what is the minimum recommended weight gain for the obese pregnant woman?
One-fifth of pregnant women in the United States are obese, and more and more doctors are advising them to watch their weight if they want an easy pregnancy and a smooth delivery. In May, the Institute of Medicine issued guidelines lowering the minimum recommended weight gain for obese women to 11 pounds, from 15. Now, a large four-year trial called the Healthy Moms study is going further, trying to keep obese pregnant women from gaining any weight at all. If they do gain weight, researchers want it limited to 3 percent of their baseline weight, about 5 pounds for a woman who weighs 170 pounds.
If you are in the normal weight and BMI category before pregnancy, your weight gain should be about 37-54 pounds. Overweight women will aim for a weight gain of 31-50 pounds. Women who begin pregnancy at an obese weight should strive for a 25-42 pound gain.