In a study of more than 1 200 women, those who had been previously dieting gained too much or too little weight during pregnancy.
The University of North Carolina study revealed that restricted eaters, who were underweight at the start of their pregnancy, were found to gain either too much or not enough weight when carrying an unborn child.
According to recommendations by specialists, a woman should gain between 28 and 40 pounds if they were too thin before pregnancy. A normal sized woman should gain between 25 and 35 pounds, while an overweight woman should gain between 15 and 25 pounds. Obese women should only gain 15 pounds with pregnancy.
These are ideal guidelines, and a variety of health and hereditary issues may change the recommended weight gain.