How to avoid unnecessary weight gain before and after
pregnancy
Image and Article Credit : Rhythma Kaul / Hindustan Times,
New Delhi
Like most new mothers, Kate Middleton does not need to work
very hard to get back to pre-pregnancy fitness level. Here is why. Online tools
and maternity clinics now offer exhaustive pre-natal and post-natal tips on
pregnancy, nutrition, exercises, baby care and weight loss. In fact, hospitals
and maternity centres these days have a dedicated team that helps plan a
woman's lifestyle, before, during and after pregnancy to ensure she avoids
unnecessary weight gain.
According to gynaecologists, more than 70% women who want to
have a baby or have conceived are troubled by the thought of gaining weight.
"I have witnessed this trend over the past two-three years; women are very
aware and do not want to put on unnecessary weight," says Dr Anuradha
Kapur, senior consultant, department of obstetrics and gynaecology, Max
Super-Speciality Hospital in Saket. According to Dr Kapur, it is normal to gain
10-12kgs during the entire nine months of pregnancy if a woman is thin to begin
with. For overweight or obese women, the weight gain should not be more than
eight kilograms.
"It is usually normal to gain a kilogram every 15-20
days," she says.
Eating right, exercise in the form of yoga, aerobics and an
active lifestyle are the key factors responsible for maintaining healthy weight
during and after pregnancy.
To begin with, it is advisable to maintain a healthy weight
before planning for a baby. Experts say, some women are under the impression
that almost all the kilos will be gone soon after birth although it is natural
to lose about 4kg to 5 kg quickly post-delivery.
"The baby weighs about 3kgs and the placenta is about
half-a-kg and the fluid in abdomen also has about same weight. Losing rest of
the weight should be a gradual process," says Dr Kapur. Among all the
women who come to her with plans to have a baby, 5% to 10% worry Anika
Parashar, chief operating officer, Fortis Healthcare. "These are women who
are obsessed with weight gain and are fit cases to undergo professional
counselling. You have to make then understand it is no big deal," she
says.
Parashar cannot fathom the fuss surrounding the weight gain.
"It is not so much there in the west as it is seen in
India that women are so conscious about their image post pregnancy. I feel the
society here is largely to be blamed as we are so worried about what people
would say," she says. Parashar adds, "It takes about nine months to
have a baby, we must at least give ourselves that much time to lose those kilos
that have been piled on."
The group has a facility specifically dedicated to maternity
care called MammaMia.
"We have designed postnatal weight loss massages for
which we use special oils that increase body's metabolic rate significantly.
The kind of strokes for the tummy, thighs, bums etc. lead to inch-loss. The
only condition is that it needs to be done every day for two weeks for 40
minutes," says Parashar.
Those who have had a normal delivery can start exercising
after two weeks and in caesarean cases, six weeks onwards. "It is not safe to crash diet as it can lead to
nutritional deficiencies. It has to be a lifestyle change," says Dr Kapur.
Agrees Monika Kapoor Singh, 31, who delivered a baby in October last year.
"I was also jittery about gaining weight and told my
doctor so. I joined aerobics classes and also would do stretching exercises
regularly. It's been seven months and I am losing weight gradually," she
says.
