If you are pregnant there is no getting away from the fact you will put on weight over the coming months. It is natural to feel self conscious about the changes to your body but you must remember that putting on weight is vital for your baby's health and development.

It is also important to remember that being pregnant is not an excuse to eat everything in sight and put on as much pregnancy weight as you want. Experts estimate that in the later stages of pregnancy, you will need to eat an extra 200 to 300 calories per day to ensure you are putting on the right amount of pregnancy weight. Of course every pregnancy is different and ultimately it depends on your weight before you were pregnant.

As a general rule of thumb, most women put on between 10kg and 13kg of weight throughout their pregnancy, most of it in week 20. Most of this extra weight will be your developing baby, the placenta and the amniotic fluid. Combined this can weigh as much as a third of your body weight by the end of your pregnancy.

The amount of weight you should aim to gain in pregnancy is generally determined by your height and weight ratio, also known as the BMI (Body Mass Index) at pre-pregnancy stage. Your midwife will determine your BMI number and assess how much weight gain is safe for your build. The higher your BMI, the less your pregnancy weight you should aim to gain.

Just as it is not safe to gain too much weight in pregnancy, it is also not safe to lose weight in pregnancy and diet. The reason for this is that you may miss out on vital nutrients that you baby needs to be healthy.

The best advice is to eat a nutritious and well balanced diet with plenty of foods which contain protein and fruit and vegetables. As well as watching what types of foods you eat, starting an exercise routine can help to control your weight great immensely. It can also help you to feel great particularly as you may be feeling a bit image conscious. Exercise will also help you to recover quicker after your baby has been born.