Pregnancy weight gain recommendations

Gaining the recommended weight during pregnancy is essential to prevent pregnancy complications. The amount of weight gained during pregnancy can affect the immediate and future health of a woman and her infant.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM), made some recommendations concerning weight gain in pregnancy. More recently, they were reaffirmed by ACOG. Here are the most current IOM recommendations:

Depending on how much a woman weighed before getting pregnant, the IOM recommended weight gain for each category of pre-pregnancy BMI in singleton pregnancies as follows:

• Underweight (< 18.5 kg/m2); total weight gain range: 28 to 40 pounds
• Normal weight (18.5 - 24.9 kg/m2); total weight gain range: 25 to 35 pounds
• Overweight (25.0 - 29.9 kg/m2); total weight gain range: 15 to 25 pounds
• Obese (≥ 30.0 kg/m2); total weight gain range: 11 to 20 pounds

What is a normal pregnancy weight gain?

Your pregnancy weight gain depends on how much you weigh when you start your pregnancy. One way to look at your weight is to weigh yourself in pounds (lb) or kilograms (kg). But then your height is also important, so calculating the body mass index (BMI) becomes important to know whether you are underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.  

Calculate your BMI!

For twin pregnancy, the IOM recommends a gestational weight gain of 16.8–24.5 kg (37–54 lb) for women of normal weight, 14.1–22.7 kg (31–50 lb) for overweight women, and 11.3–19.1 kg (25–42 lb) for obese women. The IOM guidelines recognize that data are insufficient to determine the amount of weight women with multifetal (triplet and higher order) gestations should gain.