It is well known that weight gain should be gradual and consistent. What happens when you gain ten pounds in one month or gain two? Here are some facts and pointers about extreme and poor weight gain during your pregnancy.

Excess Weight Gain

Excessive weight gain can be defined as when you gain more than 6.5 pounds per month.
If you see this occur, contact your doctor to find out the reasons for this irregularity in order to provide a solution.

In most cases, it is a mere consequence of gluttony. A lot of pregnant women feel free to eat what they want when ever they want to on the excuse that "nobody will notice". They pack up on sweets, sodas and chips which they felt guilty of eating before their pregnancy.

It might be a good idea to remind you that all the excess weight must come down at the end of the pregnancy, and that eating junk food makes the job much harder.
In the first trimester you will feel immense fatigue. Instead of eating a candy bar to get your sugar fix, eat canned fruit (sugarless, of course) or fresh fruit. The natural sugars in fruit are more than you need to get your sugar rush. Fruit juices are not the answer as they contain high amounts of sugar and are a major reason for weight gain and swelling.

If you are feeling extremely overweight, review these points for thought:

• Try and assess your weight gain pattern. Have you gained weight consistently and moderately or have you gained two pounds since the last time you checked yourself?

• Do you feel swelling all over your body? This might be edema, a symptom causing swelling in various parts of your body and face.

• Have you changed your diet since the last time you were checked? Have you been less active, depressed or it was the holiday season and you ate big meals?
 
• Have you been drinking to much alcohol, smoking too many cigarettes that can cause overweight?

In any case, consult your GP or dietician. They will assess your dietary history (have you been eating a lot of starch?) and will advise the best rout to proceed in.