Weight

[RachelLynda]

Been told by my midwife that my BMI is too low and I need to be seen by a consultant. I've tried to gain weight but eating healthy and keeping weigh on just doesn't happen for me. I was just wondering if anyone else has been told this and if so was the pregnancy healthy etc? And how did you gain weight if you did?

 

[ashaz]

I was told the same. I am trying to do more peanut butter, avocados and smoothies. Good luck.

 

[melfy77]

With DD my BMI was something like 17.5 (5'3 and 95 pounds). I gained a total of 15 pounds during my pregnancy. My OB was never concerned as DD was growing well. I didn't change my eating habits (I was already eating pretty well to begin with). She was born 6 lbs 2oz, but at 38+5 so she would have been around 7 lbs at 40 weeks So as long as baby is growing well there's no need to be concerned. IMO those weight gain charts are ridiculous and useless. It's also totally normal not to gain (and even lose) weight during the 1st trimester. Even in the 2nd. With this current pregnancy I've probably put on 1-2 pounds so far. Most of baby's weight gain happens during the last 10 weeks of pregnancy

 

[mummy2o]

My mum use to work with someone who was trying to get pregnant and eventually had a child and she just couldn't put weight on! She use to eat cake, chocolate and everything fating and just couldn't put any on. She went on to have a healthy little boy. So I wouldn't worry to much.

 

[moltal213]

its seems that weight is a crazy situation .. I've Been told to eat four potatoes a day and instead of eatin 3 meals eat 6 little ones I'm not pregnant as of yet but I have a lil feelin its my weight .. Good luck to gainin I've tried .. N instead I lose weight

 

[RachelLynda]

Thanks everyone - puts my mind at ease. Did the silly thing and researched low weight and it came with all these things that could go wrong yeah I lose it too, I lost 7lbs when I first weighed myself (from my pre pregnancy weight) and then I gain 4 or so lbs then lose it again. Just going to keep eating as I am now and hope for the best xx

 

[fashionqueen]

I have a 'low' bmi and in my experience it depends if your midwife has common sense to be honest, and realises not everyone is over weight.

In my last pregnancy my midwife said oh it's not a worry if you're naturally built like this my sister was just like you and had twins, I'm jealous!

So she was fine. However my friend who had similar bmi to me, her midwife said oh you'll have to be consultant led, asked her husband if she ate!! They made her have extra scans and in the end the hospital told her it was a waste of time & the midwife should accept she's just naturally slim and its not a problem.

Seemed like the woman just couldn't believe some people eat normally but have low bmi. Which is why bmi is a ridiculous tool as its only useful if you are 'average' . If you are naturally slim or heavy built they think you have something wrong with you.

 

[RachelLynda]

Yeah I'm naturally thin, have been all my life - my mum was thin too until she had me and my brother. I've been told I need extra scans to make sure the baby's growing well. I'm so glad I have BnB it really helps me calm down thankyou! xx

 

[AC1987]

I've been underweight my whole life. I just do not have an appetite, and find I can eat junk food and it still doesn't help it just makes me feel yucky Last pregnancy I got told if I didn't gain weight they were gonna classify me as high risk I only gained 17 pounds I was so upset because I tried eating and eating and it just did NOT help.
This time around I lost 5 pounds so now I'm more underweight then last pregnancy, so I'm upset that I might not get to have the birthing experience like last time. I find it really stressful. Everyone calls me lucky, I disagree because the same people who do tell me I am starving my baby.

 

[sun]

With DD my BMI was something like 17.5 (5'3 and 95 pounds). I gained a total of 15 pounds during my pregnancy. My OB was never concerned as DD was growing well. I didn't change my eating habits (I was already eating pretty well to begin with). She was born 6 lbs 2oz, but at 38+5 so she would have been around 7 lbs at 40 weeks So as long as baby is growing well there's no need to be concerned. IMO those weight gain charts are ridiculous and useless. It's also totally normal not to gain (and even lose) weight during the 1st trimester. Even in the 2nd. With this current pregnancy I've probably put on 1-2 pounds so far. Most of baby's weight gain happens during the last 10 weeks of pregnancy

Not necessarily - I have never gained a pound in 3rd tri in either pregnancy despite waking up in the night to eat. I gain the most in 1st (despite the ms) and some in 2nd. So with this one I'm trying to eat as much as possible now to gain - I am going for 25lbs this pregnancy. Though I am not really underweight I don't think - my BMI is almost 118.

If you are eating a good quantity of healthy foods, then it shouldn't be a problem though. The growing baby needs all the valuable vitamins and nutrients of good food as much as just the added weight.

 

[fashionqueen]

Yeah I'm naturally thin, have been all my life - my mum was thin too until she had me and my brother. I've been told I need extra scans to make sure the baby's growing well. I'm so glad I have BnB it really helps me calm down thankyou! xx

That's what they said to my friend and it was the dr who ended up having to like taker her off the lists for extra scans as it was wasting everyone's time.

Don't worry about it as long as you know it's naturally how you are and not a problem it won't affect your baby.

If you look up low bmi etc there are all sorts of websites that claim you can't get pregnant if your bmi isn't 'normal'. So clearly rubbish!

 

[RachelLynda]

I've been underweight my whole life. I just do not have an appetite, and find I can eat junk food and it still doesn't help it just makes me feel yucky Last pregnancy I got told if I didn't gain weight they were gonna classify me as high risk I only gained 17 pounds I was so upset because I tried eating and eating and it just did NOT help.
This time around I lost 5 pounds so now I'm more underweight then last pregnancy, so I'm upset that I might not get to have the birthing experience like last time. I find it really stressful. Everyone calls me lucky, I disagree because the same people who do tell me I am starving my baby.

I go through stages - I have the appetite of a goat and will eat everything in the house the next I don't want anything except a few little bits ere and there I try to eat healthy but I keep thinking well if I eat 'junk' food with loads of calories at least then I might put on some weight. I hope they don't court me as high risk as I'd love the option of a home birth - it's always nice to know you can if you wanted. I've gained and now lost 4 pounds and I'm 10 going on 11 weeks - I'm showing some something in there must be growing haha. Yeah I know, everyone says I'm lucky and I see where they're coming from but it's so hard for me to put on weight it's just like being overweight just the opposite if that makes sense haha. Yeah I feel like that's what my midwife is saying :/ she's a lovely women but I'm scared it'll go through the whole 'your starving your baby' 'are you actually eating' and I don't know how to convince them that I am (unless they want to move in with me and see haha) x