Do you really need to eat a lot more calories when you're pregnant?

[tammybear]

I know that the whole "I"m eating for two" when you're pregnant isn't actually true. While a funny saying, the reality is that when women use this method they tend to gain way more weight than they need to. How many additional calories should you eat when you are pregnant? Technically, the only weight you should gain is the baby, right? Your body doesn't actually need to gain weight to support pregnancy beyond that?

[Maggie]

I wouldn't say a lot more calories, but definitely more than you would need if you were not pregnant. Essentially, for the average pregnant woman experiencing a normal pregnancy, typically she should eat 1,800 calories during the first trimester, about 2,200 calories during the second and about 2,400 during the third. Of course, different factors related to your own personal pregnancy may require you to eat less or more. For this reason, this is a question you'll want to ask your doctor during checkups when you are pregnant.

[ChristySmiles]

What Maggie said makes sense. You should slowly increase your calorie intake throughout your pregnancy to support your growing baby. However, the amount you eat and what you gain should be related only to the baby and to help support the baby. Once you've given birth and your body has had time to go back to normal, you shouldn't really have any excess "Baby" weight unless you really blew your calorie limit. Either way, even if you do gain, don't worry. You'll likely lose it, as long as you go back to controlling your calories and eating as you did pre-pregnancy.

[tammybear]

I wouldn't say a lot more calories, but definitely more than you would need if you were not pregnant. Essentially, for the average pregnant woman experiencing a normal pregnancy, typically she should eat 1,800 calories during the first trimester, about 2,200 calories during the second and about 2,400 during the third. Of course, different factors related to your own personal pregnancy may require you to eat less or more. For this reason, this is a question you'll want to ask your doctor during checkups when you are pregnant.

Okay so it's a gradual calorie increase, that makes sense. For some reason I thought you'd have to eat a lot more calories than that. Still it would be easy to blow that calorie limit if you're not careful. I can see why you still need to watch what you eat.

[Maggie]

I understand that. It can be confusing to know what to do based on how you're feeling, all the unsolicited advice you're receiving and the conflicting information you can read online. Just remember that during pregnancy, if you ever have questions or concerns, the best person to talk to - always - is your doctor.