Although you may be sorely tempted to give into your cravings for pickles and chocolates and eat twice as much, remember that you are eating for a baby - not another fully grown adult!

Eating twice as much will only lead to excessive weight, which can put you at risk for pregnancy complications. Also, you will have greater difficulty losing the weight, post pregnancy.

Says Dr Raghuram, "300 calories is not that much food. It would be the equivalent of a cup of yogurt or a small sliced apple or an extra glass of milk.  Also, overweight women are at increased risk for developing gestational diabetes and hypertension."

Ideal Weight Gain

"The calories recommended for the non-pregnant woman ages 23-50 is 1,800- 2,000 calories per day. So, a pregnant woman roughly needs 300 calories extra. Due to morning sickness, many women have trouble gaining weight in the first trimester. That's okay. But ideally you should gain 1.5 to 2.5kgs during the first trimester. And a woman in her second and third trimester should gain approximately 1-2 pounds (0.45 to 0.91kgs) per week," says Dr Raghuram.

Thus, a woman of average weight before pregnancy should gain 12 to 16kgs during pregnancy. Underweight women should gain 13-19kgs, and overweight women may need to gain only 7-11kgs. Of course, if you are carrying more than one baby, you will need to gain more than this amount of weight during pregnancy.

Also Read: Eat Better Before You Think of a Baby