Goodbye to the myth of “eating for two”: why it is so important to control weight during pregnancy

Adobe Stock Photo& & by Carmen Feria Ramirez, Professor in Nursing and Midwife, University of Huelva How many times have we heard what is said to pregnant women:& “now you should eat for two& . ”& And then why not sleep or walk for two too? This thought that is so culturally rooted in our society is a myth, a consequence of erroneous beliefs about healthy weight gain. Sometimes, during pregnancy, women relax their eating habits thinking that since they are going to gain weight anyway,& they can afford to eat whatever they want& . Nothing more wrong. Consequences for the mother and her future baby Perhaps pregnant women are not fully aware of the implications that their actions have on the future of their babies. Why do they put them on a scale every time they go to a prenatal appointment? What is behind the concern of health professionals to know how many kilos they are “wearing”? This fact responds to the need to detect inadequate weight gain and prevent the consequences for the mother and her offspring. We must keep in mind that both a deficit and an& excess of kilos& during pregnancy can lead to gestational diabetes...