Women during pregnancy are most likely to gain weight especially in the first trimester,but many women lose or are unable to gain any weight due to nausea. This usually occurs between weeks 6-16, although for some women it lasts for longer periods of time.
It is often believed that the changing hormones in the body cause morning sickness. Studies of women with severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy confirm that the babies do well despite maternal weight loss.
If there is weight lossduring pregnancy do not worry as weight gain is only a small indication of nutrition and well being. Have an ultrasound done as this will reveal whether growth and development of the baby are on track. This will definitely put one’s mind at ease.
How Can I Gain the Appropriate Amount of Weight During Pregnancy
If your health care provider recommends gaining more weight during pregnancy, here are some suggestions:
- Eat five to six small, frequent meals every day. Let these meals be light in quantity.
- Keep these snacks like nuts, raisins, cheese and crackers, dried fruit, and ice cream/yogurt at hand. These snacks are not very heavy and will always provide you nutrition and fiber.
- Spread peanut butter on toast, crackers, apples, bananas, or celery. One tablespoon of creamy peanut butter will provide about 100 calories and seven grams of protein.
- Add nonfat powdered milk to foods such as mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs and hot cereal.
- Add condiments to your meal, such as butter or margarine, cream cheese, gravy, sour cream and cheese. These will definitely add on to the calories.
As long as you are eating a well balanced diet and getting all of food groups in appropriate quantities, you and your baby should be fine.
