Although it is a common conception that pregnancy causes weight gain that is very tough to work off later on, that is not entirely true looking at so many types of body forms.
So, how much weight do you gain during pregnancy?
Conception occurs when a female egg moves to her fallopian tubes, where it meets sperm. The fertilization process occurs (merging the excel with the sperm cell).
This creates an embryo that fixes itself inside the uterus onto the uterine wall.
The embryo receives all kinds of nourishment here and starts its journey of developing into a fully human baby. As soon as the embryo gets planted, many changes occur in a woman’s body.
How Much Weight do you Gain During Pregnancy? 5 Amazing Facts!
The change process begins with the secretion of HCG or human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, which helps a woman’s body to change for pregnancy.
This article will discuss the changes that take place in your body post-conception, from hormones to how much weight you gain during pregnancy.
1. Conception

Fertilization or conception occurs when the egg in a female’s body joins the sperm from the male’s body. This is the very first event on which pregnancy depends.
Menstruation determines pregnancy and fertilization for a woman. A woman’s menstruation can determine whether fertilization will occur or not because during mensuration each month, ovulation or the release of the egg takes place inside a woman’s body.
The sperm can meet the egg only after ovulation when it is released and covers its journey into the fallopian tubes.
The production of sperm takes place in the testicles of men, and they get released during ejaculation. During copulation, the sperms reach the fallopian tubes through the cervix for fertilization.
If fertilization occurs, the zygote moves to the uterus and gets implanted if fertilization does not occur, the egg and the sperm dissolve.
The egg, after fertilization, starts to get called a zygote, and after the cell of this zygote gets divided into about 100 different cells, it starts to get called a blastocyst. Which then attaches itself to the endometrium wall of the uterus.
After getting implanted, the cells keep dividing and forming the features and finally develop into a proper baby.
The process of conception takes place about 21 days after the first day of the month’s menstrual cycle.
The chances of a woman conceiving happen to be low, it only happens 30% to 35% of the time. This percentage keeps decreasing with age.
Conception may be affected by low sperm mobility, sperm count, anovulation, etc.
2. Signs Of Pregnancy

The process of conception takes place about 21 days after the first day of the month’s menstrual cycle. If fertilization occurs, the zygote moves to the uterus and gets implanted.
There are various signs related to pregnancy that occur after implantation. These signs include:
A missing period is one of the first and most important signs of pregnancy. If fertilization occurs after ovulation, a woman will likely miss her period for the next nine months.
This happens due to the release of several hormones like HCG or the human chorionic gonadotropin hormone, which prepares a woman’s body for pregnancy by making the ovaries stop releasing eggs every month.
On missing periods, women are advised to perform a pregnancy test with the pregnancy test kits.
• Nausea is another sign of pregnancy. Due to the release of various hormones, nausea, morning sickness, and vomiting occur in the early stages of pregnancy. Pregnant women may feel nauseous during the first nine weeks of pregnancy.
To deal with nausea during pregnancy, women are advised to eat a few biscuits or a bowl of fresh fruit before leaving the bed in the morning. Drinking plenty of water is also advised.
• Frequent cramps and implantation bleeding are also signs of pregnancy. Implantation bleeding happens to be a fair amount of bleeding or spotting occurring for less than two days. This might cause uterine cramps.
Pregnant women are required to avoid smoking and drinking during implantation bleeding, and tampons are also forbidden. If the bleeding is too much, seeing a healthcare provider is advised.
• Experiencing fatigue is also very common during pregnancy. A pregnant woman may feel tired all day due to high progesterone levels in the blood.
• The increase in heart rate is also very common during the early stages of pregnancy due to hormones.
• Mood changes also occur extensively during pregnancy due to high progesterone and estrogen levels in the blood. Anxiety and irritability are also really common during pregnancy.
• Bloating, Constipation, and frequent urination also occur during pregnancy. This also occurs due to the increase of progesterone and estrogen secretion.
• Pregnant women may develop an aversion to certain foods, and they also develop smell sensitivity during pregnancy.
3. Do’s and Don’ts During Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a very important stage in a woman’s life, and to pass the stage successfully, many things must be kept in mind. These include:
• Consuming a balanced diet containing whole grains is required to fulfill the body’s needs during pregnancy. This can also help a woman with pregnancy weight gain.
Consuming food rich in calcium, iron, healthy fats, and folic acid is a must as they have a huge hand in the development of the fetus as they cause healthy weight gain. Doses of multivitamins like DHA or EPA, as prescribed by the health care provider, must also be consumed.
• Getting lots of rest when fatigue kicks in is also important during pregnancy. 8 to 10 hours of sleep is a must during pregnancy. Adequate sleep can also help pregnant in weight gain.
• A pregnant woman is supposed to practice yoga and follow a light workout routine. Gentle yoga poses specially designed for pregnant women must be practiced for the healthy growth of the fetus. This can also help women in losing too much weight.
• Smoking must be avoided during pregnancy because it can affect the weight of the fetus and expose it to various disabilities.
• Alcohol consumption must also be stopped completely as it can give the fetus FAS or fetal alcohol syndrome.
• Pregnant women must not consume raw or undercooked meat or eggs as it can increase the chances of food poisoning and cause various other severe issues.
• Pregnant women are advised not to consume much caffeine as it can increase the fetus’ heart rate.
4. How Much Weight do you Gain During Pregnancy?

Weight gain during pregnancy is important as it signifies that the fetus is getting a healthy diet to grow. Pregnant women must consume 300 extra calories daily to gain the right weight while pregnant.
An average weight gain in a pregnant woman should be about 25 extra pounds after getting pregnant; women who are overweight need to gain about 15 to 20 pounds, whereas underweight women need to gain 35 to 40 pounds after getting pregnant.
Most pregnant women gain about 4 pounds in the first few months of their pregnancy and almost one pound every week, which is about to follow.
Women expecting twins may gain about 1.5 pounds every week after the first three months of the pregnancy.
This means that while carrying twins, women require almost 3,000 extra calories a day to acquire the required amount of pregnancy weight gain, as twins may cause premature birth.
The weight of the baby, the weight of the placenta, the weight of the amniotic fluid, the weight of blood, the weight of the extra body fat, and the weight of the expanded uterus all contribute to making the extra 30 pounds a woman is supposed to gain during pregnancy.
Women, while pregnant, only gain weight throughout; if a woman happens to be losing weight, she must see her health care provider.
4.1 How to Gain Proper Weight During Pregnancy?
Weight gain during pregnancy is important as it signifies that the fetus is getting a healthy diet to grow.
A pregnant woman must consume 300 more calories in a day than before to gain the right weight.
An average pregnant woman should gain about 25 pounds after getting pregnant; women who are overweight must gain about 15 to 20 pounds, whereas underweight women must gain 35 to 40 pounds after getting pregnant.
Therefore pregnant women need to focus on how to gain weight properly during pregnancy. To gain weight properly, a pregnant woman must eat healthy food and eat frequently.
Eating smaller meals frequently can help pregnant women gain more calories all day. Taking meals is the best way to safely gain weight without getting nauseous.
Pregnant women must always carry food for snacking throughout the day as soon as they feel hungry.
They can carry carrots, nuts, dried fruits, and more. Apart from these; pregnant women must also add supplements to their meals, like protein powders or bars, to add the required calories.
If a woman is facing trouble while taking the prescribed amount of calories throughout the day, she can consume high-calorie drinks to help with weight gain. High-calorie drinks include smoothies and protein shakes.
4.2 Foods To Avoid
Most pregnant women gain about 4 pounds in the first few months of their pregnancy, and almost one pound every week is about to follow.
Women expecting twins may gain about 1.5 pounds every week after the first three months of the pregnancy. This means that while carrying twins, women require almost 3,000 extra calories daily to acquire their required weight gain during pregnancy.
So, for this healthy weight gain, pregnant women must consume a balanced diet properly, but certain foods are to be avoided during pregnancy for the child’s healthy development. These include:
• Fishes like tuna, swordfish, marlin, and tilefish are to be avoided as they may have high mercury levels. Mercury is poisonous and can affect not only the mother’s health but also her baby’s health.
• Eating raw fish can also increase the chances of several bacterial infections that may cause weight loss and weakness. This happens because raw fish may contain infection if not cooked, this also applies to raw meat.
• Pregnant women also avoid eating raw sprouts like bean sprouts, radishes, clover, etc., in regular salad dressings or other forms, as bacteria may contaminate them.
• Pregnant women also avoid consuming unpasteurized dairy or fruit drinks as they may contain various bacteria like salmonella, which may cause various infections.
• Pregnant women must also avoid eating fast food, soft drinks, or other sweetened drinks, as fried foods and carbonated drinks can cause excess weight gain in the calculator to cause various complications in the growing baby.
5. Post-Pregnancy Healthcare

Once the baby has been delivered successfully, several changes occur in a woman’s body; therefore, special care must be taken to stay healthy during this stage.
• After delivering the baby, the mother is required to take lots of rest. The mother must sleep as much as possible to compensate for all the tiredness she has experienced during her maternity leave.
• After delivering the baby, the mother must consume a healthy diet high in protein to compensate for all the loss she has lost after delivering the child.
• The mother must join a post-pregnancy exercise program a few weeks after delivering the child. This can help the mother refresh her mind and lose weight.
• Post-pregnancy depression and anxiety are really common, so special attention must be provided to the mother by other family members to provide emotional support.
6. Frequently Asked Questions
- Is it necessary to eat for two for pregnancy weight gain?
There is no need to ‘eat for two’ for pregnancy weight gain; eating healthy is enough for weight gain and can guarantee a healthy pregnancy. Eating too much can lead to weight gain and cause many health problems.
2. How much weight do you gain during pregnancy?
Pregnancy weight gain in women should be about 25 pounds more than their normal weight after getting pregnant.
Women who are overweight need to gain about 15 to 20 pounds, whereas, during pregnancy, underweight women need to gain 35 to 40 pounds after getting pregnant.
3. Where does all the weight go after pregnancy?
The baby’s weight, the placenta, the amniotic fluid, the blood, the extra body fat, and the expanded uterus are responsible for pregnancy weight gain.
After delivering the baby these reduce significantly, hence women lose weight suddenly.
4. Is it easy to gain the recommended weight?
About 30% of women attain the recommended weight gain during pregnancy.
EndNote
While pregnant, the last thing you need to worry about is gaining weight. You can always work off the extra calories after you give birth to your healthy baby, don’t forget that.
Stay safe and healthy!
Check out more about weight loss.
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Last Updated on June 14, 2023 by somya909