How do I weight myself properly?

The amount of weight you gain during pregnancy can affect the health of your pregnancy.1,2 To accurately monitor your weight, weigh yourself first thing in the morning, after emptying your bladder and wear as little clothing as possible or get naked.3 Use a quality digital weighing scale and ensure that it is placed on a hard, flat surface.3

 

How much weight should I gain?

According to experts, your ideal weight gain should be based on your body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy.1,2,4 The general guidelines for pregnancy weight gain is listed in the table below:

Pre-pregnancy weight category

BMI

Recommended range of total weight (kg)

Underweight

< 18.5

12.5 – 18

Normal weight

18.5 – 24.9

11.5 – 16

Overweight

25 – 29.9

7 – 11

Obese

≥ 30

5 – 9

 Adapted from American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Obstet Gynecol. 2013; Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Healthcare; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Mayo Clinic.

 

Is it normal to gain excessive weight?

Excessive weight gain in pregnancy can increase your risk of having health problems such as pre-eclampsia; a condition characterised by high blood pressure in pregnancy. 5,6 Other symptoms of pre-eclampsia include sudden swelling in the legs, hands, face and around the eyes.7,8 Pre-eclampsia can cause complications to both you and your foetus, and needs to be treated as soon as possible.5-7

Pre-eclampsia should not be confused with normal swelling (also known as oedema). Normal swelling / oedema is expected during pregnancy due to fluid retention and is commonly noticeable in the hands, face, legs, ankles and feet.7

 

Weight

What does a healthy pregnancy diet comprise of?

One of the ways to meet pregnancy weight gain recommendations is to eat a healthy, balanced diet comprising of 50% carbohydrates, 30% protein and 20% fats.2,9,10 Healthy food for pregnant women include fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy products and lean protein.2,9,11 Before getting pregnant, it is advisable that you have an adequate daily folic acid supplementation (400 µg per day) and consume folic acid-rich foods.12,13 Folic acid (also known as vitamin B9) helps form the developing baby’s neural tube and prevent defects of the brain and spine.12-15 Hence, good pregnancy nutrition from a healthy pregnancy diet is important as it helps to handle the extra demands on the body, support the growth of the foetus and maintain a healthy weight.16

 

REFERENCES:
1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Weight gain during pregnancy. Committee Opinion No 548. Obstet Gynecol. 2013;121:210-2.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Weight gain during pregnancy. Available at:
https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/maternalinfanthealth/pregnancy-weight-gain.htm Accessed on 9 June 2021.
3. Healthline. When is the best time to weigh yourself and why. Available at
https://www.healthline.com/health/best-time-to-weigh-yourself Accessed on 9 June 2021.
4. Mayo Clinic. Pregnancy week by week. Available at:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-weight-gain/art-20044360 Accessed on 9 June 2021.
5. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care. Pregnancy and birth: weight gain in pregnancy. 2009. Available at:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279575/ Accessed on 9 June 2021.
6. Roberts JM, Gammill HS. Preeclampsia: recent insights. Hypertension 2005;46:1243-9.
7. American Pregnancy Association. Swelling during pregnancy. Available at:
https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-health-wellness/swelling-during-pregnancy-1017/ Accessed on 9 June 2021.
8. Intermountain Healthcare. Signs and symptoms of preeclampsia and why it's important to monitor. Available at:
https://intermountainhealthcare.org/blogs/topics/intermountain-moms/2018/01/signs-and-symptoms-of-preeclampsia-and-why-its-important-to-monitor/ Accessed on 23 June 2021.
9. MedStar Health. How to maintain a healthy weight during pregnancy. Available at:
https://www.medstarhealth.org/medstar-blog/how-to-maintain-a-healthy-weight-during-pregnancy/ Accessed on 9 June 2021.
10. Ministry of Health. Recommended nutrient intakes for Malaysia. Available at:
http://nutrition.moh.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/FA-Buku-RNI.pdf Accessed on 9 June 2021.
11. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Folic acid. Available at:
https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/about.html Accessed on 9 June 2021.
12. National Health Services. B vitamins and folic acid. Available at:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b/ Accessed on 9 June 2021.
13. Scholl TO, Johnson WG. Folic acid: influence on the outcome of pregnancy. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000;71(5 Suppl):1295S-303S.
14. Greenberg JA, Bell SJ, Guan Y, Yu YH. Folic acid supplementation and pregnancy: more than just neural tube defect prevention. Rev Obstet Gynecol. 2011;4(2):52-9.
15. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Nutrition during pregnancy. Available at:
https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/nutrition-during-pregnancy Accessed on 23 June 2021.