How To Only Gain Baby Weight During Pregnancy

My mom always told me, “you eat for two when you are pregnant.” However, being in the health industry and having worked in Labor and Delivery early in my career, I knew this was not the right message to be sending out in the universe. I will say…I do eat a little differently compared to how I did pre-pregnancy, but the foundation has stayed the same.

I am in no way body shaming anyone, this is just a post that has been helping me not overindulge in sugar and frankly, helped me keep healthy for my little one. One caveat I do have, my diet has to be pretty strict on nutrients because I do have a Marginal Cord Insertion, meaning the umbilical cord is not in the center of the placenta and it is off to the side. No harm no foul…but it is harder for nutrients to get to the baby and in my head (again this is ALL ME) I am more comfortable reaching for the kale salad rather than the snickers bar when I am hungry.

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How Much Weight Gain is Healthy Weight Gain?

Below you will see a chart with numbers from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG). The chart shows the amount of total weight that should be gained for the different BMI levels and how much weight per week in the second and the third trimester. You can see the details here. A quick caveat, I do not fully believe in BMI (long story and too many nerdy details) however this is a good starting point to just see how much weight should be gained to have a healthy pregnancy.

What Has Helped Me Stay Within Weight Range During My Pregnancy

I am a little more than halfway through my pregnancy, at 22 weeks. I will say, I have been fortunate enough to work from home which makes pregnancy easier. However, now that COVID-19 restrictions are not as strict and I am more comfortable seeing my friends…we eat out A LOT, which is very unlike me. I had to ensure I was still staying healthy for my little one and for myself.

1. Stay Active

The best thing for me is staying active, I make sure I either walk, run, lift weights, do yoga, whatever gets me moving for a minimum of 30 minutes a day. Some days I have great energy and I can get a few miles on the treadmill in, and some other days I feel like a blob and all I can do is stretch and take a walk. My motto about pregnancy fitness is you need to listen to your body and do what is BEST for you and YOUR BODY at that time.

Here are some things I used to stay active from home:

You can click each image to learn more about them and see the price! First, ankle weights- definitely a must when you are walking just to get an extra pep in your step. Bala Bangles are my all-time favorite, they are weight adjustable and do not feel as clunky. Next is a nice yoga mat, this one is super cute and a great price, plus when you are back in hot yoga classes post-pregnancy it will work for that and has a strap! Lastly, BOOTY BANDS…perfect to add some resistance for pelvic floor training (super important during pregnancy) and training that booty (also super important during pregnancy)!

2. Keep Healthy Snacks Around

Healthy snacks are a MUST…whether you have morning sickness or are always hangry it is important to munch on something to give your little one the nutrients he/she needs and to help you keep the just to that baby bump! I personally do not like to overindulge in fried foods and let me tell you, NOT indulging in fried foods will REALLY help you only gain the weight that is adequate for your body and your baby.

Here are my favorite snacks to keep on hand:

Note: I added a water bottle in there because of the HUGE TIP…Staying Hydrated is KEY – sometimes your body will think it is hungry because you are truly dehydrated 🙂

3. Give Yourself Grace

Your body is going through a lot of changes, and if you are anything like me – being pregnant is not fun. It is truly exhausting and to tell you the truth I do not understand how people LOVE being pregnant. Don’t get me wrong I am SO excited for my little man to be here and in my arms (4 more months, woop!), but I am forever hungry, cranky, uncomfortable, and ALWAYS tired. Sometimes if I want to eat the graham cracker snacks, I will…here are my favorite! I have started to provide myself with a positive mind set type of attitude. If I need a break, I let myself have that break and I do not get angry that I do not have energy and what not. Again, give yourself grace. Be kind to yourself and all the things your body is doing right now. I will say it is a truly beautiful thing women can do, you can make and hold this life inside of you for so long! Remind yourself of that everyday.

If you are a journaling or affirmations book type of person here is what I found that has helped friends of mine:

I would love to hear your thoughts on only gaining baby weight during your pregnancy, and what has helped you! Again, this post is just my thoughts and my opinions about my own pregnancy. I do see and hear a lot of women going through the struggle of not gaining extra weight since it does have some harmful affects for mom and baby, but everyone has to do what is right for their body! I love hearing about everyone’s journey and how we can learn from each other! Leave some love in the comments below!