Aside from the overall condition of the fetus inside the womb, one of the major things that stress women when they are conceiving is pregnancy weight gain. This is because they are so afraid to gain so much weight and be among those women who are suffering from a condition called obesity.

Women who have babies in their wombs cannot be blamed for worrying too much over pregnancy weight gain because the society largely contributes to this thinking. In fact, with all the commercialization and hype on weight loss, women-even if those who are pregnant-are tempted to cut down on their weight so the people in the society won't ridicule them.

Today, some studies show that more and more pregnant women are trying to regulate their food intake. They do this because they don't want to be fat without thinking that it could severely affect the condition of the baby inside the womb.

Experts say that pregnant women-regardless of their condition-should always stay healthy throughout the duration of pregnancy. Being healthy does not only entails having a positive outlook in life but also good eating habits to supply the nutrients needed both by the mother and the baby.

Why weight gain during pregnancy?

Doctors say that that number one reason why pregnant women should gain weight is to support the nutritional needs of the growing fetus inside her. Since food intake is the number one source of all nutrition in the body, pregnant women should keep on eating especially during the first few months of pregnancy to provide all the nutrients needed by the baby.

Aside from supplying all the nutritional needs of the fetus, weight gain also indicates that the mother is healthy enough to carry on with the pregnancy.

Experts agree that the weight of the woman before the pregnancy does not matter once the first trimester rushes in. It means that no matte how light or heavy you are, you still need to gain weight when you are pregnant.

Medical findings prove that women who are overweight during pregnancy still need to gain weight with at least 20 pounds. Women who are underweight are advised to gain more, ranging from 20-40. These figures are ideal for women who are having single babies.

For those who are expecting two or more, they need to gain much more weight in order to provide the needs of the growing babies.

Pregnancy weight gain is very important for this special period in time because it will benefit the baby a lot. Aside from providing him or her nutrients needed through the foods that you eat, it also ensures their overall health once they come out in this world. Studies show that pregnant women who did not gain weight during conceiving are mothers to small and sickly babies.

For pregnant women to gain weight the healthy way, they should stick to the recommended number of calorie-intake which is 400 to 500 daily.

They should also be mindful about what they eat and how often they eat. During the early stages of pregnancy, pregnant women are allowed to eat almost anything they want to. But, as the pregnancy progresses, some foods are prohibited for pregnant women because these contain ingredients which can be harmful to the baby such as caffeine in coffee and in other drinks, alcohol and beverages with alcohol content, as well as cigarette smoking because it may cause mental problems to the baby.

Aside from eating healthy foods, pregnancy weight gain can also be achieved by performing a list of exercise regularly to keep the muscles fit and firm.