How Much Weight Have you Gained? - Page 2

[ghuaghua]

I believe I am up 5-6 pounds at 14 weeks.

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

I'm 15 weeks and judging by my friend's scale I'm down 6 or 7 pounds. I've had borderline hyperemesis for most of this pregnancy, but I've stopped barfing most of my food for the past few weeks. However, I somewhat recently got put on metformin, a side effect of which is supposed to be weight loss. Perhaps that's why I'm dropping?

I definitely have a bump though, and by every indication the babe's healthy. Oddly enough, I don't have much of an appetite.

[nyakanyasko]

I think I have gained about 10-12 pounds at 16 weeks. I am normally pretty average weight. I had my first baby in the UK and the midwife there never weighed me during the pregnancy, and we didn't have a scale either so I weighed myself occasionally when we went to my in-laws' house. I think I gained a total of 35 or so. I lost it easily over 6-9 months with nursing.

[rivkah]

Originally Posted by nyakanyasko

I think I have gained about 10-12 pounds at 16 weeks. I am normally pretty average weight. I had my first baby in the UK and the midwife there never weighed me during the pregnancy, and we didn't have a scale either so I weighed myself occasionally when we went to my in-laws' house. I think I gained a total of 35 or so. I lost it easily over 6-9 months with nursing.

I love that idea! We are so obsessed with weight gain during pregnancy. I realize that overall, the US has a huge health problem with obesity, but why to pregnant mothers get more scrutiny than everyone else? I am pretty much sure I'll gain 35-40 pounds, just like I did with DD and DS (who were both under 8 pounds). And then, chances are, my baby will be an avid nurser, and I will be back down to my pre-pregnancy weight (whatever that is) in 4-6 months.

Sorry about the rant--I have just been really annoyed lately by comments about weight gain in pregnancy and by magazine covers that talk about celebrities who are back in a size 2 by the time baby is one month old.

[channelofpeace]

I have lost 10 lbs, which is weird, because I haven't thrown up, just been very nauseated, until like, this last Sunday. I am 14 wks 3 days and pretty average weight. I am finally seeing an end to the nausea, which is excellent, though I wouldn't say my appetite has returned. But at least things don't sound bad and I am not gagging all the time.

We will see how this progresses. This pregnancy has been really weird compared to my others.

[myfairbabies]

I'm 14 weeks and have gained 10-12 pounds. It was kind of crazy near the beginning- I wouldn't eat anything all weekend because I was so nauseous, and I'd still gain 2 pounds somehow. But I can still wear my regular pants, though it's getting tight!

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

rivkah: begin rant: The US does NOT have a huge problem with obesity; it's a pile of b.s. I was officially "fat" when I wore a size 8, borderline obese at a size 10, and now at a size 12 I'm officially well into obese. They've decided that anyone larger than skinny is obese (seriously) and that it's better for people to starve themselves rather than have any body fat whatsoever. Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. I'd LITERALLY have to starve myself to lose any weight, and I refuse. If you want to check out my belly pics to see what an "obese" person looks like, go ahead. No one in their right mind would call me fat.

In fact, research has proven that "overweight" (over WHAT weight?) people have an easier time recovering from any trauma, whether it's surgery, heart disease, what have you. And most of the so-called diseases of being a disgusting fatty fat fatty are either totally genetic in nature (correlation does not equal causation) or a normal part of aging (heart disease in 60 year olds anyone?)

Also, did you know that fully 1/3 of Type II diabetics are skinny? As in, not obese. As in, Type II Diabetes is not a disease of the fatty fat fatties who are too disgusting they should be barred from public (proposed law in Mississippi this summer to disallow fat people from eating in public), but something else entirely.

Under a new proposal (can't find the source, sorry),'They' say someone my 'size' should lose weight in pregnancy, and due to the fact of my size I'm getting calls from my insurance company diagnosing me with 'metabolic syndrome' even though I don't meet one single criteria for it. Not one!

And shockingly, there is rather little correlation between calories and body size. I know that personally I have no control whatsoever over my weight. I've eaten pretty much the same since I hit age 20, and I went from a size 4 (got there through an eating disorder) to a size 12, somehow. And now that I'm pregnant and not at all trying, I'm losing weight faster than I have in my adult life.

/rant

As an obese pregnant woman (again, for a view of 'obesity' check out my belly pics) I know I can't find any decent information about eating habits, weight gain or loss and how that effects my health and that of my child as the political climate says that I should do whatever I can to lose weight, no matter what, and not gain while gestating. The AMA, I believe, and if not them some other professional doctor organization, wants to change the guidelines for what obese women "should" gain in pregnancy to loss, and normal women down to no more than 20 pounds. I'm somewhat concerned that I'm losing weight, and i know it's NOT normal for where I am in pregnancy, but no doctor will actually deal with the reality because all they see is my weight and that weight loss = good. That scares me a lot.

[emlady]

I am 14w4d and am up 3 pounds total. I lost a couple early on from everything turning my stomach. I started out at a totally normal weight and am showing, so I'm not too concerned about not gaining much... but secretly I wish it was more (sometimes).

[musiclady]

I think that I am about 8 pounds heavier than pre-TTC weight. And at my appointment yesterday, I lost a pound!! Woo-hoo! I'm already overweight to begin with. I just started drinking lots of water. Cut out the juice. That's what spiked my weight gain at first. My dr. cautioned me about the amount of sugar in juice. I had no idea. It made a lot of difference in 4 weeks!

My dr said, "I really like your weight!"

[nyakanyasko]

Originally Posted by sunflwrmoonbeam

And shockingly, there is rather little correlation between calories and body size. I know that personally I have no control whatsoever over my weight. I've eaten pretty much the same since I hit age 20, and I went from a size 4 (got there through an eating disorder) to a size 12, somehow. And now that I'm pregnant and not at all trying, I'm losing weight faster than I have in my adult life.

/rant

As an obese pregnant woman (again, for a view of 'obesity' check out my belly pics) I know I can't find any decent information about eating habits, weight gain or loss and how that effects my health and that of my child as the political climate says that I should do whatever I can to lose weight, no matter what, and not gain while gestating. The AMA, I believe, and if not them some other professional doctor organization, wants to change the guidelines for what obese women "should" gain in pregnancy to loss, and normal women down to no more than 20 pounds. I'm somewhat concerned that I'm losing weight, and i know it's NOT normal for where I am in pregnancy, but no doctor will actually deal with the reality because all they see is my weight and that weight loss = good. That scares me a lot.

Wow! I'm sorry you are going through this! I can't believe size 12 would ever be considered obese (even if you were only 4 feet tall which you are obviously not!). That's ridiculous your insurance company and doctor are giving you a hard time about this. I wish more healthcare providers could look at individual women and see individual women, rather than textbook ideals or whatever.

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

Thanks nyakanyasko: I'm 5'3'' and have a BMI of like 31-32 pre-pregnancy. It's lower now I think I just naturally run dense, as does my hubby (who at what I'd objectively call somewhat chubby but built like a linebacker is 'morbidly obese;' were he to diet down to 'normal' he'd almost literally be skin and bones), which really suggests how skewed those BMI charts are.

This is one of the sources I found on the new proposed guidelines for weight gain. I know there are actual news articles out there, but I can't find them right now.

Here's another article that has further links.

[rivkah]

Originally Posted by sunflwrmoonbeam

Under a new proposal (can't find the source, sorry),'They' say someone my 'size' should lose weight in pregnancy, and due to the fact of my size I'm getting calls from my insurance company diagnosing me with 'metabolic syndrome' even though I don't meet one single criteria for it. Not one!

Wow! That seems so crazy to me! I just don't see how you can lose weight (overall--not in first few weeks) and grow a healthy baby.

I didn't know that size 12 would ever be considered obese. That does seem a little weird. I have to admit that I don't know anything about what is or is not considered obese, so I have just taken the sort of news headlines about the subject at face value.

In any case, this just makes me even more annoyed with the whole subject. It gets really bad after the baby comes and people start asking you how much weight you gained and how much you lost.

Just a disclaimer: I am NOT ranting about this thread at all. It is interesting to share these sorts of details among preggo peers--it is always good to know that there is a range of experiences. I just hate the judgment passed by the mainstream medical establishment and society--I sometimes feel like people think you are inferior if you get big during pregnancy, and don't look like Brittany Spears, or some other teenage mother, regardless of how healthy you or the baby are.

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

I found the article!

Eating for two, gaining too much

The most important quote, in my opinion, is "But Dr. Raul Artal, professor and chairman of obstetrics, gynecology and women’s health at St. Louis University School of Medicine, would like to see women gain far less – no more than 10 to 14 pounds for a normal weight woman, up to 16 to 20 pounds for an underweight woman and “very little” for overweight women."


Keep in mind he's categorizing strictly by BMI, and by BMI a 5'3'' woman (myself) is officially obese once she weighs 170 pounds, officially overweight at 135. Obese does not mean you're, say, 5'3'' and 400 pounds, as people popularly imagine it does.

[emlady]

While I disagree with America not having an obesity problem, I agree that WAY too much attention is paid to weight, size, etc. And those factors do not neccesarily indicate whether someone is healthy or not. In my job though (I'm a personal trainer) and in my family (all of my inlaws are overweight or obese and suffer from various weight related diseases) I see that weight issues are negatively affecting a LOT more people than they should and within my own family what is "running in the family" are really bad eating and exercise habits, not the symptoms. No judgement on you sunflower, at ALL, I would NOT call you obese! And I think it would be CRAZY to tell a pregnant woman to lose weight unless she was confined to a wheelchair obese or something... and then I have a hard time imagining she would be healthy enough to conceive. I agree that there is way to much negative attention placed on people who aren't skinny and way too much positive on those who are unnaturally and unhealthily thin.

Side note, a girl at work said to me "No offense, but I think you're going to get huge." Why whould that offend me?!?!? That's exactly what I'm supposed to do! There's a person in there!!!!

Oh yeah, and I agree, BMI is a terrible indicator of health. It's a crock, most profession athletes male and female would be considered obese according to it.

[boscopup]

I *am* starting out overweight, and last pregnancy I started out more overweight (197 at the start). I gained 35 lbs. Neither my OB nor my midwife ever said a single negative thing about my weight gain.

I think it's scary that they're wanting to change the guidelines to have women LOSE weight during pregnancy. That's horribly dangerous!!! An overweight pregnant friend of mine wasn't eating enough food recently, and she started spilling ketones in her urine. Her body was basically screaming that it NEEDED FOOD. I know in goats (we raise meat goats), ketosis is a common killer of fat goats, especially during winter when there isn't as much browse to eat. They'll start spilling ketones, and then they die.

Why not let overweight pregnant women deal with the weight AFTER the baby is born? Mine actually just FELL off after baby #2. I got down below pre-pregnancy #1 weight, doing absolutely nothing except nursing and chasing my older toddler! And if I'd exercised at all, I probably could have easily gotten to a better weight. This next time I will be exercising, as I have a gym membership and after Christmas I'll also have Wii Fit to use (great for days when the kids have colds and can't go to the gym Play Care room). So I *will* be exercising and that will likely cause the weight to come off pretty easily. I don't at all worry about gaining 35 lbs, despite being in the "should only gain 15 lbs during pregnancy" crowd.

[sunflwrmoonbeam]

emlady: It depends on how you define "obese" and "problem". The obesity epidemic is a crock because it goes strictly on BMI which is a fundamentally terrible way to gauge health. Yet, it seems to be all that matters to a doctor.

Back this summer I started seeing a doc because I was exhibiting symptoms of hypothyroidism. My major concern was feeling terrible all the time, but all they heard was "uncontrolled weight gain," and I was told to "work on diet and exercise." Uh...no. I need tests to figure out what's wrong with me. Eventually, after literally crying in her office, I got my tests and as diagnosed with PCOS, which is probably what CAUSED my weight gain.

Considering it's people like me who up all these statistics, it's no wonder we have an "epidemic."

And emlady, as for what you're seeing, what are you seeing? For instance, I have knee problems, and most people would probably automatically say it's because I'm fat, when really it's because I have flat feet. Which people would then say is because I'm fat, but I've had flat feet as long as I can remember. I'm fat, pregnant, and have back pain, and when I mentioned the back pain people have assumed it's because of weight gain (cuz I'm fat) but I've lost weight, have a strong back, and it's something to do with the relaxin and all. Because of this obesity epidemic, people see someone larger than a size 8 and assume that any health problem is due to weight when it has almost nothing to do with it. We hear day in and day out that too much fat causes x y z an a bunch of other stuff, so we just assume that if someone is presenting with symptom x and weighs more than, say, 150 pounds, it's because they weigh that much. On top of it, there's this popular assumptoin that all fat people (like myself) must sit around and eat bon bons and baby flavored donuts all day, when study after study shows that fat and thin eat very similarly. Anecdotally, I eat the same as I did when I was a size 4, and far better than prior to that when I was a size 6. I grew up on McDonalds (almost literally) and was a skinny kid. Now I'm not so skinny, and eat very healthfully. My dad is still skinny but eats like crap. I get yelled at about my diet, he doesn't, and it's all to do with body size.

If only people, especially medical professionals, could look at the person and not the weight. But not when all we're hearing day in and day out is fat is bad. I literally can't even go to my gym without hearing it/seeing it on signs.

[ihugtrees]

Started my 15th week of pregnancy yesterday. Last time I weighed, I had gained 9 lbs (was overweight to begin with at 145 lbs and 5 feet tall)..and aside from my belly (which is most definitely showing) I can see it in my love handles and my chin. Ugh. My problem is I'm not exercising, or eating super healthy. I still am constantly nauseous, throw up every morning, and have almost no energy. I am also have horrible sciatica and back pain, so being my feet for any time kills me. This has not been an easy pregnancy for me thus far.

Week after Christmas, I am joining the YMCA (indoor heated pool) to start swimming, and I'm starting a prenatal yoga class. I am also going to eat REALLY healthy--mostly vegetarian, all natural whole foods instead of the processed crap I've been comforting myself with. My New Years resolution is to grow the healthiest baby possible.

[Alohamelly]

Probably at least 10. I'll find out on Friday, at my next prenatal appointment. I can feel myself gaining weight right this minute, as I eat my greasy pizza. :P

[LynGi]

I'm 16 weeks, 2 days and I've lost about 3 pounds total (lost around 6, then gained 3).

I'm okay with this as I'm around the same weight NOW as I was when my 1st was born 15 months ago, which was 30 pounds above what I was when I got pregnant with #1.

I got down to my pre-pregnancy weight about a month after my son was born, then gained it all back, so I'm really not excited to be gaining any weight. I am eating better and more nutritiously, which is also why I'm not worried about the lack of weight gain.

[boscopup]

Originally Posted by sunflwrmoonbeam

Eventually, after literally crying in her office, I got my tests and as diagnosed with PCOS, which is probably what CAUSED my weight gain.

I think for a lot of women, birth control causes weight gain. I know I was a size 12 (which was a good weight for me - I'm 5'9" and was 150 lbs at that point) until I got on birth control. Then I ballooned up to 165, then kept going and going and going... I was 184 when I got pregnant with my first son.