Gaining Enough Weight?Dear Anai, How much weight should I put on? What is normal? Answer: How much weight to gain depends on how much you weighed before conception. One way to determine if you were of average weight for your height, is through BMI (body mass index). The pattern for weight gain throughout pregnancy is about 3 lbs in the first trimester, 11 lbs in the second, and 11 lbs in the third. The formula for body mass index is: BMI equals weight (in pounds) divided by height (in inches) squared, and then multiplied by 700. For an average woman who is 5' 5" and weighs 145 lbs, the equation would look like this: 145 divided by 4225 X 700 = 24. If your BMI was less than 19.8, you were considered underweight, so the recommended weight gain for you now would be 28 to 40 pounds. If your BMI was between 19.9 and 26, you were considered normal weight, and the recommended weight gain would be 25 to 35 pounds. If your BMI was 26 to 29, you fall into the overweight category, and the recommended weight gain would be 15 to 25 pounds. And women with a BMI greater than 29 need only gain 15 pounds or less. Copyright ©1997 Anai Rhoads.
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