Text Tools
Fancy Text
Calculators
Health
Dev Tools
More
Blog Get the Chrome extension
Free · No sign-up · Nothing is uploaded

Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator: Published Ranges by Week

Enter height, weight before pregnancy and weeks pregnant to see the Institute of Medicine (2009) total and the range for your week. Published ranges, not advice: only a midwife or doctor advises on weight gain in pregnancy.

Units

Pregnancy

cm

kg

weeks

days

kg
Published total gain–
Range for your week–
BMI before pregnancy–
First trimester–
Weekly rate, second and third trimester–

Only a midwife or doctor can advise on weight gain in pregnancy. These are published ranges for groups of women, not targets for you. Advice differs with health conditions, age and weight history. This page gives no diet or weight-loss advice.

The ranges are for adult women in the BMI groups the IOM uses. The IOM report discusses adolescents under 20 separately, so if you are under 20 a midwife or doctor can say which range applies.

This is a general estimate for educational use. It is not medical advice, a diagnosis or a treatment plan. Talk to a doctor, midwife or other qualified professional before you change your diet, exercise or health care.

Range for every week

Straight line from the published first-trimester figure (at 14 weeks 0 days) to the published total (at 40 weeks). A row for 20 weeks means 20 weeks 0 days.

Week Gain so far (kg) Weight (kg)
Show the working

Private by design. Everything runs in your browser and is never uploaded.

The basics

What is the IOM pregnancy weight gain range?

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) 2009 total gain for one baby depends on BMI before pregnancy: 28 to 40 lb below 18.5, 25 to 35 lb for 18.5 to 24.9, 15 to 25 lb for 25.0 to 29.9, and 11 to 20 lb from 30.0. This calculator finds the group and the range for your week.

The result updates as you type, in metric or US units. It works out your BMI before pregnancy, picks the matching IOM group, shows the total for the whole pregnancy and a range for your week, and, if you add the weight you have now, says whether the gain so far is within, below or above that range. Only a midwife or doctor can advise on weight gain in pregnancy. To count weeks and days first, use the pregnancy calculator or the due date calculator. For other everyday sums see the free online calculators.

Worked examples: published total and range at 28 weeks
Height and weight IOM group (BMI) Total gain At 28 weeks
165 cm, 65 kg
BMI 23.9
18.5 to 24.9 11.5 to 16 kg
25 to 35 lb
6.4 to 9.5 kg
14.0 to 20.9 lb
160 cm, 45 kg
BMI 17.6
below 18.5 12.5 to 18 kg
28 to 40 lb
7.0 to 10.6 kg
15.6 to 23.6 lb
170 cm, 80 kg
BMI 27.7
25.0 to 29.9 7 to 11.5 kg
15 to 25 lb
4.0 to 7.1 kg
8.6 to 15.5 lb
5 ft 4 in, 190 lb
BMI 32.6
30.0 and above 5 to 9 kg
11 to 20 lb
2.9 to 5.8 kg
6.4 to 12.8 lb
170 cm, 95 kg
BMI 32.9
30.0 and above 5 to 9 kg
11 to 20 lb
2.9 to 5.8 kg
6.4 to 12.8 lb
How it works

How to use the pregnancy weight gain calculator

The first answer is already on screen. Change any number and the ranges update at once, with no Calculate button.

01

Choose units and pregnancy

Metric uses centimetres and kilograms. US uses feet, inches and pounds. Pick one baby or twins. Switching units converts your numbers, so the same person stays on screen.

02

Enter height, weight and week

The weight before pregnancy sets the BMI group. Weeks pregnant, and optional days, set the week. Heights from 100 to 230 cm and weights from 30 to 300 kg are accepted.

03

Read the totals and the range

The big number is the published total for the whole pregnancy. Below it are the range for your week, the first-trimester figure and the weekly rate.

04

Add the weight now, if you like

The gain so far is set against the range in neutral words: within, below or above. Nothing is saved, and a midwife or doctor decides what it means.

Reference

IOM weight gain ranges by BMI before pregnancy

Figures as printed by the Institute of Medicine (2009) and the CDC. The second column holds the labels those sources use for the BMI groups. They name groups on a chart and say nothing about health.

One baby: total gain, and weekly rate in the second and third trimester
BMI before pregnancy Label in the sources Total gain (lb) Total gain (kg) lb a week: mean (range) kg a week: mean (range)
below 18.5 Underweight 28 to 40 12.5 to 18 1 (1 to 1.3) 0.51 (0.44 to 0.58)
18.5 to 24.9 Normal weight 25 to 35 11.5 to 16 1 (0.8 to 1) 0.42 (0.35 to 0.50)
25.0 to 29.9 Overweight 15 to 25 7 to 11.5 0.6 (0.5 to 0.7) 0.28 (0.23 to 0.33)
30.0 and above Obese 11 to 20 5 to 9 0.5 (0.4 to 0.6) 0.22 (0.17 to 0.27)

In every group the IOM table assumes a gain of 0.5 to 2 kg (1.1 to 4.4 lb) in the first trimester. The CDC page prints the top group as 30.0 to 39.9; the IOM table prints it as 30.0 and above, and this calculator uses 30.0 and above.

Twins: provisional total gain for the whole pregnancy
BMI before pregnancy Label in the sources Total gain (lb) Total gain (kg) Source
below 18.5 Underweight No IOM range No IOM range IOM: too little information. CDC lists 50 to 62 lb and marks it as not from the IOM.
18.5 to 24.9 Normal weight 37 to 54 17 to 25 IOM, provisional
25.0 to 29.9 Overweight 31 to 50 14 to 23 IOM, provisional
30.0 and above Obese 25 to 42 11 to 19 IOM, provisional

The IOM gives no first-trimester figure, weekly rate or range for a single week for twins, so this calculator shows the total only and does not compare a weight for twins. Where the sources give no range, the table says so.

By week

Range for each week of a pregnancy with one baby

The IOM does not publish a range for every week. From 14 weeks 0 days this page draws a straight line between two published figures: the first-trimester gain and the total at 40 weeks. Each cell shows the pound range with the kilogram range beneath, each worked from its own published column.

Straight-line gain so far, by week and BMI before pregnancy
Week Below 18.5 18.5 to 24.9 25.0 to 29.9 30.0 and above
14 weeks 1.1 to 4.4 lb
0.5 to 2.0 kg
1.1 to 4.4 lb
0.5 to 2.0 kg
1.1 to 4.4 lb
0.5 to 2.0 kg
1.1 to 4.4 lb
0.5 to 2.0 kg
16 weeks 3.2 to 7.1 lb
1.4 to 3.2 kg
2.9 to 6.8 lb
1.3 to 3.1 kg
2.2 to 6.0 lb
1.0 to 2.7 kg
1.9 to 5.6 lb
0.8 to 2.5 kg
20 weeks 7.3 to 12.6 lb
3.3 to 5.7 kg
6.6 to 11.5 lb
3.0 to 5.2 kg
4.3 to 9.2 lb
2.0 to 4.2 kg
3.4 to 8.0 lb
1.5 to 3.6 kg
24 weeks 11.4 to 18.1 lb
5.1 to 8.2 kg
10.3 to 16.2 lb
4.7 to 7.4 kg
6.4 to 12.3 lb
3.0 to 5.7 kg
4.9 to 10.4 lb
2.2 to 4.7 kg
28 weeks 15.6 to 23.6 lb
7.0 to 10.6 kg
14.0 to 20.9 lb
6.4 to 9.5 kg
8.6 to 15.5 lb
4.0 to 7.1 kg
6.4 to 12.8 lb
2.9 to 5.8 kg
32 weeks 19.7 to 29.0 lb
8.8 to 13.1 kg
17.6 to 25.6 lb
8.1 to 11.7 kg
10.7 to 18.7 lb
5.0 to 8.6 kg
8.0 to 15.2 lb
3.6 to 6.8 kg
36 weeks 23.9 to 34.5 lb
10.7 to 15.5 kg
21.3 to 30.3 lb
9.8 to 13.8 kg
12.9 to 21.8 lb
6.0 to 10.0 kg
9.5 to 17.6 lb
4.3 to 7.9 kg
40 weeks 28.0 to 40.0 lb
12.5 to 18.0 kg
25.0 to 35.0 lb
11.5 to 16.0 kg
15.0 to 25.0 lb
7.0 to 11.5 kg
11.0 to 20.0 lb
5.0 to 9.0 kg

Check against the weekly rate: for BMI 18.5 to 24.9, the first-trimester figure plus the published weekly rate over 26 weeks (14 to 40) gives 21.9 to 30.4 lb at 40 weeks, while the published total is 25 to 35 lb. The weekly rates and the totals are published separately and do not add up exactly, so the line is drawn to the totals. The kilogram figures show the same gap (9.6 to 15.0 kg against 11.5 to 16 kg). The sources give no figures after 40 weeks.

Comparison

How this calculator differs from a basic weight gain calculator

Many pages ask for height, weight and week, then show a single range with no explanation. These are the differences that matter when you want to understand the number.

Features compared
Feature Basic calculator This calculator
Method Some show a range for your week with no stated curve The straight line is written out step by step, with the published figures it starts from
Wording Often attaches a verdict word to the weight Only within, below or above the published range, and a midwife or doctor decides
Twins Some show a full week-by-week curve with no stated source Total only where the IOM gives one, and a plain statement where it gives none
Units Often one system Metric or US, each range worked from its own published column
Sources Rarely named CDC and IOM pages named, with the BMI cut-offs as printed
Speed Often needs a Calculate button Updates as you type, with an answer on first load
Sharing Rare Copy the result, or share a link that opens with the same inputs
Use cases

When a published-range calculator helps

Reading a clinic handout

A leaflet may quote an IOM or CDC range. Type your numbers to see which BMI group it refers to and what the range is for each week.

Preparing questions

Copy the result, or share a link, so the numbers are in front of you when you talk with your midwife or doctor.

Seeing the first trimester on its own

The source gives one figure for the whole trimester. The calculator shows that figure and explains why it does not give a weekly range yet.

Comparing one baby and twins

Switch between the two to see the published totals side by side, and which groups have no IOM range for twins.

Working in pounds or kilograms

Use either system. Each range comes from its own published column, so the figures match the source.

Counting weeks first

Not sure of the week? Work it out from a last period or due date with the pregnancy calculator, then come back with the number of weeks.

Good to know

What to keep in mind about these ranges

The ranges describe groups of women. They are published guidance, not a rule for any one person.

Only a midwife or doctor can advise on weight gain in pregnancy. This calculator gives no diet or weight-loss advice. Advice differs with health conditions, age and weight history, so use the numbers as a starting point for that conversation.

  • Adults, and the IOM note on adolescents

    The ranges are for adult women. The IOM report discusses adolescents under 20 on their own: it found too little evidence to change its guidelines for them and noted that younger adolescents often need to gain more. The age calculator works out an age from a birth date.

  • Groups come from the weight before pregnancy

    The IOM based its BMI groups on the World Health Organization cut-offs. The calculator uses the weight you enter as the weight before pregnancy, not the weight now.

  • Individual advice differs

    Health conditions, age and previous weight can all change the advice a midwife or doctor gives. The published ranges describe groups and are not targets.

  • Meant for women in the United States

    The IOM says its guidelines are intended for women in the United States and may apply in other developed countries. It does not intend them for places where women are substantially shorter or thinner, or where adequate obstetric services are unavailable.

  • No change for short stature

    The 1990 IOM report had recommended the lower end of the range for women under 157 cm. The 2009 committee found too little evidence to keep that change, so this calculator makes none.

  • Weeks and trimesters

    Weeks are completed weeks from the first day of the last period. The CDC trimester definitions used here put the first trimester up to 13 weeks 6 days and the second from 14 weeks 0 days. The due date calculator shows the estimated due date.

Limits

What this pregnancy weight gain calculator does not do

Published ranges, not targets

The ranges are the ones the IOM and CDC publish for groups. They are not a goal, a limit or a measure of how a pregnancy is going. The CDC page asks readers to work with a health care provider on weight gain goals.

A line between two figures

The IOM gives a first-trimester figure, a total and a weekly rate, not a range for each week. The weekly line is this page construction from those figures, and the sources give nothing after 40 weeks.

Only what the sources state

No range is shown for a single week of a twin pregnancy, for underweight twins from the IOM, or for adolescents under 20. The IOM report summary explains each limit in its own words.

Sources

Where the facts come from

Every range, cut-off and rate on this page is as printed in the first two sources below. The CDC page is dated 15 May 2024 and lists the same one-baby ranges as the IOM table; its underweight twin figure of 50 to 62 lb carries a note that it is not from the IOM. The trimester boundaries come from the third source. The week-by-week line is this page construction and is not published by any of them.

FAQ

Pregnancy weight gain FAQ

Short answers about the IOM ranges, the BMI groups and the limits of this calculator.

How much weight is recommended to gain during pregnancy?

The Institute of Medicine (IOM) ranges for one baby, repeated by the CDC, depend on BMI before pregnancy: 28 to 40 lb below 18.5, 25 to 35 lb from 18.5 to 24.9, 15 to 25 lb from 25.0 to 29.9, and 11 to 20 lb at 30.0 and above. These are published ranges for groups of women, so a midwife or doctor decides what applies to any one person.

How is my BMI group chosen?

BMI is the weight before pregnancy in kilograms divided by the height in metres squared. The result is rounded to one decimal and compared with the cut-offs the IOM and CDC print: below 18.5, 18.5 to 24.9, 25.0 to 29.9, and 30.0 and above.

How much weight gain does the IOM allow in the first trimester?

The IOM table assumes a gain of 0.5 to 2 kg (1.1 to 4.4 lb) over the whole first trimester, the same for every group. The source gives one figure for the trimester, not a range for each week, so before 14 weeks 0 days this page checks only the top of it.

What is the weekly rate in the second and third trimester?

The IOM table gives a mean and a range for each group, in pounds a week: 1 (1 to 1.3) below BMI 18.5, 1 (0.8 to 1) from 18.5 to 24.9, 0.6 (0.5 to 0.7) from 25.0 to 29.9, and 0.5 (0.4 to 0.6) at 30.0 and above. The kilogram rates are printed as a separate column.

How is the range for my week worked out?

From 14 weeks 0 days the page draws a straight line between the published first-trimester figure and the published total at 40 weeks. For BMI 18.5 to 24.9 in kilograms that is 0.5 to 2 at 14 weeks and 11.5 to 16 at 40 weeks, so at 28 weeks it is 6.4 to 9.5 kg. The IOM does not publish a range for each week, so the line is built from its figures.

What do within, below and above the published range mean?

They compare the gain so far with the range for that week and say nothing more. A gain outside the range is not a diagnosis and a gain inside it is not a guarantee. A midwife or doctor decides what a number means for the person.

What does the IOM publish for twins?

For twins the IOM gives provisional totals only: 37 to 54 lb for BMI 18.5 to 24.9, 31 to 50 lb for 25.0 to 29.9, and 25 to 42 lb at 30.0 and above. It gives no first-trimester figure, weekly rate or range for a single week, so the page shows the total and does not compare a weight for twins.

Why is there no IOM range for underweight twins?

The IOM report says too little information was available to develop even a provisional guideline for underweight women with twins. The CDC page lists 50 to 62 lb and notes that this one figure is not from the IOM, so this page shows it only as a labelled CDC figure.

Do the ranges apply to teenagers or to short women?

The IOM committee did not find enough evidence to change its guidelines for adolescents under 20 or for women of short stature, and it noted that younger adolescents often need to gain more. The guidelines are meant for women in the United States. A midwife or doctor can say which range applies to you.

Why do the pounds and kilograms not match exactly?

The IOM prints the pound and kilogram ranges as separate columns, each rounded on its own. For example 25 lb is 11.3 kg, while the IOM prints 11.5 kg. This page uses each column as printed and does not convert one into the other.

Does this page give diet or weight-loss advice?

No. It gives no diet, calorie or weight-loss advice and only shows the ranges the IOM and CDC publish. Questions about eating, exercise or weight in pregnancy are for a midwife, doctor or other qualified professional.

Is anything I type saved or uploaded?

No. The calculation runs in your browser and nothing is sent to a server. The numbers go into the page address only after you change a value or tap Share link, and only your choice of metric or US units is remembered on your own device.