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If I am overweight and just found out I’m pregnant, how much weight should I gain?

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Recently there has been a fair amount of discussion about “safe amounts of weight to gain” during pregnancy, especially if you are already carrying excess weight. The Institute of Medicine has suggested that overweight pregnant women should target a lower range of weight to gain, when compared to average weight women. A recent study looked at overweight women who were pregnant and either gained the traditional 25 – 35 pounds, or the more strict and new guideline of 11 – 20 pounds.

Overweight pregnant women in the group with lower weight gains experienced fewer C-sections and also showed slightly lower rates of pregnancy-related hypertension. So it would seem that a lower target goal of weight gain might result in less pregnancy-related complications. Still, always consult with a board-certified OB/GYN if you become pregnant and have questions related to weight gain and other health issues.