Healthy weight in pregnancy

Everyone’s body shape during pregnancy is different and perhaps the changes occurring in your body have made you more aware of these differences. The size and position of your bump, the weight gain or shape changes in other areas of your body can all vary from person to person. However, being aware of your body weight during pregnancy is important for everyone as this can affect the health of you and your baby.

If you are thinking about becoming pregnant and you don’t eat as well as you could, this is a really great time to start thinking about your diet. Making some simple positive diet and lifestyle changes can help to ensure your body is best prepared for pregnancy. For example, women entering pregnancy with a healthy weight have a lower risk of pregnancy complications and adverse outcomes compared with women who are underweight or overweight.

If you are pregnant – congratulations! This is not a time to diet or lose weight but a good time to look after yourself and your baby by eating healthily and keeping active. This can not only help you feel better, but can also help you manage your pregnancy weight.

You will gain weight in pregnancy – that’s natural. But keeping your weight gain to a healthy level, by eating well and keeping active, will be good for you and your baby.

Here we have collected a few commonly asked questions about body weight in pregnancy. 

Will I be weighed during pregnancy?

It is likely that your height and weight will be measured by your midwife at the beginning of your pregnancy (at the booking appointment, between 8 and 12 weeks of pregnancy). Your body mass index (BMI) will be calculated to work out whether you are a healthy weight for your height. Don’t worry, this is not to judge you, it is to make sure they can provide the best care and advice for you and your baby.

What is a healthy weight?

People who have a healthy weight before or in the beginning stages of pregnancy have a BMI of between 18.5 and 25 kg/m2

• A BMI of under 18.5 is classified as underweight
• A BMI of over 25 is defined as overweight
• A BMI of over 30 is defined as obese

What kind of complications during pregnancy are related to a larger body weight?

Some of these can be really serious and include things like gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure), miscarriage and the need for a Caesarean delivery. Health problems for your baby in the short-term and/or in later life may also be more likely. However, larger pregnant women may be able to reduce their risk of these complications by managing their weight gain during pregnancy through eating healthily, keeping active and remembering not to fall in the trap of eating for two! Remember though that weight loss during pregnancy is not advisable as this may harm the health of your baby.

What should I do if I’m overweight and pregnant? Is it safe to lose weight during pregnancy?

If you are a larger pregnant woman, you may have to be careful you don’t gain too much extra weight during pregnancy. This is particularly the case if you had a BMI of 30 or over before you became pregnant. By eating healthily and keeping active you may be able to have a more enjoyable pregnancy, reduce the risk of complications during pregnancy and childbirth and have a healthier baby. You may also have less weight to lose after the baby is born. However, pregnancy is not a time for dieting and losing weight. Normal weight gain in pregnancy is a result of your body changing to support the growing baby and dieting won’t stop this happening. In addition, restricting your intake may mean you are not getting all the nutrients you and your baby need and ‘crash’ or severely restricted diets may harm the development of your baby. Despite the risks associated with obesity in pregnancy, there is no conclusive evidence to date that losing weight during pregnancy will reduce these risks and it is important you focus on healthy eating rather than reducing your weight.