By Mayo Clinic Staff. Show references Frequently asked questions. Labor, delivery, and postpartum care FAQ Exercise after pregnancy. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.
Accessed June 13, Department of Health and Human Services and U. Department of Agriculture. Artal R. Exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Berens P. Overview of postpartum care: Physiology, complications, and maternal care.
Garner CD. Nutrition in pregnancy. Accessed June 14, Weight loss while breastfeeding. United States Department of Agriculture. See also Baby brain Breast-feeding and medications Breast-feeding nutrition: Tips for moms Breast-feeding support C-section recovery Eating the placenta Exercise after pregnancy Getting in shape after having a baby Kegel exercises Lactation suppression Low milk supply Returning to work after maternity leave Postpartum care: After a vaginal delivery Postpartum complications Pregnancy and breast-feeding with psoriasis Sagging breasts after breast-feeding Sex after pregnancy: Set your own timeline Show more related content.
And although a weight gain of 25 to 35 lbs. As illustrated in the infographic below, pregnancy pounds also come from the placenta , the growing uterus and growing breasts, and increased blood and fluid volume in the woman's body.
And yes, added fat also weighs in. In addition, some studies suggest that gaining too much weight during pregnancy increases the likelihood of a cesarean-section delivery , according to the review. While C-sections are generally considered safe, they do carry additional risks compared with vaginal births. For example, a C-section is a major surgical procedure, and having a C-section for a first birth can often lead to repeat C-sections in future deliveries.
According to the IOM, one of the major reasons women should limit their weight gain during pregnancy is to reduce risks to the baby's health. Metabolic syndrome is a combination of medical issues that include high blood pressure, a large waist circumference and low levels of "good" cholesterol.
Finally, gaining too much weight during pregnancy also may be associated with preeclampsia , the authors wrote. Preeclampsia is a serious complication that can develop during pregnancy when a woman has both high blood pressure and excess levels of protein in her urine. It can put both the mother and the baby at risk.
But the amount of weight a woman gains should not be spread equally over the three trimesters of pregnancy. The IOM advises women to gain between 1. Then, during both the second and third trimesters, women are advised to gain 0. The IOM advises that, during these trimesters, underweight and normal-weight women gain 1 lb.
But a key point for expecting women to keep in mind is that the amount of weight gained during pregnancy is associated with the amount of weight lost afterward — quite strongly, in fact. Jacinda Nicklas, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and the lead author of the review. Oken agreed. But despite the risks associated with gaining too much weight during pregnancy , between 40 and 60 percent of women gain more than the guidelines recommend.
To keep weight gain within a healthy range, a woman should certainly not be "eating for two," experts say. A woman needs "close to zero extra calories in the first trimester," Rasmussen said. Even so, a lot of the "overgain" that women experience happens in that first trimester, she said. Indeed, studies show that despite recommendations that women gain the least amount of weight during the first trimester, in reality, this is often the trimester when the largest amount of excessive weight gain pounds gained above the recommended levels occurs.
And doing so can have negative consequences. Too much weight gain in the first trimester was also linked to higher blood pressure after pregnancy than was weight gain in the second or third trimesters. The excess weight gained above the recommended amount during the first trimester is primarily fat, as opposed to weight from the fetus, the placenta or extra fluid in the woman's body because these weigh very little at this point in the pregnancy , according to the researchers.
Unlike fluid and nonfat tissue, this fat gain is likely more difficult to lose after pregnancy, according to the researchers. For example, women who experience the fatigue that is very common in the first trimester may overeat; other women may experience nausea that's helped by snacking, she said.
And "in some cases, women might think that, 'Well, now that I'm pregnant, weight gain is expected, so I don't need to think so much about what I'm eating,'" Oken said.
It's these women whom doctors especially want to educate about healthy weight gain during pregnancy, she added. However, "many women don't see their OBs [obstetricians] until the end of the first trimester, so we need to get the word out" in other ways, Oken said. In order to keep weight gain within the guidelines, Oken recommends that women focus on eating nutrient-dense foods , including fruit, dairy products and nuts, and especially avoid "empty" calories or extra desserts. Also, pregnant women should try to avoid drinking their calories in sugar-sweetened beverages, and instead make sure to drink plenty of water, as the symptoms of thirst such as fatigue and irritability can sometimes be mistaken for hunger, she said.
Pregnancy can be stressful, and focusing so much on being perfect causes needless worrying during pregnancy, said Katherine Tallmadge, a registered dietitian and an op-ed contributor to Live Science. It's OK to indulge occasionally, but it's still important to be smart about such indulgences in order to avoid overgaining, Tallmadge told Live Science.
So, when moms-to-be treat themselves, they should try for smaller amounts or stay on the healthier side of the "treat," she said. For example, if you're craving pizza, go for vegetable, she said. Women who have gained too much shouldn't get discouraged, because everyone gains weight at different rates, Nicklas said.
Women who do gain too much early on in pregnancy should try to slow their rate of weight gain as their pregnancy progresses, she said. Women who have a BMI greater than 35 before getting pregnant may not have to gain any weight during pregnancy, she said. However, doctors don't recommend that women intentionally try to lose weight during pregnancy, Nicklas added.
After giving birth, the last thing that's likely on a new mom's mind is going on a diet. And according to Cheryl Lovelady, a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, that's just fine. Of course, a woman will immediately lose some of the pregnancy weight simply by giving birth — namely, the weight of the baby, the placenta and the amniotic fluid.
And over the next few weeks, a woman can also expect to lose the weight of the extra fluid in her body that built up during pregnancy. After the fluid is gone, what remains is the extra fat that the woman added during pregnancy. If you gained more than the recommended amount of weight during your pregnancy, for instance, it could take extra time — from 10 months to two years — to bounce back.
Keep in mind, too, that even once you reach that familiar number on the scale, your body might not look exactly as it did. Some women notice that their belly is softer, their hips are wider or their breasts are smaller particularly if they breast-fed after having a baby. All these changes are the result of the incredible physical feat of growing your child and bringing her into the world — and they deserve to be celebrated. It can. Your body burns between and calories per day making breast milk , which come from your diet as well as the fat you stored during pregnancy.
That calorie-burning boost is enough to help some moms get back to their pre-pregnancy weight without doing much else. Breastfeeding also stimulates the release of hormones that help shrink your uterus and your post-baby belly.
That amped-up appetite is completely normal — your body needs more calories to fuel your milk production. Moms often find that they shed those last few pounds once they stop nursing and their appetites return to normal.
Just be sure you don't continue to eat the extra to calories a day after you're finished breastfeeding. But steer clear of crash diets that promise faster weight loss — they could affect how much milk you produce.
This confusion can actually slow down your metabolism, making it harder to shed those extra pounds in the long run. Your doctor can help determine exactly how many calories you should be eating, since the number will vary depending on your BMI before pregnancy and your activity level.
To put things into perspective, the average woman needs about 2, calories a day, and breastfeeding women should tack on an extra to calories to maintain their current weight. To lose a pound, though, you need to create a calorie deficit of 3, calories per week, or calories fewer per day, by eating less or exercising more — which means the average breastfeeding woman would be back at 2, calories per day to lose about a pound a week.
Strive to have moderate portions of foods like:. Getting moving can help support your weight loss efforts and give you a much-needed energy boost.
If you had a C-section or experienced complications during birth, you may need to wait at least six weeks before resuming physical activity.
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