5 Ways to increase fetal weight during pregnancy

The nutritional needs of pregnant women tend to increase in order to fulfill nutrition for the fetus in the womb. Unfortunately, pregnant women may have difficulty gaining weight, which affects the weight of the fetus. However, don't worry, you still have the opportunity to gain weight if you know exactly how to do it.

What are the ways that need to be done to help increase the weight of the fetus in the womb?

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Why is the baby's weight at birth important?

The increase in maternal weight during pregnancy will certainly affect the weight of the fetus in the womb. This will also determine the baby's weight at birth.

According to UNICEF, the weight of the newborn is very important because it is one of the references for the health of the baby.

Babies born with low birth weight (LBW) tend to have more difficulty fighting infections and controlling their own body temperature.

Not only that, later babies are also more susceptible to disease when growing up, such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, to hypertension.

If this low baby weight continues into adulthood, especially girls, he is at risk of giving birth to babies with low body weight too.

Therefore, it is important that you gain enough weight while pregnant.

Remember, gaining too much weight while pregnant isn't good either. You need to know that babies experience an accelerated weight gain during the third trimester of pregnancy.

In other words, your weight in the third trimester of pregnancy may also increase faster.

This is because in addition to increasing fetal weight, you also experience additional reserves of fat, fluid, blood volume, and amniotic fluid.

Not only that, the weight of the placenta and the size of the growing uterus also contribute to your weight gain during pregnancy.

Given the importance of adequate birth weight, you need to make sure your fetus is gaining weight on the right track.

If at this time the fetal weight gain in the womb is not yet ideal, know how to increase the fetal weight properly.

That way, the increase in fetal weight will also affect the weight gain of pregnant women.

How to increase fetal weight?

Some mothers may find it difficult to gain weight during pregnancy. However, some others actually feel that they gain weight very easily.

This condition can be caused by various things, such as metabolism in the body, pregnant women find it difficult to eat due to loss of appetite, have certain medical problems, and others.

Influence from morning sickness in the first trimester, it is often used as one of the benchmarks or signs of pregnancy that can help determine whether the mother's weight gain is fast or slow.

Mother who experienced morning sickness usually difficult and even reluctant to eat.

This then makes the mother's weight not increase so that the weight of the fetus in the womb is small.

Lack of weight gain during pregnancy not only affects the mother, but also affects the fetus in the womb.

The fetus can experience a small weight for gestational age (small for gestational age), experiencing limited growth in the uterus (IUGR or intrauterine growth restriction), or premature birth.

So, if you haven't reached the recommended weight gain during pregnancy, you should try ways to gain weight so that the fetal weight also increases.

Efforts to gain weight during pregnancy are part of the diet for pregnant women.

Pregnant women can try the following ways to increase fetal weight as well as weight themselves:

1. Eat more calories and animal protein

The nutritional intake of pregnant women also affects weight gain. Maybe you think that what you eat meets your daily nutritional needs.

In fact, it could be that you are still lacking certain nutrients so that the baby's weight gain in the womb has not been achieved optimally.

Try increasing your daily calorie intake as a way to increase fetal weight during pregnancy and increase your consumption of animal protein.

There are various foods for pregnant women that you choose to process and eat everyday.

If pregnant women feel no appetite, you should focus on increasing the number of calories contained in food, even if only in small portions.

Pregnant women can also choose foods that are rich in healthy fats, such as avocados, nuts, and seeds (whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, peas, or kidney beans).

If you are worried about gaining too much weight, you can still control your weight during pregnancy. really.

You can control your weight gain during pregnancy through the weight gain calculator for pregnant women from Hello Sehat.

2. Do moderate exercise

Apart from food, you can also exercise regularly during pregnancy.

Yes, exercise for pregnant women is recommended not only for the health of the mother, but also for the little one in the womb.

Launching from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, you can do sports such as walking leisurely, pregnancy exercise, swimming during pregnancy, cycling, and others.

You can do a leisurely walk every morning or evening to make your body fresher and fitter.

3. Get enough rest

It's best to make it a habit to get enough sleep at night during pregnancy. Adequate rest can provide pregnant women with energy so that they keep the body fresh.

If you feel tired faster than usual during the day, you should reduce your activity and take a nap whenever possible.

4. Reduce stress and anxiety

When pregnant women feel stressed or anxious, their food portions usually get out of control. Do not rule out, pregnant women can be lazy to eat.

So, indirectly, another way to help increase fetal weight is to avoid stress and anxiety.

Pregnant women should stay calm so they can better control their daily appetite.

5. Take prenatal vitamins

Don't forget to take prenatal vitamins for pregnant women according to the recommendations from your doctor.

Prenatal vitamins can help meet the nutritional needs of pregnant women who may not be able to be met from food.

This method also supports the health of the mother's body during pregnancy as well as helps increase the weight of the fetus in the womb.

6. Eat fruit after the main meal

If you are accustomed to eating fruit before your main meal, you should shift the time after eating.

Fruit for pregnant women is good. However, the high fiber content in this fruit can make you full quickly if eaten before the main meal.

7. Not that you can eat

Although you are advised to switch to foods that contain high calories, pay attention to the nutrients contained in these foods.

Junk food does contain high calories, but does not contribute to nutrition for pregnant women.

Besides junk food, You should also avoid foods that contain high fat and cholesterol, fried foods, and preservative foods.

Keep considering eating foods with balanced nutrition. Vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, nuts, seeds, and carbohydrates are good foods for you and your baby.

Eat 3 to 4 main meals per day and supplement with interludes between main meals to support weight gain for you and your fetus.

Don't forget to drink enough to avoid dehydration during pregnancy. No need to worry, your weight will jump up because the fetus is also getting bigger.

This is because the weight after giving birth can come back down to like before being pregnant later.