Pregnancy is an incredible time for a women’s body. Think of all the adaptations that must happen. The body has to support and develop the foetus, it has to prepare for childbirth and it has to ready itself to continue to support the baby once it has left the womb. And to do this it will need to gain weight.
An average woman will gain 12.5kg during pregnancy, approx. 2kg in the first trimester and then between 300gm to 500gm per month I n the second and third trimesters.
And where does all this weight go?
❖ The average baby roughly weighs 3.5kg
❖ The development of the placenta and amniotic fluid, as well as the muscular layer around your uterus, so the womb itself is about 2.4kg.
❖ To supply your baby/placenta with nutrients your body will increase your blood volume approximately 1.5L.
❖ There will also be an increased amount of other bodily fluids 1kg.
❖ In preparation for breast feeding you will start to develop additional breast tissue, an extra 1.1kg, and your body will create fat and protein stores to give you the energy for breastfeeding, which is about 3kg!
So as your body changes, expect your weight to change. It can be hard as we normally feel that we can control weight through diet and exercise, but this is not the time to worry.
If you have any questions regarding weight gain during pregnancy ask your primary carer, and if you have any questions regarding exercise during pregnancy you can ask our Physiotherapist at Bend + Mend in Sydney’s CBD.
Average numbers were taken from here and Royal Women’s Hospital factsheets.
