[freelancemom]

I am way overweight and was actually losing weight when I discovered I was pregnant. I'm really glad to be pregnant, but so depressed at the thought of gaining more weight and very stressed about the possible complications.

Yesterday, I went to the doctor and he was stunned to see me so big (I was a regular weight with my other two pregnancies, 6 and 5 years ago). He told me that we'll have to be very careful and that I am absolutely huge (thank you, I already knew that!!!) and that I should have waited to lose weight first (unplanned pregnancy) and that I should not gain any weight at all, maximum one pound per month. I left and burst into tears in the car. My husband is trying to tell me that things will be fine and I'm not the first overweight woman to give birth, but thanks to rampant hormones, it just makes me cry every time I think about it. I gain a pound just thinking about food!

Anyway, I was hoping there might be another mom or two who is over her ideal weight here. Or if you have been in a past pregnancy, how did you handle it? Any tips? Obviously I can't go on a diet or anything, but I do plan to exercise more and hopefully keep the gain down.

I should also mention that the reason I am so overweight has nothing to do with diet, I eat very well, mostly vegetarian, lots of vegetables, slow carbs mostly and very little sugar, but I do work as a writer and I am sitting all day long. The lack of exercise over the past four years has caught up to me!

 

[bcblondie]

Wow. I'm so sorry you have a doctor with such a serious lack of tact.

I'm at an OK weight myself, but from what I've seen in my time on forums, etc, it DOES seem that women who are overweight to begin with gain less weight during their pregnancies. 10 to 15 pounds seems pretty common and fairly effortless. If you continue to eat like you have, the baby will be burning some extra calories for you, and you probably won't gain too much. And then once baby comes you'll loose a whole bunch. I see a lot of overweight women who seem to be under prepreg weight only a couple weeks after birth! I'm optimistic for you! Keep up those good eating habits and ignore your jerk of a doctor!

 

[CassnBeth]

What a horrible thing to say! I hope that doctor is mortified every time he thinks of his own behavior!

I am definitely plus sized too (size twenty two) and my fertility specialist made me go see a maternal/fetal medicine guy to get an opinion on my likely weight based complications. The perinatologist laughed me out of the office; he said I seemed plenty active chasing my little girl and all my bloodwork looked excellent so I should just go home and try to get pregnant. He said he gets lots of these kinds of referrals from regular OBs who think weight is automatically something to panic over without paying any attention to lifestyles or real numbers in bloodwork. So I think your OB is both offensive AND ill-informed.

That doctor should be ASHAMED of himself.

 

[cameragirl]

What a jerk. That is a rude thing to say in the first place, let alone to a pregnant woman that may be sensitive and scared going to their first appointment. I'm overweight, and was with the last pregnancy as well. I understand the worry about gaining weight. Right now though, it is more important to eat a good diet for you and the baby. With a good diet, you won't have a lot of weight get stacked on, and it will be easier to lose it later. There is definitely a right and a wrong way to bring up how to manage weight during a pregnancy, and it sounds like that doctor needs lessons.

If you can, I would look for a new doctor that has some bedside manner.

 

[Ardent]

I just wanted to say I hope there is some extenuating circumstance for your doctor having such a poor reaction!

 

[JunebugsMom]

Wow, I would have been really upset too. So unprofessional and unkind!

I'm overweight and I was just starting to lose some weight when I got pg. Right now I actually weigh more than I did at 9 months pregnant with my DD

I haven't had my first appt yet so I don't know what they will say. I am worried about the possibility of GD and other complications. Right now I am just trying to make good decisions as far as what I eat (especially staying away from sugar).

 

[amlikam]

I am lurking bc I might be expecting (had some spotting 2 days ago, about 8 days from the start of my cycle.) - possibly implantation?

Anyhow, I think you need to look for a more supportive team. My ob last time told me to not worry about my weight (i kept freaking out because of thyroid issues... and well weight kept coming.. ugh)

I hear you on the slow life, I have the same challenge mixed with a thyroid problem. I get in the exercise when I can, and try to keep moving.

Thats my opinion FWIW

 

[BaconLover]

hmm, did your doctor have any constructive criticism or tips to help, or was he just being disgruntled?

I'm a bit overweight, 205# and a size 16. I don't look my weight, and im in good health. My plan is to continue eating a modified paleo low carb high fat diet. With cavemen, eskimos, and science behind me, im pretty confident in my choice. I don't limit calories at all, i eat tons of fruit, vegetables, heavy cream and cheeses, nuts, and all the meat, including bacon, that i want. I was losing steadily until preggo hunger took over, now im maintaining instead of losing.

I measure my blood sugar after meals and dont eat anything that causes it to spike over 160 mg/dL. Unfortunately, that means potatoes, rice, wheat, barley, soda, fruit juice, oatmeal, even quinoa and complex carbs from whole grains are off limits. But im full, happy and feel fantastic, so i dont miss those foods.

just my strategy, everyone has to do whats best for them, and i wish everyone a happy and healthy pregnancy.

 

[cameragirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaconLover

hmm, did your doctor have any constructive criticism or tips to help, or was he just being disgruntled?

I'm a bit overweight, 205# and a size 16. I don't look my weight, and im in good health. My plan is to continue eating a modified paleo low carb high fat diet. With cavemen, eskimos, and science behind me, im pretty confident in my choice. I don't limit calories at all, i eat tons of fruit, vegetables, heavy cream and cheeses, nuts, and all the meat, including bacon, that i want. I was losing steadily until preggo hunger took over, now im maintaining instead of losing.

I measure my blood sugar after meals and dont eat anything that causes it to spike over 160 mg/dL. Unfortunately, that means potatoes, rice, wheat, barley, soda, fruit juice, oatmeal, even quinoa and complex carbs from whole grains are off limits. But im full, happy and feel fantastic, so i dont miss those foods.

just my strategy, everyone has to do whats best for them, and i wish everyone a happy and healthy pregnancy.

It sounds like you essentially eat like the Brewer diet that is recommended for preventing complications from malnourishment during pregnancy. I've been doing some reading on it, and the overweight women on the diet gained the right amount and lost it easily. It is less about how much you gain, and more about eating well for you and the baby.

 

[Montessortof]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaconLover

hmm, did your doctor have any constructive criticism or tips to help, or was he just being disgruntled?

I'm a bit overweight, 205# and a size 16. I don't look my weight, and im in good health. My plan is to continue eating a modified paleo low carb high fat diet. With cavemen, eskimos, and science behind me, im pretty confident in my choice. I don't limit calories at all, i eat tons of fruit, vegetables, heavy cream and cheeses, nuts, and all the meat, including bacon, that i want. I was losing steadily until preggo hunger took over, now im maintaining instead of losing.

I measure my blood sugar after meals and dont eat anything that causes it to spike over 160 mg/dL. Unfortunately, that means potatoes, rice, wheat, barley, soda, fruit juice, oatmeal, even quinoa and complex carbs from whole grains are off limits. But im full, happy and feel fantastic, so i dont miss those foods.

just my strategy, everyone has to do whats best for them, and i wish everyone a happy and healthy pregnancy.

I've been eating a paleo diet more or less strictly since January, but the moment I got pregnant I started craving carbs like nobody's business. Has this happened to you?

 

[BaconLover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cameragirl

It sounds like you essentially eat like the Brewer diet ...

I thought the Brewer diet recomended only avocado and olive oil for fats, and for dairy and meats to eat lean? I'm eating very high fat foods, specifically targeting saturated animal fats in things like bacon, ribeye steaks, full fat cheese and seriously drinking heavy whipping cream when I feel like it. The science I've seen supports a mainly fat diet as being optimal. Of course, interpretation is always funny... If I eat a plate 3/4 full of green beans with butter and 1/4 full of a fatty steak, calorie-wise I'm getting most of my calories from fat, even though quantity-wise most of it is vegetables. I still like avocado and olive oil too, but I'll go for fatty meat first.

I agree with you, I just want to eat well nutritionally for myself and the bean, and if I gain a little or a lot, so be it. Most important to me is ensuring I'm fighting insulin resistance, since that's something beans can become pre-disposed to in the womb.

 

[BaconLover]

Originally Posted by Montessortof

I've been eating a paleo diet more or less strictly since January, but the moment I got pregnant I started craving carbs like nobody's business. Has this happened to you?

Hmm, Kind of? I've been ravenous, but fighting it off with rediculous amounts of snacks in my purse / desk. I did smell strawberries and have a really weird aggression thing happen. The strawberries were the most delicious things I'd ever smelled, and I was going to eat them all without sharing ANY. I'm normally pretty good about sharing, but a coworker was eyeing my strawberries and I wanted to punch them in the face and defend my food. It was really rediculous, and really weird. Reminded me of dogs and their 'food aggression.' After I ate the 2 pound container, and then another 2 pound container over a few days, the agression went away.

Normally eating paleo I don't care much about food, can skip meals without being hungry, a snack bag of nuts will tide me over for hours until I get somewhere with non-carb foods. That has definetely changed since the moment we concieved. Now I have snacks constantly to stave off the starving feelings, even though I know I'm not really hungry. Its not a blood sugar starving, but some weird urge. The urge can be delayed with drinking cream, tea, water, etc, but eventually I need to find something bulky with quantity. I've been eating strawberries, celery with cream cheese, tons and tons of stir fried french cut green beans, etc bulky veggies. At work where I can't cook, I have my snacks of: tea or coffee with a lot of heavy whipping cream and a spoonful of coconut oil, large unsweet coconut flakes, pepperoni sticks, some cubes of cheese, and nuts. If I get too hungry in the morning, I'll add chia seeds to my coffee to get some fiber and add some texture, so its kind of like coffee soup. My coworkers are saying my morning coffee is 'Notorious'.

Hope this helps. Cutting carbs was made a LOT easier once I started checking my blood glucose and seeing how 'harmless' amounts of a starch were causing me to spike up. On the plus side, strawberries, blueberries, spinach, etc are all great and don't spike anything, but a tablespoon of sweet tasting dressing will cause a suprising surge. It really helped me make good choices for myself. I'm so jealous of people who can eat fries, soda, etc and have a tiny blood sugar surge when I have to be so very careful about everything.

Want to be my healthy eating buddy? I've been day dreaming of using bacon as the 'chip' to dip into a bowl of queso.... I need to work on getting more veggies cooked and in pre-made containers for work.

 

[freelancemom]

Thanks for all the support ladies! I've been on a slow carb diet and I think I'll continue that because it's really healthy and doesn't restrict calories or anything, plus there's a cheat day on Saturdays . Not eating sugar and fast carbs is probably a good way to either prevent or keep GD symptoms down, I'm thinking, too.

It's good to see I'm not alone and I think I am going to look for another doctor. I can't imagine going in every month and facing this guy, stressed out if I've gained a pound! He did give me a couple of handouts on exercises I can safely do and suggested I use my exercise bike, which I have already been doing (rigged it p so I can have my laptop sitting on the handles). I also have a midwife, who helped me through my previous pregnancies, so I was thinking of sticking mostly with her and just going in for ultrasounds when needed.

Bacon Lover, you're making me hungry with this bacon chip talk!

 

[Montessortof]

I would be thrilled to be your paleo healthy eating buddy! But it will have to wait until tomorrow because I am making red beans and rice for dinner. Because I cannot control myself! Gah! At least I know my son will eat it. Beans are his favorite thing.

It sounds like you are doing a fantastic job controlling the cravings! You will totally be my inspiration. Tomorrow.

 

[Milk8shake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freelancemom

Thanks for all the support ladies! I've been on a slow carb diet and I think I'll continue that because it's really healthy and doesn't restrict calories or anything, plus there's a cheat day on Saturdays . Not eating sugar and fast carbs is probably a good way to either prevent or keep GD symptoms down, I'm thinking, too.

It's good to see I'm not alone and I think I am going to look for another doctor. I can't imagine going in every month and facing this guy, stressed out if I've gained a pound! He did give me a couple of handouts on exercises I can safely do and suggested I use my exercise bike, which I have already been doing (rigged it p so I can have my laptop sitting on the handles). I also have a midwife, who helped me through my previous pregnancies, so I was thinking of sticking mostly with her and just going in for ultrasounds when needed.

Bacon Lover, you're making me hungry with this bacon chip talk!

What a loser that doctor sounds like. I think that looking for another doctor is a good idea. Whatever happened to "first, do no harm" ?!!?

I'm not exactly at my ideal weight, and I have spent the morning cooking a bunch of healthy stuff to freeze. I think having healthy, ready to go meals in my freezer will help me eat better.

Especially when queasiness and lethargy start to take over.

 

[cameragirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by BaconLover

Quote:

I thought the Brewer diet recomended only avocado and olive oil for fats, and for dairy and meats to eat lean? I'm eating very high fat foods, specifically targeting saturated animal fats in things like bacon, ribeye steaks, full fat cheese and seriously drinking heavy whipping cream when I feel like it. The science I've seen supports a mainly fat diet as being optimal. Of course, interpretation is always funny... If I eat a plate 3/4 full of green beans with butter and 1/4 full of a fatty steak, calorie-wise I'm getting most of my calories from fat, even though quantity-wise most of it is vegetables. I still like avocado and olive oil too, but I'll go for fatty meat first.

I agree with you, I just want to eat well nutritionally for myself and the bean, and if I gain a little or a lot, so be it. Most important to me is ensuring I'm fighting insulin resistance, since that's something beans can become pre-disposed to in the womb.

You're right - I think he chose those because he was working with low-income women, and those options are fairly cheap. Less was known about the benefits of healthy, grass fed beef back then. He focused on protein, then veggies. Minus the grains and the fatty meats, it would be pretty close. I've been trying to watch the simple carbs, except I'm sick with a bad cold and popsicles are sometimes the only thing I can get down.

 

[BaconLover]

Oh no Cameragirl! I hope you get better from your cold soon! I've always been a big fan of ice cream when I'm sick. And hot tea with cream and sweetener. I've been trying really really hard to stay away from sick people, hopefully it pays off and I wont get sick.

 

[freelancemom]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Milk8shake

What a loser that doctor sounds like. I think that looking for another doctor is a good idea. Whatever happened to "first, do no harm" ?!!?

I'm not exactly at my ideal weight, and I have spent the morning cooking a bunch of healthy stuff to freeze. I think having healthy, ready to go meals in my freezer will help me eat better.

Especially when queasiness and lethargy start to take over.

What a great idea! My poor kids are surviving on burritos and honey sandwiches right now because cooking anything at the moment makes me feel ill. Wish I'd thought of freezing some stuff ahead of time!

 

[MeAndVee]

OP. Just because he has a Phd doesnt mean he cant be stupid. I say eat to satisfiy. Dont starve yourself just because he told you not to gain more then a pound a month. Just eat right and stay active. I know, easier said then done sometimes! When I was 7 months pregnant my midwife told me to stop gaing weight. DS was supposed to be HUGE. Like 10 lbs. He was big, but only 8 lbs 10 oz. I gained about 35 lbs and two weeks postpartum I weighed less then what I started at. Had to flush out all those fluids they pumped into me first! I really dont think the medical world has a clue what makes people gain and what doesnt. All the best!

BaconLover. I sure hope you are eating nitrate free bacon! I am going to have to look into this Paleo diet. Sounds like I might want to go that route with the next pregnancy. I did the Brewer's Diet {sort of} with DS.

 

[Milk8shake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by freelancemom

What a great idea! My poor kids are surviving on burritos and honey sandwiches right now because cooking anything at the moment makes me feel ill. Wish I'd thought of freezing some stuff ahead of time!

That's what I was afraid of. Luckily I'm still early enough in the game to do this freezing thing. But I can tell you that burritos sound REALLY good right now!

I might have to think about a mexi style soup or something (it's winter here in Oz)