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Dealing with Third Trimester Weight Gain

As labor and delivery of your new baby nears, you may start worrying about third trimester weight gain. When you found out the joyous news of your pregnancy, gaining weight may have been the furthest thing from your mind, but it is probably hard for you not to notice the weight you’ve put on since. When dealing with third trimester weight gain, just remember that weight gain during pregnancy is entirely normal. Now is not the time to think about losing weight, but you can take some steps now to education yourself and avoid weight problems later on.

When you start worrying about your third trimester weight gain, learn a little about the following:

Ideal weight and pounds gained:  If you began your pregnancy underweight, you will most likely be asked by your doctor to gain between 25-40 pounds during your pregnancy. It may be hard to see the scale go up as you put on third trimester weight gain, but it is for the good health of you and the baby. If you begin pregnancy at an average weight, a weight gain of 25-35 pounds can be expected. Overweight women are advised to gain no more than 25 pounds, because of the risks associated with excessive third trimester weight gain.

The distribution of the weight you’ve gained:  Unless you are eating recklessly, most of the weight you gain is attributed to the baby and pregnancy itself, and not added onto your own fat stores. The baby adds approximately 8 pounds, bodily fluids and extra blood make up another 8 to 12 pounds, and increased breast size can add an additional 5 pounds. Now you can see where your third trimester weight gain is being distributed, easing fears it’s all going to your hips.

Any possible affects on your body or the baby:  Gaining too little weight during pregnancy can result in a malnourished or small baby, while gaining too much weight can lead to a larger baby, and even has been linked to premature babies. Excessive third trimester weight gain can also cause you health problems such as toxemia of pregnancy (preeclampsia), pregnancy-induced hypertension (high blood pressure), and even varicose veins and diabetes. You may also start to put on weight due to adema, or fluid building in your tissues. This is not usually due to overeating, but to the extra blood and hormones raging throughout your body. Gaining less weight will make the backaches and tiredness of pregnancy easier to handle, however.

How to develop an action plan for weight loss:  As stated earlier, during pregnancy is NOT the time to start dieting to lose weight, or even cutting back in an effort to stall third trimester weight gain. Your baby needs your calories. However, use this time now to write up an action plan for weight loss after birth of your baby. See a nutritionist to help with a meal plan. This is especially important if you plan to breastfeed, as you will still need extra calories to produce milk. Your doctor can help you with an affective exercise plan, and find support in other new moms who may also need a walking friend to get off those extra pounds.

Even though you may have now gained more pounds than doctors have advised you too, it is never too late to be conscious of exactly where the weight is going and how much you are currently gaining. Remember, it is normal to gain an average of a pound each week in the last two trimesters of pregnancy, so don’t fret. However, taking the above steps will help you as you near the end of your pregnancy and begin to worry about your third trimester weight gain.