The health and weight of your baby at birth depend greatly on how much weight you gain over the course of your pregnancy. The weight of your baby factors into your weight gain, but your body also gains weight through its increase in blood volume — about 50 percent — as well as muscle, fluid, and tissue. Your body weight increases at a different rate depending on your stage of pregnancy. During the first trimester, weight gain is slow, about 2 to 4 pounds. During the last six months, weight gain should increase to about ½ to 1 pound per week, depending on your total target weight gain. Even though all women differ slightly, it is best to gain weight at a steady pace.

Your body weight before pregnancy will help to determine a healthy weight gain for you during pregnancy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends the following target weight gains for healthy women. Keep in mind that these are only guidelines and that every woman is unique.

*BMI, or body mass index, according to National Academy of Sciences classification. See Appendix B for instructions on calculating your body mass index.

Because all women are different, suggested weight gains are expressed in ranges. Shoot for your target weight gain, and if you are not sure where your pre-pregnancy weight falls, speak to your doctor or calculate your pre-pregnancy BMI in Appendix B.