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According to the March of Dimes website, gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy is an important part of creating a healthy baby. They state that women who don’t gain enough weight are at risk of delivering an underweight baby (5 lbs. or less), while on the other end of the spectrum, women that gain too much weight are at risk of not only delivering early, but creating health problems for themselves, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. While these statements are certainly true in most cases, what about those of us who are already small, have always been small and cannot possibly gain the recommended amount of 28-40 lbs. while pregnant?

I have always been a petite woman and, in fact, have never weighed over 100 lbs. My usual weight is around 94 lbs. and I have never had a problem of looking too skinny or emaciated, which has been a blessing. With my first pregnancy, I did gain quite a bit of weight (almost 30 lbs.), but a majority of that was water weight. In fact, after delivery, I immediately lost about 15 lbs. of that weight due to all the excess fluids that many times are present in a woman’s first pregnancy. With my second pregnancy, I didn’t gain near as much weight. Actually, it was only about 21 lbs. and I did not look or feel as bloated as I was with my first. Both my sons were born at healthy weights, around 6 lbs. 5 oz., and had no problems at delivery.

I am currently pregnant with my third child, and at 16 weeks have actually lost weight. This is the first pregnancy I have had where I’ve experienced the wonderful effects of nausea, firsthand. I feel almost embarrassed and ashamed to walk into the doctor’s office and have them see that I now weigh barely less than 90 lbs! Luckily, my appetite is slowly returning back to normal and I am sure that I will gain back the weight I have lost in no time.

Basically, every woman is different and they gain and lose weight differently while pregnant, as well. Though you may be concerned about your weight gain or loss, as long as the baby is shown to be healthy and thriving, then you should not place too much stock in what is considered “normal”. The amount of recommended weight gain is only a guideline and you, more than anybody else, know what is comfortable as you go through your pregnancy.

Tags: babies, doctors, Nutrition, Pregnancy, weight gain