How does one even go about gaining 6 pounds in a week?

[stacyj-m]

I'm due today. Not only did my doctor's appointment show that my cervix is still totally posterior and I haven't effaced or dialated anymore since the last visit, but I also gained 6 pounds in a week.

How does this happen? I know it is not cool to be weight obsessed during pregnancy but I am so bummed out. Here I was thinking I had stayed at 30 pounds this time(I gained 45 with my daughter and it was NOT easy to lose) and now I am going to be closer to 40.

The whole appointment bummed me out but the last minute weight bonanza was the worst.

* My urine showed I was spilling protein too but the doctor didn't mention any concerns about preclampsia or anything. She must have just chalked the weight gain up to all the sweets I have been eating.

[thefreckledmama]

I gained 7 lbs. in a week, then lost it by the following week. Two words:

Water weight!

It sound counter-intuitive, but try upping your water intake, it will help your body flush itself out, and can help with any swelling you might have leading to the weight jump.

[lotusma]

yup, you're probably retaining water. how's your blood pressure?

(eta: i don't even think it's physically possible to gain 6 pounds of fat in a week)

[DeChRi]

It's a fluke...water weight, etc. It takes 3500 extra calories to gain a pound of true fat (the kind you have to lose after pregnancy). So if you put it in terms of 200 calories cookies, you need 170-ish cookies/day for 6 days to gain that. Or 3 supersized value meals with real soda from somewhere, everyday, for 6 days.

So while and extra 500 calories/day for a week will result in a "real" pound gain, you would have to work HARD to gain 6 fat lbs in a week.

Mine will go up within a 5lb range depending on water, my current level of constipation, time of day, etc.

Hope that helps!

[somegirl99]

DDC crashing, even before pregnancy, at 105 pounds, I could gain or lose 5 pounds in a day due to water weight and um, intestinal content.

[Bubblette]

The others are right mama. Don't worry too much it will be mostly water and some intestinal content.

[7swans]

If it makes you feel any better, I had a doctor's appointment today as well and my cervix is also posterior and hasn't changed in 4 weeks - and apparently I gained 7lbs! I saw a new doctor today so it was a different scale that the one I usually use. I'm chalking it up to that and water weight.

[stacyj-m]

Thanks for the encouraging responses, everyone. I love thinking it is just a watery fluke. DeChRi, I am especially comforted by your calculations on how it would be impossible to gain 6 actual pounds. I have probably eaten an extra 500 calories a day of sweets and I like thinking that even with that it would have only added a pound or two.

It's easy to think of losing water weight. It's harder to think they might be real and actual pounds, the kind that are still lingering months after the baby is out.

7Swans--how funny that we had identical doctor visits.

[henny penny]

Yep. Water, water, water. I typically gain a steady 1 pound a week at the end but this last doctor visit, even with a lighter than usual diet and more activity (nesting!) I gained 5 pounds in one week. My OB said purely water weight. Probably in part due to my over activity (ironically). Also ironic, he said to stay really hydrated to prevent more water weight gain.