Healthy prenatal diet for smaller second?

[ciga]

Okay, as I wrote the title it felt like an odd request but here is where I am.  My first, a perfect wonderful little boy, was huge as far as my frame was concerned.  He was 9lbs 12 oz, pretty much right on time, and did a real number on my body during birth.  I'm about 5'8" and normally around 135lbs but gained close to 50lbs during that pregnancy.  My husband is built like a lumber jack and all the babies in his family tend to be pretty large.  We are trying to conceive right now and  I am starting to think about the realities of having a potentially larger second child.  A good friend who had a similar experience told me her midwife put her on a dairy free (amongst other things) diet during her second and he was nearly 2 lbs less than her almost 10lb first.  I ate well and exercised throughout my pregnancy and feel that I was far from unhealthy but I do recall pigging out a time or six and I was definitely a cheese fiend so I'm wondering if anyone has had any luck changing their prenatal diet and having an even slightly smaller or just not bigger second child.   Any insights would be appreciated.

I'm not sure whether this should be in the pregnancy forum or here. 

Though I know I won't get any feedback like this on this forum I'm cringing thinking about what one older woman told me when I told her my son's birth weight. She said her first was close to ten pounds so when the doctor warned her that smoking can cause low birth weight she decided that she would smoke through her whole second pregnancy.  So, as I think about that lady I would like to stress that I'm talking about HEALTHY diet changes. 

[LindyGirl]

I honestly believe that if you are eating healthily, your body will grow the baby it's meant to grow. My second baby weighed two pounds less than my first, and I have no idea why -- I ate nearly exactly the same the whole time. She is just a genetically smaller person, I've found.

[SundayCrepes]

Were you a gestational diabetic? That is very often the cause of large babies. If your friend wasn't screened, it would make sense that a change in diet could make a difference.

[dovey]

My third was smaller than my first two.  My diet was pretty similar, but I walked every day for about an hour up in the hills.  I took a walk even on the day he was born. 

[Megan73]

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes 

Were you a gestational diabetic? That is very often the cause of large babies. If your friend wasn't screened, it would make sense that a change in diet could make a difference.

This.
Otherwise, I think you may just be destined to have big babies. I gained nearly twice as much weight with my first baby as with my second and third. They were all almost exactly the same - average - size.
What I would do is get screened for GD, eat healthfully and check out www.spinningbabies.com to help make sure that your baby - whatever his or her size - is in the optimal position for an easy birth.

[BabySmurf]

Ha! I've been wondering the same thing! I am also about your height and weight, and had a 9lb 8 oz baby, and also gained 50 lbs with my pregnancy.  I am a little terrified of having a bigger baby next time.  DS's birth was not an easy one, and the recovery was long.  I think that in my case I could have eaten a little better though...I was tested for and did not have gestational diabetes. 

I guess I am just hoping that nature knows what's best and will give me a baby that still fits :)

[cat13]

I'm in the same boat, although not TTC yet. DS was 10lbs even and had good sugar levels on the multiple times they checked after he was born, and I didn't have GD. I ate pretty well (could have been better) and DS was positioned in LOA from about 24 weeks and during labor, but I still pushed for over 6 hours and had/still have some damage. I love my giant baby, but I wouldn't mind a smaller one next time!

[courtney1986]

I think you may just have big babies.  My first, a girl, was born at 37 weeks and 8 pounds even.  Second, a boy, was born at 42 weeks and was 9 14, and an easy delivery.  My third, a boy, I nursed through out my entire pregnancy was diagnosed with IUGR and was born at 42 weeks and 6 15, super tiny, especially for me.  My diet with the last 2 was a protein rich diet, and I feel like I ate about the same.  Weight gain with all 3 was the same within a couple pounds.,    

[mamatowill]

My first was 11lbs 2oz and my second was 10 lbs 12 oz. I did not have GD (screened for it both times) and I gained about 35 lbs with each pregnancy. As my OB said to me- "You are just destined to have big babies). My diet was about the same for both although probably healthier with the second.