Women need advice on pregnancy weight gain

Singer Pink gained more than 55 pounds while pregnant, as did celebrity Kim Kardashian. Playboy Playmate Kendra Wilkinson packed on over 60 and chronicled her battle to lose that weight on her reality show, “Kendra.” Each gained more weight than is recommended for her health and the health of her baby, both while pregnant and after birth. Seems even celebrity and riches don’t help women get the advice and guidance they need for a healthy pregnancy. (Apparently they didn’t read our book, “YOU: Having a Baby.”)

In fact, according to a recent study from the University of Alberta in Canada, only 30 percent of health care providers—and that includes family physicians, obstetricians and nurses—are discussing healthy gestational weight gain with their pregnant patients.

That matters, because gaining too much weight can lead to gestational diabetes, babies being born prematurely, emergency C-sections and post-pregnancy obesity, plus it can program your child in utero to become overweight later in life.

The solution? Be your own best pregnancy patient advocate and talk with your doc about your weight goal! The Institute of Medicine guidelines say that underweight women (being underweight can increase the odds of the child being underweight and also delivering prematurely) should gain from 28 to 40 pounds during pregnancy; normal-weight women, 25 to 35; overweight women, 15 to 25; obese women 11 to 20 pounds. You can determine your best weight using a BMI calculator online.