I have found nothing on Medline on calorie needs during multiple babies during pregnancy.

I am a dietitian working in a women’s hospital. I noticed in one of your FQAs that you stated that you do not know how many calories are needed with twins. I too have found nothing via Medline on calorie needs during multiple babies (twins, triplets, etc) during pregnancy. We have based our recommendations on the suggested 45 pound weight gain, requiring approximately 5 pounds for the first trimester and approximately 1 pound per week during the second and third trimesters. I just wanted to run this idea by you and get your opinion, if you don’t mind.

The math doesn’t add up. Since pregnancy is figured on 40 weeks, if a person gained 5 pounds during the first 12 weeks and 1 pound per week for the remaining 28 weeks, that would only equal 33 pounds, not the 45 pounds target. A woman carrying twin babies would need to gain 1.6 pounds for the remaining 28 weeks to equal 45 pounds.

Second, I don’t know that 45 pounds are the total pregnancy weight goal as I have not seen weight gain recommendations for twin or multiple births.