20 weeks, no weight gain?

Though in my case, I can easily point to the cause:

- Ongoing nausea/gag reflux issues mean I'm not eating the hamburgers and crap I usually do. I've been living off carrots sticks at lunch for months now. At least I don't feel the least bit guilty about my 3 p.m. ice cream bar.

- Meds. I take glucophage to help regulate my insulin levels; when I'm on it I lose weight because I don't have the huge insulin spikes (I'm kinda curious to see what my "natural" metabolic weight is going to end up being). I can't take it while breastfeeding though, so my weight was at a high point when I conceived (actually gained 15 pounds prior to conception as DD slowed down the nursing - I'm a great case study for the protective effects of BF for diabetics).

Since I doubt meds are an issue for you, I'd suggest you take a look at what you're eating compared to before pregnancy. Might just be you're making healthier choices, which is going to be hard for a MW to argue with!

If you're still concerned, maybe try some of those nutritional supplement shakes, like Ensure or Boost? Crap in a can, but if it's calories you need - and there's no cooking or cleanup involved!

KC

I would keep a food diary in the meantime so your MW can see (and so can you) what quantity/type of food you're eating. Limiting refined sugar and such is a GOOD thing so don't turn to blank calories to fill the weight-gaining-gap!

I gain very little to start, plateu for several months and then gain most of my 35+lb at the end. I've done it twice and am doing it again. Some bodies do it a particular way... how about with your son, what was your 'weight schedule' your body did?

As for nursing and eating you have to eat a HUGE quantity of protien - really - huge. So maybe that's what you're lacking (it's my guess). A pg woman (non-nursing) needs about 60 - 80g of protien per day... add in nursing and you're up near 100g (seriously). A peice of bread has 4g of protien so you get an idea of the nutrition-dense food you need to get (nuts, cheese, beans, eggs, meat (or other substitute if you are vegetarian), milk, etc.). It can be hard to get the correct amt. and honestly I need to look at my diet too to make sure I'm getting enough protien myself... it's the hardest for me to get huge quantities of.

Let us know how it goes, I'll be interested to hear your diet analysis and how the weight goes.
~Julie

Hmmm... a food diary.... The last time I did that, it turned up a scant 45g of protein a day. Perhaps that'd be a really good place to start. It IS hard to eat that much protein!

100g! OMG! Sort of an overwhelming amount to imagine.

and expensive. sigh. I need to go down and apply for WIC, I think.

I didn't gain much early on with DS, either, but I know I'd put on around ten pounds by 25 weeks, then stalled out till the last six weeks when WHOMP! I suddenly gained another fifteen or twenty. That was a little shocking for me at the time.

And I did lose around seven pounds thanks to morning sickness, nursing, and a touch of Vit C deficiency this winter.

food for thought. As I sit here drinking black coffee. Yeah, that's gonna help.

Ferrittoes, I'm about the same build as you (5'4" and 130 non-pg) and I lost 7 with morning sickness and have gained 6 + the 7 at 20w and that is STILL considered really low (I'm almost off the WIC chart). Every person comments on it (nurse first time, MW second, WIC lady this time) but it's just how I do it.

I think in re: to protien, up yourself to the min. (80g) and you'll probably notice a big difference... then take it up slowly to the 100g. Protien isn't as expensive as you think... nut butters (org. is best of course since peanuts and such suck up the pesticides and chemicals), nuts, beans & rice (they are a complete protien together), cheese and milk are all great sources without being meat. WIC does the cheese, eggs, milk and peanut butter (though the only org. thing you can get is the milk) - all of it helps though.

You'll probably have a lot more energy too when you do some diet modifying.

Oh, and coffee is an appetite suppressant (sorry about all my awful spelling today, my brain is tired).

Argh. Well, my two-week weight check is Monday (and I am SOOOO not on good terms with the military midwife I'm currently seeing; I actually filed a complaint against her not too long ago) and as of tonight I have STILL not gained anything.

I picked up four pounds last week, but they seem to have vanished again. Today is 22 weeks, and I might be two pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight. Depending on whether my hair is wet and how much clothing I'm wearing.

This is weird, and freaky, and I'll admit I'm starting to wonder if something's wrong. I know I'd put on SOME weight by this point with DS.

Today I ate:

Breakfast: (I still feel pretty queasy in the AM)

Two oranges
A banana

Dinner:
Hamburger with cheese, WW bun, standard fixings
Bout a half cup of tater tots, oven-baked
Steamed broccoli, cauliflower, carrots.

Lunch:
Three strips bacon
Omelet with cheese, probably three eggs' worth, though DS got some of it.

Snacks:
An unknown number of pears Two? Four? I like pears.
Handful of M&Ms

Beverages:
Morning coffee, black
Tea in the afternoon, also black
Lot of water throughout.

Most of my food journalings look something like that. Not a LOT of food, no, but surely enough? I don't feel hungry.

You definitely need to eat more. As a nursing Mom that's kind of low.. as a nursing AND pg Mom that *is* low.

Looks like lots of vegies and fruit (most) and it's not a lot of food... my guess is more protien - you probably need to add peanut butter, nuts, more eggs (boiled, poached and on bread), cheese, a slice of ham with crackers, stuff like that. Cottage cheese is one of the highest protien sources around (aside from meat). Yogurt, cream cheese, MILK...

You also need some more carbs (toast, crackers, etc.) probably.

Let the MW know you're open to working on it and are trying to get a plan - if she could help that'd be great (if you say it like that she probably won't be so mean (if she is)). Let her know you're not hungry either...

I think just replacing some of your fruit with protein snacks will help (and adding in a snack or two) - it might even help a lot.

Let us know how your apt. goes - hope she's understanding!
~Julie

Here's a list of protein content per serving size of some foods. The info is from "Composition of Foods, USDA Handbook B".
I thought it might be helpful for those who aren't big eaters so they can get the most "bang for the buck" protein-wise.

FOOD------------AMOUNT------PROTEIN(gm)-------PROTEIN(gm/100 cal)
tempeh................1 cup...............31........................9.4
soy beans, cooked.1 cup...............29........................9.7
sirloin steak...........3 oz................26.......................15.8
chicken, baked.......3 oz................25.......................15.0
pork roast..............3 oz...............23........................11.6
seitan...................4 oz................21.......................15.4
tofu, firm...............4 oz................20.......................10.9
flounder, baked.......3 oz................20.......................20.2
ground beef............3 oz................20.......................8.1
lentils....................1 cup..............18........................7.8
kidney beans..........1 cup...............15.......................6.0
lima beans.............1 cup...............15........................6.9
chickpeas..............1 cup...............15........................5.6
black beans...........1 cup...............15........................6.6
pinto beans...........1 cup...............14........................6.0
black-eyed peas.....1 cup...............13........................6.6
baked beans..........1 cup...............12........................5.1
quinoa, cooked.......1 cup...............11........................4.7
soy yogurt............1 cup...............10........................11.1
soy milk, plain........1 cup...............10........................6.5
tofu, regular..........4 oz.................10.......................10.6
cow's milk.............1 cup...............8..........................5.3
peanut butter.........2 T.................8..........................4.3
sunflower seeds......1/4 cup...........8..........................3.3
green peas, cooked..1 cup.............8..........................6.4
cheddar cheese.......1 oz...............7..........................6.1
egg.......................1...................6... .......................8.0
bagel.....................1 medium........6..........................3.7
almonds.................1/4 cup..........5.5........................2.7
spinach, cooked......1 cup.............5..........................12.2
broccoli, cooked......1 cup.............5..........................11.4
cashews................1/4 cup...........5..........................2.5
brown rice, cooked...1 cup.............5..........................2.4
whole wheat bread...2 slices...........5..........................4.5
potato...................1 medium........4.5........................2.0