Weight Gain During Pregnancy: Week-by-Week Chart in Kg

Written by: Chief Nutritionist Vasanthi Senthilvel
21 years of experience | Newtrist Nutritionist Dietitian Dietician
Best Nutritionist in Bangalore with multiple awards for excellence in clinical nutrition, weight loss, holistic health and nutrition innovation.
Medically reviewed by: Dr Dr Prathiba G MBBS, DNB, FIRM, FMAS | Dr Sunil kumar N MBBS, MD, DM | Dr Vinay Prasad MBBS, MD, DM

Medical Disclaimer: Nutritional needs vary based on an individual’s profile. The information on this page is for general educational purposes only and is not intended to replace personalised medical or nutrition care.

You check the scale and realise you have gained 7 kg.

Is that healthy? Too much? Too little?

The number by itself cannot tell you.

Two women at the same stage of pregnancy can gain exactly the same amount and need completely different advice. One may have started pregnancy underweight. Another may have started overweight. Their appetite, baby’s growth, blood glucose, symptoms and medical conditions may also be different.

That is why weight gain during pregnancy should be interpreted, not simply counted.

A chart can tell you where your number sits.

The more useful question is:

“What does my weight pattern mean for my pregnancy, and do I actually need to change anything?”

Key takeaway: Healthy weight gain during pregnancy depends partly on your pre-pregnancy BMI and partly on how your pregnancy is progressing. Women who begin pregnancy at a lower BMI generally require more gestational weight gain than women who begin overweight or with obesity. A week-by-week chart is useful for comparison, but it is a reference rather than a personal target.

How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

There is no single healthy weight gain for every pregnant woman.

For Indian women carrying one baby, pre-pregnancy BMI is a useful starting point.

Pre-pregnancy BMI	General Indian pregnancy weight guidance
Below 18.5	Dietary intake and weight gain need closer assessment and monitoring
18.5–23	Around 10–12 kg or more over pregnancy is commonly used as a general reference
23–27.5	A lower total gain, commonly around 5–9 kg, may be appropriate
Above 27.5	A lower total gain, commonly around 5–9 kg, may be appropriate with closer monitoring

These are broad references for a singleton pregnancy, not instructions to reach an exact number.

You may see different recommendations on international pregnancy websites because many use different BMI classifications.

That matters particularly if your pre-pregnancy BMI falls near a category boundary.

Pregnancy Weight Gain Chart by Week in Kg

The table below shows an estimated cumulative gain from your pre-pregnancy weight for a singleton pregnancy.

The week-by-week figures use international BMI categories because there is no official Indian week-by-week pregnancy weight-gain chart.

Use the table to understand the overall direction of weight change, not as a target you must hit each week.

Estimated Cumulative Pregnancy Weight Gain by Week

Pregnancy week	Underweight BMI <18.5	Normal BMI 18.5–24.9	Overweight BMI 25–29.9	Obesity BMI ≥30
By week 13	0.5–2.0 kg	0.5–2.0 kg	0.5–2.0 kg	0.5–2.0 kg
Week 14	0.9–2.6 kg	0.9–2.5 kg	0.7–2.4 kg	0.7–2.3 kg
Week 15	1.4–3.2 kg	1.3–3.0 kg	1.0–2.7 kg	0.8–2.5 kg
Week 16	1.8–3.8 kg	1.7–3.6 kg	1.2–3.1 kg	1.0–2.8 kg
Week 17	2.3–4.4 kg	2.1–4.1 kg	1.5–3.4 kg	1.2–3.0 kg
Week 18	2.7–5.0 kg	2.5–4.6 kg	1.7–3.8 kg	1.3–3.3 kg
Week 19	3.2–5.6 kg	2.9–5.1 kg	1.9–4.1 kg	1.5–3.6 kg
Week 20	3.6–6.1 kg	3.4–5.6 kg	2.2–4.5 kg	1.7–3.8 kg
Week 21	4.1–6.7 kg	3.8–6.1 kg	2.4–4.8 kg	1.8–4.1 kg
Week 22	4.5–7.3 kg	4.2–6.7 kg	2.7–5.2 kg	2.0–4.3 kg
Week 23	4.9–7.9 kg	4.6–7.2 kg	2.9–5.5 kg	2.2–4.6 kg
Week 24	5.4–8.5 kg	5.0–7.7 kg	3.1–5.9 kg	2.3–4.9 kg
Week 25	5.8–9.1 kg	5.4–8.2 kg	3.4–6.2 kg	2.5–5.1 kg
Week 26	6.3–9.7 kg	5.8–8.7 kg	3.6–6.6 kg	2.7–5.4 kg
Week 27	6.7–10.3 kg	6.2–9.3 kg	3.9–6.9 kg	2.8–5.6 kg
Week 28	7.2–10.9 kg	6.6–9.8 kg	4.1–7.3 kg	3.0–5.9 kg
Week 29	7.6–11.5 kg	7.0–10.3 kg	4.4–7.6 kg	3.2–6.1 kg
Week 30	8.1–12.1 kg	7.4–10.8 kg	4.6–8.0 kg	3.3–6.4 kg
Week 31	8.5–12.7 kg	7.8–11.3 kg	4.8–8.3 kg	3.5–6.7 kg
Week 32	8.9–13.3 kg	8.2–11.9 kg	5.1–8.7 kg	3.7–6.9 kg
Week 33	9.4–13.9 kg	8.6–12.4 kg	5.3–9.0 kg	3.8–7.2 kg
Week 34	9.8–14.4 kg	9.1–12.9 kg	5.6–9.4 kg	4.0–7.4 kg
Week 35	10.3–15.0 kg	9.5–13.4 kg	5.8–9.7 kg	4.2–7.7 kg
Week 36	10.7–15.6 kg	9.9–13.9 kg	6.0–10.1 kg	4.3–8.0 kg
Week 37	11.2–16.2 kg	10.3–14.4 kg	6.3–10.4 kg	4.5–8.2 kg
Week 38	11.6–16.8 kg	10.7–15.0 kg	6.5–10.8 kg	4.7–8.5 kg
Week 39	12.1–17.4 kg	11.1–15.5 kg	6.8–11.1 kg	4.8–8.7 kg
Week 40	12.5–18.0 kg	11.5–16.0 kg	7.0–11.5 kg	5.0–9.0 kg

Important: These are estimated reference ranges, not prescribed weekly targets. Pregnancy weight does not rise in a perfectly straight line.

A note for Indian readers

The BMI categories used in the weekly table are international categories.

Indian BMI classifications use lower cut-offs for overweight and obesity. Therefore, if your pre-pregnancy BMI was 23–24.9 or 27.5–29.9, your classification differs between the two systems.

If you fall into one of these ranges, do not choose your personal pregnancy weight target from the weekly table alone.

What If Your Weight Is Above or Below the Chart?

Being outside the estimated range does not automatically mean something is wrong.

It means the number needs context.

If you are gaining more than expected

Do not immediately start eating less or cutting carbohydrates.

Higher weight gain may be influenced by food choices, beverages, eating pattern, activity, sleep, glucose regulation, medicines or other clinical factors.

For example, one woman may regularly consume energy-dense drinks. Another may leave long gaps between meals and become extremely hungry later. Someone with gestational diabetes may need food choices considered alongside her glucose response.

The scale may show the same concern, but the nutrition problem is different.

The useful question is: “What is actually contributing to the weight change?”

If diet is contributing, it can be adjusted without unnecessarily restricting the nutrients pregnancy requires.

If you are gaining less than expected

Low weight gain also has several possible explanations.

Nausea, vomiting, poor appetite, early fullness, food aversions and restricted food intake can all contribute.

Fetal growth matters too.

A woman whose weight gain is relatively low but who is eating adequately and has reassuring fetal growth may require a very different response from someone with poor intake, nutritional deficiencies or concern about fetal development.

If your weight increases suddenly

Sudden weight gain is different from a gradual change.

Rapid weight increase accompanied by swelling of the face or hands, severe or persistent headache, visual changes, upper abdominal pain or breathing difficulty should be discussed promptly with your obstetric healthcare team.

This is not something to manage simply by reducing food.

Why Pregnancy Weight Is Not Just Body Fat

If you were actively trying to lose or maintain weight before pregnancy, seeing the scale rise can feel uncomfortable.

But pregnancy changes what that number represents.

Your weight now includes the developing baby, placenta, amniotic fluid, increased blood and other body fluids, changes in the uterus and breast tissue, and maternal energy stores.

So the aim is not to keep the number as low as possible.

It is to support appropriate weight change, adequate maternal nutrition and healthy fetal development.

What If You Started Pregnancy Overweight or With Obesity?

If you entered pregnancy overweight or with obesity, you generally require less additional gestational weight than someone who began pregnancy at a lower BMI.

That does not mean pregnancy should become a weight-loss programme.

Intentional weight loss, aggressive calorie restriction or fasting can make it harder to meet pregnancy nutrition requirements.

The focus should instead be appropriate gestational weight management.

It is also useful to distinguish two different situations:

Obesity in pregnancy refers to having a higher BMI when pregnancy begins.

Excess gestational weight gain means gaining more during pregnancy than is appropriate for your starting point and circumstances.

A woman can begin pregnancy with obesity and still have an appropriate gestational weight pattern.

Another woman can begin at a normal BMI and later gain substantially more weight than expected.

Those women should not automatically receive the same nutrition advice.

What Can a Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator Tell You?

A pregnancy weight gain calculator is useful for comparing your current number with a general range.

It is not a diet prescription.

A calculator cannot evaluate your baby’s growth, blood glucose, thyroid condition, PCOS, anaemia, nausea, appetite, medicines, dietary restrictions or usual eating pattern.

So use a calculator to answer: “Where does my weight sit?”

If the result leaves you wondering whether your diet should change, you have reached a different question: “Why is my weight following this pattern, and what should I personally do about it?”

When Does Personalised Pregnancy Nutrition Become Useful?

You do not need personalised nutrition simply because one measurement sits slightly above or below a chart.

It becomes more useful when there is a decision to make.

For example, when:

• weight is repeatedly rising faster or slower than expected
• you began pregnancy underweight, overweight or with obesity
• concern about weight gain is causing you to restrict food
• nausea, vomiting or poor appetite is limiting your intake
• you have gestational diabetes or abnormal glucose results
• PCOS, insulin resistance or thyroid disease affects your nutrition
• you have anaemia or another identified nutritional concern
• food restrictions make pregnancy nutrition difficult
• you receive conflicting advice about what or how much to eat

At this point, you do not need another list of “good” and “bad” pregnancy foods.

For broader information on foods during pregnancy, Newtrist’s pregnancy food content can provide general food guidance. Your weight-management decision still needs to be based on your own pregnancy context.

You need to know: “What should change in the way I currently eat, and what does not need changing?”

What Does a Personalised Pregnancy Nutrition Assessment Consider?

A personalised diet should come after assessment, not before it.

Depending on your situation, the nutritionist may need to consider your:

• pre-pregnancy BMI
• current pregnancy week and weight trend
• relevant blood investigations
• gestational diabetes status
• thyroid, PCOS or other clinical conditions
• medicines and supplements
• appetite and food aversions
• nausea, vomiting, constipation or reflux
• vegetarian, egg-based or non-vegetarian preferences
• work and sleep routine
• usual household foods
• practical and financial considerations

The purpose is to answer four practical questions:

Does your weight pattern actually require a dietary change?

What is most likely influencing it?

Is your current diet nutritionally adequate?

What should change, and what can stay exactly as it is?

Sometimes something needs to be reduced.

Sometimes something needs to be increased.

Sometimes meal structure matters more than removing a particular food.

And sometimes much less needs changing than you expected.

That is why this article does not provide a universal pregnancy weight-control diet or sample meal plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is little or no weight gain during the first trimester normal?

It can be. Weight gain may be small during early pregnancy, particularly when nausea, vomiting or food aversions affect appetite. Persistent weight loss, dehydration or difficulty keeping food and fluids down needs medical assessment.

Does more pregnancy weight gain mean the baby is growing better?

No. Maternal pregnancy weight includes much more than the baby’s weight. Fetal growth is assessed separately during antenatal care, so greater maternal weight gain does not automatically mean better fetal growth.

Can I use this pregnancy weight gain chart for twins?

No. The chart above is intended as a general reference for a singleton pregnancy. Twin and other multiple pregnancies have different weight and nutritional considerations.

What if I do not know my pre-pregnancy weight?

Use the earliest reliable weight available from before pregnancy or early pregnancy. Your healthcare professional can interpret this alongside your height and pregnancy information rather than relying on a guessed figure.

The Number Is Useful. Knowing What to Do With It Is More Important.

You may have arrived here wanting one answer:

“Is my pregnancy weight normal?”

The chart can help you understand where your number sits.

But if your weight is higher or lower than expected, the questions that matter next are different:

Do you really need to eat less?

Do you need more nutritional support?

Is meal structure, food quality or glucose regulation influencing your weight?

Is a medical condition involved?

Or does your present diet need little or no adjustment?

Chief Nutritionist Vasanthi Senthilvel at Newtrist provides personalised diet and nutrition support during pregnancy by reviewing your starting BMI, current weight trend, pregnancy stage, relevant investigations, medical conditions, symptoms, food preferences and everyday routine together.

The objective is not to make your body follow a generic pregnancy weight curve.

It is to identify whether your nutrition actually needs adjustment and, when it does, develop a personalised diet approach that supports appropriate pregnancy weight management while meeting the nutritional needs of both mother and baby.

If the chart has answered “Where am I?” but you still need an answer to “What should I do?”, a personalised pregnancy nutrition consultation can provide that next level of guidance.