Pregnant women gradually gain weight, compliance with the rate of increase in body weight to the norms indicates the correct course of pregnancy. It is very convenient to have a scale at home in order to constantly monitor your condition. Any floor scales are suitable for this, but it is advisable to take into account some factors when choosing: the type of device, built-in functions, weight restrictions.
Why do you need a pregnancy scale?
During pregnancy, women need to carefully monitor changes in their weight: with the growth of the embryo, body weight increases, but it must meet certain standards, otherwise the risk of complications increases. Too fast weight gain threatens shortness of breath, fatigue, back pain, high blood pressure and hemorrhoids, in addition, childbirth with excess body weight will be more difficult. There are special tables of weight gain rates for pregnant women, which take into account the woman's age, her physique and the week of pregnancy. During routine examinations with a doctor, the weight is necessarily checked, but it is more convenient for girls to have their own scales in order to track the increase in kilograms and, if necessary, adjust their diet and lifestyle.
How to choose a pregnancy scale?
For measuring weight at home, floor scales are designed, which are divided into two types - electronic and mechanical. In general, any scales are suitable for pregnant women, but an electronic device is preferable to a mechanical one, since it has a much smaller measurement error, for scales with a mechanical type of operation, the error can be about 1 kg, in addition, the division price often corresponds to 1 kg. Electronic scales have divisions up to 0.1 kg, which allows you to monitor your weight gain with great accuracy. To check the accuracy of a device in a store, take any item that has a weight on it and weigh it.
Most of the weights on the market are designed for a maximum of 160 kg, but it is advisable to check the limitations in advance - some compact and economical models are designed for less weight, for example, up to 100 kg. If you are overweight, consider this when buying - during pregnancy, a woman can gain several tens of kg. Weight gain of up to 16 kg by the time of delivery is considered the norm.
Look for models with computerized weight analysis functions if they have programs for pregnant women. Such devices can save data, draw up a graph of weight gain and compare it with the norms. If the scale has a function for analyzing the ratio of fat, muscle and water in the body, you should not use it, since the device will not show the correct results during pregnancy. In addition, some scales with such an analyzer pass a weak electric current through the body, which can be dangerous for the baby, therefore, you may see a warning in the instructions about using this function by pregnant women.
Pay attention to the material from which the scale is made. Plastic is short-lived, metal can be unpleasant to touch, glass is one of the most common options, but a device can break easily. There are also wooden scales, they are the safest to use, since you cannot slip on them, in addition, they are pleasant to the touch, but they are also more expensive.
