It is normal and healthy to gain weight during pregnancy. Gaining a healthy amount of weight helps your baby develop and grow properly, decreases your risk of complications during your pregnancy and during delivery, and helps prepapre your body for breastfeeding. A woman who does not gain weight is more likely to have a low birth weight baby, which can lead to greater health problems
You may hear friends and family members tell you that, now you are “eating for two”, but that doesn’t mean you should “eat like two”. If you ate “for two”, you will likely gain more than what is recommended for your pregnancy. Gaining more than what is recommended could lead to health problems as well.
| Too little?
Women who do not gain enough weight tend to have babies that:
These babies have more risk of disease in the first few weeks of light, physical and mental disabilities, and ongoing health problems later in life. |
Too Much?
Women who gain too much weight tend to have:
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Remember – “eat twice as healthy” and not “twice as much”
The recommended amount of weight gain during pregnancy depends on your Body Mass Index (BMI) before you were pregnant and how many babies you are carrying. Knowing the weight gain range that is right for you will help you to gain enough weight without gaining too much weight. Find out your pre-pregnancy BMI by either:
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Using an online calculator, available on the Health Canada Website
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Using the formula of BMI = weight (kg) / height (m)²
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Talking to your healthcare provider
Since every woman is unique though and BMI doesn’t know your body build or medical history, discuss what’s right for you with your primary healthcare provider.
In general, the table below will help you find out how much weight gain will be healthy for you and your baby
| Weight Category | Pre-Pregnant BMI | Total weight gain for pregnancy |
| Underweight | <18.5 | 28 – 40 lbs (12.5 – 18 kg) |
| Healthy Weight | 18.5 – 24.9 | 25 – 35 lbs (11.5 – 16 kg) |
| Overweight | 25.0 – 29.9 | 15 – 25 lbs (7 – 11.5 kg) |
| Obese | >30.0 | 11 – 20 lbs (5 – 9 kg) |
“Little weight gain (0.5 – 2.0 kg or 1.1 – 4.4 lbs) is necessary in the first trimester”
Now that you know how much weight is good to gain for you, knowing the rate of weight gain is also important.
| Weight Gain Category and BMI | Weight Gain in 2nd and 3rd Trimesters* |
| Underweight (<18.5) | 1.0 – 1.3 lbs/week (0.44 – 0.58 kg/week) |
| Healthy Weight (18.5 – 24.9) | 0.8 – 1.0 lbs/week (0.35 – 0.5 kg/week) |
| Overweight (25.0 – 29.9) | 0.5 – 0.7 lbs/week (0.23 – 0.33 kg/week) |
| Obese (>30) | 0.4 – 0.6 lbs/week (0.17 – 0.27 kg/week) |
A slow and steady weight gain throughout pregnancy is recommended
Weight gain goals for women carrying twins
- For healthy pre-pregnancy BMI (18.5 – 24.9), your weight gain goal is 37 – 54 lbs (17 – 25 kg)
- For overweight pre-pregnancy BMI (25.0 – 29.9), your weight gain goal is 31 – 50 lbs (14 – 23 kg)
- For obese pre-pregnant BMI (30+), your weight gain goal is 25 – 42 lbs (11 – 19 kg)
- For women who are underweight or have a pre-pregnancy BMI (<18.5), talk to your healthcare professional about how much weight is good to gain
For women carrying more than 2 babies, talk to your healthcare professional about how much weight you should be gaining.
If you are having difficulty gaining the right amount of weight or are expecting twins or triplets, talk with your health care provider about getting further assistance from a registered dietitian.