Can we talk about weight gain?

[Brie]

So I weighed myself this morning and I'm already up 35 pounds and I have 8 weeks to go. :-(

I don't think I've gone hog wild this pregnancy. I still exercise as much as I can (usually 3-4 times a week of CrossFit and walking on the treadmill), and I'm eating fairly normally for me, which is pretty reasonably healthy. I've splurged a little more here and there, sure, but I'm not, like, buttering Pop-Tarts for dinner or anything. My GD test came back about 50 points below the threshold, so that's not an issue, either. I started swelling last week (yay, 106 degrees today!) and had to finally retire the wedding rings when they got stuck on Saturday.

My doctors haven't said anything to me about it yet but I have an appointment this afternoon and I'm kind of nervous. FWIW, this baby has measured ahead (I think he measured almost 2 weeks ahead at my a/s), and my last fundal height measurement was a week ahead.

At this point, is there anything I can do or do you just sort of ride the wave and hope it doesn't completely suck afterwards?

[karinothing]

I would not worry. Honestly I worked out every day, did yoga on the weekends, ate well and still gained 40lbs. Sometimes you just gain. For me the afterwards didn't suck completely (at least not after a couple months). I am almost at my pre-pregnancy weight (5lbs out) and even though I have some extra pooch in my tummy I can still feel the muscle. The only things that bother me is the fact that my ribs/hips spread which I can't really do anything about.

I always measured behind though, so not much help with that aspect. Sorry!

[Brie]

Yeah, I just wonder if I'm kidding myself. I'm seriously so hungry that I snack all the time, but it's usually stuff like fruit, string cheese, Kind bars, etc. And I feel like I'm in good shape--I can't work out as much as I used to, but I do what I can.

I think I'm just struggling with the mental aspect of the number--I'm at my highest weight ever, even higher than I was before I lost 50 pounds. I feel like I should just stop looking at the scale, but is that really healthy? I don't know.

[ijack]

I'm a firm believer that your body will gain what it gains and there isn't much you can do about it. Don't worry, just keep doing what you're doing!
And I get the mental aspect - I hit a number I had never hoped to see in my life and actually outweighed my 6'6" brother. It sucked

[Deleted]

I think some of it is just luck of the draw - your body does what it does. The good news for you is that by having lots of strength, your body will probably cope better with carrying more weight for a little while. And it's only a little while - you will fall back to healthy habits, and they will get you back where you started, more or less. I gained about 30 lb and lost about 40 over the 6 months after the baby was born.

If you're concerned, talk to your doctor at your next appointment. And then put away your scale and only get weighed at appointments.

[beachdweller]

I wouldn't worry about it too much. All you can do is eat healthy and your body will do what it does. Like PP, my experience has been that your body will gain what it will gain. I have known several people that ate awful for their 1st pregnanct, gained 50+ pounds, lost it, then ate great the next pregnancy and still gained the 50+. Your body will do what it will do. As long as your eating healthy, I'd just go with it.

[beachdweller]

To add. I was all proud of myself for keeping my weight gain on the low side of healthy all through my pregnancy and was even a bit smug about it. Then, around 7 or 8 months, I gained 7 pounds in a week! No change in eating or whatever. It all came off ok and yours will too.

[lillioness]

I went through the same thing with my pregnancy. I gained about 40 lbs, and while I splurged a little more, I still ate healthfully and I didn't eat mass quantities either. I didn't even look that big. People would comment on how small I was and that I was all belly and I would laugh to myself.

I really do think that your body is going to gain what it's going to gain. It was around the same time in my pregnancy that I decided to stop looking at the scale. It was too depressing and I felt like I had no control over it anyway. I've struggled to maintain my weight my whole life, so gaining weight was very difficult for me mentally, so I feel for you, it's not easy. I can't say that it gets easier PP either, I'm 2 months PP now and EBF and the weight really isn't going anywhere yet. I'm trying my best to be patient, but it's difficult. Hopefully you'll be one of the lucky ones where the weight comes right off from BF!

[Deleted]

I wouldn't worry either. I ate like a pig withy first pg...partly because I was bored at work & partly because eating kept the nausea at bay. I gained 40lbs. My last pg, I watched like a hawk, didn't eat above normal at all & still gained 35 (most in the last tri). Your body has a mind of it's own. If you are swelling then you'll loose it fast.

[Deleted]

I wouldn't worry about it right now. If you are working out a lot and eating healthily, the weight gain you are noticing is probably mostly due to fluid retention.

I gained about 40 lbs. with my first pregnancy and believe me I was definitely splurging and not working out that much But a lot of it must have been water weight because I lost all of it very easily by 6 weeks pp. with no special dieting and just mild exercising (walking). Hang in there, I know how hard it is to see the number on the scale go up and up. Just remember that it's for a good cause!

[Brie]

It doesn't help that I read a lot of health-related blogs and they're all very smug about gaining the "perfect" amount of weight. Ugh.

My NP actually mentioned at my first visit that they tend to not pay too much attention to weight gain in women due in the summer heat because it usually winds up being inflated due to swelling and water weight, but I don't want to just blame it on that because I don't think I have that much going on.

[ejpint]

Here is my very non-medical input - the pictures you've posted, you're all bump. You look great. You're still doing exercise that a lot of NON pregnant ladies can't do. I would not stress about 35 pounds. Unless your doctor says otherwise, do what feels right to nourish you and your baby, and worry about the scale in October.

[jackpackage]

I gained 60 lbs and broke 200 lbs., so I understand the mental aspect. I was so embarrassed when h would hear my weight, but he was super supportive of it. At 34 weeks, I saw one of my OB's partners who put obese at one of my diagnoses. Total mindfuck for me, since I was slightly overweight pre-pregnancy. I started imagining that my baby would be giant and I'd be huge forever, even though my own dr. wasn't concerned.

My kid is a bean (I wish he had rolls!) and at my 2 week post-op I was down 40 lbs. I've been amazed at what nursing and the night sweats have done to my body! Keep doing what you're doing!

[dcrunnergirl]

I wouldn't worry too much. I gained 50 pounds, and I didn't find it hard to lose the weight after b/c I was already active before I got pregnant so returning to exercise was easy. I think the fact that you like to exercise and eat healthy will make losing the weight after relatively easy for you.

[pugz]

honestly I don't think you have much control over it, you eat well and exercise more than most NON pregnant people, I think it is what it is. You still look great! Just very pregnant

I bet the weight will come off fast once you are nursing and I assume you'll still be doing Crossfit when possible.

[sewpinkgal]

I was still working out at a pretty intense level 2 days before I had J and I gained 42lbs. I probably indulged more than I should have, but it is what it is. I did start watching my indulgences towards the end and only gained a couple of lbs those last few weeks. I know it's hard not to get wrapped up in what the scale says, but so long as you're still being healthy (eating right most of the time, working out when you can, etc), I think you have to just let it be.

At 9 months pp, I was back down to my pregnancy weight. The first 30 came off very quickly and easily, the next 12, on the other hand, took some serious work. The owner of my gym (and a good friend) actually applauded my efforts at losing 20lbs and getting in great shape before having a baby. She said that it's easier both physically and mentally to get back there post-baby because you already know how you got there in the first place. I hope that makes sense. I know you've done this, too, so already know what it takes for YOU to get to and live at your happy healthy weight, so you're ahead of the game in that respect.

For now, just enjoy being pregnant as much as you can and try not to worry about the scale too much.

[Jem]

I gained 40lbs and had DS 3 weeks early - so who knows where I would have ended up if I went to 40 weeks. I was like you though and worked out a ton during the pregnancy, so even though the number on the scale was increasing steadily I still felt ok about things. Since that was the case, I had to assume that my body knew what it was doing and that it was just putting on what it needed. It was mentally tough because during college I had put on a lot of weight and when I finally lost it I had to lose 40lbs. So the pregnancy was the second time that I had to lose that much weight.

Hopefully you have a similar experience to me, because I walked out of the hospital with most of the weight already off and looking almost like my non-pregnant self. I completely credit my workouts during pregnancy to that fact.

Bottom line, you seem to be on a really healthy track so have confidence that your body is just doing what it has to do.

[justjen]

I've gained more than I should, I'm sure, and I also have not be eating terribly -- just more, because I'm hungry, dammit.

However, I have not been exercising. I hate how my body feels, and I hate moving it. I like to sit still and stay in any position that lets me forget that I'm pregnant ;-)

Right now, I'm not really worried about it. I'm choosing to subscribe to the "my body will gain what it gains" philosophy, and worry about it after she arrives in a couple of weeks.

[hannamaren]

I gained about 40lbs. I truly believe a lot was water. I was down 35 lbs in the first 2 weeks. You dont even realize how much swelling you have in your legs, feet, arms, face. It happens so gradually but then it goes and you realize you were a big water balloon.
(i didnt breastfeed) i still have a pooch but besides walking, I dont exercise and I am back to normal.

Dont worry. I see your pics on Fb. You are doing everything right. You will probably have a chunky baby like mine. (8lbs 11ounces)

[anna7602]

I haven't read the other responses. I think if you know you're eating healthy and exercising, you just ride the wave (unless you have GD or HBP, which are different issues).

I gained about 40 lbs. in my pregnancy. I lost a total of 50 lbs. in the 5 months following DD's birth. I think I gained what I needed to. I was doing tons of exercise (walking, swimming, yoga) and eating healthy, albeit going a little crazy with the dairy. I really craved whole milk during my pregnancy and was strangely able to tolerate it even though I am lactose-intolerant when not pregnant.

[MamaMaui24]

I gained 50#. Baby was measuring 1-2 weeks ahead all along. I birthed a whopper 9# 3oz. (@ 40w4d). Now at 6 months pp, I'm 10# over my pre-pregnancy weight (and I'd love to go 10# more... so I have 20# to go.)

GD was my biggest concern with my weight and like you, my numbers were good. You'll be fine!

[moandjo]

I gained 50lbs with both. First one I ate whatever I wanted and didn't exercise. I lost all by baby weight and an additional 20lbs in between and ran a marathon. With DD I ran until 20ish weeks, watched what I ate (I did splurge at times) and still gained 50. My OB said that it is easy to gain more than your body wants to, it is hard to gain less than what your body wants. He said as long as I wasn't eating fast food every day he wasn't too concerned. I'm 12 weeks pp and have lost 30. Stay healthy but don't stress out about it.

[chessie]

This was the major reason why i saw a specialist for my issues currently, since I have a weight limit. I have gone through the plan its very difficult, not sure if it will be feasible. Strict diet, working out 2 times a day with a trainer and everything. If your doctor is not concerned and you are, I probably bring it up. I would imagine if it was a real alarm, they would of mentioned it..The whole pregnancy and gaining weight thing pretty much still makes me very weary. I hear anywhere people gaining 10-100lbs during pregnancy.

[catbus]

As others have said, you lead a healthful lifestyle, so I wouldn't let the number concern you too much. Also, god knows high heat can cause more water retention/swelling, so there's a good chance several of those pounds are pure water (especially since you work out regularly). I assume your blood pressure is good, too? I'd ask your doctor if there's anything you should be concerned about with your weight gain, but I'm guessing you're fine!
FWIW, I'm only up about eight pounds, but I'm concerned by the fact that the only "exercise" I've been able to get is walking to/from home, bus stops, work, and a nightly stroll of about one mile; my RLP and acid reflux curb a lot of activity. My concern is being "in shape" enough for labor. Grass is always greener and all that.

[catbus]

Jul 23, 2012 10:20:49 GMT -5 @msstarry said:

I also got a dreaded "obese" written on my paperwork from the insurance company. It stung, I feel like there should be a moratorium on BMI when pregnant.

Totally agree. My doctor's office gives me a visit summary after each appointment, and for the first several appointments my BMI was calculated on there. I thought it was quite inappropriate to include that for a pregnant patient. At some point, they took that piece of info off, which makes me wonder if they realized that BMI measurements are really not helpful in pregnancy.
At 5'2", I'd probably be in the "obese" range by now if my weight gain were more typical.

[Ashley&Scott]

I gained 40lb total, at the end I was gaining about 1lb per week. I think you're fine.

[Mrs.Syntax]

I'm trying hard not to obsess over it, either. It's so hard though! I didn't gain anything at all in the first tri, and then I gained like 8 pounds between 13 and 18 weeks I think our bodies are just going to do what they want and all we can do is try to remain active and make good choices when we're hungry. It sounds like you are executing that perfectly.