Pregnancy - how much weight is right?
So you're expecting a baby. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the expecting mother and the to-be-born soul.
Sister Shivani on my show explained that the soul enters the body in the second month.
But we are more concerned about everyday things, such as how much weight you should gain during pregnancy. How much should you lose, and how long should you take?
There are specific guidelines depending on your current weight. Generally speaking you are asked to gain anywhere from 10 to 40 pounds depending on your current weight.
If you are heavier than the standard, they ask you to gain 10 pounds. If you are underweight, they ask you to gain up to 40 pounds.
However, as Doctor Nozer explained on my show, the ideal weight gain should be less, much less. He advocates for a weight gain equivalent to the baby's weight, and perhaps a little more.
In India, for example, most babies are born between 7 and 8 pounds. You should aim to gain perhaps a couple of pounds more than that. Excess weight can lead to a host of complications, such as gestational diabetes.
Once you have delivered, you should look to shed your weight. Weight loss post-delivery is a little more complicated.
You want to balance your goal of losing weight with the goal of feeding your child. If you are too aggressive, it could affect your ability to feed your child.
But remember, your child is very tiny and has a limited need for food. Experts recommend about 100–150 calories per kilogramme of weight.
So if your baby is 3 kilograms, she needs 450 calories at best. That's not a whole lot.
I see a lot of people overcompensating because of anxiety about feeding their children. They struggle to lose weight, and the weight stays for years.
Excess weight, as I have said many times, is not optical. It is a medical issue. Make sure you have a safe pregnancy, but be cautious about how much weight you gain and how long you keep it after.
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