Trimesters and Weight Gains/Losses - Page 3 « Back to Group Discussions

[NewMumJoy]

I weighed in at the doc's office last week (@14 wks) and had gained 10 lbs!  A surprise to me, as I am only 5'1' and small framed.  I have no idea how much I should be gaining or at what rate - no professionals have had that conversation w/me yet, but I'm sure it will come up at future visits.  I ate pretty steadily through my 1st trimester (no morning sickness, just food aversions) and always healthy/organic/not processed foods, in small portions.....but wow, 10 lbs!!

[ithappened]

newmumjoy thats about what I gained my first pregnancy with DS the first trimester- I might of even gained 12 lbs.. then it slowed down pretty naturally for the second tri and I didnt really gain again till the third..  this pregnancy however has been so far completely opposite (I think, I havent weighed myself in 2 weeks since my last app but I dont feel like Im gaining yet much I will be curious at my next appointment how much Im up).

[Ninetales]

I don't have a reliable scale at home, but I got weighed at the chiropractor yesterday and it put me up one pound from my last OB appt two weeks ago, so if it's close to the OB office scale that puts me right on track for where I would like to be.  Which is a-mazing.  I can gain five pounds in a weekend, so I'm kind of blown away.  I haven't always made the best choices, but I feel like I've been trying to be healthy, and not having my weight explode all over the place is a sweet motivator for me to keep doing my best.

[Veritas Vitae]

Originally Posted by mcampa 

 Not to get to the TMI level but (aside from the boob growth) the weight gain makes me so much less comfortable, physically and psychologically, during sex. 

  Me too. I'm now at 5lbs at 11w2d.  However, I got up to this before and then went back down when I could finally use the restroom.  Stupid constipation.  I imagine I'll go back down another 1 or 2 lbs when that happens again. What a gross feeling.

[ithappened]

I have problems with just a comfortable position during sex.. and then there is the fact I just dont feel sexy and really would prefer to use the time to sleep instead

[mcampa]

I should probably move this to symptoms...

I am struggling with the comfortable position (the ones that were great before are not working these days) and the constipation thing has gotten totally out of hand.  I don't know if its food or what but I am always "full" (which is so not sexy).   Comfortable sex positions from ladies who have experience being pregnant? 

[Soon2BeMom]

Originally Posted by mcampa 
.. and the constipation thing has gotten totally out of hand.  I don't know if its food or what but I am always "full" (which is so not sexy).  

I'm 12 weeks and I've lost nearly 2 pounds.  I'm not throwing up, but I'm nauseous constantly and most food is just repulsive to me.  I'm still eating what seems like plenty though.  I've been eating a bowl of oatmeal/prunes most days and try to drink at least 64 oz of water - that's helped me a lot with the constant "full" feeling, like everything is just sitting in my stomach, moving so so slow, and wanting to come back up.

I remember last pregnancy dh and I discovered some magical side-lying position that worked well for us, but I don't remember the details.  We haven't needed to get creative yet this time.

[ithappened]

yeah for DH and I its the side position although this pregnancy that hasnt worked very well lately either.. have you tried standing up, bent forward at the hip.. if that makes sense

[Knitting Mama]

For us, him kneeling in front of the couch and me on a few pillows on the couch works well. Doesn't put pressure on my belly!

[monkeyscience]

According to both my midwife and my pregnancy book, gaining 0-5 lbs in the first trimester is "healthy" - not sure about "normal." But I would imagine that weight gain/loss outside those parameters could still be fine depending on your particular body and medical issues. I think gaining or losing 20 lbs in the first trimester would both be bad signs, but other than that, I trust my mw to let me know if something seems off.

As far as my personal experience, I lost 3 lbs between when I first found out I was pregnant and my first mw appointment (8w2d), mostly due to dehydration and not eating because of severe morning sickness. Although the morning sickness persisted beyond that, I managed to get back up to my original weight by my 12 week appointment. I think right now (14 w) I'm about 2 lbs above my starting weight.

I was doing the South Beach Diet when I get pregnant (and very much believe that helped me to finally get pregnant!), and wanted to continue it into pregnancy, but m/s killed that. Now that I'm finally feeling better, I'm going to start watching what I eat more and try to be more healthy, instead of just going for whatever won't make me miserable. (Fortunately, or unfortunately, as the case may be, ice cream has started making my tummy very upset, so it's easier to avoid!) I've also heard that 25-30 lbs is the target gain for the total pregnancy, though again, I think individual body type and medical history plays a part here. Some women do gain 60-70 lbs in pregnancy, and it seems to be a healthy thing for them, and it goes away quickly. But other women gain that amount and it isn't a healthy thing at all. Again, I think it's good to have a HCP that you trust - one that isn't rigid in saying anything outside the guidelines is "bad", but one that can also recognize if you are really under/overeating for you and baby. Because I know I'm starting 20 lbs over a healthy weight for me, I'm really hoping to gain more like 15-20 lbs, but we will just have to see what happens. I'm not going to starve myself/baby to make that happen, but I am going to try not to use "I'm pregnant" as an excuse to eat crap.

[LilyTiger]

monkeyscience, I think all of that is right on target.  Everybody is different and some women gain a lot more than others.  That being said, there are healthy ways to gain and unhealthy ways to gain. I definitely need to get back on track with my eating.  I haven't gained much weight yet (5 pounds total, which puts me right under the curve at 15 weeks) but my sweet tooth has gone crazy and for whatever reason we've been eating out a lot more.  I've been staying very active though, so I hope if I can reign in some of this crazy eating I'll be able to keep the weight gain to a healthy amount.

[Knitting Mama]

One thing I'd like to point out is that cravings are not a bad thing in and of themselves, even if they're for stuff you don't normally crave when you're not pregnant. Moderation, of course, is a good thing, but I am a firm believer in following my pregnancy cravings, assuming that my body needs something from whatever that food is. Of course, this is within reason, and pica is a serious thing to talk to your provider about if you're experiencing it.

[LilyTiger]

The science is actually pretty mixed on cravings.  There's no actual evidence that they lead you in the direction of something your body is actually in need of, though in some cases that may be accurate.  What we do know is that in subsistence situations, cravings for high fat and high sweet foods would have been very beneficial because these foods are high in calories.  In our current nutrient-dense environment, such cravings may actually be more harmful than helpful. 

As always, it depends on the person.  I've been indulging my sweet tooth much more than I usually do, while keeping an eye on my activity level and my weight.  While I don't think this is at all what you were implying, Cecilia's Mama, there is a tendency for people (and pregnant ladies) to just give in and eat whatever they want during pregnancy.  The problem with this is that we know that what you are exposed to in utero has profound impacts on the kinds of foods you crave when you are older, your body type and BMI, your metabolism, and even your predisposition for things like diabetes.  Some new research suggests that what you are exposed to in utero can actually "set" your weight as as adult (within a range of about 20-30 pounds).  It's all pretty interesting stuff, and I geek out on this a lot (partly because I'm married to a dietician, I think).

The important message I think is that moderation is key, just like Cecilia's Mama is saying, and ultimately people need to do what they are capable and comfortable with doing.  But knowing what effect your eating has on you and your baby is pretty important too.

[ithappened]

I actually gained about 45lbs with DS even though I was SUPER active the entire pregnancy (I went on a ski tour for 6 hours the day before I gave birth and exercised consistently). I was surprised I gained 'so much' when I was told to keep it under 30lbs.. . It was just what my body wanted to do and so be it..! 

I ate healthy and well, not much crap (ok, ice cream often :shy ) and yet that's what happened. I exercised the entire pregnancy 3-6 times a week.. I was really healthy. However- I lost all but 5-7 lbs by the time i was out of the hospital, and then lost the extra 5-7lbs when I was done BFing without trying (my body held onto the weight, BFing did not make me lose anything and I figured it was just my new 'set point').

This pregnancy I actually have no idea how much more I am up yet since last month appointment since I dont have a scale here.... I will be curious to be weighed in at my appointment in 2 weeks because some days I feel like I'm way up and other days it just feels like a little bit.. My jeans are getting tight, both in the thighs and stomach :shy

lilytiger interesting about the research in utero- my mom was one of those 'every night at dairy queen' women when she was pregnant with me and gained like 80 lbs (she said once she gained 80 she stop weighing herself) and while I love ice cream and I eat it way more then most people, I am still on the thin side of average (well at least in America, I am)

I am def trying to have this 'in moderation' happen in this pregnancy again and trying to stay active but its not stopping me from some dark chocolate and ice cream when I crave it.

[Knitting Mama]

Whether you believe the cravings are telling you what your body needs or not, I wouldn't discount the psychological impact either, though-- for me at least, it's deeply satisfying to eat what I am craving in moderation. I'm also really not sure I buy cravings not having something to do with what my body needs, because it seems really odd for me to crave things like potatoes if my body isn't wanting potassium, or vitamin C, or something else contained in them. But maybe that's just my body!

[LilyTiger]

ithappened, I'll be rocking the ice cream too (for the calcium!!!).  The research really just demonstrates that weight is a combo of genetics, what you're exposed to in utero, and then obviously choices you make when you are grown.  It sounds like your family runs thin anyway, so your mom's eating might not have had as much of an effect.  All of this research of course is measured at the aggregate, so none of it can say anything specific about any particular person.  I had a thin acquaintance who gained 70 pounds with her son only to have 40 of it fall off the first week.  Most of it was water weight.  My mom gained a normal amount of weight with us and is a small lady, but I have always been a few pounds overweight despite lots of exercise.  I assume that's the genetics from my father's side.  Who knows.  Everyone is different.

What the research does show is that what we eat during pregnancy does have important long-term effects.  So while I will be eating my cookies and ice cream I will also be drinking my kale smoothies and kefir and trying to avoid the chicken pot pie (ahhhhh!  I had one for lunch....  not good).  My concern for myself is that I've gotten lazy and have been reaching for convenience foods (like wretched pot pies) more than is healthy partly because I still have food aversions to things I used to eat a lot of.  Since I don't particularly think convenience foods are terribly healthy in general (lots of chemicals, refined flours, etc.), it makes sense to me to limit them.  But I don't want to get the impression that I'm beating myself up about this or anything.  For me, understanding this stuff is just one way to encourage and motivate myself to keep working out and keep eating well.  (Also, my husband wants to raise an Olympian, so I have to do my part)

[Sol_y_Paz]

No longer in the 1st trimester anymore but in the 2nd trimester I lost two pounds.  I think it is due to the fact I am starting to feel so much better and being more active.  Plus, my aversions at this stage are easy to brush off so I am eating more like I did before the M/S, etc.  I love it that there are those who don't even look at the scale anymore regardless of it is at home or the doctor's office.  I wish I could do that and I probably should do that but I am just so darn curious as to what is going on being a first timer and all.  Every detail is so exciting to me   It find it so interesting the different views on it, and how past pregnancies have been either the same or different, and how everyone will has different needs/gains/losses.  

Edited by Sol_y_Paz - 2/16/12 at 2:22pm

[Soon2BeMom]

I'm having such a hard time with cooking.  I don't even want to be in the kitchen, much less cook.  The smells are terrible, and nothing seems appetizing to me.  I'm usually a cook-from-scratch person, so I don't eat out often and I don't keep many convenience foods on hand.  How am I supposed to get the nutrients I need???

I've lost 2 pounds so far at 12 weeks.  I had to switch to lowfat dairy around 5 weeks because my usual whole fat milk/yogurt was revolting!  So that may contribute some to my loss.  Or maybe I'm just not eating enough.  Last pregnancy I gained 4 or 5 lbs in the 1T despite the morning sickness (which lasted till 20 weeks or longer).  Sure hope it goes away soon!

Originally Posted by Sol_y_Paz 

No longer in the 1st trimester anymore but in the 2nd trimester I lost two pounds.  I think it is due to the fact I am starting to feel so much better and being more active.  Plus, my aversions at this stage are easy to brush off so I am eating more like I did before the M/S, etc.  I love it that there are those who don't even look at the scale anymore regardless of it is at home or the doctor's office.  I wish I could do that and I probably should do that but I am just so darn curious as to what is going on being a first timer and all.  Every detail is so exciting to me   It find it so interesting the different views on it, and how past pregnancies have been either the same or different, and how everyone will has different needs/gains/losses.  

Sol_y_Paz, I was really curious about everything my first time too.  All these new exciting things!  I paid super close attention to all the new pregnancy symptoms and read tons about pregnancy.  This time, I'm reading tons about childbirth, which I didn't really think enough about last time and now I want to know everything, all my options, all the details about what can go wrong, and everything I want to happen... last time, I thought taking the hospital lamaze class and saying I wanted a natural birth was enough.

[ISHISN0WC0NE]

I gained 3 pounds thus far, Im 15 weeks and some change.  

[ithappened]

I would REALLY recommend trying smoothies and milkshakes for those of you that don't want to eat- I found that is one of the few things I could get down with bad m/s, esp if they are very cold shakes and I drank them in fresh air :)

I ate really really bad lilytiger the first 13w. All I wanted and could keep down was basically french fries and more french fries.. i think its common to want that convenience food.. maybe just give yourself permission to do that. you are really active, I dont think it will have much of a negative impact personally.