When a woman gets pregnant, what seems to quickly follow the congratulations is advice. Do this. Do that. Don't do this. Don’t do that. In the midst of all of this confusion, women seem to hear the same thing time and again – eat more. You're eating for two now, they learn. But is this really the case? Recent studies are now pointing to the idea that perhaps it's not as simple (or as fun) as that. Too much weight gained during a pregnancy not only leads to more pounds to be taken off later, but it can also hurt a baby before they've even been born.

Eating for Two? Maybe Not

What a pregnant woman needs to know is that when they are pregnant, they do need to eat more in order to sustain their child's development and health. However, the amount of food one should eat to help one's child is not the same for every woman. The amount of food you should be eating as a pregnant woman depends on what weight you've started out at before you were pregnant. If you were underweight, you need to eat more. If you are normal weight, you need to eat a little more. And if you're overweight or obese, you should not be gaining much weight at all. If you stop to think about this, it does make sense.


The body only needs so much additional weight to support a child and if you're already carrying extra weight – that will help to support the child's health. You don't have to worry as much about putting on extra pounds then.

Of course, what you also need to keep in mind is that being overweight before and during your pregnancy doesn't mean that pregnancy is any time to begin a weight loss program. This is something you should never do. Your body needs to have the base amount of calories to support your child and your healthy – this is not a time for restriction, but rather a time for healthy food choices and gradual weight gain as needed.

Guidelines for Healthy Weight Gain During Your Pregnancy

Depending on your current weight now, you have a number of different levels at which you might gain weight.

• Underweight – 25 to 40 pounds
• Normal weight – 25 to 35 pounds
• Overweight – 15 to 25 pounds
• Obese – 11 to 20 pounds

As you can see, you always need to gain some weight, but it will vary depending on what you weight right now. Talking with your doctor about a reasonable weight gain goal will be a good way to ensure you're not eating too much for your child and for your body.

When you eat too much and gain too much weight, it will not only be harder to get back into shape, but you can also cause programs for yourself and for the fetus. The fetus can have troubles with being too big at the time of birth, causing a difficult labor and pregnancy. The pregnant woman might have a higher risk of blood clots, strokes, and even gestational diabetes. While these troubles may go away after the baby is born, caring for a child demands that you be in the best shape possible – so staying as close to your goal weight as possible will help to support your new parenting responsibilities.

How to Eat Well for the Both of You

Eating well does not have to be a challenge, even when you're pregnant. The goal is to eat about 300 calories more each and every day during your pregnancy. This will allow you to gain a moderate amount of weight, and you might have to adjust this caloric intake if your doctor notices you're gaining too much or too little during your 9 months.

Just like at any time of your life, it's crucial that you look at eating 5 to 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each and every day. These will provide you with the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals your body and your baby needs. Be certain to have 2 to 3 servings of low fat dairy each day. About 2 to 3 servings of proteins each day will also help you to nourish your child. Carbohydrates should be whole grain, whenever possible, and they can account for around 6 to 12 servings each day.

Making sure that each meal is balanced with as many food groups as possible is an easy way to achieve a healthy diet. And for those who do not eat meat, substituting soy products as well as nuts and beans will help you to give your baby all they need to grow strong.