Weight Gain during Pregnancy
Weight gain during pregnancy is very important irrespective to your pre-pregnancy weight. However your pre-pregnancy weight would determine how much weight you need to gain during the course of pregnancy. An overweight women should not diet during pregnancy in fact gaining weight during this period is important; a weight gain of at least 114-15 pounds is expected. Women who are underweight need to gain more weight. A healthy women with an ideal body weight need to gain at least 20-25 pounds by the end of nine months to ensure proper growth of the baby. These needs are for women who are expecting a single child; the ones with multiples need to gain even more. Gaining weight during pregnancy is important for both, the mother and the baby. A mother with low weight gain or who restricts food in the diet tend to have a smaller, sick baby which needs frequent hospital visits. Eating for two, this does not mean that you should double up your calories, in fact there is only 200-300 calories extra required to support baby growth, and the important factor is quality food. Make a pregnancy diet calorie dense which is high in whole cereals, pulses, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, eggs, fish and poultry. The consumption of junk foods and sweets should be restricted as far as possible.
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