Being pregnant is often considered the best phase of a woman’s life. This is the only time when you don’t have to worry about ‘that time of the month’, can eat as much as you want and not worry about being fat, and best of all, flaunt your belly with pride!

However, gaining weight doesn’t mean you start bingeing, since once you’re through with being pregnant, you will want to lose all the extra kilos eventually.  Every woman has a certain Body Mass Index, or BMI, and, depending on the height and current weight, one should put on between 11 to 13 kilos during her pregnancy, on an average.

If you’re underweight, you will be asked to put on more, and vice versa if you’re overweight. Essentially, if you put on 1 to 2 kilos every month, after your 1st trimester, it is considered healthy.

Underweight women are usually supplemented with vitamins, iron capsules and other medicines to help retain body strength. Women carrying twins or triplets will need to gain more weight understandably.

Don’t feel disheartened when you see the weight machine needle jumping ahead. It is important to understand gaining weight is necessary for the development of the baby. After all, there’s a new human growing inside you that will need all the nutrition you can provide, to develop a healthy body.

Underweight babies will need more care post birth, and have a higher chance of developing neonatal problems, even foetal death.

Gaining weight is not as tough as it may seem. Your body will demand more food and nutrients, but that doesn’t mean you eat twice as much. The best way to gain weight consistently is to have smaller meals spaced frequently during the day.

  • Remember to have lots of milk and milk products for a steady supply of calcium.
  • Avoid canned juices and soft drinks as they are just empty calories with negligible nutritional value.
  • Go for fresh juices, shakes and drink lots of water.
  • This is the time when you can binge on cakes, cookies, chocolates and some of your other favourite foods.
  • It’s best to stick to home food, but if you have to go out, choose a place where you can get fresh food.
  • Include meats and eggs in your diet, barring a few types of fish.
  • Do not underestimate the value of fruits, they are filling and rich in nutrients. Strawberries are a good source of Vitamin C while apples will provide much needed iron.

Remember, if you eat and gain weight in a healthy way, it will be much easier for you to get back in shape post your baby’s delivery. So go ahead and enjoy this lovely phase while it lasts!