Hello everyone. This is Monica Reinagel. Welcome to the nutrition divas quick and dirty tips for eating well and feeling fabulous.

Today we're going to be talking about how much weight it's okay to gain during pregnancy as well as the dangers of not gaining enough weight.

Unfortunately, there are some dangerous trends going on right now at both ends of this spectrum.

Pregnancy isn't an excuse to stop paying attention to your weight, but it's also not a time

to obsess about staying thin.

This is the time to find a safe and healthy middle path for you and your baby, and that's what I'm going to outline for you today.

As the number of overweight and obese Americans has risen, so has the number of expectant

mothers who are overweight or obese.

In fact, according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, fully 50% of pregnant women are now overweight

or obese.

Now some of these women are overweight or obese when they become pregnant.

Others start out at a healthy body weight but gain too much weight during their pregnancies.

Either way, maternal obesity has a host of negative effects on both the mother and the baby.

For the mom, obesity and or excessive weight gain during pregnancy

dramatically increases the risk of gestational diabetes

and pre-aclamia and other serious complications.

You're also more likely to require a Cessarian section.

And things don't go much better for the babies.

They are at increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, or premature delivery,

and they're also much more likely to struggle later on with childhood obesity.

If you are overweight or obese and pregnant, you can reduce the risks for both you and your baby by limiting the amount of weight you gain during your pregnancy.

Instead of the usual 25 to 35 pounds, your doctor may suggest that you limit your weight gain to 10 to 20 pounds instead.

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