K Melzer et al (2009 ) Pregnancy-related changes in activity energy expenditure and resting metabolic rate in Switzerland . European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 63, 1185–1191.

This study looked at resting metabolic rate , activity energy expenditure, total energy expenditure and physical activity pattern, that is, duration and intensity (in metabolic equivalents, METs) of activities performed in late pregnancy compared with postpartum in healthy, well-nourished women living in Switzerland.

The subjects were 27 healthy women aged 23–40 years at 38.2 1.5 weeks of gestation and 40.0 7.2 weeks postpartum.
The RMR during late pregnancy was 7480 kJ per day, that is, 1320 760 kJ per day (21.4%) higher than the postpartum resting metabolic rate (P
Energy expenditure in healthy women living in Switzerland increases in pregnancy compared with the postpartum state. Additional energy expenditure is primarily attributed to an increase in resting metabolic rate , which is partly compensated by a decrease in Activity energy expenditure. The decrease in physical activity-related energy costs is achieved by selecting less demanding activities and should be taken into account when defining extra energy requirements for late pregnancy in Switzerland.

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