Pregnancy is not a time for dieting. It is a time for revamping your eating habits if they aren't already the best they can be. Please look up my article in the archives of Weight Loss Coach (Pregnancy and Weight Loss), which lists recommendations for healthy eating and supplement programs during pregnancy. I urge you to read it.

As far as weight gain, expect to gain somewhere in the vicinity of 30 pounds by the end of your pregnancy -- most of which is in the last two trimesters. About seven of these pounds are the fetus; the enlarged uterus accounts for another two pounds and the placenta and amniotic fluid contribute about one pound each. About four to eight pounds of fluid are added as extra blood and extra-cellular fluid, plus about four pounds of body fat. Please remember that these are general figures, and are of course variable from person to person.

The way you eat during pregnancy may have a greater effect on the health of the person you're bringing into the world than almost anything else you do. Pregnancy is not a time to try and lose weight, especially on the silly "super-low fat" diets that are thankfully being re-examined. For example, the long chain omega-3 fat DHA found in cold water fish like salmon is a big part of your baby's forming brain.

Pregnancy is, may I repeat, a time to eat healthier and better than you ever have in your life. The results will be well worth it, and you can work on getting your body back to where you want it after your baby is born.

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