The Duchess of Cambridge in both of her pregnancies was reported to suffer from severe morning sickness a condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum. This caused great concern in the media about whether she was gaining enough weight during her pregnancy. It’s a subject that concerns us all in pregnancy…
Am I obese? What does this mean? I’m sure I am putting on too much weight in my pregnancy? Am I putting on enough? – I’ve lost weight not gained it! My midwife has told me I am big for my dates!’ If any of these questions read home for you, then you really are not alone. Thank goodness doctors and midwives now recognize that sticking women on a set of scales when they are pregnant is neither accurate or productive. Instead they tend to workout your BMI- Body Mass Index. This gives a good indication of whether you are of a healthy weight. This calculation is based on pre pregnancy weight figures, so it should be done as early on in your pregnancy as possible, ideally before you conceive. Your BMI is calculated by your weight in Kg divided by your height in M2. If you are 5 foot 6 inches and around 9 stone 8 pounds - this would be 61 kg divided by 1.67 x 1.67 which = 21.87. If calculations like this makes your brain go ‘goo ga’ then there are plenty of BMI calculators to be found or your midwife will do it for you. BMI’s are then categorized as follows; MI less than 18.5 - Underweight BMI 18.5-25 - Ideal BMI 25-30 - Overweight BMI 30-40 - Obese BMI greater than 40 - Severely obese If you are in either underweight or obese categories then there is cause for concern and your pregnancy weight gain should be carefully monitored. If you are not however then there is no major cause for concern - if there are any doubts then you really should be discussing this with your midwife or GP. Fact is however you are going to have to gain weight. You will gain body fat - you and your baby need this, your boobs will get heavier, as will your womb, blood volume, body fluids, the placenta and of course your gorgeous baby! Collectively, when your baby is full term, this will weigh anything between 15 – 35 pounds (7 – 18kg). Most of us gain something in the middle. Ultimately this is not a fat issue or a weight issue, it is a HEALTH issue. By optimizing your health as much as you can during pregnancy you can be sure that you are giving yourself and you baby the best possible chance of a healthy pregnancy. What’s more by eating as healthily as you can and adopting healthy practices such as regular exercise you can gain a huge number of associated benefits. Good nutrition during pregnancy is often easier said than done when nausea, a heightened sense of smell and/or crazed taste buds are all consuming. There are however a number of simple steps you can take to combat these things and ensure you’re keeping yourself as tip top condition as you can. Gone are the days when we talked about eating for two. You should essentially be aiming to eat a healthy balanced diet, be aware of the extra need for certain vitamins, minerals and taking advice from your midwife on what to avoid during pregnancy. Simple things such as experimenting with different healthy foods to satisfy cravings or suspend nausea can really help. One example is to think of textures that you like e.g. go for the crunch in an apple, breadstick, nuts (avoiding peanuts) or rice cake rather than the crunch of crisps, biscuits or other high fat snacks. If you are suffering from continuous vomiting and unable to keep any food down you must seek medical advice straight away.
As we all know – The Duchess of Cambridge had two very healthy babies!! And you can too. I was asked to comment in Hello Magazine after these picture were shot of her shortly after she gave birth to Prince George . Kate is clearly extremely active being active during your pregnancy will make all the difference – check out my DVD and books for more advice here.