Struggling with weight gain

[Kiram]

During my first trimester, I lost 7 pounds, much to my surprise. I managed to retain my weight from there until my morning sickness passed, and have only been able to really put effort into eating more the past 2 weeks. I'm at 20 weeks now and I've only managed to put on 3 lbs and I feel like I'm slowing down already...

I've never really been a "foodie". I usually only eat when I know I have to, and I have a rather fast metabolism, but I've never struggled with being underweight before. I try to make myself eat something about every 3 hours now, but it's really difficult for me to push myself and remain consistent, especially when it's hard to get to the store to restock. Of course, I had to look up what happens if I don't gain enough weight, and now I've only given myself terrible paranoia

My midwife gave me some weight-gain tips and she said my current eating schedule is good, but nothing seems to be helping well enough. I'm worried for my little peapod, I didn't think this would be so hard.

 

[nordicpixie83]

During my first trimester, I lost 7 pounds, much to my surprise. I managed to retain my weight from there until my morning sickness passed, and have only been able to really put effort into eating more the past 2 weeks. I'm at 20 weeks now and I've only managed to put on 3 lbs and I feel like I'm slowing down already...

I've never really been a "foodie". I usually only eat when I know I have to, and I have a rather fast metabolism, but I've never struggled with being underweight before. I try to make myself eat something about every 3 hours now, but it's really difficult for me to push myself and remain consistent, especially when it's hard to get to the store to restock. Of course, I had to look up what happens if I don't gain enough weight, and now I've only given myself terrible paranoia

My midwife gave me some weight-gain tips and she said my current eating schedule is good, but nothing seems to be helping well enough. I'm worried for my little peapod, I didn't think this would be so hard.

Add healthy fats to your diet , all nut butters are good , have full fat versions of milk , yoghurt , cheese etc , plenty of carbs too. I was the Same in my last pregnancy . At bedtime I'd have an extra little meal , a few digestives or toast , even a bowl of cereal with full milk.

P's a good prenatal vitamin is great to have as well. Xx

 

[Kiram]

Add healthy fats to your diet , all nut butters are good , have full fat versions of milk , yoghurt , cheese etc , plenty of carbs too. I was the Same in my last pregnancy . At bedtime I'd have an extra little meal , a few digestives or toast , even a bowl of cereal with full milk.

P's a good prenatal vitamin is great to have as well. Xx

Thanks, my midwife suggested cooking with lard/butter and other good fats so I've just started incorporating that. Carbs with every meal!
Just about every week I'll make a chicken pasta dish (usually with a cheesy sauce), have some sort of fish (tuna or salmon salad sandwiches), Egg sandwich, salad with dark greens with some sort of light sandwich like tomato&mayo or peanut butter.
Every day I'll try to eat 2 hardy meals, 1 light meal (such as a peanut butter sandwich) and snacks in between, usually consisting of peanuts, fruits, carrots, and/or healthy popcorn. I'll have 1-2 glasses of whole milk a day as well.

Cereal is a good idea...I might have to look into finding one that's both healthy and tasty!

I just can't imagine increasing anything than what I'm already doing. Even if I don't necessarily plan my meals out, I try to put something caloric and/or nutritious into my body at every 3 hour mark...I just don't get why it's not working well!

 

[nordicpixie83]

Add healthy fats to your diet , all nut butters are good , have full fat versions of milk , yoghurt , cheese etc , plenty of carbs too. I was the Same in my last pregnancy . At bedtime I'd have an extra little meal , a few digestives or toast , even a bowl of cereal with full milk.

P's a good prenatal vitamin is great to have as well. Xx

Thanks, my midwife suggested cooking with lard/butter and other good fats so I've just started incorporating that. Carbs with every meal!
Just about every week I'll make a chicken pasta dish (usually with a cheesy sauce), have some sort of fish (tuna or salmon salad sandwiches), Egg sandwich, salad with dark greens with some sort of light sandwich like tomato&mayo or peanut butter.
Every day I'll try to eat 2 hardy meals, 1 light meal (such as a peanut butter sandwich) and snacks in between, usually consisting of peanuts, fruits, carrots, and/or healthy popcorn. I'll have 1-2 glasses of whole milk a day as well.

Cereal is a good idea...I might have to look into finding one that's both healthy and tasty!

I just can't imagine increasing anything than what I'm already doing. Even if I don't necessarily plan my meals out, I try to put something caloric and/or nutritious into my body at every 3 hour mark...I just don't get why it's not working well!

I'm the opposite this pregnancy , feel like a hippo already

 

[Talia12]

Probiotic yoghurts/yoghurt drinks are good. Farmers give pigs probiotics for weight gain! Obviously get the full fat versions.
I've struggled with eating disorders before (not at all saying this is what you've got! But just my experience) and a good way for me to gain weight is Slim Fast shakes and similar. They're easy to drink, don't feel like food or require any cooking etc, and they add about 200 calories to what would otherwise be just milk. And they are sooo delicious and full of vitamins etc.

 

[Talia12]

I'm the opposite this pregnancy , feel like a hippo already

Oh me too!!! 😱

Oh and by the way OP, don't worry too much about finding a "healthy" cereal - they are all relatively healthy (maybe not Frosties or others that are totally covered in sugar!) but most kids ones in the UK are whole grain etc, and fortified with vitamins and minerals too. It's better for you to buy one you actually like than buy a cardboardy one and struggle to motivate yourself to have it! Or do what I do and mix a nice one with a healthy high-fibre one.

 

[nordicpixie83]

I'm the opposite this pregnancy , feel like a hippo already

Oh me too!!! 😱

Oh and by the way OP, don't worry too much about finding a "healthy" cereal - they are all relatively healthy (maybe not Frosties or others that are totally covered in sugar!) but most kids ones in the UK are whole grain etc, and fortified with vitamins and minerals too. It's better for you to buy one you actually like than buy a cardboardy one and struggle to motivate yourself to have it! Or do what I do and mix a nice one with a healthy high-fibre one.

It's got me feeling really low, my last pregnancy I gained 17lb total . Was super fit and slim the whole way through . Ill health and stress seen me gain 35lb the last two years . So i feel huge and add on pregnancy boobs and bloat I'm like a heifer

 

[Talia12]

It's got me feeling really low, my last pregnancy I gained 17lb total . Was super fit and slim the whole way through . Ill health and stress seen me gain 35lb the last two years . So i feel huge and add on pregnancy boobs and bloat I'm like a heifer

I ballooned with my first pregnancy. I was really slim beforehand and then just didn't watch my weight whatsoever during pregnancy and paid the price, I didn't feel fat while pregnant because I was focused on my bump - but looking back at pictures of me pregnant, I had gained weight all over, my face, arms, thighs. Then after I had my son it hit me how big I'd got and I went on a massive diet and ended up dropping to underweight for the second time in my life and dangerously flirting with an eating disorder. In fact I was hospitalised for two nights for illnesses caused by undereating. SO (sorry to ramble on!) I am completely determined not to let that happen again now. I felt like a fat blubbery piece of crap after I had my son, and photos from then do indeed confirm that I looked a fat blubbery piece of crap, after and during pregnancy! That was awful for me, and so was my weight shooting downwards to 102lbs (5'4). Already I haven't been careful enough in first tri and so far this tri, too much anxiety around baby being okay, but now I'm 100% determined to get back on track and just eat sensibly and not balloon.

So I feel for you, I feel like a heifer too. We can do this!!! 💪

 

[annio84]

could you try smoothies with things like avocado or nut butter? Having a higher calorie drink might be a good way to sneak a bit more in without feeling like you're forcing yourself.

 

[6lilpigs]

Have I missed something, are you dangerously underweight? I have had 11 children and have delivered a few pounds and i mean a few pounds heavier than my conception weight each time, i joke that I grow the baby out of the fat stored in my butt lol, I am not overweight at all and 5ft 2, babies usually weigh 8-10 lbs. i eat healthy enough and regularly, some of us just don't put on weight until the last month. Please dont stress too much about this if you are eating, you seem to be doing fine IMO

 

[Kiram]

Have I missed something, are you dangerously underweight? I have had 11 children and have delivered a few pounds and i mean a few pounds heavier than my conception weight each time, i joke that I grow the baby out of the fat stored in my butt lol, I am not overweight at all and 5ft 2, babies usually weigh 8-10 lbs. i eat healthy enough and regularly, some of us just don't put on weight until the last month. Please dont stress too much about this if you are eating, you seem to be doing fine IMO

Thanks (to everyone)! I'm not at all underweight, but I keep reading everywhere that healthy weight women should gain 25-35 lbs when pregnant, and that not putting on enough weight raises complication risks. I got so paranoid about it. They say you should gain 8-10 lbs by the 20th week, I've hardly even gained half of that. I wonder if the low-weight complications is more in part to poor eating, or if the pounds actually have something to do with it. I figure eating well is what's most important, but I can't help but get worried over it anyway.

I know this is kind of an uncommon complaint. I understand all the posters worried about gaining too much weight, too! Pregnancy is such a journey.

Smoothies does sound like a good idea! More liquids and dairy are always good. I think I'll start trying that