Watching your weight during Pregnancy

Pregnant women increase their food intake to provide enough nutrition for their little ones. Some mums even think that eating more may help the foetus develop better. However, overeating may do more harm than good.

A pregnant mum who over eats gets diet imbalance and gains excess weight. These trigger health problems—backache, varicose veins, fatigue, gestational hypertension (or high blood pressure caused by pregnancy) and gestational diabetes—among others.

If your baby becomes overweight baby, vaginal delivery can be difficult, and the chances of a Caesarean section increase.

Here are 10 tips for watching your weight during pregnancy:
 

1. Obtain a weighing scale for regular use at home. Watch that you don’t have drastic weight changes during pregnancy. A sharp increase or decrease can affect how your baby develops.
2. Stick to a healthy eating schedule. If you want, take light meals 6 times daily.
3. Chew and swallow slowly when eating. Do not gobble—this will cause your stomach to work harder and is bad for digestion.
4. Minimize junk food and supper. Fats easily accumulate when you don’t use stored energy.
5. Big plates cause you to overeat. Try smaller plates or use an individual serving system to measure your food intake.
6. Don't finish leftovers from family meals, which can lead to excessive weight gain.
7. Get a rich source of vitamins from green vegetables, which also promote absorption of calcium, iron and fiber to prevent constipation.
8. Cut down on oily foods; take protein- and vitamin-rich foods.
9. Minimize sugar; monitor daily sugar intake in food and drinks.