Pregnancy can lead to significant changes to women's bodies and daily routines. One such change is weight gain to ensure that there are enough nutrients for the development of the fetus as well as to store enough nutrients in preparation for breastfeeding. While weight gain during pregnancy is normal and necessary, studies have shown that certain ranges of weight gain given a specific body mass index (BMI) result in more positive outcomes for both fetus and mother.1 Generally, it is recommended that pregnant women gain only 1-4 pounds during the first 3 months of pregnancy, and 1 pound per week during the remainder of the pregnancy. It is possible to achieve 1 pound per week by consuming an additional ~300 calories per day,2 which is roughly equivalent to eating an extra sandwich plus a glass of milk or a baked potato plus 2 ounces of meat plus an apple. The Institute of Medicine provides a weight gain guideline based on Prepregnancy BMI, which is shown in the table below. But note that these are only recommendations and that weight gain between women varies. As such, a health care provider should be consulted to more accurately determine each person's specific needs. Recommendations for total weight gain during pregnancy by prepregnancy BMI1 Prepregnancy BMI (kg/m2)CategoryTotal Weight Gain RangeTotal Weight Gain Range for Pregnancy with Twins 30.0Obese11-20 lbs25-42 lbs