Maternal weight increases during normal pregnancy. Insufficient or excessive weight gain may pose or indicate problems for both mother and fetus.
The following table was extracted from a graph of acceptable limits for weight gain for week of pregnancy (Wolfe, 1993).
|
week of pregnancy
|
lower limit for weight gain in pounds
|
upper limit for weight gain in pounds
|
|
8
|
0.25
|
2.25
|
|
10
|
0.75
|
3
|
|
12
|
2
|
4
|
|
14
|
3.5
|
5.5
|
|
16
|
5.5
|
8.5
|
|
18
|
8
|
11.5
|
|
20
|
10.5
|
14.5
|
|
22
|
12.5
|
17.5
|
|
24
|
14.5
|
20.25
|
|
26
|
16.5
|
23
|
|
28
|
18.25
|
25
|
|
30
|
20
|
27
|
|
32
|
21.5
|
29
|
|
34
|
23
|
30.25
|
|
36
|
23.5
|
31.5
|
|
38
|
24
|
32
|
|
40
|
24
|
32.5
|
weight gain during pregnancy in pounds =
= (current body weight in pounds) - (usual body weight before pregnancy)
Lines Approximating Limits for Desirable Weight Gain (from JMP)
Lower Limit for Desirable Weight Gain
8 - 40 weeks (as a single equation)
= (0.0000276 * ((weeks)^4)) - (0.003918 * ((weeks)^3)) + (0.170149 * ((weeks)^2)) - (1.848556 * ((weeks))) + 5.9252302
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8 - 16 weeks (1st of 3 segments)
= (-0.002604 * ((weeks)^3)) + (0.1517857 * ((weeks)^2)) - (1.81994 * ((weeks))) + 6.4178571
16 - 32 weeks (2nd of 3 segments)
= (0.000342 * ((weeks)^3)) - (0.041126 * ((weeks)^2)) + (2.3628096 * ((weeks))) - 23.16739
32 - 40 weeks (3rd of 3 segments)
= (0.0052083 * ((weeks)^3)) - (0.616071 * ((weeks)^2)) + (24.33631 * ((weeks))) - 297.05
Upper Limit for Desirable Weight Gain
8 - 40 weeks (as a single equation)
= (0.0000663 * ((weeks)^4)) - (0.00809 * ((weeks)^3)) + (0.3256687 * ((weeks)^2)) - (3.931889 * ((weeks))) + 16.852008
8 to 16 weeks (1st of 3 segments)
= (0.0130208 * ((weeks)^3)) - (0.379464 * ((weeks)^2)) + (4.0550595 * ((weeks))) - 12.58214
16 to 32 weeks (2nd of 3 segments)
= (-0.000789 * ((weeks)^3)) + (0.0324675 * ((weeks)^2)) + (1.1341089 * ((weeks))) - 14.77814
32 to 40 weeks (3rd of 3 segments)
= (- 4.9 * (10^(-16)) * ((weeks)^3)) - (0.040179 * ((weeks)^2)) + (3.3303571 * ((weeks))) - 36.45
