Share
Home › Experts › Low Weight Gain ›

Low Weight Gain

QUESTION

Dear Midwife,
I am 33 weeks pregnant and have only gained about 16 pounds. I was a normal weight prior to pregnancy but on the low side (5'7" and 125 pounds). I feel I am eating correctly and am exercising 4 times per week (walking or riding a stationary bike) for about 30 minutes. Prior to pregnancy I ran 4-5 times per week. My doctor keeps saying I'm fine, but I am getting very worried about low birth weight. What do you recommend? Thanks!!

ANSWER

First, I'd go to www.mypyramid.gov or a similar web site where you can load in your portion sizes, your exercise, etc, for about three days (or longer) and it will make sure that you are getting enough (non-pregnant) calories. Then you need to add in about 3-500 calories per day for the baby.

If you are getting enough of each nutrient and enough calories, and your baby is growing as it should, I'd agree with your doctor and suggest you quit worrying about it. We don't all have to have 9 pound babies!

--Cynthia, CNM. PhD.

Comments

Exercise is an important

Submitted by wify on Wed, 06/08/2011 - 09:36.

Exercise is an important weight loss tool, but how much you need varies from person to person. The guidelines recommend at least 250 minutes per week, which comes out to about 50 minutes, 5 days a week. Thanks.

Cynthia Flynn

Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.

Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.