Eat at least the recommended servings, more if you desire. All women do not gain the same during pregnancy because women differ in height, weight, physical activity, and metabolism. Women who are underweight at the start of a pregnancy need to gain more weight than women who were within their ideal weight range at conception. Overweight women should gain less weight. Gaining weight is an essential part of pregnancy.
Many women find it hard to avoid gaining too much weight.
This is especially a problem if you decrease your normal physical activity. Carefully watching your food choices will be necessary to get the protein, vitamins, and minerals you and your baby need, without adding excess pounds. Avoid foods that are low in nutrients but high in calories, such as cookies, doughnuts, chips, soft drinks, cakes, and pie. Instead, choose fresh fruits, vegetables, and skim milk. Some women do not gain enough weight.