Watching your weight during pregnancy

During pregnancy, women increase the diet range and quantity of food they consume, in order to provide the baby with sufficient nutrients. Some mothers assume that eating a larger amount of food may benefit the fetal development, but in fact, overeating can often cause more harm than good.

Overeating causes imbalance in the diet and excessive weight gain. This leads to a number of health problems, such as backache, phlebitis, fatigue, pregnancy hypertension (high blood pressure caused by pregnancy) and gestational diabetes, among other complications. Overweight babies are also difficult to be born by normal birth, which increases the chances for a cesarean birth.

Below are 10 tips to watch your weight during pregnancy:

1. Keep a scale at home and weigh yourself regularly. There should be no sharp increases or reductions in weight during pregnancy, as it may affect your baby's development.
2. Maintain a healthy diet. Prefer light and frequent meals six times a day.
3. Remember to chew and swallow slowly while eating; otherwise, you will cause your stomach to work harder and that is bad for digestion.
4. Reduce snacks, as well as supper. It is particularly easy for the fat to accumulate in the body, when the energy is not used.
5. Avoid using large dishes; in this way you will get a tendency to eat more. Try using smaller plates or apply an individual servings system to measure your food consumption.
6. Do not force yourself to finish eating the leftovers from family meals as this can lead to excessive weight gain.
7. Eat more green vegetables, as they are a rich source of vitamins, promoting the absorption of calcium, iron and fibers from the body, as well as the prevention of constipation.
8. Reduce fatty foods and consume foods that are rich in proteins and vitamins.
9. Reduce sugar and track your daily intake of sugar in the foods and beverages you consume.
10. Stop drinking alcoholic beverages.

In general, consult your physician about your proper nutrition.