Trouble gaining weight?

[AveryLamb]

Anybody else having this trouble? For the first time in my life I'm having a hard time gaining weight. lol I lost 10 pounds in my first trimester and have only gained back 5 so far.

[Mummoth]

As of a month ago I was down 6 pounds... I have an appointment this week and expect to have started gaining weight back. I'm fat and not limiting my intake of food at all. This is just what my body does when it's pregnant... the same thing happened with DS & DD, and they were both healthy, normal-weight babies... DS was 6 pounds 12 ounces born at 38 weeks, and DD was 7 pounds 9 pounces born at 39 weeks... the weight comes on faster in the third trimester.

I try to make somewhat healthier choices, while honouring my cravings... for example if my mouth starts watering when a doritos commercial comes on TV, I might go to the kitchen and try and think of something to make with carbs/fat/cheese... like a real cheddar cheese sandwich. I think the best thing you can do is try not to worry about the scale, and just listen to what your body is telling you it needs.

[AveryLamb]

I do sort of tend to eat when there's food made, and not eat when there isn't. My back gives me so much trouble I don't like to be standing at all for any length of time. So some days I eat more, some days I eat less.

[Mummoth]

That makes it tough... do you have freezer space? If you made extra food when you're standing anyway, making some frozen meals to nuke on bad days might help. Are you home during the day or out? If your DH makes his lunch for work, maybe you could ask him to make one for you and leave it in the fridge? Whether you're home or take it with you, you might be more inclined to eat if something has been prepared for you.

[AveryLamb]

I would freeze stuff, but the freezer's full of the roommate's frozen veggies (that she eats at a very slow rate) :-/ I usually like to make more food than we eat in one sitting tho to keep in the fridge to heat. I don't make dinner often...hubby brings home stuff from work usually (he works at a retirement home and brings home food) which keeps me mostly on a day-to-day basis. It's mostly the other meals (breakfast...almost nonexistant...and lunch). So far the baby has been measuring on target, which is good.

[Mummoth]

What kind of stuff do you like for breakfast? I wouldn't worry about trying to add two whole meals to your day... maybe just do a brunch sort of thing and snacks if you want them? I always want a big bowl of cereal for breakfast, so I don' t have good suggestions for that time of day. Are you comfortable sitting? It feels odd at first, but maybe you could do some food prep at the table rather than the counter?

[AveryLamb]

I don't like "breakfast" type foods. I'd rather have leftover dinner...unfortunately that makes the leftovers go away really fast! lol

Hm, sitting is a thought. I think we will have to get some chairs now. haha (we don't have dining room type chairs)

[Mummoth]

My MIL does veggie prep in her living room at a TV table (she's sort of a hoarder and there's no counter space in her small kitchen) My computer is in the kitchen next to the stove, and we have rolling chairs, so I'm like slide, flip, stir, slide, type! Do you like eggs? I haven't tried those omlette in a bag things, but you could have a bunch of prepped ingredients in the fridge and a pot that's just had boiling water in it isn't big clean-up.

[AveryLamb]

I like that rolling chair idea!! Not hugely fond of eggs, but if I had a tall enough rolling chair, I most likely would make more things.

[Mummoth]

Oh good, I'm glad I could help. I really like eggs, but they make my mouth and throat itchy... I still have eggs benedict when we go out for brekkie, though.

[cwill]

At 20 weeks, I had gained 3 lbs.  I'm 24 weeks this week and up to 5.  I didn't lose any in the beginning, had no morning sickness - I just didn't gain.  I have my next appt. this week so we'll see if the doctor gives me a hard time or not.  He was fine with it last time.  Baby is on track, I'm not wasting away, so ...

I do eat pretty well, a lot of high-energy/calorie snacks throughout the day.  I love to cook so we have good meals, but I snack a lot too.  Some ideas with little prep: nuts, cottage cheese with fruit, yogurt and granola, banana with peanut butter, olives, hard-boiled egg or fried egg inside a piece of toast (we call them bullseyes), kefir, toast with hummus ... 

[insidevoice]

I'm still down, and dropping a little weight here and there.  It's just the way my body does new person construction. :)

Sadly, I hold on to weight while nursing.  *sigh*

This pregnancy I have lost more than any other, and I haven't tapered off on the loss yet, but the baby is growing well and everything seems good. Because I have extra weight to lose, no one is terribly worried about it.  My blood sugars are great, I do have trouble eating as much as I should to take care of myself, but my OB and I see eye to eye on the fact that my body knows what it is doing.  If I were a very slender person to begin with, it would be a problem.  I am not.  I expect that (at the rate I am now going) by the time I deliver I will be about 50 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight.  (I am currently about 40 below that weight, so that would allow for some gain over the next couple months.)

[AveryLamb]

Yeah, it's not that I need to gain, really...before pregnancy I was about 70-80 pounds overweight...lol And I know my weight is shifting around...my breasts are bigger and I've got an obvious baby bump. So maybe I'm ok still. And the baby seems to be growing fine so far!

[insidevoice]

:)  For some of us, weight gain really isn't something we need to have happen in pregnancy- especially if, like me, you tend to hold on to weight most of the time.  I am very active and eat carefully, but my body is simply one of those that likes to hold on to every last calorie.  If you are overweight, you can often get through pregnancy without gaining much at all- your body will simply draw on your reserves.  Because you have them- there isn't any real danger to the baby in terms of not growing well, and you aren't likely to lose muscle or bone density as long as you are eating and drinking when you are hungry/thirsty within reason.  Pregnancy can crank up your metabolism in a way that will keep you from gaining, but as long as fetal growth seems ok, it's nothing to worry about too much.  Just make sure to pack in nutritionally dense foods when you can eat. 

[mama2sully05]

If your doc or midwife isn't concerned, I wouldn't freak too much. My first pregnancy, I had difficulty gaining because I was sick ALL. THE. TIME. I didn't really start putting on the pounds until the 3rd trimester, when the nausea and vomiting vanished and were replaced with unbearable heartburn...which also made eating difficult. I still had a healthy 7 lb, 10 oz. baby. Its not always how much you eat, but the quality of what food you do eat, that makes a difference anyway. Since you mentioned that you don't really eat if food isn't around, just be sure to eat very healthfully when you do decide to have a nibble...lots of protein, follow the Brewer diet. :)

[AveryLamb]

Definitely a lot of protein! I've got mozzarella sticks to nibble on, and lots of milk. What's the Brewer diet?

I think it's really ironic...my dad always told me I'd have to be careful in pregnancy...ppl take it as a license to eat whatever they want and blow up like balloons, and since I always had trouble with my weight (which he ALWAYS reminded me of...thanks a lot dad *sarcasm*), he told me I was going to have to be SO CAREFUL during pregnancy. I think in the end, tho, post-pregnancy I'm going to weigh less than pre-pregnancy! Lol

[Mummoth]

Wow! That would be really upsetting to hear from your dad... my dad has never commented on my size... although he's not a great communicator. I thought he was mad at me after I left XH, so I asked mom about it and she was like "Oh no! He thinks you did the right thing, he's just... dad." and then the next time I went over dad asked how I was and I said okay, a little shell shocked still, and he said "That guy is one sick puppy." I think mom told him to say something supportive and that's what he came up with! LOL! Hopefully your dad gives you supportive comments/ good feedback as well as the warnings!

[AveryLamb]

Yeah my dad was real nice that way...he never said I was *fat*...only stuff like "do you really need that second helping?" "you should be careful about your weight, we are all good feed converters"..."a moment on the lips, forever on the hips" whenever I wanted something sweet. He also didn't believe in self esteem. x(

My dad isn't speaking to me right now...when I moved out last year he cut me off from himself, my mom, and 10 of my siblings. Unfortunately I don't have too many happy memories of him. But I've got a wonderful husband. :D

[Mummoth]

Oh that's too bad! I have an aunt like that, always making nit-picky little comments about appearance related stuff. One time I was over there and she noticed my fingernails looked nice. She asked "Didn't you used to chew your nails?" and I when I confirmed that yes I did, she gave my cousin a look and said "Oh, there IS still hope then!" What's the point of saying things like that?!

[AveryLamb]

Yeah! It's completely unnecessary and hurtful!!