Does what you eat/how much you eat affect size of baby?

[Kmx]

Ive read that it doesn't, basically baby takes what it needs and you get extra fat stores but is this true. How does it work if you undereat and then it affects baby by making it smaller than average?

 

[October9]

I think baby will still take what it needs regardless of what you eat, you just burn the fat/muscle stores you have already. There are many mums esp fitness fans that only eat healthy and so much and their babies are born at good healthy weights.

There are other issues that make the baby smaller that you cant control. I'm at risk of another small baby after my last and its something I hope my second son isn't. Id much rather he be 8lbs than 4lb like my first son.

 

[Gem_Clem]

I had hyperemesis in my last pregnancy for the whole 9 months, I threw up everyday/night non stop. I could barely eat anything and most of what I did eat came back up within 20 mins or so, it got a bit less towards the end but still wasn't eating a lot, I lost 2 stone during the pregnancy and my daughter was 8lb 12oz!! Don't know where she got all the weight from lol! I was so worried about her during the pregnancy that she was going to be weak and tiny, but she always measured right for weeks and she was huge, healthy and strong as an ox! haha So my eating certainly didn't affect her

 

[MamaHix1409]

Baby is fed from your blood until quite late on. So long as you're taking your vitamins all should be fine. I think if you eat badly you can end up with a hefty little one but you will be quite ill way before your baby misses out on anything. You will starve before baby does.

That's the gist of what I was told when I asked about bad morning sickness anyway.

 

[minties]

I ate the most and was massive with my first, he was 7lbs 4oz at 41 weeks. I ate better but had gestational diabetes with my second and she was 7lbs 15oz at 39 weeks.

I know that having lots of high blood sugar makes baby quite fat.

 

[Kmx]

Thanks for replies.

The reason I'm asking is that during first trimester I went a bit off the rails with my usually strict diet. Then last week I went on holiday and ate junk food and lots of it during the week. When I returned I weighed myself for the first time since falling pregnant. My pre pregnancy weight was 8 stone 5 and I was 9 stone 4. With my son I was 10 stone 2 at my due date so gained just under 2 stone.

I'm now panicking about how much I've gained. My bump is already massive - the same if not bigger than I was at 26 weeks pregnant with my first pregnancy (I've attached a pic for reference)

Since returning from holiday I've been really strict cutting out all junk food and stocking up with fruits and veg. I've weighed myself and I'm now 9 stone 1 but think it was just bloating I lost from all the junk I was eating. I don't want to under eat which I've definetly not been doing as I eat when I'm hungry but I just don't want to gain too much. I don't want it affecting the baby either and for it to be bigger than usual.

My son was 7, 10 At 42 weeks so he wasn't that large for an over dur baby. Im just so paranoid about my diet this time. I don't remember feeling like this with my last pregnancy & it seems to be taking over my day to day thiughts. For example I'll eat a meal and think to myself I better stop to avoid putting on too much weight. Or when I go out for dinner I would always get a dessert pre pregnancy but now I'm passing the dessert as I'm worried about weight gain. I obviously do not want to be thinking like this but I seem to have got myself into a rut since I weighed myself. I worry the baby will be unhealthily massive or something. So it's quite reassuring to know what I eat/ how much I eat won't affect the baby's size.

 

[Enasy]

with my first pregnancy i fel sick all the time, i ended up loosing 2st 7 lbs. baby was born 7lbs 5

 

[October9]

You look great for 18 wks, they always say you show earlier with your 2nd because everything already knows where to move to than before. I feel huge now at 22 wks than I did at 30 with my first.

I would try not to stress but if it becomes all consuming try speaking to your midwife or doctor, you don't want to end up with an eating disorder that could cause you health issues x

 

[wish4baby]

You look great! I wouldn't worry

I have done a ton of research these past few days (you may have seen my other post about having to deliver early), so I am trying to help baby put on weight.

From what I have read, protein (and especially dairy protein), supposedly increases baby's size. A few sites stated high levels of "bad" carbs in addition to high protein will cause baby to grow/fatten up the most... like 100 grams of protein a day!!!

I don't think what you've done has caused the baby to get too big!

Edited: I guess it may not be that hard for some to reach 100g per day depending on how much/what you eat

 

[minties]

I get about 100g of protein per day easily, I didn't think that was a high amount? Today I got 118g.

 

[shellshocked]

It's certainly not difficult to eat 100g of protein in a day you certainly wouldn't need supplements. Even a sandwich could give you 30g....that and acouple of bits of toast for breakfast and a salmon steak And riceor beans for dinner. Some nuts for a snack and you're well on your way. It is a fair amount but totally doable without overeating.

 

[laila 44]

For me the more I eat the bigger baby gets

 

[Kmx]

Thanks everyone. I don't track my calories or anything but I'm thinking maybe I should to ensure I am eating enough. Today I almost fainted which I had during my last pregnancy so I know it can be normal for me and plus I have low blood pressure but I want to make sure I am eating enough.

My daily diet since returning from holiday roughly consists of -

Breakfast - fruit & fiber with semi skimmed milk & smoothie with 2 handfuls spinach, 1/4 cucumber, handful blueberries, 2 tangerines & Apple juice or almond milk

Snack - raisin & nuts or yoghurt or mango chunks

Lunch - roll & cheese or egg and toast or pasta and cheese/sauce, banana

Snack - chocolate biscuit

Dinner - homemade chicken meal with rice and veg or fish and sweet potato and veg

Snack - yoghurt or cheese and crackers

Does this sound ok/enough? I'm trying to be as healthy as possible but today I just feel so so weak after blacking out.

 

[LisaL79]

I've had a bigger appetite this time around and this baby is measuring bigger than my other 2 did.. at least according to the 20w scan.

My SiL had hyperemesis and her daughter was just under 6lbs at just over 39w. Tiny tiny. SiL also lost about 20 or so pounds b/c of it too. Definitely think that had an impact on her baby's weight.

 

[minties]

My mum is a petite lady, she's 5'1" and built small. She put on 40lbs with me and I was 6lbs flat and 18" long.

The only time I've ever been warned about eating and size of baby is with gestational diabetes and having uncontrolled sugars. I think there are lots of factors that go into baby size and it would be so hard to account for all the possibilities.

Your diet sounds pretty good, you could possibly stand to eat some more. I log all my food in myfitnesspal but I'm trying to gain absolutely no weight at all (I have gestational diabetes and I'm obese). You at least want to eat your maintenance plus a little more for baby.

 

[3babesforme]

nope. first pregnancy i gained 35 pounds he was 7lbs. 2nd preg i gained 12 pounds he was 9 pounds, and i'm 5'4" 98 pounds non pregnant so i was a walking stick figure w a huge baby

 

[ajarvis]

If you're hungry eat. Eat until you're not hungry anymore - not stuffed full. Eat healthy foods instead of junk and you'll be good. No worry to stress about your diet.