It is true, that being overweight does put the mom and baby at risk for certain, dangerous conditions such as gestational diabetes and hypertension, and you may have more problems during labor and delivery. You should speak with your doctor about the risks associated with being overweight, plus discuss the makings of an appropriate diet. Understanding the nutrient needs of a pregnant mom and growing baby is paramount. You do not want to restrict your diet for the purposes of not gaining weight if it means that you will be restricting the nutrients that your baby needs for optimum development. If following a healthy diet for pregnancy results in you cutting back on less healthy, or excess foods that you were eating before, and that results in minimal weight gain, then count it as a bonus.
Restrictive eating can have serious, long term consequences for the baby.
However, women who are overweight should limit their weight gain to between 15 and 25 pounds. This is less than the recommendation to women of average weight who should gain between 25 to 35 pounds. Discuss them with your doctor so that you can agree on how you can limit weight gain in a safe manner. First, be sure you are taking your prenatal vitamin daily. That means your baby will be needing more energy for growth, and now is the time that the majority of weight gain in pregnancy begins.