Pregnancy and weight control.

[Nat37]

Hi all!

Been pondering about this for a while. are you, as a pregnant really bothered about how much weight you gain during pregnancy? I didn't put much weight on and wasn't really that conscious about it, but am interested to know if this is a big issue for other women? Thoughts anyone?

 

[MindUtopia]

It seems like it is a big issue for most women, but me personally, no it's never been something I was concerned about. I'm not skinny, but I've always had a really good body image and I'm not bothered by gaining weight. I did do my best to gain weight slowly and steadily because I really wanted to stay active and minimize any aches and pains as much as possible. So it wasn't really a concern about how I looked or how much weight I put on numerically, but I did want to make sure that I was fit enough to handle all the weight I did gain so that I could still do the things I like to do easy enough. I didn't watch what I ate or restrict my diet or worry about food though, just kept up eating exactly the way I always have - I eat when I'm hungry and don't eat if I'm not, and I try to eat lots of nutrient dense food.

I'd only gained about 9 lbs at 32 weeks, so I'm right on track for gaining what I should have. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable (more in my ribs and bump) but I think putting on the weight I have and keeping moving has really helped me to keep up my usual activities and keep life as normal as possible. So that's been great. I'm in no hurry to lose weight after baby arrives, but since I haven't gained much, with breastfeeding, I'm sure it will all come off again pretty quickly, which is a nice bonus.

I do get the sense that lots of women are really worried about weight gain though, but I think that is the same whether pregnant or not. I've never been one to worry about my weight (even though I'm about 20 lbs overweight) normally and I've never been on a diet. So I think maybe it's just a personality or personal preference sorta thing. I'm guessing maybe for someone who has never been overweight, putting on this extra weight might be a bit more difficult to deal with.

 

[xolynn]

I've put on 30lbs since the summer already..and my baby isn't due till May! I have no idea why I'm gaining so much I really dont feel like I look that much bigger though except for in the stomach. I haven't been changing my diet habits much really since then...but my activity level has dropped because I used to work at a job where I did a lot more physical things. I'm thinking of joining a gym soon to do some light cardio and hope that I don't put much more on.

 

[Seity]

I do my best to gain as much as I can. I have a high metabolism, so I really have to eat to gain.

 

[maybebaby3]

I put on about 15kgs each pregnancy but have always lost it with dieting after. I try to eat healthy stuff but also have a thing for cheese and chocolate

 

[fizzy2010]

I put on 50 pounds with my first baby but this time I am 31 weeks and 7 pounds less than I was when I fell pregnant. I have made a conscious effort to try and maintain my weight as I have a high BMI and found it difficult to lose all the weight last time!

 

[lemongrass]

I was a bit concerned as I do gain weight really easily and had maintained a healthy weight for a couple years prior to becoming pregnant so I really didn't want to blow up. I figured if I kept it under 35 lbs then I would be just fine. At 28 weeks I had gained 30 lbs (10 in the first trimester and then steadily up until the third) and then didn't gain anything until 33 weeks. Then I gained another 10 lbs in the next 2 weeks! Some from Christmas and lots of water weight as I've been swelling. I've lost 2 of those lbs trying to get my swelling under control, so now I'm at 38 lbs. I figure I won't gain anymore and might even lose a couple pounds at the end. So, emotionally I am just fine. I don't want to worry about dieting while I am breastfeeding because that can affect my milk supply. I'll just continue to eat healthy foods!

 

[AnakeRose]

I'm really concerned about gaining too much weight because I have a bad back. I was diagnosed with grade 1 spondylolisthesis with a bulging disc at L4/L5. I'm already fairly heavy so I'm worried that gaining 30 lbs is going to do more damage to my back. So far I've only gained 3 pounds (7 weeks pregnant on Monday) and I'm not getting morning sickness (knock on wood!!).

 

[CaT1285]

I think I'm gaining too much already. I've gained 5 pounds and I'm only 10 weeks. I still exercise almost every day, and I eat only when I'm hungry. The problem is, I'm hungry all the time!! Now I'm trying to make a conscious effort to eat a lot of protein, which I'm hoping will satisfy my crazy appetite and slow my weight gain. Before getting pregnant, I was pretty small but not underweight.

 

[LockandKey]

for me, weight has never really been an issue, I gained 32lbs with my first, and this time, I am trying to keep it between 25 and 30lbs, just to make sure I stay healthy and don't develop gestational complications. I typically eat well, and exercise weekly to keep good muscle tone and burn calories. I am 7 weeks and so far have gained only 1lb so far so good I guess. If my hunger tries to get the better of me, I usually try to drink more water to fill up if I had just eaten not too long ago, and try not to snack too much in between meals.

 

[mathgenius33]

I'm 24 weeks right now and eat pretty much all the time. Still, I haven't gained much weight (only like 10-15 pounds) and didn't even start showing until about 2 weeks ago. I really don't know what to say because I don't understand why I don't gain weight. Before becoming pregnant I was 5-10 pounds overweight.

I work out 5 days a week for an hour a day now because I'm more tired, but before becoming pregnant I worked out 2 hours a day 6 days a week. I guess one thing I can say is that I eat lots of fruits and veggies high in fiber because I was getting constipated early in the second trimester.

Maybe it's just my metabolism, but I can say that my baby girl is big for her age and I honestly feel like I eat for 3, not just 2, and it's definitely not twins.

 

[magic93]

I am not worried about gaining weight, and if I gain a little extra im not worried about losing it after. I have a high metabolism, before I got pregnant I was actually trying to put on some weight, cuz my doctor had advised me too. And for a couple months I wasnt gaining anything no matter what I was doing! I was about 50kg or 110lbs which I dont think is that much underweight its just that im kind of tall like 5ft7in so my BMI was like 17 or something like that. Anyways after two months of no success I put on 8 pounds in a matter of a couple weeks. Then a month later got my bfp, I was probablly more concerned about putting on enough weight to maintain the pregnancy. But now since getting pregnant ive put on 24lbs at 31 weeks. I wouldnt say I look huge or anything, some people have actually told me I look small.. But I always measure dead on, so Im pleased with my weight gain so far. I dont excerise at all, but I am fairly active, I walk to and from work which is a 20 min walk.

 

[jojo_b]

Not really bothered. I gained 4 stone last time, and while I don't want to gain that much again, I know I can lose it quickly xx

 

[sevenofnine]

I don't necessarily like gaining the weight, but I haven't been counting calories or anything like that. I eat healthy, and when I'm hungry. I don't eat a lot of sweets or fatty treats. Lots of fruits and veggies!

In fact my diet has only changed slightly from pre-pregnancy; I don't eat all that much more than I did before and still managed to gain 30lbs as of now, at 39 weeks. So apparently that's what my body needed to gain!

With that being said, I was trying to lose about 10lbs before I got pregnant... I wasn't overweight but was more flubby than I'd like to be!

So now it feels daunting to think about losing the baby weight and still trying to get that 10lbs off afterwards!

 

[HopefulPony]

I was worried, before I got pregnant, I thought I would balloon! But I'm roughly the same as my pre-pregnancy weight, due to hyperemesis in first and second tri. At least it has a bit of a silver lining! Although my body is weak as anything now

 

[sevenofnine]

I'm 24 weeks right now and eat pretty much all the time. Still, I haven't gained much weight (only like 10-15 pounds) and didn't even start showing until about 2 weeks ago. I really don't know what to say because I don't understand why I don't gain weight. Before becoming pregnant I was 5-10 pounds overweight.

I work out 5 days a week for an hour a day now because I'm more tired, but before becoming pregnant I worked out 2 hours a day 6 days a week. I guess one thing I can say is that I eat lots of fruits and veggies high in fiber because I was getting constipated early in the second trimester.

Maybe it's just my metabolism, but I can say that my baby girl is big for her age and I honestly feel like I eat for 3, not just 2, and it's definitely not twins.

Awww, 10-15lbs sounds really good for 24 weeks. Your body will gain what it needs, especially considering you're being active and eating healthy!

I had gained about 15lbs by 27 weeks, and then have gained the rest during the last trimester. Some women only gain 15lbs total, some gain 50 (I even know of a women who was so sick during her ENTIRE pregnancy that she weighed a couples pounds LESS when she gave birth... to a healthy 7lb baby! She did everything she could to gain weight, but could hardly keep anything down). As long as you're doing what you can to be healthy, then it's all good.

 

[Jingles23]

I'm not too concerned. In my mind, this weight gain is not me becoming more overweight, it is my body growing a child. I gained 30lbs with my first. I just ate normally and I was fine. I lost it all after baby was born. I'm about 20lbs heavier starting off this pregnancy so I'm hoping I won't gain quite as much. But, I'm counting on breastfeeding to help me lose it again afterwards. I'm 11 weeks and have only gained 1 or 2lbs so far.