Your healthcare provider can also set you up on a regimen of prenatal vitamins, and help you understand your cycle better so you know times of month you are most likely to get pregnant.

Most practitioners will schedule your first visit between 8-11 weeks if you are having a normal, low risk pregnancy. If you aren’t sure when you became pregnant, you should consider scheduling an appointment with your provider right away to ensure that everything is going along as it should and that you have no risk factors for possible complications.

If you are overweight when you become pregnant you will only need to gain between 15 and 25 pounds during your pregnancy.

Keep in mind that if you are carrying multiples (twins or more) you will typically be asked to gain even more weight, 45 pounds or more, depending on how many babies you are carrying.

When you become pregnant it is important that you avoid dieting. So, for purposes of this book we want to emphasize that it is vital that you eat healthily during your pregnancy, not diet. A healthy diet that is composed of food from each of four food groups will help ensure that you gain right amount of weight during your pregnancy, making it easier to shed pounds after you give birth.