Where Does Your Pregnancy Weight Go?

For the most part, use the charts of optimal weight gain as a guide, but don’t become fanatical about how much you weigh. 

Even if the amount you gain is somewhat off course, if your doctor says that the baby is growing normally, you have nothing to worry about. Women who gain more than average can still have healthy babies, and so can women who gain very little.

The good news is that the weight you gain during pregnancy doesn’t all go to your thighs. Then again, it doesn’t all go to the baby, either. A pregnant woman typically adds a little to her own body fat. It’s a myth, however, that you can tell by a woman’s pattern of weight gain — more in the hips or more in the belly — whether she’s going to have a boy or a girl.

Look at this realistic view of your weight gain — assuming it’s 27 pounds, which is fairly average:

Baby	7 pounds (3,180 grams)
Placenta	1 pound (455 grams)
Amniotic fluid	2 pounds (910 grams)
Uterus	2 pounds (910 grams)
Breasts	1 pound (455 grams)
Fat stores	7 pounds (3,180 grams)
Body water	4 pounds (1,820 grams)
Extra blood	3 pounds (1,360 grams)