How Much Weight to Gain During Pregnancy
Pickles and Ice Cream…Burgers and Fries… Taco Bell… anything…and everything. What did you crave during your pregnancy?
You might have had the same mindset I did, “Oh, I’m pregnant, I can eat this.” But that will be the first and last time I will think (and eat) like that while pregnant. I did not have any particular cravings. I literally ate anything and everything in front of me – and that cost me 40 lbs. The Institute of Medicine has come out with a new study basically telling us that we are packing on too many pounds during pregnancy! Hmm.. I wonder if that study was conducted by men? They don’t know what it feels like to be pregnant!
Here is what they are saying :
- A normal-weight woman, should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy.
- An overweight woman should gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy.
- Obese women should gain 11 to 20 pounds.
- An underweight woman should gain 28 to 40 pounds
I was 5’8″ and 132 pounds before I got pregnant. I used a BMI Calculator and it came up with 20.1. This is “normal” weight. I was supposed to gain between 25 and 35 pounds. So I guess 40 isn’t terrible, but it takes work to shed the pounds. Below is a photo of me, I believe, in my seventh month. I actually don’t look big here, but I ballooned the next two months. The pounds went all to my face.
How much weight did you gain? Will you do anything different for your next pregnancy?
Comment by Trish on 28 May 2009:
I actually gained quite a bit- about 45 lbs. I wasn’t eating a lot, nor had weird cravings. I actually lost it really quickly though too. I think it was just water weight. They had me drinking close to 100 oz of water a day.
The only craving I had was fairly early on when I wanted Doritos. That was all I could think about until I finally got them. Then I ate close to half a Costco size bag of them, and that was the end of that craving.
Comment by Cat @ 3 Kids and Us on 28 May 2009:
1st – 28lbs (baby was 9.0lbs)
Starbrite mints and BBQ (I hated BBQ before being pregnant)
2nd – 24lbs (baby was 8 lbs 11 oz)
Pretty much anything sweet
3rd – 29lbs (baby was 8lbs 3 oz)
I didn’t have many cravings, in fact I hardly ate at all
Comment by Tiffany on 28 May 2009:
You look so cute pregnant.
I gained a little much with both my boys. 60 with my first, (30 of that was in the last trimester) and he weighed 9 lbs 1 oz. 50 with my second and he was 8 lbs 14 oz. I gained way more than I should, but I eat like a horse and can’t help it. I also gain an obscene amount of weight the 3rd trimester. I do remember craving pickles & green beans with my first. I craved strawberry slushies from Sonic with my 2nd and had them almost every day for the last 2 months.
Comment by Stefanie on 28 May 2009:
#1: I gained 24lbs and craved pizza & chinese food
#2: I gained 27lbs and craved SPICEY food!
#3: I gained *40* lbs!!!!! Ahh…and craved EVERYTHING! (obviously) lol
Comment by yasmine on 28 May 2009:
With the twins i gained about 30 lbs- i had sickness morning day and night so i think thats why i didnt gain as much weight a twin pregnancy should. ( To my surprise my twins were born about 5 lbs each)
My cravings was mostly ice cream/Gelatos but Id always feel sick afterwards :s
Comment by Lisa on 28 May 2009:
wow i think you look amazing for being 7 months there
#1 gained 75 lbs , ( baby weigh was 10 lbs 2 ozs) gestational diabetes
I only craved ham and cheese sandwichs
#2 gained 22 lbs ( baby weigh 7 lbs 4ozs)
didnt have many craving at all
#3 gained 24 lbs (baby weigh 7 lbs 6 ozs )
Sulprees had at least one a day
#4 gained 28 lbs (baby weigh 7lbs 5 ozs)
craved watermelon , I was eating one every 2 days
#5 lost 16 pounds ( baby weigh 8lbs 2ozs)
no craving
#6 gained 8lbs ( baby weigh 8lbs 13ozs)
graved cheese burgers like mad !
Comment by Teresha on 29 May 2009:
Just reached 7 mo. with my first. I’m supposed to gain 25-30 lbs, but only gained about 6-8 so far. So, where’s the rest? I am a pretty healthy eater and exercise every day, but I am still worried that I am going to balloon in the next few weeks. I’d rather it be a gradual weight gain spread out over the entire pregnancy.
Comment by The Shopping Mama on 29 May 2009:
#1 – I gained 30 pounds and craved brownies
#2 – I am not sure how much I gained. The scale was not my friend. I ate everything I could get my hands on. Although, in the beginning I did NOT want sweets. Now that was weird!
Comment by Pat on 29 May 2009:
I think I gained like 30 pounds with the first one and 35 for the second. I was puking the second time around during the whole pregnancy.. each day I woke up and thought it was over and it never was.I could not eat anything except fruits and veggies nothing cooked or fried.. no sweets..so I craved EVERYTHING.
Comment by AJ @ A Little Bit Nutty on 29 May 2009:
I gained 50 lbs with my oldest. I craved blueberry muffins and grapefruit. Oh and pickles of course!
With the boys I gained 17-25 lbs. It was constant nausea so I didn’t really crave much until the end. Then it was Patty Melts from Sonic and crushed ice
Comment by Caroline on 29 May 2009:
Oh go ahead and eat sweetie!
You know, when we are preggo we can’t have much sugary junk, can’t ride horses, hang-glide, go in hot tubs, or drink a glass of wine for pete’s sake…what’s a girl to do? Eat of course!!! LOL Don’t worry, you can always diet later, take some probiotics, join a gym or whatever. Just don’t worry and enjoy it! I am done after my two little monkey’s and I loved being pregnant! Cherish it. Caroline 
mommy of two
*Remember those probiotics I told you about…I am so not kidding….they really rock!
Comment by Tara on 29 May 2009:
I gained 25 lbs with my son and 27 lbs with my daughter. I’m still carrying a couple of the extra lbs from being pregnant with my daughter.
I went through different phases of cravings. With my son I craved mostly purple grapes. With my daughter I went through a KFC phase (blech!) but towards the end it was a lot of smoothies.
Comment by Milk & Honey Mommy on 29 May 2009:
I actually didn’t gain much or fast during my first pregnancy. After looking at some pictures, I could tell a difference from my starting weight; most went to my face. During the second, I had about 2 1/2 months of grace and the weight just jumped all over me, but it still wasn’t much. By the third, I didn’t even care because I knew the weight was coming. Even so I didn’t gain a lot of weight and losing it after each delivery was pretty easy. I think it helped that I worked out (in my former life – before all babies). One thing that got me is that I never gained the weight where I wanted to…my boobs remained the same size. All that work (carrying and pushing out three babies) and you would think I would get to enjoy a larger cup size.
Comment by Milk & Honey Mommy on 29 May 2009:
The only thing I craved was an end to the all-day/entire pregnancy sickness (all three). During my third pregnancy, I found myself in the Taco Bell drive through for about three weeks. Also, strawberries were my best friend and brought me some relief from the all-day sickness.
Comment by Emily Roemmich on 29 May 2009:
@Milk and Honey Mama
Haha, I went from a size A to a D! Very painful…but they have gone back down.
Comment by Laura F on 29 May 2009:
You looked great!
I gained 49lbs. Yipes. I’m the same height as you, so I obviously went a bit [ok, a lot!] high. I was suffering from some serious morning sickness [right up until I was in labour], so my body basically just stored what little food it got in. It didn’t help that all I could eat for weeks at a time was pizza, peaches or white bread!
Comment by Diaries of a Domestic Goddess on 29 May 2009:
With my son I gained 55lbs. I was extremely swollen and lost 25 lbs in two weeks after he was born.
With my daughter I only gained 18lbs but I was on the diabetic diet so my food was pretty restricted.
Comment by Emily on 30 May 2009:
With my 1st 2 babies I gained about 35 pounds each, and I didn’t eat because I knew I could gain weight. I was very careful about what I ate and how much I ate. I am pregnant with baby #3 and going into this pregancy I wanted to keep my weight gain to about 20-25 pounds. I am currently doing very well being at the 1/2 way point and my OB is very happy with it.
Comment by Amber! on 31 May 2009:
I gained between 30-35 pounds for all three of my kiddos. It has taken a bit of a toll as I need to lose 15 pounds now, and my baby is 9 months old. No more excuses! Time to hit the gym.
Comment by Letessha on 20 June 2009:
I gained around 30 pounds with my baby and lost some of the weight. I still need to work on getting the rest off, get myself back on my treadmill…
Comment by Melissa O. on 22 June 2009:
My first pregnancy I gained 70lbs!!! But I was young and lost it all plus 15 by the time he was 18 months. My second I was cautious and only gained 35lbs even though my daughter was over 9lbs at birth. Fast forward 8 years and my third pregnancy after so long I forgot to be cautious and put on 55lbs of which I have 17 still to lose
My son is 14 months and I am still breastfeeding which with each baby prevented me from losing it all until I weaned. It’s very frustrating. I want one more baby when I lose all this fat and I am going to ban myself from dark chocolate!
Comment by Jessica on 14 July 2009:
I’m 27 weeks and i’ve only gained about 8 pounds. i weighed 122, now i weigh 130. The doctor told me today that my baby only weighs 1 pound and 14 ounces. i don’t understand..i eat all the time..i eat everything!