Pregnancy can be an edgy time for the ladies. It is most likely the time when they would like to keep their health under the strictest control – and it is in those times they can be a tiny bit too sharp on controlling everything, including their size. So despite what their doctor will most likely tell them – that there is no right size at any given time, because it is all so different from pregnancy to pregnancy – there may be a few comforting guidelines after all. And this is exactly what this article deals with.
History
Diets for pregnant women have been so different during the history of medicine, that they sometimes even contradict each other in comparison. Throughout the 19th and a good deal of the 20th century doctors prescribed pretty restrictive diets for pregnant women due to complications they predicted they'd be facing otherwise. During the 70s, though, a statistic showing low birth weights has proven this counterproductive, and the recommended diet was immediately changed to a significantly milder one.
Misconceptions
There is a popular misconception that a pregnant woman is eating for two, and should thus indulge her enormous appetite which is triggered and lasts throughout the first trimester. And nothing could be further from the truth. Whilst abstinence is not a good idea, a carefully managed diet is. That means that a pregnant woman ought to eat food which will gain useful weight and not just body fat.
Warning
One should always consult one's doctor about a proper diet, because the consequences of an improper one may be graver than expected, some of which may involve gestational diabetes, which in turn may lead to excessive birth weight among other complications for both mother and child.
Even though each mother should consult her doctor concerning the weight gain, here is a quoted statistic that shows average weight gain per week:
Week 1 to 4 -- not enough change in mother to notice yet; baby grows to about 0.014 to 0.04 inches.
Weeks 5 to 8 -- mother may have gained a few pounds by now; baby is about 1/2 to 3/4 inches.
Weeks 9 to 12 -- mother's clothes become uncomfortable; baby is 2 1/2 inches crown to rump, 1/3 to 1/2 oz.
Weeks 13 to 16 -- mother has gained about 7 lbs.; baby is 4 1/2 to 4 2/3 inches, 2 3/4 oz.
Weeks 17 to 20 -- mother has gained 8 to 14 lbs.; baby is 5 2/3 to 6 1/2 inches, 9 oz.
Weeks 21 to 24 -- mother has gained 12 to 15 lbs.; baby is about 8 1/2 inches, 1 1/4 lbs.
Weeks 25 to 28 -- mother has gained 17 to 24 lbs.; baby is about 15 3/4 inches crown to heel, 2 1/2 lbs.
Weeks 29 to 32 -- mother has gained 21 to 27 lbs.; baby is nearly 19 inches, 4 lbs.
Weeks 33 to 36 -- mother has gained 24 to 29 lbs.; baby is 20 3/4 inches, 6 lbs.
Weeks 37 to 40 -- mother has gained 25 to 35 lbs.; baby is 21 1/2 inches, 7 1/2 lbs.
Considerations
Many women are concerned about their figure after labor, and thus may restrict themselves to extreme diet. Whilst it is true that weight loss upon labor may not be the easiest thing in the world, statistics have proven that most weight gained during pregnancy does well for the baby and is thus surely of higher priority to some extra hours of working out afterward.
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