Not gaining weight

[Ambivalent Dreams]

I am 21 weeks. I have had all day sickness throughout this pregnancy but haven't thrown up in about three weeks so hopefully it is going to keep gettting better. I still have aversions and reflux. I have gained 1.5 lbs. I didn't think that was all that bad, but my OB was a little grumpy about that during my last visit. What should I do? Just not worry about it and I gain what I gain or should I do something? What can I even do when food looks repulsive?

[MaerynPearl]

You are fine... really. Dont let your OB bully you. If you are eating at all, you are doing better than some women can. Worrying about weight gain (or lack thereof) can cause so much unneeded stress for pregnant women.

I havent gained a pound above my pre-pregnancy weight and I am 21 weeks.

In the past month I have gained 1 pound 2 weeks in a row and then lost 1 pound one week (i was a bit more active and eating a bit better) so by the doctors appointment IF I let them weight me I would have appeared to only have gained 1 pound...

I watch my own weight at home to be sure I do not gain or lose weight alarmingly fast... but otherwise my own midwife would rather my doctors not even weigh me.

[Mummoth]

If YOU are concerned, it might help to write down everything that you eat for a week or so... if it looks like enough is going in (and now staying down, yay!) then your body will take care of the rest.

[Monkey Keeper]

I would only be concerned if you are severely underweight to begin with. Otherwise, I'd be sure to try to eat healthfully and when you are hungry and see what happens. I don't have much m/s to speak of (essentially none after 10w with this particular pregnancy), and I still don't gain much if anything until after 20w. *shrug* We're individuals, and how our bodies "do" pregnancy varies.

[lunarlady]

I gained quite a bit with DD #1, but with this pregnancy I'm not gaining hardly at all. I'm up only about 4 lbs, and I'm at 26 weeks. I actually lost about 10 lbs. during the first trimester, and just managed to maintain for a few weeks after that. Once I started not actaully throwing up, I started making myself eat more, which I guess worked since I gained back up. I'm very thin to start, so my I, my OB and my HBMW were all less than happy with the loss/slow gain. I lost a ton of weight BF DD, so I don't want to turn into skeletor while BF the new baby!

That being said, I actually only gained (over all) in the past 2 weeks. I was so happy to stop LOSING about week 14, and was working my way back up to my pre preg weight week 15-23. I actually have to still make myself eat, since I am still a bit queezy and my heartburn is killing me.

What worked for me and helped me gain is the following:
-- Adding another meal into the day. I've add a 4 o'clock "tea" time at which I make myself eat a sandwich or a plate of fruit, nuts, cheese and crackers.
-- Making sure I actually eat several items at every meal. No more just a granola bar for breakfast. I make sure to eat a granola bar AND fruit.
-- Using whole milk instead of 2% for cereal, tea, cooking.
-- Eating dessert every night. I normally have a sweet tooth, so this wouldn't be a problem, but when I'm forcing myself to eat, it is actually hard to tempt myself to another "meal". I usually have ice cream topped with banana and nuts.
-- Packing my lunch each day and making myself eat it all. I'm trying, but some items just seem to rattle around in the lunchbox and I pass them over every day. But I have good intentions.
-- Going for healthy, high calorie snacks instead of my normal low calorie items. This sounds funny, but I normally just grab a handful of rice crackers, some popcorn, or maybe a rice cake for a snack, and now I try to reach for cheese, fruit, nuts, or other items that will sneak more calories into my diet.

Finally, I have made sure to be extra careful to take my pre-natals, since I know that struggling to eat can mean that I'm not doing as well on my nutrition. That way I know that even if I might not be where I would like weight wise, I'm doing okay health wise.

Good luck and hang in there. If you hate the OB pressure, just sneak a couple rolls of quarters into your pockets before the exam. That will easily add a pound or two.

[rparker]

I lost 12.5 pounds with my last pregnancy and didn't begin gaining until 20 weeks (at the rate of 1-2 pounds per week). Later I had a few weeks where I gained more and in the end it ended up being something like 25-30 lb. My OB was fine with it.

If you are interested in trying to pack on some pounds though... how do avocados sound to you right now? I suddenly began craving them around week 16 (the same point where I stopped frequently puking and taking Zofran). Within a week I'd gained back most of the 6.5 lbs. that I'd lost this pregnancy

This recipe is also good for adding fat/nutrients and it tastes like strawberry/banana/chocolate baby food... if it doesn't appeal to you now it might in a few weeks:

This recipe was created by Earthsave International's Chair of the Board of Directors, Louisville Lawyer and amazing chef, John Borders.
1.5 cups frozen strawberries
1 banana
1-2 tsp. carob or cocoa powder
2 tsp. flaxseed oil
3-5 Tbsp. nut butter (cashew or almond)
2-3 Tbsp. orange juice or other healthy juice such as carrot juice
2 Tbsp. fortified soymilk
1/8-1/4 avocado
Set your little companion up on a stool beside you, ready to toss in the ingredients and push the button. Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender. This works best in a food processor; you might add a bit more juice or soymilk if you use a blender. Blend until smooth.

Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 336 calories, 7 g protein, 40 g carbohydrate, 19 g fat.

I usually substitute peanut butter because I'm lazy and have it on hand.

[mediumcrunch]

You are fine. Eat what you can, when you can. Go ahead and bump the calories IF you can tolerate it but don't eat crap just to push the scale numbers up. I usually don't start gaining until 20 weeks+ but tend to gain rapidly between 24-32 weeks and then stop again.