overweight moms- weight gain during pg

[Deleted]

Please flame me if I need it.

I just got a BFP yesterday. We were trying, but it was the first month. I've been working on losing weight, but it really hasn't happened. I am nervous because I already had pre-e and high blood pressure with #1 and now I'm about 20lbs MORE than I was when I got pregnant with him. I will speak with my OB about this, obviously, but I'm not going to see her for a little while.

Has anyone had any luck with only gaining minimal weight during pregnancy? I gained 30 lbs with my first, but I was in a much better place then. I'm hoping to keep it to about 10lbs this time.

[sjh722]

I asked my midwife last summer - I had lost some weight but was still over where I wanted to be (and technically overweight). She said she just suggests that if you're in that situation to try to limit your weight gain to 10 - 15 lbs.

I had lost about 15 pounds from last summer to my first appointment last week and she didn't say anything to me about limiting weight gain, so I'm not sure if I am close enough to "average" that she didn't mention it? I am still heavier than I'd like to be (overweight but not obese) so I'm just going to try to keep it on the lower side if possible.

[Deleted]

I delivered at 36 weeks. I gained about 22 lbs. It very quickly fell off with no work. I am not sure if it was waterweight or if it was b/c I was breastfeeding.

[frlcb]

I gained 11 lbs with dd and it was not from trying, I just couldn't gain weight, which is ironic because I can gain weight any other time. I am not obese but could lose some weight, and my midwives were happy with it, although at one point slightly worried as I hadn't gained hardly any. My dd was 8lbs 2 oz, and I was down 25 lbs within 2 months or so.

[brit1017]

I had pre-e/HBP as well with #1- I ended up gaining about 45lbs with about 10 of that in the last week due to insane swelling. I was pretty much down to pre-baby weight (which is about 10lbs overweight for my height) when I got pregnant with #2. I focused on eating well (lots of fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean proteins) but didn't worry too much about the weight. I ended up gaining about 25 lbs total (and went 2.5 weeks later than with #1).

One things that my midwives had me do to try and avoid the recurrence of the pre-e/HBP was to take one baby aspirin every day- there have been studies that show that it reduces the risk. I don't know if that is what worked, but I did not have a recurrence. Try talking to your ob about it.

[acr]

I gained maybe - 9 pounds (and baby was 8 1/2 lbs)? The time without alcohol & being more mindful of what I put in my body made a big difference. Also, I think something about it reset my body a bit. 3 years after getting pregnant, I'm about 25 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight without major changes (just less alcohol and less time to prepare elaborate meals)

[grosnl19]

I am overweight (size 22 and 5'5") and have been lucky not to have gained any weight yet.

I am just eating normally and not using the pregnancy to splurge just because I am eating for 2.

I haven't had any complication yet and hope to keep it that way.

My doctor here (we are living in Spain...where everyone is a stick) wants me to lose weight, but I will be happy with not gaining any.

[mkemama]

I gained 17 lbs; when I asked at my first appointment my dr said she'd like to see me keep it around 20.

I ended up with gestational diabetes, which I really think was a good thing for keeping my weight gain in check. I had to be way more careful about eating lots of protein & veggies and having to pay attention to carbs & sugar made me more aware of what I'm eating (even now). Walking after dinner also helped me from gaining too much, since otherwise DH & I tend to sit around until bedtime.

DH & I still try to follow the GD diet and I'll go back to it more strictly when we start TTC #2.

[pierogigirl]

Aug 13, 2012 10:41:13 GMT -5 dbsk8dance said:

Please flame me if I need it.

I just got a BFP yesterday. We were trying, but it was the first month. I've been working on losing weight, but it really hasn't happened. I am nervous because I already had pre-e and high blood pressure with #1 and now I'm about 20lbs MORE than I was when I got pregnant with him. I will speak with my OB about this, obviously, but I'm not going to see her for a little while.

Has anyone had any luck with only gaining minimal weight during pregnancy? I gained 30 lbs with my first, but I was in a much better place then. I'm hoping to keep it to about 10lbs this time.

I weighed more at bfp for my first and developed pre-e. I was still overweight for my second and never developed pre-e. Pre-e is more common with firstborns, and with older or very young mothers (I was advanced maternal age both times). I was advised to keep weight gain under control and was given a modified DASH diet - it's low sodium and lower carb. However, I did gain more than I wanted to with #2. I did lose it all and am now working on losing the rest of the weight.

[catbus]

Acid reflux helps a lot! ;D I started out technically overweight (BMI 27ish at my first appointment). Right now, at a bit past 34 weeks, I'm up 9.5-10 pounds. It's been holding steady there for the past month or so. I know at 28 or so weeks, I was at 7.5 pounds gained.
I eat fairly healthfully, but definitely not all the time. I've been having ice cream several times weekly. I think the biggest factors in my favor have been no daily booze (pre-pregnancy, I'd have probably 10 drinks weekly), and heartburn. I was throwing up daily from acid reflux and MS up until 16 weeks. The vomiting subsided, but I've still never regained a full appetite, because the reflux causes me to feel full from just a bit of food for a long time.
That said, baby's growing right on track and I'm in good health overall, so we're getting enough nourishment... so my low gain could also be due in part to just how my body reacts to pregnancy.

[Deleted]

I'm 5'6" and 180.

I gained 30 lbs with DS and he was only 5lbs 8 ounces.

I am exercising and eating well, which is all I can do. I have an appointment on Thursday and will discuss then.

Thanks ladies.

[pugz]

I actually lost weight because my eating/drinking habits changed so drastically while I was pregnant plus I had no appetite during 1st tri. I delivered a month early and at that point I was 10lbs below PP weight, earlier at 20 weeks I was 20lbs below PP weight.

[Deleted]

Congrats on your pregnancy!

It's good to be aware of the effec that weight can have on your blood pressure, but remember that blood pressure issues are more prevalent during a first pregnancy and may not reccour in a second. Definitely something to bring up with your care provider though.

I'm 29 years old, 28 weeks pregnant with our first and started this pregnancy at 5'5" tall and 183 lbs. I was biking/ swimming/ running/ dog walking every day before getting pregnant, so pretty fit all things considered. I've tapered off the exercise (it's so damn hot out!), but have only gained 15lbs so far. I eat normally, so I think a lot of it has to do with no alcohol calories... I'm hoping to keep it to 25 lbs.

[Deleted]

I have been overweight at all my BFPs...between 205-230 at 5'8". I gained 30-40 on all despite watching it very closely on one (#3) & eating anything & everything on another (#1). I gained almost all my of weight the last trimester. I never had pre-e, gestational diabetes, c/s or any other weight related complication. I think it just depends on luck, overall health & genetics.

[whitepicketfence]

I gained close to 40 lbs with my first and ended up with pregnancy induced hypertension. I then really struggled to lose 10 lbs of the baby weight after she was born.

With my second pregnancy, I only gained 9 lbs although this is mostly due to being so sick for the first 4-5 months. I did eat much healthier the second time around though, too (my biggest craving was fruit - crazy, I know). As a result, I didn't experience any medical complications during the pregnancy and finally dropped the 10 lbs I was holding onto since DD1's birth after DD2 was born.

Congrats on your BFP!

[aspentosh]

I was slightly overweight (175 at 5'9") before getting PG and my OB suggested I gain 20lbs. When all was said and done, I gained about 18lbs and she was happy with that.

ETA: FWIW, I lost 40lbs before getting pregnant and found it to be pretty easy losing weight after the baby (I am about 7lbs below PP weight).

[dochas]

I was overweight party due to 2 m/c and surgery before my successful pregnancy. My alcohol consumption was way up and I was not eating that well. So I gained less than 15 pounds. But I had terrible indigestion the whole time and could eat very little. So everything I did eat was healthy to make sure I got what I needed. So indigestion and no empty calories were my weight gain friends. I was lighter when I left the hospital than before I got pregnant.

Try very hard not to gain, but don't beat yourself up every day. I've known some women who were absolutely starving during pregnancy and I can't imagine being hungry all day on top of all the other "joys" of pregnancy.

[statlerwaldorf]

I was a size 18 when I got pregnant with DD. I only gained 5 lbs, but I lost more than my doctor wanted due to m/s. I also followed a low GI diet to lower my chances of GD, but I wasn't insanely strict about it.

[Deleted]

Congrats!!

I was 20 lbs overweight with the first one. I gained 27 lbs, mostly in the first tri because I was so sick and needed to eat carbs. When I felt better and had my MS mostly under control with zofran later on, I barely gained any weight, and all I did was eat as healthy as I could under the circumstances. I think if not for that first tri, I would have been more in the 15 lb range.

I have a few friends who were significantly overweight when pg and all of them actually lost weight during their pgs (under the supervision of their doctors).