Weight loss during pregnancy
Why do you lose body weight during pregnancy?
It seems strange to lose body weight while expecting a child. However, if weight loss occurs during the first trimester, there’s probably no cause for concern.
What could cause weight loss during pregnancy?
Morning sickness, accompanied by loss of appetite, can lead to the loss of a few kilograms in the first trimester of pregnancy.
This is not worrying: this weight loss is compensated for in the following months.
Most women gain only two to three kilograms in the first three months.
Should you worry if you lose weight or don’t gain weight during pregnancy?
In the first three months, weight loss is very common, and the increase in the first trimester is only three kilograms.
If a woman weighs 65 kilograms at the beginning of pregnancy, and only 60-62 kilograms in the second trimester, this can be completely normal.
A regular check-up with a doctor is required to control body weight. For most women, weight increases in the second trimester, even if they lost weight in the first three months of pregnancy.
When to see the doctor for weight loss during pregnancy?
If you continue to lose weight or are unable to eat, you should consult your doctor.
If you lose weight at the end of pregnancy, there may be a health problem, especially if this happens in the ninth month.
When is weight loss in pregnancy dangerous?
Even though it is relatively common and usually normal to lose weight during the first three months of pregnancy, there are cases where weight loss in the first trimester can be abnormal. If you suffer from excessive morning sickness or have difficulty eating and drinking (including water), you may have a condition known as hyperemesis.
Hyperemesis gravidarum (insatiable vomiting of pregnancy) is a disorder characterized by very frequent nausea and vomiting; it can be very dangerous and lead to dehydration and malnutrition for mother and child.
What to do to treat weight loss during pregnancy?
Something can be done to ensure that mother and child absorb the necessary nutrients.
- The doctor recommends eating whenever you can stand the food. An empty stomach and low blood sugar levels can cause nausea. It is therefore advisable to eat before feeling hungry and always have small snacks nearby. Extra sleep and reduced stress promote appetite.
- As an alternative remedy, you can try ginger (ginger drinks, ginger sweets, beef with ginger and peas).
This can reduce nausea. Ginger should not be consumed in excessive quantities, since the child may be harmed due to some scientific studies. - There are acupressure bracelets in most pharmacies.
The bracelets are effective against motion sickness (seasickness) and have already helped many women to combat their nausea.
According to natural medicine and hygienism, nausea and vomiting in the first months of pregnancy are symptoms that occur because the body tries to rid itself of the toxins.
The causes are not:
- Diseases
- Viruses
- Stress, etc.
For this reason, one should not hinder the detoxification attempts of the body, which is supposed to prevent more serious diseases and disorders.
According to the hygienist Shelton, a pregnant woman can calmly skip some meals without any risks to her or the child.
Weight loss in newborns
Weight loss in newborns is another cause for concern among parents, nurses and pediatricians.
- A weight loss of 5% (physiological weight loss) in the first week of life is considered normal when newborns are bottle-fed.
- A weight loss of 7% in the first week is physiologically (normal) in a breastfed child, a weight loss of 10% is maximum allowed.
In the first days of breastfeeding, the woman does not produce real milk, but a foremilk (colostrum), which is rich in antibodies but less nutritious than the real breast milk.
If the child loses 7% of his weight in the first 72 hours, breastfeeding must be checked by a professional to improve the technique.
The pediatrician can decide whether breastfeeding should first be supplemented with powdered milk until breast milk is sufficient.
If the child is breastfed well, appears in good health and correctly excretes stool, a further check of body weight can be made after two days.
Weight control in infants
After discharge from the clinic, the child will weigh on average 5-10% less than at birth, but this need not worry.
Why is there weight loss?
The newborn loses only fluid, which is normal after birth.
Since the child does not need much food at this stage, he does not immediately reach his weight again.
This is positive, as no breast milk is formed in the first two days after birth.
Don’t worry, within 10-14 days it will be back to its birth weight, if not beyond.
The paediatrician checks the weight of the child during the check-up, probably one, two and four weeks after birth (if the doctor plans fewer appointments, the child can still be presented for control at any time).
In addition, there are many groups to support young mothers who have a baby scale that allows for quick checking.
Usually, newborns gain 170-230 grams per week in the first few months, which is one kilogram a month.
After about four months, the bottled milk-fed infant gains weight faster because:
- it contains more calories than breast milk,
- the parents encourage the child to drink his bottle (on the other hand, they allow the infant at the breast to pause every time he wants to).
Another good estimate: if the child eats enough, he needs eight to ten diapers a day.
- If the child is breastfed at the breast, it will stain at least five diapers with stool every day.
- When fed with bottled milk, it produces less stool.
- Abdominal cramps and abdominal pain: causes, in children, in pregnancy
- Loss of appetite during pregnancy and old age
- Menstruation during pregnancy and with the pill
