimester of pregnancy is not uncommon. Morning sickness typically strikes between weeks 6-16, although for some women it may last throughout the entire pregnancy. It’s commonly believed that the changing hormones in your body cause morning sickness.


While it’s good for a woman to gain weight at a steady pace during pregnancy, most studies show that the babies of women with severe nausea and vomiting develop normally despite their mother’s weight loss during pregnancy. As long as the mother is eating a wholesome diet and getting nutrition from all of the food groups, the baby should be just fine. If there is a concern about the mother’s weight loss during pregnancy, an ultrasound can be used to determine if the baby’s growth and development are on track.


Weight Loss During Pregnancy: Dieting
Almost all health experts advise against intentional weight loss during pregnancy. A growing baby needs a good supply of organic food, protein, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in order to develop. Any effort that the mother may make to lose weight at this critical time could limit this supply of nutrients for her baby. A baby that is malnourished could develop significant health problems both at birth and throughout his or her life.


It’s important to gain some weight during pregnancy. The amount that you gain will vary depending upon your starting point. It’s a good idea to cut back on foods that are high in empty calories such as sodas, sweets, and highly processed foods. But you don’t need to worry about losing weight right now. Just be sure that your diet includes a good supply of wholesome foods for both your nutrition and your baby’s. And if you really do need to lose weight, strengthen your resolve to do so after your baby is born.


But what if you are already dieting when you happen to become pregnant? Should you continue on your diet food plan or resort back to your old habits? The answer to this question depends upon the type of diet that you are currently using. For example, if the “diet” you are on right now involves eating more wholesome foods and cutting back on high calorie, high fat foods, then it’s a good idea to continue. But if the diet you are trying is excessively restrictive, or limits any one particular food group, it may not give you the nutrition you need to support yourself and your growing baby.


What Nutrients Are Most Important During Pregnancy?First and foremost, pregnant women need a good supply of folic acid to keep their baby healthy and reduce the incidence of neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Many health care practitioners recommend that women begin taking folic acid supplements at least one month before they even try to get pregnant, and continue throughout the pregnancy.

Women also tend to have trouble getting enough iron in their diets, and this is particularly worrisome during pregnancy, when iron supplies are stretched thin as the body produces more blood to support the growing baby. Healthcare providers recommend take a pregnant women take in at least 27 mg of iron per day. This is 50% more than the amount recommended for women who are not pregnant.