When a woman becomes pregnant, she is offered an array of blood tests, urine test, ultrasound scans etc. to check if everything is fine for her to carry the baby in the womb. In addition, weight and height is checked to calculate the BMI (Body Mass Index).
As pregnancy progresses, you will start gaining extra weight as the baby in the womb starts growing. During the first trimester, you will not gain much weight as your baby is small and you might suffer from morning sickness and nausea. In the second trimester, you will start picking up weight. During the third trimester, you will gain more weight as your baby develops at a faster rate.
Monitoring Pregnancy Weight
The weight of the baby is not the only factor responsible for weight gain. Placenta, amniotic fluid, increased volume of blood, bigger size of the uterus, fat that gets stored in the body etc. are all responsible for the extra weight. So, in order to check whether the pregnant woman is within the optimal weight range, it is standard procedure to record her weight at each antenatal check-up. Monitoring weight gain of the pregnant woman helps to check the following:
- It helps in keeping a check that the pregnant woman does not gain weight outside weight gain recommendation.
- It helps in monitoring the growth of the baby closely. Weight gain higher than normal may lead to a big baby, while weight gain lower than recommended may lead to a small baby. Both cases are not good for the baby.
- Weight checks help in detecting preeclampsia. The sudden gain of excess weight leads to different types of health complications.
Though weight monitoring is not the only way to check the wellbeing of the mother and the baby, weight recording during the prenatal check-ups will keep you updated about the extra weight you are gaining during the whole pregnancy period.
Images Courtesy: