My doctor says I'm gaining too fast but I'm not eating more than usual. What are the actual guidelines?
WHO and ACOG guidelines based on pre-pregnancy BMI: Normal BMI (18.5–24.9): 11–16 kg total. Underweight (under 18.5): 12.5–18 kg. Overweight (25–29.9): 7–11 kg. Obese (30+): 5–9 kg. In the first trimester, most women gain 1–2 kg total. Then about 0.4–0.5 kg per week in second and third trimesters. Weight gain distribution: baby (~3.2 kg), placenta (~0.7 kg), amniotic fluid (~0.9 kg), uterus (~1 kg), blood volume increase (~1.8 kg), fluid retention (~1.8 kg), breast tissue (~0.9 kg), fat stores (~3 kg). Fast gain can signal fluid retention — worth checking blood pressure.
Don't obsess over the scale — week-to-week variation of 0.5–1 kg is completely normal due to fluid and food intake. Focus on eating nutrient-dense food rather than tracking every gram. Your OB tracks the trend over months, not individual weeks. If one week you gained 1.5 kg, that could easily be water retention from a salty meal.
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