pregnancy weight gain chat thread - Page 4 « Back to Group Discussions

[BabySmurf]

Yes, I definitely think that genetics plays a role here ;)  I think some women just carry a particular way every time, and others carry differently each time - it's really interesting how our bodies respond to pregnancy.  Last time I was all belly, this time I have gained a lot through my hips - the Old Wives Tales have been right about that indicating a boy for my first and this is a girl...although I might just be more aware of it this time than last time.

And ITA  about being able to FEEL when my belly grows, although I have never actually measured it.  I have been growing pretty steadily this entire time, but my skin will suddenly feel really tight, and then I do see a difference in my size.  With my first pregnancy it was weird, I didn't pop until about 18 weeks, but once I did I grew a *lot* every week.  I think my belly is about the same size this time as it was last time at this point, even though I popped weeks earlier this time!

As for weight gain, I don't weigh in again until early Feb...I'm hoping that the gain has slowed down some.  At last check I was up around 15lbs.  In the meantime I'm trying to make sure I get some good activity/yoga in so that I am more comfortable in this much larger body :) 

[JNajla]

Quote:

Last time I was all belly, this time I have gained a lot through my hips - the Old Wives Tales have been right about that indicating a boy for my first and this is a girl.

Interesting about the old wives tale about weight gain in the hips.  I've gained in my belly, my hips, and my boobs.  The urine test said "boy".  DH is convinced that its a boy.  My gender US is Monday, Jan 28th, so we'll find out soon enough!  

[Erica13]

Originally Posted by BabySmurf 

As for weight gain, I don't weigh in again until early Feb...I'm hoping that the gain has slowed down some.  At last check I was up around 15lbs.  In the meantime I'm trying to make sure I get some good activity/yoga in so that I am more comfortable in this much larger body :) 

I agree - prenatal yoga and exercises really seems to help me feel better and reduces the aches and pains. :)

[kitteh]

Last time it LOOKED like I gained/carried just out front and in my boobs, but I've got the stretchmarks all over my bum to prove that I carried a lot of weight there! (and no stretchmarks anywhere else! so odd) This time I know for sure that my thighs are measuring smaller around than last time, and my belly is slightly bigger around (somewhere between 33 and 34 inches last time I checked!) I've definitely had a few nights this week where I've just felt BIG and UNCOMFORTABLE and I don't recall that happening so early last time.

As for weight, I'm currently right at 124 which is almost 2 lbs less than I weighed at this point with DD (but I started out lighter with her, so my total gain is 4 lbs under last time.) I've been looking at my weight chart from DD and right around this point I started having jumps of 2-3 lbs a week here and there, which I'm really hoping to avoid this time.

[BabySmurf]

Originally Posted by JNajla 

Interesting about the old wives tale about weight gain in the hips.  I've gained in my belly, my hips, and my boobs.  The urine test said "boy".  DH is convinced that its a boy.  My gender US is Monday, Jan 28th, so we'll find out soon enough!  

Yay, it's so exciting, isn't it?? Little baby boys are amazing :) 

Originally Posted by kitteh 

As for weight, I'm currently right at 124 which is almost 2 lbs less than I weighed at this point with DD (but I started out lighter with her, so my total gain is 4 lbs under last time.) I've been looking at my weight chart from DD and right around this point I started having jumps of 2-3 lbs a week here and there, which I'm really hoping to avoid this time.

This is me the *entire* time, lol!

[nattery]

I'm starting to really pack on the pounds these past few weeks! I no longer fit into the maternity pants that I bought for myself last month :P oh oh. I hit 150 this week (originally somewhere between 135 - 140 ish?) AND 5 of that was gained this week alone... I think I'm actually more like 152 now after weighing myself at 150 on Thursday. and although I didn't feel bad about hitting 150, I'm a little nervous for how much more I can expect to gain from here on in. It's hard when your sisters, mother, and husband are all super lean naturally and I seem to gain weight by just looking at food. The other thing I don't get is how am I gaining weight so quickly when my diet is what I would describe to be very healthy. I am a vegetarian so little or no animal based saturated fats... I don't eat a lot of bread (maybe once every few days), I don't eat a lot of pasta (once a week maybe?) and yes I eat yohgurt daily but not in giant proportions. I also walk everywhere to do my errands (no car for me!, at least 30 mins of walking a day) and TRY to exercise AT LEAST 20 min daily if not more. I don't feel self conscious yet, but I am afraid I might start to if the weight gain keeps jumping up 3-5 lbs a week. Sorry, having a 'freak out' moment. i am sure it will pass!
 

[Tenk]

Originally Posted by nattery 

I'm starting to really pack on the pounds these past few weeks! I no longer fit into the maternity pants that I bought for myself last month :P oh oh. I hit 150 this week (originally somewhere between 135 - 140 ish?) AND 5 of that was gained this week alone... I think I'm actually more like 152 now after weighing myself at 150 on Thursday. and although I didn't feel bad about hitting 150, I'm a little nervous for how much more I can expect to gain from here on in. It's hard when your sisters, mother, and husband are all super lean naturally and I seem to gain weight by just looking at food. The other thing I don't get is how am I gaining weight so quickly when my diet is what I would describe to be very healthy. I am a vegetarian so little or no animal based saturated fats... I don't eat a lot of bread (maybe once every few days), I don't eat a lot of pasta (once a week maybe?) and yes I eat yohgurt daily but not in giant proportions. I also walk everywhere to do my errands (no car for me!, at least 30 mins of walking a day) and TRY to exercise AT LEAST 20 min daily if not more. I don't feel self conscious yet, but I am afraid I might start to if the weight gain keeps jumping up 3-5 lbs a week. Sorry, having a 'freak out' moment. i am sure it will pass!
 

I don't remember how many weeks you are but there are weeks when baby has a growth spurt, your boobs have a growth spurt or something necessary happens.  I can almost promise you that you won't gain like this every week.  You probably will gain like that another time or 2 or 3 but it will be more normal "regularly".  I totally understand though!!  I did that over the holiday, we were traveling, and eating not so great and even though I have Celiac disease and I wasn't eating all the junk that everyone else was eating I seemed to still gain like 5lbs ... HOW??  I almost NEVER eat junk EVER.  Any who, it really is just part of it and you'll maybe lose a pound or 2 OR you might not gain for a few days.  (((HUGS))) to you mama

[kitteh]

Yeah, I agree that if you are eating mostly healthful foods and not overeating but the weight still feels like it is piling on, then you just have to trust your body and know that it is doing what it has to do to sustain a healthy pregnancy (and help establish a healthy breastfeeding relationship down the road--maternal fat stores are crucial for that!)

Personally, over eating was an issue for me with my last pregnancy. So this time I have tried to remind myself that I really only need 300 extra calories a day during pregnancy. With the last one I DEFINITELY took advantage of my pregnancy as an excuse to over eat healthy things AND THEN also indulged in pie and ice cream at least 1-3 times a week. Even when I was making healthy choices (which I didn't always do that time) I didn't really pay attention to HOW MUCH I was shoveling in. And I know that I got to the point of regularly eating just a little bit past satiated (at least, until I was so large with child that a full meal was uncomfortable. But even then I think I ate more than I needed to, just in smaller but more frequent amounts.)

Before I got pregnant this time--as a non-pregnant runner who was breastfeeding a toddler--I think I mostly kept my daily caloric intake to around 2000-2200/day and I was very happy with my weight (I'm 5'2" and weighed between 115 and 117, but I've always been heavier on the scale than I look because I carry muscle mass in my legs from my days as a gymnast, and also from the running.) This is me just before I got pregnant, a little gun show for you ladies (yes I am aware that I have no guns to speak of)   ;)

So now that I'm pregnant and running and (sort of?) nursing a toddler I'm trying to keep it between 2300 and 2500 for the day. Probably nearer to the lower end of that range because even though DD is still nursing, I don't think I am still producing any milk. And I most certainly don't count calories every day, or even most days, but I do tend to eat a lot of the same things (creature of habit) and know roughly what their calorie content is, so some day I'll just try to do a rough inventory of what I've eaten for the day and then I guesstimate the total calories. This time I have been doing a much better job of keeping my eating within a healthy range and I have gained only HALF of what I had gained at this point with DD.

But, all of that said, my point is that if you are eating healthful foods and not going way over what your daily caloric intake should be (and I doubt that you are, Tenk. From your description of your diet I'd say it would be tough to get in enough food to go over your range.) then I think you should really just try to trust your body. And don't worry--the weight jumps won't happen EVERY week. Last time when I had a big jump it was usually followed by a week of little to no gain.

[kitteh]

Oh, and I'm not a counter-measurer-weigher so I like to have a sort of visual idea of what 300 calories looks like, and this website has been helpful

http://www.diet-blog.com/07/what_do_300_calorie_meals_look_like.php

Also this photo gallery of 300 calorie portions of various foods is interesting, and reminds me that if I'm making the right choices, I can eat a lot more in volume that when I'm reaching for that candy bar. Look at that pile of pretzles!

http://www.healthassist.net/food/300kcal/300.shtml

[Tenk]

Originally Posted by kitteh 

Oh, and I'm not a counter-measurer-weigher so I like to have a sort of visual idea of what 300 calories looks like, and this website has been helpful

http://www.diet-blog.com/07/what_do_300_calorie_meals_look_like.php

Also this photo gallery of 300 calorie portions of various foods is interesting, and reminds me that if I'm making the right choices, I can eat a lot more in volume that when I'm reaching for that candy bar. Look at that pile of pretzles!

http://www.healthassist.net/food/300kcal/300.shtml

What a great webiste (the 1st link!!) for showing what 300 calories looks like, AWESOME!!!  And pretty insane that the average person eats 3800 calories a day.  Wouldn't everyone be overweight if that were true??  Great site to look at to figure out what we should be eating though :)

[JNajla]

Considering that more people in this country are overweight or obese, it doesn't surprise me that so many calories are consumed. I'm no exception. I've already gained 18 lbs and I'm 18w 4d- about 10 lbs over my "goal".... My biggest weakness is eating out :/ I'm going to check out the website- looks helpful!

[JNajla]

Kitteh- you look amazing pre-preg!

[kitteh]

Thanks! as I was getting my running gear on this morning after posting that, I decided to try re-creating that shot at 18.5 weeks pregnant (because I'm bored and have way too much time on my hands) LOL

  

It still kinda fits! But it's definitely way too tight to comfortably run in.

Sorry for the horribly off-topic, self-absorbed posting of pictures. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

[kitteh]

OK, back on topic, here is another website that compares 300 calorie meals made at home with their restaurant/fast food couterparts. It's a little bit misleading, or maybe over the top would be more accurate, because I don't know that I'd ever go out and order caramel banana pecan cream stuffed and stacked pancakes unless I was purposely splurging. But still, interesting.

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1260

[Sweet Huck]

Great links, Kitteh! Thanks for sharing.

So... along the lines of weight gain and pregnancy diet... anyone out there familiar with the Bradley Method (Husband/partner coached natural birth) and the Brewer diet that is (now) part of that method? I'm really interested in your opinions!

I'm quite pleased with much of the Bradley approach... EXCEPT this diet. It calls for 80-100 grams of protein a day and quite a bit of food (snack, breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack, mid-night snack....) which is just too much food for me. What ends up happening is that I'll eat a high protein breakfast... and then simply not be hungry again until 2 pm! Additionally, the diet calls for 2 eggs a day. I personally don't have a cholesterol problem... but what if I did? I can't help wondering if this diet be good for everyone? There are a few other concerns, too.....

• I can't find peer supported/academic studies or much other info about Dr. Brewer and the effectiveness of his diet-- I'm only finding website "shrines" dedicated to his memory. If this is such a miracle diet, why is there so little info about it?
• We don't eat much meat-- and this diet is a serious shift to go from eating meat a few times a week to trying to eat it every day at almost every meal.  I realize I can take protein powders and up my protein intake that way, but we follow a whole foods/mostly-plant based/minimally processed diet and protein mixes or high protein bars have never been part it... so I don't want to start now. You CAN follow the diet as a vegetarian, but it's hard to eat Greek yogurt, nut butters, beans and rice without bombing your caloric (and fat) intake. Along those lines-----
• The diet says to toss calorie counts out the window and focus only on protein intake.  While I'm certainly NOT counting calories or restricting my intake ... I don't need to gain 40 lbs, or even 30.  So far I'm right on track for what I've discussed with my midwives as a healthy goal,  but if I follow this diet, I'm gonna start really packing on the pounds. ---- Once again, how can this diet work for all mamas if it's a "one fits all" kinda approach with no flexibility?!
• Lastly, I'm supposed to record EVERYTHING I put in my mouth in a chart and submit it to our instructor each week for "evaluation and counseling" ---  Now I think our instructor is great, but she's a childbirth advocate and educator ... she's not a dietician/nutritionist, midwife or other medical professional. She has no clue about my medical history or needs. Why should I take her evaluation/counseling seriously?

I'm skeptical at best and reluctant to take this diet seriously. Most of the diet feels so forced and regimented, which (to me) seems like a TREMENDOUS contrast to the rest of the Bradley method. More importantly, I'm just not convinced that my current diet is broken enough to mess with and I've not found any research to support the change! To me, the Brewer Diet (in my situation) might be unnecessary intervention #1.

Any thoughts?

Anyone followed this diet?

Anyone following a different pregnancy diet?

[JNajla]

Quote:

More importantly, I'm just not convinced that my current diet is broken enough to mess with and I've not found any research to support the change! To me, the Brewer Diet (in my situation) might be unnecessary intervention #1.

I agree with you.  If it isn't broke, don't fix it.  If your current diet is meeting your nutritional and caloric needs, I would think that starting an entirely new diet  at the half way point would cause more harm than good.  And I agree with the protein intake from animal sources, that would make me uncomfortable.  I add protein to my diet with Spirutein shakes because I tend to gravitate toward being a vegetarian, even though I don't consider myself to be one.  

There is no way that I could commit to writing down everything that I put in my mouth....  

[BabySmurf]

I am skeptical of diets that are so exacting in their recommendations.  I haven't looked at the Brewer Diet too much because there were too many elements that I don't apply to me and my personal situation, so I don't remember if I found what he claimed to be supported or not...I don't think I really took it seriously enough to check.  Even the "recommendation" that women need about 300 extra calories per day during pregnancy and gain about 25 pounds are just that - recommendations based on the Standard American Diet for women with Standard American Health.  It's great to know what 300 calories look like, and super important not to eat junk/overeat just because we are pregnant, but there will be days where you want more and days where less is sufficient.  Most people are not going to gain weight at a steady rate either, and that weight will look different on different women.  Saying that 25 pounds is the *only* healthy weight gain for a normal individual is silly, IMO.  However it IS useful as a guide for a population....If Brewer diet is being tit for tat, I would be skeptical too. 

RE animal products and cholesterol - both hugely important parts of our diets (the amounts each person needs will be different, so if you aren't craving more, I wouldn't worry, but certainly don't deprive yourself because you think it's unhealthy - it's not...well, depending on the source).  Saturated fats and cholesterol are vital components of cellular structure - it's basically what cells are made of, so it's not surprising that women may need more animal products in their diets while pregnant.  Although it's possible for our bodies to make cholesterol, it typically isn't enough for optimal functioning of our bodies.  In terms of dietary cholesterol, it's important to remember that cholesterol can't travel in your blood (be absorbed via digestion) unless it's transported in a lipoprotein. (LDL/HDL) So you will typically only absorb cholesterol that is needed because you will have free lipoproteins in your blood stream available to transport cholesterol to the liver where is is stored until it's needed.  When it's not needed it's broken down.  And cholesterol is the basis of all steroid hormones.  Phytosterols cannot take the place of cholesterol in cellular structure or function. 

I have found a lot of interesting critiques of articles in this blog (http://rawfoodsos.com/about/)  - she doesn't advocate for a particular type of diet, but looks at research to find out what is  and what is not healthy.  I tend to agree with her that while there are certain things that everybody does need, but the amounts are going to be different for everyone...there is no "right" diet for anyone...this is why I think I didn't like the Brewer diet - not only was it incredibly particular, but it included a lot of foods I know to be damaging to my health - and in no small amounts!   I also think that it's really important to acknowledge that we are always changing, so what works for one stage of our lives may not necessarily be what works forever, so it's really important to listen to our bodies rather than what the society implies is "healthy" at one particular time or another.  The most important thing we can do in terms of our diet (besides listening to our bodies), is making sure that what we do eat is clean and raised healthy...all the better if you can find it in your local market!

[BabySmurf]

And Kitteh, you look awesome!! You have inspired me to find a prepreg picture...although it is only of my stomach because I was documenting how much inflammation/bloating occur when I eat grains .

Here I am at 5'9 and 125 lbs, eating a Paleo/GAPS style diet and exercising by playing and walking with my two year old as much as possible:

And now (well last week) 25 pounds heavier at 21 weeks:

So technically I have already gained the "recommended" amount of weight at halfway through...although I was technically underweight to start, so it gives me a *few* more pounds of wiggle room for the rest of my pregnancy.  I'm sure I'll be gaining quite a bit more weight by the end though.  My goal is to keep up with exercise (which I am horrible with in the winter ) so that I have the strength I need to labor efficiently with all of the extra weight. 

[kitteh]

Lookin good Mama! In both the before and after (during?) photos you look amazing!

I definitely agree that there is no One Size Fits All approach to pregnancy diet or weight gain, and I'm an absolute supporter of listening to your own body. For me, the extra 300 calories a day thing is a useful guideline, because I have my first pregnancy to compare and learn from, and I found that over eating--even the healthy stuff--was a problem for me. Some women absolutely NEED to gain 40+ lbs during pregnancy, especially those who start off underweight. I've never been underweight, and 40 lbs was a little bit too much for me. I felt uncomfortable in my skin near the end, and it took FOREVER to come off. And once it did finally come off, I didn't notice a decrease in my milk supply, so I can't even kid myself into believing that I needed all of those extra pounds for milk production.

I use the 300-calorie thing, and also the Brewer's diet recommendations, as guidelines when making choices about my diet. But I definitely do not stick rigidly to any one plan and don't really think any woman should, pregnant or not. 

[JNajla]

Oh my gosh baby smurf! I can only wish I had a stomach like that. 125 seems low for that height though. I'm also 5'9", but if I get lower than 140, it is impossible for me to maintain without drastic measures. However, I'm big busted/ wide hips so you're probably naturally thinner than me. Anyway, good for you for being so fit! It should make l&d easier for you!