Lets talk weight! « Back to Group Discussions

[lisathena]

I figured since we were talking so much on the belly thread i would move the chat over here :) Hope thats alright.

I am on track to gain my 2nd most ever. i am up 25lbs at  27 weeks o.O which is almost how much i gain total! Oh well i will workout and get into shape more after baby is born. Thats another funny thing i have actually worked out this pregnancy! I think because we lost 1 twin my body still was prepping for 2??

Ok so here is my breakdown

1st baby girl 19yo gained 32lbs she was 6lbs 13oz

2nd baby boy 22yo gained 60lbs he was 10lbs 1oz

3rd baby girl 24 yo gained 35lbs she was 8lbs 4oz

4th baby boy 25yo gained 30lbs he was 8lbs 2oz

5th currently unkown gender i am 27 and am 27 weeks gained 25lbs so far....

[nstewart]

Well, with DS I stopped looking at the scale when I hit about 35lbs...but that was by about 32 weeks if I recall correctly.  So I have no idea what I ended up at but would bet it was close to 50lbs as I really started retaining water the last 6-8 weeks.  By 36 weeks the only shoes I could wear were flip flops.  Good thing it was July.  DS was 7lbs 4.5oz, I was 29 Y.O.  I worked out a ton during that pregnancy, at least 4 times a week the entire pregnancy except for the last 4 weeks when I cut back to walking for cardio and cut out weights.  I was still doing the stair mill for 20 mins plus 20 mins of eliptical at 34 weeks. 

This time, I am eating better than last time (but I honestly wasn't bad last time either), but only making it to the gym for cardio once per week and to yoga once per week at this stage.  I also started out 10lbs lighter than I did with my pregnancy with DS (yay breastfeeding!!)Before Christmas I was making it 3-4 times/week for weights or cardio, plus yoga once per week.  As of last week (29 weeks), I was up 23lbs.  I will be 31 or 32 when this DC is born (my EDD is May 2 and my Bday is May 3) and am on track to gain 33lbs if I continue to gain 1lb per week.

I've been gaining about 1lb per week since mid Jan.  Before that it seemed to be a few weeks with no weight gain, then a week with a 2-3lb gain (I think I'll chalk that up to the fact that you can vary 5lbs in either direction on any given day due to fluid retention and go with a 1lb per week gain since about 13 weeks).

[lisathena]

My bday is May 2nd :) :)

[PhilsBabyMama]

I was 21 when I had my son. He was 7 lbs 12 oz when he was born at 41 weeks and one day. I gained 26 lbs and lost 20 of it at delivery. I worked out fairly often then because it was winter in the interior of Alaska and there wasn't much else to do!

I'm 26 years old now and 28 weeks. (29 on Saturday.) I've gained 17ish (used a different scale this morning and it said 16) pounds so far. Have only made it to the gym a handful of times this pregnancy. Between first trimester headaches and queasiness, getting colds left and right and chasing around my five year old, I just haven't made the time. :/ I am more worried about being in shape for labor than about the number of pounds I gain, though. I guess there's still time to hop on the old treadmill and build up my stamina!
Edited by PhilsBabyMama - 2/20/13 at 12:28pm

[Mama4life14]

My first pregnancy I gained a total of 27 lbs. Everything about that pregnancy was completely textbook! I went into Labor at exactly 38 weeks and my son was 7 lbs 1oz. I also was pregnant in the summer, I went walking everyday, and I worked a full time job. I also ate pretty healthy, but would give in now and then. I didn't really have to watch what I ate. I also was back to my pre-pregnancy weight within 2-3 weeks. I believe breast feeding helped with that.

This time I've already gained about 20 lbs and I'm only 26 weeks. I struggled with morning sickness pretty bad for about a month, then right when I was feeling better, I found out about an SCH and was on modified bed rest. I got all cleared for it, and now I'm just paranoid I think. I still eat when I'm hungry, I just make sure to make healthy choices. I've been really trying to be active, but its hard in the winter. So I'll do a prenatal workout DVD at home once in a while. I'm not really too worried at this point yet, I think that I will lose the bulk of the weight right away again after. Well, here's hoping!

I'm anxious to see what everyone gains by the end. Nobody's body's are the same!

[Quinalla]

I'm 5'11" and in a perfect world I think I would weigh 165 lbs or so, but I haven't weighed that for a long time, usually I am ~200lbs Just wanted to put it in perspective, because I know 50-60 lbs on my frame is much more manageable that it might be for others! I also don't get morning sickness, so I gain the entire pregnancy, no losing/slow weight gain at the start.

My first pregnancy I started 195 lbs, I gained between 50-60 lbs (I stopped looking at 50 but it was close to the end). She came at 38 weeks and was 5lbs4oz. I'm guessing there was some IUGR at the end (she looked normal and fine all throughout) and that is why she bailed a little early because even for 38 weeks, she was small for gestational age. With BFing, it was all gone and then some by 4 months (maybe sooner, I wasn't really worried about it) and I was able to fit into all my pre-pregnancy clothes (except bras as I was still BFing) at 6 months.

With this pregnancy, I started at 225 lbs, at 26 weeks I weighed 255 lbs, so 31 lbs gained. I am pregnant with twins this time, so I'm actually really happy with that weight gain as it is right in line with what Dr. Barbara Luke recommends for a twin pregnancy and I'm aiming for 50lbs gained by the end, that gets harder as it goes as stomach gets very restricted so it is hard to eat enough. I really want to give my twins every chance to grow full-term size to hopefully avoid NICU. So far per U/S info (which just gets more and more unreliable for size) they have been a few weeks ahead growth-wise which is normal and good for twins as they tend to grow faster early on and then slow down a bit at the end. I plan to BF again so I am hopeful the pounds will melt right off again like last time.

For my first pregnancy, the recommendation was to gain 15 to 25lbs for my BMI. Yeah, not even close!

For this pregnancy, going by Dr. Barbara Luke I should gain 25 to 50 lbs for my BMI. I think I will probably be close to 50 lbs based on weight gain so far, but if I gain over that I'm not going to worry about it as long as it is steady as my body definitely likes to store lots of fat for BFing!

[berrymama]

1st baby (a boy) born at 40 weeks, weighed 8lbs 3 oz - I gained about 35, lost most by 8 weeks post-partum (back in regular clothes by 2 weeks PP)

2nd baby (a boy) born at 40 6/7, weighed 10 lb 5 oz - I think I gained about 35 (maybe a few pounds more, I don't have a record of it)

Now pregnant with a girl. I started out lower (BMI of 20.5) than I was with my previous 2 due to stress/no appetite before I got pregnant (my Dad was terminally ill).

Now at almost 28 weeks, I have gained about 12-13 lbs (8 of those were by 20 weeks). I have been the same for about 3 weeks, and am gaining less than .5lb per week. If I continue this trend I will be under 25 lbs gained for this pregnancy. My appetite isn't that great, and I never get those feelings of being famished. I started out being careful to combine protein with carbs, avoid simple sugars as much as possible due to the size of my last baby (not that there was any problem with birth...but I figured...why not eat healthier if I can?). I have continued on that trend but given what I am eating, I am surprised I am not gaining more. I eat full fat dairy (cheese, greek yogurt, I don't drink milk), tons of nuts/seeds, avacados daily. I was stradling the bottom of the pregnancy growth charts for a while, but am now way off the bottom. My midwife doesn't seem concerned, so I guess I shouldn't be either, but I just find it strange. Maybe cutting those simple sugars was really the key (though I am not going to start eating them to find out!). This has also been my least active pregnancy due to back pain, and now cramping/contracting.

Edited by berrymama - 2/20/13 at 1:58pm

[timesway]

this is my first..but i started out 105 lbs (and dropped lower for a bit in first 4 weeks due to pyelonithritis) but overall i have gained about 22/24 lbs ish at 29 weeks.. (weights up/down with water all the time due to kidney/bowel probs so hard to work out exactly) i am 5'9 so i think i am just about reaching normal bmi limits for my height (eek) even tho ive gained a reasonable amount.. people dont really believe ive gained enough because my bumps so small.. but babys measuring ok and i think ive done pretty well tbh having started so underweight!! however the apps still tell me im gaining only just within ranges.. and sometimes slipping above.. which i think is mad.. because it cant take much extra programming to give different weight gain ranges for different bmis :S .. silly thing.. my mw  never weighs me tho.. and my nurses are all really pleased with how healthy i look, but still comment on me being really slim and not showing on my fsace or arms or anything.. i find it all confusing.. and quite hard as i do have issues with my weight but i know it is the way it has to be! and its good for my body to not  be massively underweight for a change!!

[nstewart]

Originally Posted by PhilsBabyMama 
 Have only made it to the gym a handful of times this pregnancy. Between first trimester headaches and queasiness, getting colds left and right and chasing around my five year old, I just haven't made the time. :/ I am more worried about being in shape for labor than about the number of pounds I gain, though. I guess there's still time to hop on the old treadmill and build up my stamina!

Yup, me too!  I know it helped last time to be in such good shape.  I really want to get into cardio mode.  I am hoping that it will warm up a bit here soon too so I can go for long walks outside.  It's just been too cold and too slippery.

I'm in the tall club with Katie and Time too,  5'9" I do agree it makes a difference.  And I was in my regular jeans within 2 months, my skinny jeans by 5 months or so, and at my lowest I was about 15lbs below pre-pregnancy weight just from BFing (about May of last year). 

Time, sounds like you are gaining about the same as me.  Also, I saw your bump photo.  I think you look great.  No, it isn't a big bump, but definitely there and don't forget you are so nice and tall baby can just stand up instead of having to stick out!!  I was like that last time too and didn't "show" until probably 23 weeks and even then it was far from obvious until closer to 30.

[CoBabyMaker]

The range of weight gain is fascinating to me.  A good reminder (since it's been freaking me out lately) that everyone /every pregnancy is different. 

1st pregnancy, gained 37 pounds

2nd pregnancy, gained 37 pounds but started almost 10 pounds lighter because of breastfeeding

This time I am up 30 pounds already.  If I'm being honest it totally freaks me out but I also know it will work out because I need the reserves for nursing through an elimination diet since my kids have allergies.  This is the first time I gained during the first tri.  Since I was so sick I was on Zofran which kept me from puking but I still had horrible food aversions so I could mostly eat bagels with cream cheese, quesadillas and apples.  I was all freaked about going to the doctor this morning but since they didn't weigh me until after the first trimester they only think I'm up 20 pounds.  hehe.

Oh well, I eat healthier than with my previous pregnancies but I do occasionally indulge.  I'm trying to exercise but sometimes that doesn't go perfectly.  I will keep making an effort but it is what it is.

[Lynann]

1st pregnancy gained 10lbs before loosing the baby at 12 weeks gestation.

2nd pregnancy (6 weeks gap) gained a total of 40lbs with a 8lb7oz son, lost all but 10lbs in just a few weeks, never lost that final 10lbs

3rd pregnancy (6 months gap) gained a total of 25lbs with a 9lb8oz son, lost all but 10lbs by the 6w postpartum check-up, never lost the final 10lbs

4th pregnancy (11 months gap) 29 weeks tomorrow and gained 8lbs so far, unknown gender. All that gain was in the first trimester, then I stalled for a few weeks before I switched to a low glycemic index eating plan at 18 weeks. I lost 3lbs in the first 2 weeks and have since gained 2lbs back. I am probably going to gain less than 15lbs this time.

I am only 5ft 2in so I get a huge belly no matter how much or little I'm gaining. Cutting/controlling the carbs has really helped me feel more energetic this time. I started this pregnancy 60-70lbs overweight, so I have plenty of reserves and don't need to gain much, if at all. Since making the eating changes at 18 weeks I've lost 3 cup sizes, going from a 34J back to a 34G, so I know that any gain is all baby related when I'm eating this way. In my previous pregnancies I've lost everything but the first trimester 10lb gain very quickly. This time I'm hoping that the new eating plan will finally get me away from that pattern and that I can finally start loosing some of the extra padding after the baby arrives.

I was 36 when I first got pregnant, and I'm currently 40 (41 in August) and yes that's 4 pregnancies in 4 years. This baby is due a few weeks after the 4th anniversary of conceiving the first one (that we lost.)

[Kate&Joey]

First pregnancy - 7lb7oz boy who was 2 days early.  Gained probably 27 pounds-ish (it was a surprise pregnancy so I wasn't sure of my weight at conception).  I was 34 at the time.  Was back in my "fat" jeans at 2 weeks post-partum.  Lost the PG weight fairly quickly (also BF), but took 6 months or so for everything to move back into place, so to speak. 

Second pregnancy - I'm 41 now.  So far have gained about 18-20 pounds.  I weigh myself at home once a week, but have stopped looking at the doctor's scale.  I'm hoping I won't gain more than 30 pounds total.  This baby is a girl and my DH is shorter and has a slighter build than my XH.  I'm assuming she won't be a huge baby.  DSD was in the upper 6lb range, but her mother is also shorter than I am.

Like many PPs, I think I'm eating healthier overall this time, aside from too many desserts.    I'm fairly active by daily walks, some yoga, and just being "busy" but didn't formally work out during the first pregnancy at all. 

[TwilightJoy]

Ignorant question... what's the harm in gaining a lot of weight with a pregnancy? I know that this summer I'll have to start eating less and working out more, and get back down to the 120 range I was out before pregnancy, but now... I'm really enjoying eating ice cream. So... why is it bad to gain a lot of weight? I honestly don't know.

[jessmn]

These babies are my first. I'm 5'3", started at 119, and as of a week ago have gained 38 pounds at 28 weeks. That's on-target for twins so I feel good about it, but it's a lot of weight so far! I'm curious to see how high I go... Babies are measuring ahead, which is good, because I can already tell I am running out of stomach room. I don't have a scale so it's always a surprise. Next week I will be 30 weeks and a few days when I have my appointment, so we'll see!
 

[timesway]

twilight- i think its because when i was young at least.. women were told to eat for 2.. and they took that.. all but a little literally, and i swear that mixed with too much fast food started this rediculous obesity crisis.. and started more people getting pre-eclampsia/gd etc.. (i could be wrong this is my guess) they therefore now give stricter limits to try and make women not stuff there faces.. thing is however.. if you start off underweight/ok bmi to start with.. 9 months of eating a bit of extra ice cream isnt gonna harm u!! the other point is empty calories and how you may not be getting enough nutrients because your filling up on icecream but if it would be nothing or ice cream.. i dont think it makes a diffference.. ive been massively underweight a lot in my life.. and whilst in hospital they fed me by tube (at my worst i was about 49lbs.. (tiny dieing weight) and they just fed me liquid fat (in the form of calogen.. and the feed was basically made of oil.. vitamins protein powder and sugar!! its crazy.. but when you need to put on weight to grow a person (in that case me!!) thats what you do.. however someone who is overweight.. if they had those on top of there food .. that could be dangerous.. but no basically i dont see a problem with putting on a bit more weight if you arent overweight.. and even if you are.. some people just gain  more in preg.. i know a lot of my gain is water because i suffer terribly with odema anyway pre preg.. and now its awful.. my weight varies by about 5lbs most days between morning and night due to it! drives me mad..

nstewart.. i like being in the tall club.. im always sat down so everyone always thinks im short as i have teeny tiny hands and feet lol.. but its nice to be considered a tall person.. and thankyou for what you said.. it was nice :) xx

[adventuregirl]

I don't think it should be about numbers, but about a healthy gain. If you need to gain a lot, you should. But there are many people out there that don't need to gain a lot and if they do, it is unhealthy for them and the babe. But its not the numbers, its the quality. If you eat McDonald's every day, its bad for you whether you gain 10 lbs or way more, but if you eat foods that are good for yours/baby's health, it shouldn't be an issue what number your body decides to gain. The biggest concern should be being healthy and eating well, you don't want to end up w/ GD or pre-eclampsia or something that will endanger you, your pregnancy or create something detrimental to be passed on to your child. I hate growth charts of all kinds for that reason, we don't all fit into the averages they define and we shouldn't feel bad about it.

Stepping off soapbox.

[Quinalla]

Originally Posted by TwilightJoy 

Ignorant question... what's the harm in gaining a lot of weight with a pregnancy? I know that this summer I'll have to start eating less and working out more, and get back down to the 120 range I was out before pregnancy, but now... I'm really enjoying eating ice cream. So... why is it bad to gain a lot of weight? I honestly don't know.

Honestly, I don't think weight gain itself is the issue except for general ease of getting around and being harder on your body, it is more that some actions that can lead to high weight gain (not eating well, not exercising, etc.) may cause issues like GD, pre-E, etc. Weight gain has such a stigma now in the US anyway that it is blamed for everything: don't feel well - lose weight, back hurts - lose weight, etc. and sometimes that is valid and but more often it is just ignoring the actual root problem, so I think there is some of that confusing a possible symptom, weight gain, with the actual issue, eating right, exercising, etc. Because despite what a lot of people seem to think, fat people do not eat donuts all day and never even go for a walk and thin people don't only eat salads and exercise 2 hours a day there is a lot more to it than that! Sure, there are a handful of folks who fit these stereotypes, but the vast majority do not and even those folks there is probably more to the story anyway.

[Kate&Joey]

Originally Posted by adventuregirl 

I don't think it should be about numbers, but about a healthy gain. If you need to gain a lot, you should. But there are many people out there that don't need to gain a lot and if they do, it is unhealthy for them and the babe. But its not the numbers, its the quality. If you eat McDonald's every day, its bad for you whether you gain 10 lbs or way more, but if you eat foods that are good for yours/baby's health, it shouldn't be an issue what number your body decides to gain. The biggest concern should be being healthy and eating well, you don't want to end up w/ GD or pre-eclampsia or something that will endanger you, your pregnancy or create something detrimental to be passed on to your child. I hate growth charts of all kinds for that reason, we don't all fit into the averages they define and we shouldn't feel bad about it.

Stepping off soapbox.

This made me chuckle because a friend of mine literally ate at McDonald's every day when she was PG with her first.  Now granted, she had quit smoking so maybe she had to swap out one addition for another?  Not sure.  Anyway, she gained 60 pounds...on a 5'2" frame.  It was very hard for her to lose the weight and frustrated her greatly.

I think, in general, it's just a good idea to try to be healthy while you're PG.  Especially because after the birth, with BFing and the lack of sleep, it's hard on your body to recover and maintain your energy level.  But eating ice cream every night in addition to a well-balanced diet, is perfectly healthy to me! 

[nstewart]

I generally agree with PPs - it isn't about weight, per se, but about eating a mainly healthy diet.  However, I was just reading an article this week that high birth weight babies have a greater likelihood of being obese in adulthood and also are at increased risk for developing diabetes.  This article focuses on the prevelance of the problem within a particular minority group in Canada and links the issue to poor diet within that group, but high birth weight babies are at risk for the same issues if it is due to the mother's diet or otherwise, and whether they are in that minority group or otherwise (based on other articles/studies as referenced in the article below and otherwise). 

Now, some people just grow 'em big regardless of how much they gain, others grow 'em small even if they gain a lot of weight.  The article and other studies are talking about "extremes" not 10lb babies.   There is a greater liklihood that you will have a big baby if you gain a lot of weight.  Not 40lbs instead of 30 or 35lbs, but say 60 or 80 lbs instead of 20 or 35lbs? I am pretty sure it would be super difficult or impossible to gain 80 lbs if you are eating health though, and if you gain 60 and are eating healthy I'd be willing to bet a lot of it is water or you were underweight (like I said, I'm pretty sure I was up 50 myself last time on a healthy diet and lots of exercise).

There are also more potenital complications with delivering a large baby than a "normal" size baby for both mom and babe (notwithstanding the fact that those are often over-stated especially where ultrasound is used to predict fetal size).

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/02/10/poor-diet-on-reserves-blamed-for-higher-rate-of-severely-overweight-aboriginal-babies/

[Miss Ess]

With my first son, I gained a total of 55lbs. He was born at 35 weeks 2 days, and weighed 5lbs 8oz. Lost about 10lbs immediately postpartum, then gained it all back plus 5lbs while breastfeeding.

I am 26 weeks 2 days today, and have gained about 21lbs so far. 6 of those lbs have been in the last week . I am really hoping to keep the weight gain to no more than 35lbs, so we will see how that goes. When I started this pregnancy, I was already up over 30lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight with DS#1.