Step Two

Healthy Weight Gain in Pregnancy: How much?

Gaining a healthy amount of weight during your pregnancy is one of the most important things you can do to support your health and the health of your baby.

To work out how much weight it is healthy for you to gain in your pregnancy, you need to know your height and also how much you weighed before you became pregnant, or in early pregnancy (e.g. before around 10 weeks gestation). 

It is very important that you measure your height and your weight as guessing or estimating these measurements can mean that you do not correctly calculate how much weight you should gain, and this can increase your pregnancy risk.

Knowing your height and weight allows you to work out your BMI (body mass index). Click on the link below to calculate your BMI.

When you know your BMI, use the table below to work out your recommended pregnancy weight gain.

Example: If you weighed 70 kg before you became pregnant and you are 165 cm (1.65 m) tall, your BMI is 25. This means it is recommended that you gain between 7 kg and 11 kg during your pregnancy.

It is not recommended that you lose weight during your pregnancy.

It is important that you regularly weigh yourself during your pregnancy to make sure that you are gaining a healthy amount of weight. You should ideally weigh yourself every two-to-four weeks (or more if your doctor or midwife recommended this). You should weigh yourself in the morning, without clothes.

You can download a useful weight gain tracker off the New Zealand Ministry of Health website (link below). It is important that you show this to your midwife or doctor if you have any concerns.

Twins and triplets

If you are having twins or triplets, please click on the link below for more information.

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