Ital important for the proper development of the fetus and the baby to have an uncomplicated evolution and delivery. A woman who is too thin has a much higher risk that her child will not grow or weigh enough, so gaining weight during pregnancy is a normal and healthy trend.
However, as in everything, neither extreme is suitable or desirable. If the mother is obese from the beginning of pregnancy or becomes too fat during the gestation months, complications are more likely at the time of delivery.
It is essential to control what gets fat and how it is done since the weight with which the mother arrives at childbirth is decisive for her health and that of the baby, so if you ask yourself what should I eat during pregnancy so as not to gain weight, in FastlyHealWe bring you this article to solve this question, in addition to explaining how much you should gain weight and at what rate you should do it.
Table of Contents
How much should I gain during pregnancy?
During the first trimester
There are usually no significant weight gains; there may even be a slight weight loss caused by vomiting. This is not good either, and that is why we advise you to follow these tips if you have nausea and vomiting.
Typically, in the first trimesters, pregnant women oscillate between gaining 4 kilos and losing 100 grams each week, depending on how the mother is. Her constitution will be located in one place or another on the spectrum.
During the second trimester
The gain in kilos becomes more exaggerated once the second trimester has entered, gaining weight at a rate of 1 kilo and a half per month. Volume is achieved throughout the body; it creates the belly, the hips are widened, and the thighs grow. Your body is adapting so that the baby can grow comfortably.
During the third trimester
When you reach the last months of pregnancy is when you gain more weight, something logical since it coincides with the more significant growth of the fetus, and the tendency to retain fluids is accentuated. However, it is expected that in the final stretch, you feel fatigued and lose your appetite; even then, you will tend to gain weight. In some women, the opposite is the case; they are even hungrier; if so, you should pay more importance to your diet because you could gain too much weight.
What you should eat to avoid getting too fat
The consequences are the same for the baby if the woman is already obese at the beginning of pregnancy or if she becomes too fat during the gestation months. That is why diet and weight gain must be controlled.
But the health issue also extends to the mother because the more kilos she gains during pregnancy, the more it will cost her to get rid of them after delivery. Usually, women who give birth take six months, with a good diet and regular exercise, to regain their silhouette, but if it is not controlled, they may not return to their previous weight.
The importance of iron
Iron is an essential mineral during pregnancy. The pregnant woman should prioritize products that contain it in more significant quantities while paying attention not to ingest those that may hinder its absorption.
- One of the foods that contain the most iron is red meat, which should preferably be eaten well cooked.
- You should eat fruits and vegetables in abundance, but not before having washed them thoroughly, to avoid that you can ingest any poison that affects the baby.
- Iron is absorbed much more quickly when eaten with foods that contain vitamin C, so it is advisable to eat citrus, either solid or in juice.
- On the contrary, both tea and coffee make it difficult to absorb iron; for that reason, if you want to take them, it should be done outside of the main meals.
In the following article, you will find perfectly explained which are foods rich in iron.
That calcium is not lacking.
Calcium supplements are generally prescribed for pregnant women; apart from this supplement, if the doctor finds it convenient, you should eat at least three dairy products daily, watching out for fats and prioritizing skimmed ones.
Now that you know what you should eat, you may be interested in learning what you should not eat while pregnant, but above all, it is essential to control your weight and not shoot your kilos; you must know how often you should eat.
Other tips to not gain more weight than necessary
Apart from what has already been mentioned, other factors must be taken into account in order not to gain too much weight during pregnancy:
- Divide meals into 4 or 5 a day.
- If you have nausea or vomiting, choose to eat smaller amounts, but do so more often.
- Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables.
- If you suffer from constipation, change regular cereals for whole grains.
- Avoid eating cakes, fried foods, sugary sodas, buns, and high-fat products.
- Refrain from consuming alcoholic beverages; you shouldn’t drink non-alcoholic beer either, as it has many calories.
- Dairy products should be skimmed or semi-skimmed.
- Get regular moderate exercise
This article is merely informative, at FastlyHeal .com we do not have the power to prescribe medical treatments or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.
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I am a Surgeon with a diploma in comprehensive ultrasound and surgical care residency, an area I am specializing in. During the exercise of my profession, I have realized the need for patients to know the diseases they suffer, and I can tell you that a large part of their complications is due to a lack of information. Being a health web writer allows me to transmit my experience, without borders, to all those readers eager for knowledge, educate them in the prevention of diseases and promote a healthy lifestyle.