Assessing the mother for the signs and symptoms of malnutrition or undernutrition

Checking Weight

Maternal weight can be measured up using adult weight scale (see figure 8.1, below). Any normal pregnant mother exhibits a weight gain of 9 to 12 kilogrammes throughout the pregnancy and 1 to 1.5 kilogrammes monthly. This is due to the growing foetus and the formation of new tissues by the maternal cells to prepare the internal environment for the foetus.

If the maternal nutritional status is poor, the mother may not gain or may have a little increase in weight depending on the severity of the problem. In the same way, a sudden increase in weight beyond the specified weight may also be a warning sign for the mother as she might have developed disorders. Here, we should bear in mind that we should not judge and recommend solutions by just looking at the pregnant woman or reading her weight.