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When most women become pregnant, one of the first adjustments that they make is to their diets. There’s an old saying that expecting mothers eat for two over nine months. However, a new study, commissioned by researchers at the University of Auckland, proves that ‘eating for two’ is actually a fallacy that leads to excessive weight gain.
Eating too much and gaining an unhealthy amount of weight actually puts the health of mother and child at risk. The extra weight can increase the likelihood a baby’s birth will require a caesarean section, and can also be the cause of pregnancy-related diabetes. As the mother gains extra weight so too does the baby, which makes labour all the more difficult.
The research team at the University of Auckland says there is no need for a woman to eat more than a normal intake during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. During the pregnancy, a healthy amount of weight gain is approximately 11 to 16kg – and requires less food than most people would expect. The researchers say that adding an extra slice of bread or eating a few extra apples each day is a sufficient amount of extra food.
The Auckland team hopes the results will reduce the number of expecting mothers who gain too much weight – eating for two doesn’t require eating a ton.
