Placenta: meaning and possible pathologies. Placenta. Anomalies in weight (size) Amniotic fluid weight

Grandma’s advice to not deny yourself anything is a thing of the past, to eat for two – according to modern views, such a passion for food during pregnancy can lead to very negative consequences for both mother and child. Moreover, such medical forecasts have nothing to do with aesthetic canons - we are talking primarily about the health of mother and baby. But gaining excess weight can become a serious problem - both physical and psychological - after the birth of a child. How to avoid this kind of danger?

What is considered normal?

Naturally it consists of several components:

  • child (fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid);
  • mother (enlarged uterus and mammary glands, blood volume, fat volume, water retention).

Based on this, the optimal weight gain during pregnancy considered 8-12 kg. By the way, according to American standards, an increase of 11-17 kg is considered acceptable.

Weight gain is uneven, with each component increasing differently throughout pregnancy. In general, weight gain increases after the 20th week of pregnancy.

In the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus gains weight slowly, and in the second 20 weeks - faster. The weight of the placenta increases in inverse proportion to the weight of the fetus. The volume of amniotic fluid increases rapidly starting from the 10th week, at 20 weeks its volume is 300 ml, at 30 weeks - 600 ml and reaches a peak value of 1000 ml at 35 weeks, after which there is a slight decrease.

The weight of the uterus increases in the first 20 weeks, when the process of muscle fiber growth occurs, but already in the second half of pregnancy, the enlargement of the uterus occurs due to stretching of the muscle fibers. The weight of the mammary glands increases due to the proliferation of glandular tissue, partly due to the deposition of fat cells and fluid retention. Blood volume increases throughout pregnancy. The amount of fat deposited in fat depots depends on the fat content of food. An increase of 2.5-3.0 kg of fat is common. 90% of them are deposited in the first 30 weeks of pregnancy. At normal pregnancy the total amount of fluid in the body increases by 6-8 liters.

After childbirth, no less natural weight loss occurs. On average, women 6 weeks after giving birth weigh 3 kg more than they weighed before pregnancy, and 6 months after giving birth the difference decreases to 1 kg.

What weighs how much?

Child – 3.0-3.5 kg

Uterus – 0.8 kg

Blood volume – 1.3-1.8 kg

Fluid, fat, breast tissue – 4.5 kg

Placenta – 0.45-0.8 kg

Amniotic fluid (amniotic fluid) – 1 kg

During a routine examination in the last three months, when the problem weight during pregnancy becomes the most relevant, the doctor can use a special scale of average physiological weight gain. The calculation goes something like this: weekly weight gain should not exceed 22 g for every 10 cm of height. This means that with a height of 150 cm, a woman can gain 330 g in a week, with a height of 160 cm - 352 g, and with a height of 180 cm - 400 g.

Body mass index

It’s worth mentioning right away that all of these values ​​are relative and depend on many factors, primarily on the initial body mass index (BMI) that existed before pregnancy.

BMI is calculated as follows: weight in kilograms must be divided by height in meters squared. Weight (kg): height (m)2. For example, height – 1.70, weight – 67 kg. Height squared: 1.70 x 1.70 - it turns out to be 28,900. Now we divide 67 by 28,900 - we get 23 (take the first two digits). This is the body mass index. If your BMI is less than 19.8, you are underweight. From 19.8 to 26 is normal weight, more than 26 is overweight. How does this affect weight gain during pregnancy?

Women with a BMI greater than 26 should be advised to limit weight gain during pregnancy, as they have a risk of high blood pressure caused by pregnancy, as well as the risk of having a large fetus. Such women are usually recommended to follow a low-calorie diet. In addition, there may be problems with precise definition pregnancy, since it is difficult to determine the height of the fundus and the size of the uterus during examination due to excess fat deposits.

Women with a BMI less than 19 are often advised to delay pregnancy until they have gained weight, as 20% of these women have underweight babies. During pregnancy, due to the initial weight deficit, such a mother has the right to gain more kilograms. And vice versa, if a woman’s weight before pregnancy was more than normal, then it is wiser to try to gain less weight.

The calculation of the ideal presented here is only a guideline: the doctor makes a conclusion about whether weight gain is normal, based on the individual characteristics of the woman’s body.

Week of pregnancy

Weight gain (kg)

BMI<19,8

BMI=19.8 - 26.0

BMI>26.0

What will increase weight gain during pregnancy?

There are several quite objective reasons here:

  • With age, the tendency to become overweight increases.
  • Weight loss in the early stages due to toxicosis - in the future the body will try to quickly compensate for the loss of kilograms, hence there may be a weight jump. In this case, when calculating weight gain, you should focus on the weight that was before pregnancy, and not on the one that was recorded after losses caused by toxicosis.
  • Fetal weight: if expected big baby(more than 4000 g), then the placenta will probably be larger than usual.
  • Twins.
  • Polyhydramnios.
  • Edema (fluid retention in the body).

The last two reasons are a reason to see a doctor.

Polyhydramnios (from 1.5 liters of amniotic fluid) can appear in multiple pregnancies, diabetes mellitus, severe forms of Rh conflict (in this case, the body of a Rh-negative mother produces antibodies to Rh-positive red blood cells of the fetus, these antibodies destroy the red blood cells of the fetus).

Swelling and fluid retention in the body are often a consequence of pregnancy complications such as gestosis, which affects all organs and systems of a woman and affects her condition. Preeclampsia is manifested by the appearance of edema, protein in the urine, and increased blood pressure.

Why is this dangerous?

Why is the question of correct weight gain during pregnancy? First of all, because the health of the mother and fetus depends on it.

  • hemorrhoids;
  • high blood pressure;
  • varicose veins;
  • back pain;
  • fatigue;
  • shortness of breath.

In addition, with an increase in body weight, tissues, including muscle, lose their elasticity due to an increase in the amount of water and fat in them. The consequence of this is difficult childbirth.

If a woman is overweight before pregnancy, the risk to her health and the health of the baby increases. In particular, the likelihood of excess blood pressure and diabetes mellitus in pregnancy increases.

In addition, overweight expectant mothers often have larger-than-usual fetuses and pregnancy complications.

Healthy lifestyle during pregnancy

Of course, no revolutionary new means of controlling one's own weight during pregnancy, except for the long-known combination of physical activity and a balanced diet, no one has yet come up with. There is a special set of exercises for pregnant women, which helps not only to keep yourself in shape, but also to train those muscle groups that will be involved in childbirth. It should be taken into account here that heavy physical activity during pregnancy is unacceptable, including strength training gym, aerobics - all this can lead to irreparable expectant mother consequences. It is necessary to pay more attention to proper nutrition. Its basic principles are:

  • Food should not be spicy, salty and rich in extractive substances and essential oils, since all this helps to increase appetite.
  • You should eat more often - 6-7 times a day, breaking food into small portions.
  • The caloric content of the daily diet of the expectant mother should not exceed 2500-2800 kcal.

Now a few words especially for supporters and admirers of diets - they should be postponed until later, since the effect of all diets is based either on reducing the number of kilocalories consumed, and therefore on reducing the consumption of nutrients, or on excluding certain foods from the diet. Lack of nutrients can adversely affect the development of the child and lead to anemia in the mother.

There is another common misconception: if you severely limit yourself in food, the baby will be small and the birth will be easier. This is completely false: despite a strict diet, the baby will take his own and, most likely, will be born with a normal body weight. But due to the fact that the mother severely limits herself in food, she may develop various conditions associated with a deficiency of certain nutrients.

"Ambulance" for reduction weight during pregnancy These are fasting days. The rules for conducting them are not at all complicated: throughout the day, the daily diet should consist of some type of low-calorie foods - vegetables, fruits, fermented milk - kefir, fermented baked milk, curdled milk with reduced fat content (1-2%). A fasting day can be arranged no more than 2 times a week and only after consulting a doctor.

Nutrition during pregnancy

The body of a pregnant woman and a growing fetus needs a balanced amount of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, mineral salts and vitamins.

New tissues and organs of the fetus are formed from proteins, so the need for protein consumption during pregnancy is 100 g per day, of which 60% should be animal proteins (they contain essential amino acids). Of all proteins, meat and low-fat fish should make up 30%, dairy products - 25%, eggs - 5%. This means that per day the expectant mother should eat approximately 100-150 g of veal or beef or 150-200 g of cod, pike perch, pollock; 100-150g low-fat cottage cheese; 50-70 g cheese. The remaining 40% are vegetables, fruits, legumes, and cereals. A lack of protein in the diet during pregnancy can cause fetal growth retardation.

Amount of fat during pregnancy should average 80 g, of which 30% are vegetable. Fats are a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are very important for the body, the deficiency of which can lead to disruption of the development of the retina and brain. To prevent this from happening, it is enough to consume 25-30 g of unrefined vegetable oil per day. If a woman is prone to obesity, then fat intake can be reduced, primarily through animal fats.

A pregnant woman's need for carbohydrates is approximately 400 g per day. The main source of “healthy” carbohydrates, primarily starch, is bread, and it should not be white bread made from premium flour, but rye bread made from wholemeal flour or grain bread. 50 g of bread per day provides the body with 70% starch, and a woman can get the remaining 30% from fruits. Sources of carbohydrates such as sugar, confectionery, bread made from premium flour, chocolate should be limited.

A pregnant woman’s body also needs a sufficient amount of vitamins, some of which she receives from foods. Numerous studies have shown that a lack of vitamin A reduces the body's resistance to infections. Vitamins B1 and B2 prevent the development of early toxicosis of pregnancy in pregnant women; A lack of vitamin B1 manifests itself in mild fatigue and can lead to weak labor forces during childbirth. Vitamin D regulates calcium and phosphorus metabolism, so it is necessary to prevent rickets. Vitamin E protects against spontaneous miscarriage. Other vitamins are also important.

In addition to proteins, fats, carbohydrates and energy, food is a source of minerals, also necessary for both mother and baby. During pregnancy it is necessary to pay Special attention for elements such as:

  • iron (meat);
  • calcium (milk, cheese, fermented milk products);
  • phosphorus (fish, green peas);
  • magnesium (seaweed, watermelon, wheat bran, apricots, oatmeal, beans, millet, peas, buckwheat and pearl barley, eggs).

To summarize what has been said, it is worth noting once again that the health and beauty of the mother and her child are in the hands of the mother even during pregnancy.

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The placenta is the primary organ that determines the normal course of pregnancy. The thickness of the placenta by week plays a significant role for the life support of the developing fetus.

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Translated from Greek, this word means “cake”. Despite the frivolity of the name, the organ is of exceptional value.

Its uniqueness is that:

  • firstly, it lives only during pregnancy and is rejected within 15 minutes after the birth of the child, it is not without reason that it is otherwise called the “baby place”, like any living organ, it goes through all stages of formation, development and even aging;
  • secondly, the placenta is the only organ that simultaneously belongs to the mother and the child, the thickness of the placenta depends on the week of pregnancy, the norms are indicated in a special table.

Formation and hormonal functions

The base of the placenta consists of villi, which begin to form on the seventh day after conception. Inside the villi, the blood of the embryo circulates, and outside, the villi are washed with maternal blood.

Visual layout

A two-system process of blood circulation and gas exchange occurs: maternal and fetal. Oxygen enters the fetus and is returned to the mother's blood by carbon dioxide.

Depending on the week of pregnancy, the thickness of the placenta increases; active growth occurs at 19-35 weeks.

A very important point: mixing of the maternal blood flow and the child’s blood is excluded. Between the vascular systems there is a membrane that has the property of blocking the passage harmful substances, skipping only those that are necessary and useful for the child. This function is called the “placental barrier.”

The systematic development and formation of a child’s place leads to full functioning by approximately the 12th week of pregnancy.

There are several levels of placental maturity, which are determined by thickness standards using ultrasound at 20 weeks of pregnancy. First, the place of attachment is determined, then the area with largest size, from which the thickness is calculated.

In addition to providing respiratory and other functions for the baby, there is an important hormonal function. The placenta promotes the production of about fifteen hormones that have various properties which are necessary for normal childbearing. They are the ones who preserve and prolong pregnancy.

Until the 27th week, the placenta is in early stage development. Starting from week 32, the normal thickness changes and the second stage of development begins. Closer to childbirth, she begins to age, which indicates the third stage of maturity.

Possible developmental disorders

There are cases of failures in the functioning of a child’s place under the influence of external or internal circumstances. If the pregnancy proceeds normally, then the thickness of the placenta constantly increases and, closer to the 36th week of pregnancy, the value ranges from 20 mm to 40 mm. Any deviations from the norm in the weeks of pregnancy and in the thickness of the placenta carry the risk of serious consequences.

No deviations from the norm

Quite often, doctors diagnose hypoplasia - this is a reduced thickness of the placenta. If this is a minor deviation from the norm, then there is no need to panic. Significant thinning of a child's seat is a fairly rare occurrence. Moreover, there are sizes that fit a certain woman. They depend on body type and other special parameters, when the normal thickness of the placenta is determined individually according to the weeks of pregnancy. The diagnosis is made only after genetic testing and consultation.

During pregnancy, the placenta may shrink multiple times. The reasons may be different:

  • use alcoholic drinks or drugs, smoking;
  • poor nutrition, diets;
  • depressive or stressful conditions;
  • hypertensive state of a pregnant woman;
  • the presence of infectious and inflammatory processes;
  • gestosis, swelling, the presence of protein in the urine.

Sometimes hypoplasia is associated with congenital defects of the child, which threatens serious problems for the baby’s health.

If by the 30th week of pregnancy the placental thickness is significantly underestimated and is less than 28 mm, this can lead to the following consequences:

  • there will be a change in the baby’s heartbeat, usually the rhythm becomes weak;
  • physical inactivity will develop.

There are opposite cases - this is hyperplasia, when the placenta is greatly enlarged. The reasons for this fact may be different:

  • the presence of toxoplasmosis, syphilis or diabetes mellitus in a pregnant woman;
  • with Rhesus conflict;
  • impaired kidney function or dropsy in the baby;
  • development of thrombosis in the placental villi;
  • transferred virus or latent carriage of a viral disease.

Active thickening of the placenta can cause premature birth. The functions of providing the fetus with oxygen, hormones and nutrition begin to work intermittently. Treatment involves constant medical examination.

Continuation of the family line

If by 31 weeks the normal thickness of the placenta is significantly increased and is an order of magnitude greater than 32 mm, then this can lead to the following consequences.

  1. Hypoxia (lack of oxygen) in the fetus may occur. If timely measures are not taken, there is a risk of asphyxia, intrauterine death of the child from suffocation.
  2. There have been cases of intrauterine growth retardation, which leads to various diagnoses after childbirth. For example, cerebral palsy in a child.

There is a risk of miscarriage or premature birth.

Compliance table

Week of pregnancyThickness standard
20 21,8
21 22,6
22 23,4
23 24,2
24 25,1
25 26,0
26 26,9
27 27,8
28 28,7
29 29,6
30 30,5
31 31,4
32 32,3
33 33,2
34 34,1
35 34,9
36 35,6
37 35,1
38 34,6
39 34,1
40 33,5

Mom and dad's baby

What should be the normal thickness of the placenta during pregnancy can be found out by looking at the parameters in the specified table. For example, a size of 31 mm corresponds to 30-31 weeks of pregnancy. This value indicates that you have the first stage of maturity, which ideally corresponds to the norm.

One of the main parameters of an organ that characterizes its condition is the determination of the degree of maturity. An ultrasound examination makes it possible to identify in advance the physiology and pathology of the child's place.

The specialist deciphers the indicators

Using this table, you can always be aware of the changes occurring inside you, as well as monitoring the norms for the thickness of the placenta in relation to the duration of pregnancy.

Ways to enlarge the placenta

There are no specific schemes or recipes for how to increase or decrease the thickness of the placenta. There is no treatment as such, but it is possible to keep the mother and fetus in a stable condition.

Complex therapy consists of:

  • constant monitoring and medical consultation;
  • eliminating the reasons that caused the deviation of the thickness of the placenta from the norm relative to the gestational age;
  • taking vitamins and medications prescribed by your doctor.

The main task is to improve hypodynamics for the formation of the placenta and fetal development. Where you can contact is listed below.

Medical CenterAddressPrice
Capital Medical ClinicMoscow, st. Sretenka, 9from 350 rub. up to 12,000 rub.
Union ClinicSt. Petersburg, st. Marata, 69-71from 1500 rub.
AvicennaMinsk, st. Gromova, 14

A lot changes, the belly grows, the breasts swell, the skin and hair change. But the most noticeable thing that worries many pregnant women is changes in weight during pregnancy.
Pregnancy always lasts about 9 months; newborn children also do not differ much in height and weight. Why does one woman add a lot, the second little?

Optimal weight gain is not only a guarantee that after childbirth you can quickly return to good shape. This is confirmation of a healthy pregnancy. Therefore, from the moment you become pregnant, your weight becomes of interest not only to you, but also to doctors. Weighing becomes a mandatory procedure for every visit to the gynecologist and part of the “homework”.
To properly monitor your weight gain, make it a habit to weigh yourself regularly. It is best if you do this on the same scales once a week at the same time (in the morning before breakfast with an empty bowel and bladder), in the same clothes or without it, so that the obtained indicators can be there was a comparison later.

Is there a single standard?

Of course, deposition of some fat during pregnancy is inevitable, this is absolutely normal and should be accepted. After giving birth, if you have enough desire, you can quickly regain your previous weight. How many kilograms the expectant mother will gain during pregnancy depends on many reasons. The first of them is the initial body weight (that is, before pregnancy). The lower your body weight, the more you are likely to gain during pregnancy. In order to determine whether the expectant mother’s weight is overweight, low or normal for her height, a special index is used in medicine - body mass index (BMI).

Body mass index = body weight in kg / height in meters squared Example: Height 1.70 m, weight 60 kg BMI= 60/1.7*1.7=20.7

Based on the obtained value:
- if the index is less than 18.5, the weight is considered below normal;
- index 18.5-25 – normal weight;
- 25-30 – overweight;
- more than 30 – obesity.

So, if your BMI is 30) 6 kg or less as recommended by your doctor.

Can't be discounted genetic constitution. In this case, it is important whether the woman has a tendency to be overweight or thin. So, even if the initial weight of two women is the same, but one of them has always been thin without adhering to any diets, and the second achieved the same through diets and training, then the first will gain significantly less than the second. This shouldn't be scary.

Another important factor- This age. The older a woman is, the greater her tendency to gain excess weight.

In addition, weight gain depends on features of pregnancy. So, for example, having survived the events of early toxicosis, the body will try to compensate for the loss of kilograms, and the woman will gain more at the end of pregnancy. It happens that due to hormonal changes during pregnancy, the expectant mother's appetite increases sharply and, if she cannot restrain it, weight gain will also be large. Weight gain also depends on child size. If a large baby is expected (more than 4000 g), then both the placenta and amniotic fluid will be larger than average. Consequently, the weight gain is greater than if the woman was expecting the birth of a small child.
Weight gain is especially different in women with multiple pregnancy . In this case, regardless of your own weight, it will be 16 - 21 kg.

Rate of weight gain

Weight during pregnancy tends to increase unevenly. And at the same time, it cannot be said that weight gain over the weeks of pregnancy will be the same for everyone: for some, weight during pregnancy begins to increase from the first days of pregnancy, for others, significant weight gain during pregnancy begins only after the 20th week of pregnancy.

It is believed that in the first half of pregnancy, women gain approximately 40% of the total weight gain, and in the second half, 60%. The average weight gain in the first trimester of pregnancy should be about 0.2 kg per week. However, during this same period, many pregnant women are worried about early toxicosis, so the total gain over three months can be 0-2 kg. In the last weeks, weight gain stops, the weight may even decrease slightly - this is how the body prepares for childbirth. The total change in weight by month of pregnancy for a woman with normal body weight is reflected in the following table:

Distribution of weight gain during pregnancy
At the end of pregnancy, the kilograms acquired are approximately distributed as follows:
- Fetus- the average weight of the fetus during full-term pregnancy is 2500-4000 g. At normal increase this accounts for 25-30% of the total weight gain. Fetal weight increases especially rapidly in last weeks before childbirth, it is then that a woman’s weight increases at the fastest rate.
- Placenta- an organ that develops in the uterine cavity during pregnancy and communicates between the mother’s body and the fetus. Normally, the weight of the placenta together with the membranes during a full-term pregnancy is 1/6-1/7 of the weight of the fetus, i.e. 400-600 gr. (5% of weight gain)
- Amniotic fluid or amniotic fluid, are a biologically active medium surrounding the fetus. The volume of amniotic fluid depends on the duration of pregnancy. The increase in volume occurs unevenly. Thus, at 10 weeks of pregnancy, the volume of amniotic fluid averages 30 ml, at 18 weeks - 400 ml, and by 37-38 weeks of pregnancy, on average, it averages 1000-1500 ml (10% of weight gain). By the end of pregnancy, the amount of water may decrease to 800 ml. During postterm pregnancy (at 41-42 weeks), a decrease in the volume of amniotic fluid is observed (less than 800 ml). With polyhydramnios, the amount of water can increase to more than 2 liters, and with oligohydramnios, it can decrease to 500 ml.
- Uterine muscle During pregnancy, it also increases its weight. Before pregnancy, the weight of the uterus is on average 50-100 g, and by the time of birth it is 1 kg (10% of weight gain). The volume of the uterine cavity at the end of pregnancy increases by more than 500 times. During pregnancy, each muscle fiber lengthens 10 times and thickens approximately 5 times, and the vascular network of the uterus increases significantly.
- Increase blood volume about 1.5 kg, and tissue fluid 1.5-2 kg, 0.5 kg is given by increasing breasts, together this amounts to 25% of the weight gain.
- Weight gain during pregnancy due to additional fat deposits in a woman’s body is 3-4 kg. (25-30%)

Overweight and underweight

It is no coincidence that the issue of weight gain during pregnancy requires attention. It is best if your weight gain increases steadily, is within the normal range, and there are no sudden jumps up and down. Both underweight and excess weight during pregnancy can have negative consequences.
Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy and underweight can lead to intrauterine growth retardation, and the baby will be born with insufficient body weight (less than 2.5 kg). Malnutrition causes a disruption in the synthesis of hormones that maintain pregnancy, which in turn increases the risk of miscarriage. With insufficient body weight at birth, children are often weakened, have neurological problems, are excitable, and are susceptible to colds.
Sometimes weight loss during pregnancy can be associated with the manifestation of certain diseases, which can be very dangerous not only for the unborn baby, but also for yourself. Therefore, if you notice such a trend, you need to urgently consult a doctor. If you have not gained weight within three weeks in the first half of pregnancy and within a week in the second, consult your doctor.

If your weight gain exceeds your individual norm, also consult your doctor.
Anxiety should arise if:
- during the first trimester you gained more than 4 kg;
- in the second trimester more than 1.5 kg per month
- more than 800 grams per week in the third trimester.

Consult your doctor immediately if you gain 2 or more kilograms in a week at any stage of pregnancy!
Excessive weight gain during pregnancy can cause high blood pressure, late toxicosis, diabetes mellitus in pregnancy, and complications during childbirth.
The most common cause of excess weight gain in the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnancy is GDM (gestational diabetes mellitus)- a condition characterized by elevated blood sugar levels that occurs during pregnancy in some women and usually disappears spontaneously after childbirth.
Women with GDM have a higher risk of developing late toxicosis of pregnancy (edema, increased blood pressure, impaired renal function and cerebral circulation), risk of urinary tract infection and premature birth. Increased level High blood sugar levels in the mother are twice as likely to lead to complications in the development of the fetus. Such children are born with overweight body (more than 4 kg), which makes it difficult normal course childbirth The basis of treatment for gestational diabetes mellitus is diet therapy.
In the third trimester, excess weight gain is often associated with fluid retention, i.e. the occurrence of edema. Almost all expectant mothers know that edema is a frequent accompaniment of pregnancy. However, everyone knows that edema can also be a sign of many diseases of the kidneys, blood vessels, heart and a sign of such a serious complication of pregnancy as gestosis or late toxicosis. Edema in pregnant women is the first stage of gestosis (late toxicosis of pregnancy), in 90% of cases, after edema, protein appears in the urine and high blood pressure. Timely treatment can prevent the transition of dropsy to subsequent stages of gestosis. Late toxicosis of pregnancy (preeclampsia) is characterized by life-threatening high blood pressure and can lead to more serious disorders that provoke seizures. Therefore, edema should be treated not only as a cosmetic defect, but also as a pathology requiring treatment.
If your comfortable shoes have recently become too tight for you, it’s difficult to take them off. wedding ring or bags appear under the eyes in the morning, all this may indicate the presence of edema. The skin on the swollen area is pale, tense and smooth; finger pressure can cause a slowly leveling dimple.
If you have gained more than one kilogram in a week, you cannot take off your wedding ring, or you notice rubber bands on your legs and waist - this is a signal for an emergency visit to the doctor. It is to exclude late toxicosis that the doctor so meticulously evaluates your weight gain and measures your blood pressure.

Is it possible to fast or “diet” during pregnancy?

In fact, dieting during pregnancy is never recommended, even for overweight women. A “golden mean” is necessary, because both excess and deficiency of nutrients can adversely affect the condition of the fetus. Due to the increase in maternal blood volume and the construction of fetal and placental tissues, some weight gain is necessary for a healthy pregnancy. Some diets can cause deficiencies in nutrients such as iron, folic acid and other important vitamins and minerals. And a sharp restriction in nutrition, leading to weight loss, can harm the child, since toxins are released into the blood when fat reserves are burned.

Weight gain during pregnancy is an important indicator of the health of a woman and her unborn child. Therefore, at the first visit to an obstetrician-gynecologist, a pregnant woman must weigh herself. Further, the weight is determined at each appearance until the very birth, which is included in the mandatory protocol for examination and management of pregnancy.

information If a woman has a scale at home, she can weigh herself in the morning in the same clothes before meals and keep a diary of her weight gain.

Pregnancy weight by week

The average weight gain during a normal pregnancy is presented in the table

Gestation period, weeks

Average total weight gain, kg

Average weight gain per week, g

First 17 weeks

During the entire pregnancy, weight gain averages 10-12 kilograms. At the same time, asthenics (thin, tall) can gain about 14 kilograms normally, and for hypersthenics (overweight, or overweight people), the optimal weight gain is about 7 kg.

Parameters that make up a pregnant woman’s weight

The weight gained is made up of the following parameters:

  1. Full term fetus weighs about 3500 g (this is a very average figure, since the lower limit of normal birth weight is 2500 g);
  2. Placenta– 600 g;
  3. Amniotic fluid– 1 l (kg) (which surround the child);
  4. Uterus– 1 kg (is a fruit container);
  5. Circulating plasma volume– 1.5 l (2 kg) (the so-called “third circle of blood circulation” appears - mother-fetus, therefore the volume of circulating blood during pregnancy increases mainly due to the liquid part);
  6. Deposition of subcutaneous fat, development of the mammary glands - 2.5 kg (the mammary glands are gradually prepared for feeding from the very beginning of pregnancy);
  7. Umbilical cord, casings – 500 g.

Weight loss during pregnancy

Weight loss is usually observed in early dates pregnancy due to frequent ailments, lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting. This is usually not a pathology and is rebuilt with proper nutrition(meals should be frequent, divided 5-6 times a day in small portions).

Pathological weight gain

Important A much more serious problem is overweight. This condition is called pathological weight gain (PPV) and is a harbinger preeclampsia(a serious complication of pregnancy that can lead to the death of the woman and the fetus).

Excessive weight gain, as a rule, indicates the accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues. In the absence of proper attention to this problem, at the next stage visible swelling is added, starting from the extremities, increased blood pressure, and later complications from the pregnant woman and the fetus are added, including death.

The tactics for managing pregnant women with pathological weight gain are aimed at correcting the gained weight, reducing the accumulation of fluid in the tissues, and the first and main link is improving microcirculation(blood flow in capillaries) in the mother-placenta-fetus system (since this is where the pathological process with gestosis begins).

The examination for PPV is basically the same as for the normal course of pregnancy. More frequent examinations are added to control weight (once every 3-5 days), a biochemical blood test (with electrolytes) is required, as well as a daily diuresis(the volume of urine produced over a certain period of time, in this case per day). It is necessary to determine fluid retention in the body. Approximate option calculation of daily diuresis is presented in the table.

Normally, the amounts of fluid drunk and excreted are close to each other. When the discharge decreases, we can talk about the initial manifestations of gestosis.

PPV therapy is as follows:

  1. Therapeutic and protective regime;
  2. Work and rest schedule;
  3. , rich in proteins, frequent and small meals 5-6 times a day;
  4. Fasting days are held once every 7 days. They can be very diverse. Typically used mono-unloading(one type of product is used). It could be buckwheat and others.
  5. Limiting fluid intake up to 1-1.5 liters per day, including soups and fruits;
  6. Use of drugs that improve placental function (, and others).

Fasting days during pregnancy

Fasting days during pregnancy are one of the main non-drug methods for correcting excess weight gain. For this purpose, as a rule, one type of product is used (mono-discharge) with the consumption of 1-1.5 liters of liquid. It is advisable to carry out such therapy no more than 1-2 times a week, especially after holiday feasts. Each woman chooses her own option for a fasting day. It can be:

  1. apple day(1-1.5 kg of fresh or baked apples is divided into 6 meals);
  2. Curd day(600 grams of low-fat cottage cheese without sugar is also divided into 6 meals);
  3. Rice day(150-200 grams of boiled unsalted rice, to which you can add 1 apple during the day);
  4. Fermented milk day(take 1.5 liters of any and drink a little throughout the day);
  5. Vegetable day(zucchini or pumpkin – 1-1.5 kg. You can add a little sour cream);
  6. Fruit day(it is better to use apples, but other fruits are also possible);
  7. Meat or fish day(this should be low-fat varieties of fish or meat, about 400-500 grams, which are divided into 6 servings and washed down with water or unsweetened tea, compote).

Information You can also use other products for unloading, but we must remember that vegetable or fruit days are the most optimal, since they contain more nutrients.

Thus, timely initiation and correctly selected therapy for pathological weight gain allows, in most cases, to prevent further development pathological process. Therefore, weight changes must be monitored throughout pregnancy.

Useful video

In the section on the question How much does the placenta and amniotic fluid weigh, asked by the author I love you and I love you the best answer is If a woman has a fragile structure, the weight gain can be up to 12 kg, and for large women - 17 kg.
-Child-3-4 kg.
-Children's seat-7-12 kg.
-Breast augmentation-0.5 kg.
-Amniotic fluid-0.9 kg
-Uterus enlargement - 1 kg.
-Uterine blood volume-1.2 kg
-Cellular fluid-1.5 kg
-Adipose tissue-3.5 kg

Answer from Neurosis[guru]
I can say for myself that my son was born on 3,700, the placenta was 600 grams, but the funny thing is that the day after giving birth I weighed 17 kg less! Liters of water just poured out of me; I wanted to go to the toilet all the time. It turns out that all my swelling has gone away in one fell swoop :)


Answer from Karina Antropova[guru]
The tablet is actually a fascinating thing, it looks like a liver when I was giving birth, I spied it and it’s quite big


Answer from philosophical[guru]
weighed herself upon admission to the maternity hospital with contractions. then I weighed myself after giving birth (it also became interesting). -12500. the child's weight was 4730.


Answer from luxury[guru]
I recently looked on the website: with a child weighing 3,300 kg, everything together (with the child) is 12,100 kg.


Answer from Bereza[guru]
individually, and the weight is calculated approximately


Answer from Klara Zakharovna[guru]
The placenta in a full-term pregnancy (40 weeks) weighs on average 1/6 of the fetus! That is, if a baby weighs 3000 kg, then the placenta is approximately 500 g! And amniotic fluid is about 900-1000g, i.e. approximately 1/3 of the weight of the fetus!