211 E. Chicago Ave., Suite 1200
Chicago, IL 60611 | (312) 943-0282
Pre-Pregnancy BMI |
Recommended Total Weight Gain |
---|---|
Underweight (BMI less than 18.5) |
28–40 lb |
Normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) |
25–35 lb |
Overweight (BMI 25-29.9) |
15–25 lb |
Obese (BMI more than 30) |
11–20 lb |
How much weight you should expect to gain in your pregnancy depends on your weight before pregnancy. A healthy amount to gain for most women is between 25 and 35 pounds. If you’re underweight to begin with, you can gain a bit more—30 to 40 pounds. If you’re overweight at the start, your goal should be to gain a little less—15 to 25 pounds. This weight gain should be accomplished by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. Special situations, such as twins, may change the amount of weight we would recommend for you to gain. If you have questions regarding the correct amount for you to plan on gaining, we can address it in your visits.
When you put on weight may be as important as the total amount. You should expect to gain the least weight during the first trimester—roughly 2 to 5 pounds total–although some people may even lose a few pounds initially, especially if they have significant nausea or were overweight to start with. In the third trimester, when the baby is growing the most, you should expect to gain the greatest number of pounds—roughly a pound a week.
Pregnancy is a time to eat smart. You only need on average an extra 300–500 calories a day to support the growth and development of your baby. By eating a healthy diet and taking a prenatal vitamin on a regular basis, you should be providing your pregnancy with all the necessary vitamins and minerals, including folic acid.
Although there are potential health benefits to eating fish/seafood, some types are unhealthy to eat during pregnancy. A pregnant woman can safely eat up to 12 ounces (two average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish. Avoid raw fish, especially shellfish such as oysters and clams, to avoid potentially dangerous infections.
Unpasteurized foods can potentially contain harmful bacteria, one of which is called listeria. Avoid soft cheeses such as Brie, Feta, Camembert, and Roquefort, unless they are labeled as made with pasteurized milk. Also some fresh fruit juices, like homemade apple cider, may be unpasteurized and potentially risky. For other infectious reasons, you should avoid foods with raw or undercooked eggs in them.
Cook all meats, poultry, and seafood thoroughly to kill bacteria. Avoid raw or undercooked meats. Avoid patés or refrigerated meat spreads, due to the risk of infection. Some doctors recommend avoiding deli meats for similar reasons. If you choose to eat deli meats while pregnant, please make sure to heat them until steaming hot, which is the best way to significantly decrease the risk of infection. Processed meats, such as deli meats, hot dogs, pepperoni, sausage, and bacon, are also very high in nitrates and should be limited during pregnancy.
It is suggested to limit intake of caffeine to less than 200 mg a day. Remember to consider the caffeine you may consume in sodas and some teas.
Food/Beverage |
Caffeine mg/oz |
---|---|
Barq’s Root Beer |
23/12 oz |
Chocolate milk |
5/8 oz |
Coca-Cola Classic |
35/12 oz |
Coffee—brewed |
108/8 oz |
Coffee—drip |
145/8 oz |
Dark chocolate |
30/1.45 oz |
Diet Coke |
45/12 oz |
Diet Mountain Dew |
55/12 oz |
Diet Pepsi |
36/12 oz |
Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee |
143/16 oz |
Einstein Bros Coffee |
206/16 oz |
Hot cocoa |
5/8 oz |
Lipton Iced Teas |
50/20 oz |
McDonald’s coffee |
145/16 oz |
Milk chocolate |
11/1.55 oz |
Nestea Iced Tea |
34/16 oz |
Starbucks Caffe Latte |
150/16 oz |
Starbucks Mocha |
175/16 oz |
Starbucks coffee—drip |
260/12 oz |
Starbucks Caffe Americano |
225/16 oz |
Eat 2 to 3 servings a week
Eat 1 serving a week
Anchovy
Atlantic croaker
Atlantic mackerel
Black sea bass
Butterfish
Catfish
Cod
Crab
Crawfish
Flounder
Haddock
Hake
Herring
Lobster
Mullet
Pacific chub mackerel
Perch (freshwater and ocean)
Pickerel
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon
Sardine
Scallop
Shad
Shrimp
Skate
Smelt
Sole
Squid
Tilapia
Trout (freshwater)
Tuna (canned light, includes skipjack)
Whitefish
Whiting
Bluefish
Buffalo fish
Carp
Chilean seabass/Patagonian toothfish
Grouper
Halibut
Mahi mahi/dolphinfish
Monkfish
Rockfish
Sablefish
Sheepshead
Snapper
Spanish mackerel
Striped bass (ocean)
Tilefish (Atlantic Ocean)
Tuna (albacore. white tuna, canned and fresh/frozen)
Tuna (yellowfin)
Weakfish/sea trout
White croaker/Pacific croaker
Highest mercury levels
King mackerel
Orange roughy
Swordfish
Tuna (bigeye)
Marlin
Shark
Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico)
Because its effects are not completely known, NO amount of alcohol is considered safe during pregnancy. Babies exposed to alcohol during pregnancy are at risk of learning disabilities, physical deformities, low birth weight, and premature birth.
Marijuana use is discouraged in pregnancy due to an increased risk of stillbirth noted in some studies. It also has been associated with low-birth-weight babies. There have been limited studies associated with other side effects of marijuana use in pregnancy such as increased risk of learning disabilities, ADHD, and preterm delivery. Therefore, we recommend discontinuing marijuana use during pregnancy.
Pre-Pregnancy BMI |
Recommended Total Weight Gain |
---|---|
Underweight (BMI less than 18.5) |
28–40 lb |
Normal weight (BMI 18.5-24.9) |
25–35 lb |
Overweight (BMI 25-29.9) |
15–25 lb |
Obese (BMI more than 30) |
11–20 lb |
How much weight you should expect to gain in your pregnancy depends on your weight before pregnancy. A healthy amount to gain for most women is between 25 and 35 pounds. If you’re underweight to begin with, you can gain a bit more—30 to 40 pounds. If you’re overweight at the start, your goal should be to gain a little less—15 to 25 pounds. This weight gain should be accomplished by eating a healthy, well-balanced diet. Special situations, such as twins, may change the amount of weight we would recommend for you to gain. If you have questions regarding the correct amount for you to plan on gaining, we can address it in your visits.
When you put on weight may be as important as the total amount. You should expect to gain the least weight during the first trimester—roughly 2 to 5 pounds total–although some people may even lose a few pounds initially, especially if they have significant nausea or were overweight to start with. In the third trimester, when the baby is growing the most, you should expect to gain the greatest number of pounds—roughly a pound a week.
Pregnancy is a time to eat smart. You only need on average an extra 300–500 calories a day to support the growth and development of your baby. By eating a healthy diet and taking a prenatal vitamin on a regular basis, you should be providing your pregnancy with all the necessary vitamins and minerals, including folic acid.
Although there are potential health benefits to eating fish/seafood, some types are unhealthy to eat during pregnancy. A pregnant woman can safely eat up to 12 ounces (two average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish. Avoid raw fish, especially shellfish such as oysters and clams, to avoid potentially dangerous infections.
Eat 2 to 3 servings a week
Anchovy
Atlantic croaker
Atlantic mackerel
Black sea bass
Butterfish
Catfish
Cod
Crab
Crawfish
Flounder
Haddock
Hake
Herring
Lobster
Mullet
Pacific chub mackerel
Perch (freshwater and ocean)
Pickerel
Plaice
Pollock
Salmon
Sardine
Scallop
Shad
Shrimp
Skate
Smelt
Sole
Squid
Tilapia
Trout (freshwater)
Tuna (canned light, includes skipjack)
Whitefish
Whiting
Eat 1 serving a week
Bluefish
Buffalo fish
Carp
Chilean seabass/Patagonian toothfish
Grouper
Halibut
Mahi mahi/dolphinfish
Monkfish
Rockfish
Sablefish
Sheepshead
Snapper
Spanish mackerel
Striped bass (ocean)
Tilefish (Atlantic Ocean)
Tuna (albacore. white tuna, canned and fresh/frozen)
Tuna (yellowfin)
Weakfish/sea trout
White croaker/Pacific croaker
Highest mercury levels
King mackerel
Orange roughy
Swordfish
Tuna (bigeye)
Marlin
Shark
Tilefish (Gulf of Mexico)
Unpasteurized foods can potentially contain harmful bacteria, one of which is called listeria. Avoid soft cheeses such as Brie, Feta, Camembert, and Roquefort, unless they are labeled as made with pasteurized milk. Also some fresh fruit juices, like homemade apple cider, may be unpasteurized and potentially risky. For other infectious reasons, you should avoid foods with raw or undercooked eggs in them.
Cook all meats, poultry, and seafood thoroughly to kill bacteria. Avoid raw or undercooked meats. Avoid patés or refrigerated meat spreads, due to the risk of infection. Some doctors recommend avoiding deli meats for similar reasons. If you choose to eat deli meats while pregnant, please make sure to heat them until steaming hot, which is the best way to significantly decrease the risk of infection. Processed meats, such as deli meats, hot dogs, pepperoni, sausage, and bacon, are also very high in nitrates and should be limited during pregnancy.
It is suggested to limit intake of caffeine to less than 200 mg a day. Remember to consider the caffeine you may consume in sodas and some teas.
Food/Beverage |
Caffeine mg/oz |
---|---|
Barq’s Root Beer |
23/12 oz |
Chocolate milk |
5/8 oz |
Coca-Cola Classic |
35/12 oz |
Coffee—brewed |
108/8 oz |
Coffee—drip |
145/8 oz |
Dark chocolate |
30/1.45 oz |
Diet Coke |
45/12 oz |
Diet Mountain Dew |
55/12 oz |
Diet Pepsi |
36/12 oz |
Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee |
143/16 oz |
Einstein Bros Coffee |
206/16 oz |
Hot cocoa |
5/8 oz |
Lipton Iced Teas |
50/20 oz |
McDonald’s coffee |
145/16 oz |
Milk chocolate |
11/1.55 oz |
Nestea Iced Tea |
34/16 oz |
Starbucks Caffe Latte |
150/16 oz |
Starbucks Mocha |
175/16 oz |
Starbucks coffee—drip |
260/12 oz |
Starbucks Caffe Americano |
225/16 oz |
Because its effects are not completely known, NO amount of alcohol is considered safe during pregnancy. Babies exposed to alcohol during pregnancy are at risk of learning disabilities, physical deformities, low birth weight, and premature birth.
Marijuana use is discouraged in pregnancy due to an increased risk of stillbirth noted in some studies. It also has been associated with low-birth-weight babies. There have been limited studies associated with other side effects of marijuana use in pregnancy such as increased risk of learning disabilities, ADHD, and preterm delivery. Therefore, we recommend discontinuing marijuana use during pregnancy.