Pregnancy check
How much weight should I gain in pregnancy?
Healthy weight gain in pregnancy depends on your weight before you became pregnant. Enter your height and prepregnancy weight to see the recommended range for the whole pregnancy.
Before your pregnancy
Use your weight before pregnancy or early in the first trimester. Nothing you enter leaves this page.
What you will see
Your prepregnancy BMI and the healthy weight gain range for the whole pregnancy.
Educational only, not medical advice. Talk to your clinician about your weight gain.
Source
US Preventive Services Task Force, May 2021 recommendation on behavioral counseling for healthy weight and weight gain in pregnancy, which cites the National Academy of Medicine weight-gain ranges.
Validated in
Pregnant adolescents and adults with one baby (a singleton pregnancy).
Limits
It gives the range for the whole pregnancy, not week-by-week targets. The ranges are for singleton pregnancies only.
Recommended weight gain by prepregnancy BMI
| Prepregnancy BMI | Category | Total gain (lb) | Total gain (kg, converted) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18.5 | Underweight | 28 to 40 | 12.7 to 18.1 |
| 18.5 to 24.9 | Normal weight | 25 to 35 | 11.3 to 15.9 |
| 25 to 29.9 | Overweight | 15 to 25 | 6.8 to 11.3 |
| 30 or more | Obesity | 11 to 20 | 5.0 to 9.1 |
These are the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) ranges for healthy gestational weight gain in a singleton pregnancy, as cited by the USPSTF. The BMI categories are the World Health Organization categories for people who are not pregnant (USPSTF 2021). Gestational weight gain is the change from your weight before pregnancy (or in the first trimester) to your weight just before delivery (USPSTF 2021). The kilogram values on this page are converted from the pounds.
What the USPSTF recommends
| Who | Recommendation | Grade |
|---|---|---|
| Pregnant adolescents and adults | Clinicians offer effective behavioral counseling to promote healthy weight gain and prevent excess weight gain | B |
The USPSTF found with moderate certainty that this counseling has a moderate net benefit (USPSTF 2021). Counseling may come from clinicians, registered dietitians, fitness specialists, physiotherapists or health coaches, in person, in groups, online or by phone. It usually started around the end of the first trimester or start of the second and ran until delivery (USPSTF 2021).
Why it matters
In 2015, almost half of people in the US began pregnancy with overweight (24%) or obesity (24%) (USPSTF 2021). Excess weight at the start of pregnancy and excess weight gain during it have been linked to a large-for-gestational-age baby, cesarean delivery and preterm birth (USPSTF 2021).
In the trials the USPSTF reviewed, counseling lowered weight gain by about 1 kg on average and made gain above the recommended range less likely. It was also linked to a lower risk of gestational diabetes, emergency cesarean delivery, a very large baby (macrosomia) and a large-for-gestational-age baby (USPSTF 2021). Programs with 12 or more contacts worked better for some outcomes than shorter ones (USPSTF 2021).
Common questions
Is the counseling safe?
Most studies were not designed to look at harms. Counseling was not linked to a higher chance of a small-for-gestational-age baby, and studies of anxiety and depression gave mixed results (USPSTF 2021).
What about twins?
The ranges on this page are for singleton pregnancies (USPSTF 2021). Ask your clinician about the right gain for a twin or multiple pregnancy.
Does this apply to teens?
The USPSTF recommendation covers pregnant adolescents and adults (USPSTF 2021). None of the trials enrolled only teens, so ask your clinician how the ranges apply to you (USPSTF 2021).
Also see the BMI calculator, the gestational diabetes screening check, the folic acid check, the pregnancy blood pressure screening check and all screening tests by age.
Sources
- US Preventive Services Task Force. Behavioral Counseling Interventions for Healthy Weight and Weight Gain in Pregnancy: US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. JAMA. 2021;325(20):2087. www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/healthy-weight-and-weight-gain-during-pregnancy-behavioral-counseling-interventions
Written and maintained by the uncovermyrisk.com editorial team. We do not have a medical reviewer; every claim links to its primary source above. Last reviewed: 2026-10-29. Spotted an error? See About.