Pregnancy Weight Gain

What This Tool Shows

During pregnancy, some weight gain is healthy and expected. It includes your baby, the placenta, extra blood and fluid, and stores for feeding later. How much is usually suggested depends on your weight before pregnancy.

This tool takes your height and that weight, works out your BMI before pregnancy, and shows the total gain usually suggested. For one baby, it also shows a guide for the week you are in, on a simple chart.

Where the Numbers Come From

The totals come from the US Institute of Medicine’s 2009 report on weight gain during pregnancy, which is widely used. For one baby, the suggested totals are 12.5 to 18 kg if underweight, 11.5 to 16 kg at a normal weight, 7 to 11.5 kg if overweight, and 5 to 9 kg with obesity.

For the weeks in between, the tool draws a straight line. It allows 0.5 to 2 kg by week 13, as ACOG suggests, and then rises steadily to the total at week 40. Please read this as a rough guide, since no one’s pregnancy follows a line, and this weekly figure isn’t itself a published table.

What This Tool Can’t Tell You

It can’t tell you whether your own pregnancy is going well. It doesn’t know about your blood pressure, your blood sugar, your baby’s growth, or how you feel. Your obstetrician sees all of that, so their advice always comes first, even where it differs from this page.

Please tell your doctor soon about any sudden weight gain, swelling, or trouble keeping food down, rather than waiting to compare numbers.

Eating Well Through Pregnancy

Regular meals with dal, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy, along with any supplements your doctor has prescribed, are a good place to start. Most days don’t need perfect food. Nausea, cravings, and tiredness are part of many pregnancies, and it is fine to take things a day at a time.

If you would like help with meals that suit your pregnancy, your family’s food, and any conditions such as gestational diabetes, a consultation can help, alongside your obstetrician’s care.