How much weight do women REALLY gain in pregnancy? Just curious... - Page 3

[MsDolphin]

My goal was 20-lbs gain, but I ended up at 26-lbs. Thankfully it all came off and I am actually below my pre-pregnancy weight now.

[aeterna]

Originally Posted by *MamaJen* 

Oh, jeez, I gained like 40 pounds during my pregnancy. And I'm 5'2" and started out at 117-ish, so that was a LOT on a petite frame. However, I do think that at least 10 or 15 pounds of that was due to quitting smoking. I was a pack a day smoker when I got pregnant and I definitely did some unhealthy snacking to deal with the quitting pangs. 

^^ Good for you, though. =)

I'm currently at 38 weeks and up 30lbs. I figure even if I (continue to... hehe) ignore my healthful-diet ideals, I won't be more than 35lbs up for this pregnancy. I'm happy with that, especially since I have GD.

And I'm basically you, OP - 28 years old, 5'5", 140lbs pre-pregnancy. ;)

I did read something interesting about the weight gain curve, a while back, that discussed "normal"/expected gains... something like, 5 lbs the first trimester and 1 lb/week after that. Give or take a bit. =)

[member234098]

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Edited by member234098 - 5/28/12 at 8:42pm

[rebirth]

I started at 112 last time, I gained 18lbs I think first time, so total of 130lbs. Lost significantly in first tri, so was negative through around 25weeks.

This Preg I started at 102, am 11weeks and 98.5, but negative 3.5lbs is way better then the negative 14 of last pregnancy. I honestly expected to gain w thanksgiving and my birthday, but haven't. I an hoping to gain more total this time to wind up around same final weight. Or higher. I have a lot of difficulty maintaining weight while Breastfeeding, and still nurse my toddler lots Inc overnight so hopefully even w that I will have better gain.


Doula mama to my nursing toddler Noah

[HML2199]

I gained between 20-28 pounds all 4 times.

[ollyoxenfree]

Saw this in new posts, so I thought I would chime in because co-incidentally, I was going through some old files this weekend and came across my medical records from my first pregnancy. 

I started out at 113 lbs., lost a little during the first trimester, and gained a total of 23 lbs. by my due date. DS was 8 lbs. 7 oz. 

My second pregnancy, 3 years later, was similar from what I recall, although she was slightly bigger - 8 lbs. 15 oz.

[bellsmommie]

I also have the opposite problem of not being able to gain. with dd#1 I lost 22lbs and gained 6lbs back but went into premature labor from lack of nutrition and low blood sugar at 35 weeks. luckily baby was healthy but tiny leaving hospital at only 4lbs14oz. I am worried this time around because I am 10 weeks and already down by 7lbs. I did try to gain some extra in between pregnancies this time so I have I small buffer (i weighed 10lbs more preprengancy this time than last time, so now I am down to 3 buffer lbs. ) hopefully I will be able to gain a healthy amount this time. by the way I am 5ft10 and currently weighing in at 168. cross my fingers! my nurse also said some funny things when I would come in with no weight gain....they would be all confused and say....no this cant be right...lol. I was the only patient they had who wasnt gain above and beyond reccomendations, so in answer to your question I guess its pretty uncommon to have trouble gaining and from friend experiences I would say the most common amount is more in the 45 to 100lbs range.

Originally Posted by rtjunker 

I'm on the opposite end of the spectrum, I have trouble gaining weight. I started out at around 100lbs (I'm only 5'2"), dropped between 5-10lbs in the first trimester, before finally gaining, so I'm at 115lbs now. I was concerned at first that I wasn't gaining enough, but my midwives reassure me that my LO keeps measuring right on track, and that I should keep doing what I've been doing. I still can't help cringing every time I step on the scale to see no weight gain...but I'm starting to gain more steadily now.

[greenemami]

My first I gained about 40 lb (from about 120-160). 

My second I gained 45ish maybe?

I ate fairly well with both pregnancies, but was not very active at all, except for a prenatal yoga class that I enjoyed.  If I ever do it again, I definitely would exercise more :)

[Sol_y_Paz]

35 pounds.  The baby wasn't big and was early.  It all came off quickly after birth despite not exercising at all and not dieting at all.  

[Quinalla]

I really think the weight gain advice should be taken lightly, it is so variably depending on each woman's genetics and each pregnancy. I was so glad my OB was and is relaxed about weight gain as I have seem to have genetics that make my body want to gain a lot during pregnancy, but it also melted away no problem with just BFing with my first anyway. Also, I don't get morning sickness, so I gain weight in the 1st trimester no problem where others might maintain or lose.

I'm 5'11".

First pregnancy (DD): Starting weight: 197 lbs, I don't know the exact ending weight as I stopped paying attention, but somewhere in the 250-260 lb range, so 50-60 lbs gained, well over the recommendation even at my height. As I said, I lost it all (and then some) after 6-7 months of BFing. As you can see, I've gained some back since then, BFing really kept the weight off! I didn't eat perfectly, but generally healthfully and I did moderate exercise for the first two trimesters, just walking for the last.

Current pregnancy (twins): Starting weight: 224 lbs, I am currently 247 as of 19w, so up 23 lbs about halfway through. There really aren't any standard guidelines for a multiple pregnancy weight gain, but based on Dr. Barbara Luke's research, I'm doing good. This pregnancy I've really upped my protein intake and I am actually making myself eat sometimes when I'm not hungry as you really need a lot more calories to grow multiples to healthy birthweights, especially since they tend to come earlier so less time to grow! I was actually less hungry in the first trimester than my first pregnancy, I think all the extra hormones were making it wonky, so my weight gain was slower at first, but once I found out twins and did my research, I've been doing well on gaining. I'm eating better this pregnancy than last, still not 100% perfect, but I really want to give these babies every chance of a good birth weight! I've not been exercising as much this pregnancy (partly because I get tired much easier), but I'm good about walking and I try to do something active with DD (3) everyday too.

[MeepyCat]

I think you have to consider what's good for you, and try not to focus too much on the numbers.  Do you feel well?  How's the baby doing?  Are complications developing because of diet or weight?  Then worry.  Otherwise, it's just a number.

I gained about 30 pounds with my son, but only 13 when pregnant with my daughter.  The "only 13" is because she was early.  Turns out you can really cut back on pregnancy weight gain if you skip most of the third trimester!  Obviously, I do not recommend this.

[SplashingPuddle]

I gained over 60lbs the first time but stopped counting part way.  My daughter was 7lbs12oz and I didnt have much trouble losing weight.  This time I am up 40lbs so far at 23 weeks.  My goal is about 60lbs again, which feels like a good amount to me. 

[BabySmurf]

I think there is a TON of variation here, most of it is normal.  I think a lot has to do with how our bodies perceive things...some people just put on a lot of weight in pregnancy because our bodies just want that extra weight.  I agree that it IS uncomfortable, and I am hoping to gain less this time around, or at the very least do more strength training and yoga so that I can move more easily.  I have been eating much healthier than I did the first time around, and the way it looks now I will still gain a good amount.  At 5'9, I started last time at about 140 and ended at 190.  This time I needed to gain weight to regain fertility, I started trying to gain at 125lbs, got pregnant around 133 lbs, and I am almost up to 150 now, at 20 weeks.  Sticking to healthy foods and listening to your body is way more important IMO than than trying to meet "standards" for the average woman. 

[JudiAU]

With my first, gained 30 pounds and lost 65 within 8 weeks, no joke. Breastfeeding was wild. I was so thin and it was awesome. Didn't happen again though. Gained 35 next and lost 30 and then when on to gain 15 back over the course of the next two years due to poor eating habits. With this last one I gained 25 and have lost 20 pounds at 6 weeks. I doubt I'll loose anymore easily. Sigh.

[cottonwood]

I gained 30# with all four. Started out "overweight" to "obese", so that's more than I was supposed to gain according to the doctors. But, I fed myself with nourishing food and paid attention to how I felt, and all the pregnancies were very healthy, so as far as I'm concerned the evidence points to 30# being just right for me.
 

[SplashingPuddle]

I'm now at 27 weeks and have gained 50 pounds so far. We'll see what I get to in another 3 months!

[bmcneal]

60-ish with first

40-ish with second

27 weeks in, and counting from pre-pregnancy weight, I've gained 5 lbs, if you count from what I gained after I lost initially, I've gained 10 lbs.

[1babysmom]

I thought I'd replied to this but I can't find it...(unless pregnancy brain is blinding me as well..good possibility!)

I gained 45lbs with my 3 children...their weights were 7lbs, 7lbs, and then almost 10lbs.  I worked out more and ate progressively better with each pregnancy, but still gained the same, and at the same rate.

This time I am already up 30lbs at 29 weeks...about 10lbs ahead of where I would be usually (10lbs in my 1st tri which was unheard of for me with my other babies...I generally LOST weight out of the blue), and I'm working out FAR more than any other pregnancy and eating the same as I did with them.  So it's weird to me.  I'm hoping I don't top more than 45 this time, at least not by much, since I started out a few lbs heavier and I'd begun having trouble losing weight before I got pg. this time.

My mom gained 40-45lbs with each of her 3 babies too (and we were all 8-10lbs) so I'm wondering if it's just the genes and even if I starved myself I'd still gain ~45lbs each time!  

[beautifulnm]

The idea that weight gain during pregnancy is due largely to genetics and the pregnancy itself has been reinforced to me by doulas, pp nurses, et cetera. My first I was in the midwife program at an Army hospital, and I had a Colonel medwife that hounded me for my weight gain, and that it was my "fault" I had a 9 lbs 8 oz baby. My DH was 10 lbs, and his mom is tiny. I don't think there was any way our son was going to be much smaller unless I starved myself, and that obviously had positive effects when we look at babies of folks that had very limited access to food because of wars and such. (Clinically documented higher prevalence of diabetes and being overweight as adults in this population because their bodies didn't have enough carbs as fetuses and consequently processed them differently than those who had adequate nutrition as fetuses). This time around, DD is measuring large, and I have well controlled GD. I did attend a class for GD and most of their advice actually put me OUT of range for sugar, and was much more unhealthy than what I was already doing. I think this is just further proof that pregnancies are not all the same and therefore diet and nutrition advice cannot be "one size fits all." There's a lot more to this issue than simply the numbers that pop up on the scale; you might only gain 15 lbs during pregnancy but have a steady diet of pepsi, processed foods, and candy while another gains 35 lbs eating nothing but lean proteins, brown carbs, and salad.

[nstewart]

I was about the 45-50lb mark.  I exercised regularly throughout, ate healthy (my cravings were for raw brocolli and for milk), and ate when hungry.  I had a TON of swelling the last 6 weeks or so (I could only wear flip flops at the end) and dropped most of the weight very quickly so I am sure a good 10-15lbs of it was water.

I am expecting #2, and at 28 weeks I am up about 21lbs.  I would like to keep under 40lbs, but I'm not going to starve myself to do it.  Just continue to make good choices (well, TRY, anyway, I'm not always successful) and to exercise and eat when I am hungry.

10lbs seems like such a small "recommended" range for such a huge range of heights, body types, frames, etc.  It seems so silly that my good friend who is 4"11 and petite should be told to gain the same range as me at 5'9" and broad shouldered.

I was also pretty fortunate that I couldn't not lose weight breastfeeding until DS was 2 years old (then it tappered off and I gained back a few lbs before conceiving this babe).  By the time DS was two I was 15lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight when I conceived DS without any type of dieting involved (I generally eat healthy but in substantial quantity, and always eat when I am hungry and never feel guilty for treating myself when I want to).  Fingers crossed for a breasfeeding weight loss miracle again this time.

Edited by nstewart - 2/4/13 at 1:41pm