By the time women give birth, over 1/3 of their extra wight will come from the baby, the placenta and the amniotic fluid. Here are some averages to give you an idea….
– At birth a baby weighs about 3.3kg
– The placenta weighs 0.7kg
– The amniotic fluid weighs 0.8kg
The other 2/3’s can be accounted for by the changes that happen to the woman’s body. Again, the averages:
– Muscle layer of the uterus (womb) grows an extra 0.9kg
– Blood volume increases an extra 1.2kg
– Extra fluid in the body weighing about 1.2kg
– Breast weight is an extra 0.4kg
– Fat storage for breastfeeding energy is an extra 4kg.