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Parentpedia
Weight
Your baby starts off as a virtually weightless clump of microscopic cells. After 40 weeks of feeding through the umbilical cord, he or she will enter the world at about 7 1/2 pounds.
Mommy Weight
Doctors recommend women gain between 25 and 35 pounds during their term. Your baby will weigh about 6 to 8 pounds. The rest of the weight is from the placenta, fluids, growing breasts, and other byproducts of your pregnancy.
On average, the more weight you gain, the bigger the baby. Gaining too little weight can put you at risk of having a low-birth weight baby (5 1/2 pounds or fewer). Gaining too much weight increases your chances of macrosomia (an excessively large baby).
Baby Weight
Your doctor will be able to tell you roughly how big your baby will be by measuring the top of your uterus (the fundus). These estimates can be off by a pound or more. A sonogram may also measure size, but that isn't surefire either.
Many women are able to deliver large babies vaginally without complications. The determining factor is whether the baby's head can fit through your pelvis. Keep in mind that every fetus is different. Babies grow at different rates, so the following numbers are averages.
First Trimester (Weeks 1 to 13): Your baby is busy laying the foundation (organs, arms, legs, etc.) in these weeks. By the end of week 13, he likely will weigh a little less than an ounce.
Second Trimester (Week 14-27): Your baby will increase his weight about 30 times and will triple in length. He starts off at 1 1/2 ounces. A special kind of fat found in newborn babies and hibernating animals, known as "brown fat," develops under the skin. It keeps your baby warm after birth. The brown fat produces heat and acts as an insulator. By the end of Week 27, your baby weighs in at almost 2 pounds.
Third Trimester (Weeks 28-40): The fat continues to accumulate, making your baby's body rounder. He continues to pack on pounds this trimester, about 1/2 pound a week. He'll start off the trimester at about 2 to 3 pounds and by week 40, your baby weighs about 7 pounds.
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