Weight gain during pregnancy

How to keep your pregnancy weight gain within a healthy range.

Putting on weight is a normal and unavoidable part of pregnancy. ‘Eating for two’ has become an often-repeated mantra that seems to have followed pregnant women around for decades, but while it sounds like it might make sense, it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Every woman is different, and there are many factors that affect how much weight you put on, but it’s true for all pregnant women that uncontrolled eating and weight gain can cause real problems down the track. Here's how to keep it in check.

 

A pregnant woman on the couch

What’s the ideal amount?

The ideal amount of weight gain during pregnancy very much depends on your pre-pregnancy weight. It’s usually calculated based on your body mass index (BMI), but as a guide, women within the healthy weight range (BMI 18.5-24.9) should aim to gain somewhere between 11.5 and 16 kg. It’s recommended that women who are overweight or obese gain between 5 and 11.5 kg, whereas women who are underweight should look to gain between 12.5 and 18 kg.

 

How much weight should you gain during pregnancy?

Use our healthy weight gain during pregnancy calculator to check that you're on track, from conception to delivery.

How much more do you need to eat?

In the first trimester, there’s no need to increase how much you eat — just make sure you eat plenty of foods from the five different food groups, especially those that are rich in folate, iodine, protein, iron and zinc.

After you pass the 12-week mark you will need to eat a bit more. If you are in the healthy weight range, you’ll need about the same amount of extra calories that you’d find in a cheese and tomato sandwich on whole grain bread—or peanut-butter and banana on whole grain, if that’s more your style. If your body mass index fell into the obese range before pregnancy, you’d need to eat about as much energy/kilojoules as you’d find in one slice of bread or two apples—according to the New Zealand guidelines for healthy weight gain in pregnancy, which were published in 2014 and are referred to on the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists website.

Stay active during pregnancy

Staying fit and active is important throughout your life, and almost all women can and should exercise throughout their pregnancy. As well as helping you to maintain a healthy weight, which will make it easier for you to return to your pre-pregnancy weight, regular exercise also means you’re less likely to develop gestational diabetes. For more tips on how to stay active and healthy during pregnancy, read the article 'How to exercise safely during pregnancy'.

 


Need a little extra support?

Health Concierge

Eligible members with hospital cover can now talk to a member of our Health Concierge team for advice and guidance on how to have a healthy pregnancy, at no extra cost on 1800 789 414.#

Got a health question? 24/7 Medibank nurse phone service

Members with hospital cover can chat to experienced and qualified nurses over the phone to discuss any health questions or concerns and get professional advice on what to do next. Our nurses are available on 1800 644 325~ for round-the-clock health advice.

Medibank Mental Health Phone Support

Members with Hospital cover can talk with a mental health professional over the phone in relation to any mental health or emotional concern, 24 hours a day 7 days a week by calling 1800 644 325.~

Looking for something else?

Visit Medibank Planning, Pregnancy and Parenting for a range of tools and advice to help you at every stage of your pregnancy journey.


Help the way you want it

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Call us on 134 190 to speak to a consultant. Alternatively, chat to us 24/7 online.

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Things you should know

~ OSHC members should call the Student Health and Support Line on 1800 887 283.

# Health Concierge is available to all eligible Medibank members who hold hospital cover. Excludes Overseas Visitor Health Cover, Working Visa Health Cover and Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC). Some referred services may involve out of pocket costs.

While we hope you find this information helpful, please note that it is general in nature. It is not health advice, and is not tailored to meet your individual health needs. You should always consult a trusted health professional before making decisions about your health care. While we have prepared the information carefully, we can’t guarantee that it is accurate, complete or up-to-date. And while we may mention goods or services provided by others, we aren’t specifically endorsing them and can’t accept responsibility for them. For these reasons we are unable to accept responsibility for any loss that may be sustained from acting on this information (subject to applicable consumer guarantees).