3rd Trimester and not gaining enough weight?

[Ambivalent Dreams]

I had put this concern out of my mind until recently but my concern is creeping back. Everything I read says I am not gaining enough.

I am 33 weeks and have gained 10 lbs. FWIW, I started this pregnancy at a normal weight. (109 lbs. I'm 5 ft. tall.) My OB hasn't expressed any concern during the third trimester about my weight. The first half + of the pregnancy I had food aversions, m/s and vomiting. Now, I am just down to food aversions and occasional nausea. I'm not sure what more I can reasonably do. Everything but milk, fish, fruit, eggs, turkey, bread, nuts and pumpkin (of all things) looks/sounds disgusting. I eat bites of other things, but it is hard to even swallow. Am I hurting my baby?

[Family4Christ]

I lost weight throughout my last pregnancy and my dd was fine and only weighed 4oz less than my ds and I gained a lot with him. A healthy diet is much more important than the weight you gain.

[MaerynPearl]

is this 10 lbs gain over your pre-pregnancy weight... or 10 lbs gain over the loss you had first tri?

I would personally be glad to only be 10 lbs over pre-pregnancy (Im around 20lbs at 33 weeks, more than I wanted to gain by full term! But alas, cant worry about it too much. Baby is healthy, I am fine... oh well.)

[MyFillingQuiver]

Man, weight gain in pregnancy sure can be individual-and it sure varies from pregnancy to pregnancy!

I generally gain around 50-60 lbs when I'm pregnant. I'm a tall, smaller framed mama. I make just a bit larger than average babies. (1st was a 34 weeker at 6'10 oz, 2nd was 8 lbs 10 oz, then about that for the others)

This pregnancy, however, I have my first MW/homebirth planned. Since this pregnancy was very back to back with my last, she really recommended excellent nutrition (which I normally eat quite well, but even better this time) supplements, and high protein. I am 35.5 weeks, and I've only gained 27 lbs. I'm even retaining less water than I normally do at the end, and it's hot!

What's really interesting, is that this is measuring my largest baby so far. (I know fundal heights are a rough estimate, but I normally don't measure more than 1 to 2 weeks ahead maximum..and I'm measuring over 4 ahead.) I suppose being even more active than normal, and really focusing on nutrition and protein has grown me a big baby, and not so much big booty like usual, LOL!

[~Demeter~]

I've got a spare 10 you can have... no really, I was looking online and apparently I'm 10 over what I 'should be' at this point of pregnancy.

Some people don't gain much, others gain a lot. It's all very individual and if your doctor isn't all that concerned about it I would try and let it go. What is it exactly that bothers you about your weight gain, maybe try to process it from there. It might help you find some peace about it.

[WifeofAnt]

I'm nearly exactly what I should be at this point (up 12 lbs at 21 weeks) but it feels like too much to me. I've NEVER even been close to this weight... and I'm only 135! I really don't know how I'm going to get to even the suggested 148-158 and still stay sane. I'm the last one of my friends to have kids (I'm only 20!) and up until getting pregnant I've always prided myself at weighing the same or less than I did freshman year of high school (I stopped growing early). DH thinks I'm going to bounce back but looking at my family tree that's not the kind of 'bouncing' I'm expecting post-baby.

[Mosaic]

If your doctor is not concerned, I don't think you should be, either. I'm 5'6, ~125lbs normally, so definitely on the small to healthy side. My first pregnancy, I lost 10 pounds in the first tri but ended up gaining those back plus another 23. My second pregnancy, I was sick as a dog until 32 weeks and only gained 12 lbs for the whole pregnancy. 6 hours after the birth, I was 3 lbs BELOW my pre-pregnancy weight!

My midwives were a little bit concerned the second time around, but they focused on helping make the nausea go away so that I could/would EAT rather than just telling me to eat and gain weight for the heck of it. FWIW, both girls came out healthy and well-sized; but my nutrient stores and muscle mass are pretty much GONE, and I have a long way to go to rebuilding my body again. All I can recommend is that you do your best to nurture your body and your baby, and let the scale go where it will.

[umsami]

I'm 37 weeks 1 day, and I've gained 4 pounds this pregnancy. (Was 6 pounds, but somehow I've lost 2 pounds in the past few weeks.) It was not intentional in any way....and is much less than I've gained in my other three pregnancies. But you know what? Baby's growth is 100% normal--53rd percentile... so I'm not worried.

I think if you're measuring O.K., then don't worry about it.

[Bokonon]

I lost weight with both pregnancies because of hyperemesis, but once I was able to keep food down, it wasn't a concern. I've actually been 30 pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight since DD was born 15 months ago, after gaining about 7 pounds at the end from edema (and she only weighed 4 lbs).

A good friend of mine is 100 pounds soaking wet, and had hyperemesis as well. I'm not sure how much she lost, but I know she didn't gain much, and had a healthy 9lb. baby.

[bella99]

With my daughter, by the time I was 20 weeks, I had gained 2-3 pounds, and while I was nauseous during the first trimester, I didn't lose any weight.

My OB wasn't concern, baby was measuring right on track.

I ended up gaining 24 total. 7.5 pound baby.

As long as the baby is growing, don't worry. The baby will take what it needs from you.