Weight gain during pregnancy...

[HomeOnTheRanch]

What's the average weight gain you/wife had during a pregnancy?

Six weeks ago I got a lecture from my OB about my excessive weight gain during this pregnancy. I was 28 1/2 weeks pregnant and had gained 20 lbs. I have made an effort to eat healthier calories since then, but now I'm getting lectures because I've only gained 1/2 pound since then, over the last six weeks. Baby's growth has always been just fine.

I have really had to try over the last few weeks to make every calorie count because I simply can't eat that much. I'll eat a few bites and be completely stuffed. Once I get the good stuff in, there just isn't room for any junk. The past few days I've had no appetite. I'm just too uncomfortable, so I've literally had to force myself to eat. Nothing decent appeals to me.

I usually gain 30-50 lbs. during pregnancy, so I'm now "behind" with 5 1/2 weeks to go. I'm not complaining, I'm just frustrated trying to find something to eat.

I did have a chocolate banana split tonight for supper. THAT appealed to me, but I don't think I'll do that every day. Thoughts?

[Crissy]

I gained about 60 pounds during both of my pregnancies.

[Jami]

I'm usually under 20 lbs gained at the end of each pregnancy. But I've started at a heavier weight with each baby. :glare: Let's just say it doesn't fall off with bre*stfeeding afterwards. I think most bodies have a set point they want to be at in pregnancy, so no matter how you eat, it seems to get there each time. At least that's my sister's experience, and she's on her 6th, and eats relatively healthily.

[*anj*]

I'm usually under 20 lbs gained at the end of each pregnancy. But I've started at a heavier weight with each baby. :glare: Let's just say it doesn't fall off with bre*stfeeding afterwards. I think most bodies have a set point they want to be at in pregnancy, so no matter how you eat, it seems to get there each time. At least that's my sister's experience, and she's on her 6th, and eats relatively healthily.

I agree. I gained less than 20 lbs. with each of mine, but I started at a higher than average weight, so....

[LisaK in VA]

The most weight I've ever gained in a pregnancy is 15 pounds. I'm running behind that this time, as I'm 5 1/2 months and have only gained 4.5 pounds. I don't tend to put on more than about 4 pounds the last few months, so at this rate, I'll be fortunate to gain 10.

My babies have always been healthy and a very good weight. My smallest was 7 1/2 pounds (nearly 3 weeks early), my largest just over 9 lbs (1.5 weeks early).

I've been chastised about weight twice. Once with my first ... who was over 8 pounds, and once by a m/w during my 1st trimester who -- lets just say -- was less than familiar with my history.

If you're eating good food... small frequent meals is fine (I prefer that lifestyle anyhow). Since the baby's growth seems to be fine, I wouldn't worry.

[Tracey in TX]

I was consistent in weight gain for all three pregnancies:
#1--23 lbs.
#2--21 lbs.
#3 (triplets)--27lbs @35wks.

I'm average weight, just genetically predisposed to average weight gain. Mom gained same as me. Much of pregnancy follows a family history, provided similar conditions (pre-preg weight, food choices).

[runningirl71]

I put 20-30 lbs, but the middle child was different. I gained only 12 lbs. with her. She was my biggest though! I wouldn't worry too much if the baby is growing. But, bummer that you don't feel like eating. I wish I had that problem!:)

[Julie Smith]

I don't know how much weight I gained but... I could always fit into my jeans the day after giving birth. :)

With my first the Dr. was concerned because I was not gaining weight. I was vomiting once to twice a day for 6 months.

[abbeyej]

I gained about 40 with one and 50 or so with the next -- but my *end* weight was almost exactly the same (and the babies weighed exactly the same). I was just thinner when I got pregnant with one that with the other. Truly, it seemed to me that that was just the right amount for me.

I know my MIL and my grandmother both starved themselves when they were pregnant. They gained about 20lbs each with frames that started out petite and slender (downright skinny for my MIL). I can't imagine that was healthy, though I'll admit I'm a wee bit jealous that my MIL could wear her regular jeans again almost immediately. lol... On the other hand, she said she never made enough milk for dh. I don't know if that's true, but I could imagine that her body thought it was starved and was reluctant to use those few resources she had left...

[Amy in Orlando]

I had endless morning sickness with my first and last pregnancies - I couldn't keep anything down. I actually weighed 6 lbs less than my first ob/gyn visit when I delivered my last. Flu, many iv's, I don't recommend this to anyone. With my twins, I was gaiging a lot of weight and my doctor told me to slow down (we didn't know they were twins at that point) ... can't win.

My sister always gained about 50# per baby. She had 10 pounders, but bounced back, mostly, to her prepregnancy state.

[Pencil Pusher]

I'm usually under 20 lbs gained at the end of each pregnancy. But I've started at a heavier weight with each baby. :glare: Let's just say it doesn't fall off with bre*stfeeding afterwards. I think most bodies have a set point they want to be at in pregnancy, so no matter how you eat, it seems to get there each time. At least that's my sister's experience, and she's on her 6th, and eats relatively healthily.

Fwiw, :iagree:. I've gained between 35-70 lb ea pg, depending on my starting wt. My dh & mw looked suspicious when I suggested this SAME theory!! :glare: :lol:

[dwkilburn1]

1st - 50 lbs
2nd - 25 lbs
3rd - 20 lbs

I did not do anything different, so I honestly don't think we can control it too much. Of course we should try to eat healthy, but that does not seem to do much during pregnancy. Banana splits have fruit and calcium, so they can't be all bad!

Wendy
Mom to 3 munchkins

[Brigitte]

I gained 15 lbs, but my pregnancy was only 27 weeks long. I was overweight when I got pg and started eating a healthy diet when I found out I was pg. My first 4 months I gained 5 lbs, I was sick the whole first trimester. Month 5, I gained 8 lbs (found my appetite - and I was paranoid since it was a twin pregnancy and that weight gain in the end would be harder). That was a good thing, since month 6 I only gained 2 lbs. Lily was putting her butt in my stomach, so I never had room to put food in it. Of course, that was the end of my pregnancy. At my 6 wk check up I was 9 lbs below my prepreg. weight.

Not a typical pregnancy by any stretch. But, I do think that eating more healthfully will lessen the weight gain. You eat what you can and try not to worry too much.

[Parrothead]

I gained 9 pounds with dd. She was a 7.5 pound baby. I probably could have worn my jeans out of the hospital, but brought a dress since I didn't know before hand.

[Reya]

Pregnancy weight gain is highly controllable, barring hyperemesis. Variations in average weight gain between countries and within our own country over the past 40 years proves this quite handily.

Gaining too little highly raises your chances for low birth weight, BUT how much "too little" is depends on your pre-pregnancy weight and body composition. For a slender but not underweight woman, too much less than 15lbs can be a concern, for example, but for an obese woman, a complete lack of weight gain can be perfectly fine (even a negative gain if the weight is lost in the first trimester only).

Gaining too much is associated with a number of negative birth outcomes, including gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and HELPP syndrome but also raising the risk of Caesarean delivery, excessive vaginal trauma, and the lifetime risk of obesity for the child. It also raises the chance that the mother will never shed the weight and that her own health in the future will be negatively impacted by the permanent weight gain. Future pregnancies in which a mother begins weighing too much (often because of a previous pregnancy) have a great host of possible complications associated with them that are much, much higher than for women who start at a healthy weight. So it isn't just a "vanity" thing!

[susie in tx]

With my first, I lost 20 pounds the first four months. I barely gained it back.

I gained normally with my second, don't know exactly how much.

With my third, I gained 20 - 30.

With my 4th, I honestly cannot remember, but it wasn't terrible, IMHO.

This time, I've gained a ton. 50 so far. I eat well. I don't eat too much. I would go out on a limb and say that I eat better pg than most people eat not pg. So I dunno. I was in better shape starting this pregnancy than I've been in the last ones.

Go figure.

I'd argue against my weight gain being "highly controllable".

[Kris]

Okay -- I had to do an "other." With my first, I don't know how much I gained. What I *do* know is that I lost it all before I even went home. With my son, I made up for that deficit and am *still* trying to get it off. The first one spoiled me and I stupidly thought I could do it again -- even though it was thirteen years later. :D

[mommylawyer]

I gained 28 pounds with all three of my children.

Losing it is a different story altogether!

[Sandy in Indy]

I voted "lost weight" and that's true for my last pregnancy.

#1 gained 40 lbs
#2 gained 15 lbs
#3 LOST 40 lbs

Wanna guess which pregnancies I was nauseous 99% of the time? Wanna guess which one was the worst?

I have two boys and a girl...can you guess which pregnancy was the girl????

By the way, I don't recommend this method of weight loss!! (And it didn't stay off. Rats!)

[Spy Car]

My wife who is quite slender (don't hate her) only gained about 19 lbs (don't hate her :D).

It was pretty funny in some ways, because viewed from many angles you couldn't even tell she was pregnant. But from the front it literally looked like she stuffed a ball under her shirt. So fake!

And she ate well too! I know, because I was feeding her and making wonderfully healthy meals. And the woman can eat.

She was doing yoga, which I think helped her in many ways.

That was a fun time.

Bill (who knows life isn't always fair)

[KidsHappen]

Between 50-75 with the first four. 20 with the last two.

[Reya]

With my first, I lost 20 pounds the first four months. I barely gained it back.

I gained normally with my second, don't know exactly how much.

With my third, I gained 20 - 30.

With my 4th, I honestly cannot remember, but it wasn't terrible, IMHO.

This time, I've gained a ton. 50 so far. I eat well. I don't eat too much. I would go out on a limb and say that I eat better pg than most people eat not pg. So I dunno. I was in better shape starting this pregnancy than I've been in the last ones.

Go figure.

I'd argue against my weight gain being "highly controllable".

You can't gain what you don't consume! Seriously. It's a matter of conservation of mass--a basic physics principle. :-) If you can do otherwise, then you can violate the laws of thermodynamics, which would be GREAT because then you could show people how to make a perpetual motion machine and all our energy woes would be over!

You MUST consume 3,500 calories to gain one pound of fat. Those 3,500 calories might by carrots, or they might be chocolate cake, but they've got to be there. Different people have a different basic metabolic "burn rate" that they need to sustain their current level (weight/body composition/etc.), and this can change with pregnancy as your body tries to "hoard" more and expend less, but you still can't get more out than you put in--ever!

A lot of women heavily cut down on their physical activity because they are pregnant and then are amazed at how much they gain while not feeling like they've changed their diet all that much. This is still part of the easy equation of energy conserved equals energy in minus energy out, however. Many more don't realize how much more they are consuming. People are notoriously unreliable at reporting their consumption--that's why the FIRST THING a decent dietician does when working with a new patient is require them to develop and maintain an accurate food journal. People are often off their estimates by 100%--or more. Keep a food journal next pregnancy, with accurate weights of everything you eat, and see how many calories you're really consuming.

Hyperemesis, BTW, was very likely the reason you lost the 20lbs in the first pregnancy, right? (Severe morning sickness.) That usually can't be controlled (success is a LOT rarer than failure, unfortunately), but fortunately, neither it nor any weight lost during the first trimester seems to make a lick of difference in pregnancy outcomes. In fact, you should count your weight gain from the beginning of the second trimester, if you're counting what makes an impact on the baby. A lot of women who have had severe morning sickness mistakenly think that they need to "make up" for the weight they lost, PLUS the normal recommendation. This isn't the case unless you got down to a dangerously low bodyweight, period. Just start counting from where you are at 3 months--and if you're up 20 lbs by the end of the pregnancy, fabulous. 15 would be just ducky, too, for the vast majority of women.

[lovelearnandlive]

You can't gain what you don't consume! Seriously. It's a matter of conservation of mass--a basic physics principle. :-) If you can do otherwise, then you can violate the laws of thermodynamics, which would be GREAT because then you could show people how to make a perpetual motion machine and all our energy woes would be over!



During pregnancy though, you CAN gain what you haven't consumed.

Averages per the Mayo Clinic:

Baby: 7 to 8 pounds
Larger breasts: 1 to 3 pounds
Larger uterus: 2 pounds
Placenta: 1 1/2 pounds
Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
Increased blood volume: 3 to 4 pounds
Increased fluid volume: 2 to 3 pounds
Fat stores: 6 to 8 poundsThat's 18.5 to 23.5 pounds even if you don't gain a single ounce of fat, which is really the only category listed that you have any control over. If you tend to retain fluid when you're pregnant then that number could be significantly higher.

[CactusPair]

As long as baby is growing, I wouldn't worry about my own weight (within reason). Take your vitamins and eat as healthy as you can, but don't obsess. Banana split doesn't seem too bad, really. Fruit, protein, calcium, some fat.

Eat what seems to appeal to you (try to include some fruits and vegs., protein, esp., and omega-3 fats), be happy, & see your dr. routinely.

I gained 35 pounds with each starting out at almost the same weight (4 lbs. more with #2). #1 weighed 8.3, #2 weighed 6.15 and was a week "early". I was also still nursing #1 during the #2 pregnancy. Both babes were born strong and healthy.

With both, I puked my guts out for 4 mos. and CNM said eat what you can keep down. She didn't mind that meant Arby's roast beef and TB bean burritos. The last 5 mos. I ate mostly "normal" foods, but a lot of them. I was starving! I did exercise a little with #2 and felt better after delivery and the months following.

My SIL started out overweight and gained about 15-20 lbs each time eating very healthy foods (no junk, unlike me). Her babies both weighed about 8 or 9 lbs., were healthy, as was SIL.

My mom started out at a normal-ish weight and gained 60 or more lb. with each of her 5 kids. We all weighed about the same, were fine and healthy, and so was she. She loved eating when pregnant and lost most of her baby weight. She got fat later, but it had to do with potato chips, not pregnancy.:D

blessings!

[Marie in Oh]

With all of them I was down to needing to lose 15 lbs at 2 weeks pp, and at 6 weeks I was always within 10 lbs or less of my pre-prego weight- twice I was below it at my 6 week check. I have never carried consistantly more than 10 lbs of extra weight after 6 weeks).

#1- 35 lbs, 8' 7", 1 week early

#2- 37 lbs, 7' 2", 5 days early

#3- 31 lbs, 7' 8", 17 days early

#4- 28 lbs, 7' 9", 5 days early

#5, 21 lbs, 6' 6", 26 days early

#6, 50 lbs, 9' 0", 11 days late (can you say water retention? I lost 35 lbs in 2 days and was back to my need to shed 15 lbs in 2 weeks)

#7, currently 36 lbs at almost 35 weeks, though the mw only logs it as 24 as I didn't go in til I was 13 weeks and she doesn't count the 12 I always gain in the first trimester :lol:)

I, too, have not gained any weight in the last 6 weeks. MW is not concerned. Baby is already big at 35 weeks. If I go to term, I can tell he'll be 9+ lbs.

[Another Lynn]

I don't get the weight lectures at all. I've always gained 20-25 lbs in a pregnancy - but I never did it consistently over the 9 months!!! Are they crazy? The first trimester I either held steady or more often lost. Then I would put on 10 lbs in one month, 5 the next and then maybe 1 lb/month after that.

I think a constant rate of gain would be really strange. Just eat as healthy as you can (I never ate very healthy because I had SO many food aversions). Your body will give your baby the best and your body will bounce back afterwards.

As much as I suffered during pregnancies, I guess I'm a little sensitive at the idea that someone would lecture me (or any preggo woman) about weight - I did well to survive the nine months, much less worry if I gained too much or too little.

[dirty ethel rackham]

This is a topic that infuriates me. The actual number of pounds gained is not nearly as important as the food being eaten. I wonder when practitioners will stop using the scale as a means to berate pregnant women and actually ask them what they are eating. Take a look at the Brewer Diet for information on eating healthy foods in pregnancy. Try to eat whole foods, as close to their natural state. Get plenty of protein (for adequate blood volume, liver function and building blocks for baby's growth), lots of fruits and vegetables (for essential nutrients and fiber), healthy fats (for growing a brain and healthy nervous system, calcium source, and whole grains (for energy and fiber).

BTW, I stopped doing the math after 45 pounds and that was with 8 weeks to go. With the first 2, I lost the weight within a year, doing nothing special - just nursing, eating healthy (similar to what I ate during pregnancy, just a little less) and going for walks. With the last, I was so tired that I am hanging on to 20 lbs, but it took them 5 years to diagnose my thyroid problem.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

All the others said pretty much everything that needs to be said. It will and should vary by the person and their body type. I am taller and thin. I gained about 32-33 both times. It was funny though. The first one was born at 41.5 weeks gestation and the biggest gain I had was the above. The second was born at 38 weeks gestation, but I gained at most, exactly the same! He was a bigger baby too. Thankfully I went then or you would have had to split me in 2 to get him out!

ETA: I never got any comments about weight. They were concerned when my normally lower BP went up a bit. But nothing about weight. I was told to make sure to eat well.

[JFS in IL]

I had 60+ but I carried twins post-term - 9 days late and 8lb 6oz, 7lb 8oz. I followed the Bradley diet and was gobbling protein and fiber all day long.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Reya,

Just about all of those studies failed to look at what the women were actually eating. Women can gain a ton of weight eating junk food with few nutrients. These women are more likely to have the health problems you describe. Women can also gain 50 lbs eating highly nutritious, healthy foods. These women are less likely to have these health problems - they grow healthier placentas, their livers function better, they need fewer interventions. They don't necessarily have larger babies. Also, pelvic floor trauma is more a factor of practitioner style than a factor of size. Practitioners who restrict birthing positions, and aggressively manage 2nd stage of labor (time limits, directed pushing, pulling on the baby, instrument delivery) have more moms with pelvic floor damage than those who encourage positive pushing positions, encourage mother-directed pushing, and are patient with regards to the length of 2nd stage.

[Carrie1234]

I gained less with each pregnancy.

My first was a whopping 60+lb. gain. At least, I stopped counting at 60.
My fourth was just under a 30lb. gain.

I really don't think I did anything differently with any of the pregnancies, other than having more children to chase after. I did tend to carry "baby weight" over to the next pregnancy, but I am at my pre-first-pregnancy weight now. It's bizarre.

[Krista in LA]

I gained over 60 lbs with both of mine. The doctors didn't believe me when I told them I was throwing up 4-6 times every single day, for the entire pregnancy. One tried to scare the crap out of me about what a horrible delivery I was going to have, blah, blah, blah. When my water broke with no contractions and then ended up inducing, it was a relatively easy 4 hr delivery. With my 2nd, the dr decided to induce because my uterus was huge and she was afraid the baby was getting too big. When she broke my water, she knew where it all was. Apparently I had lots of water. My placenta was also huge - she said it was about the size of another baby. Despite gaining so much weight with both of them, I left the hospital weighing about 30 lbs less than when I went in. I don't think there was a lot I could have done to change the amount of weight I gained. I also didn't lose any weight while breast feeding but after weening, it came off quite easily with the first one, and wasn't too bad with the second once I joined weight watchers.

[susie in tx]

You can't gain what you don't consume! Seriously. It's a matter of conservation of mass--a basic physics principle. :-) If you can do otherwise, then you can violate the laws of thermodynamics, which would be GREAT because then you could show people how to make a perpetual motion machine and all our energy woes would be over!

This is true. However, you haven't taken into account metabolism. I had severe nausea in the first 6 months of this pregnancy. I could not get to the gym. Previously, I had been going to the gym a lot and was in great shape. Because my metabolism plummeted so quickly AND I was no longer exercising, I was losing muscle. The muscle turned to fat very quickly.

Now, I am still not exercising. I am very tired caring for 4 children. I have to convince myself to eat enough because there is just not enough room in my stomach. But, I keep gaining weight.

You MUST consume 3,500 calories to gain one pound of fat. Those 3,500 calories might by carrots, or they might be chocolate cake, but they've got to be there. Different people have a different basic metabolic "burn rate" that they need to sustain their current level (weight/body composition/etc.), and this can change with pregnancy as your body tries to "hoard" more and expend less, but you still can't get more out than you put in--ever!

I think that my metabolism is in incredibly slow mode because everything that goes into my mouth turns into weight gain. I've had this problem before and I continue to have it.

However, I will not admit that being in a different country and eating as they do there would make me gain less weight. I've lived in a second world country. I've seen how they eat. I've eaten how they eat. I was not pregnant at the time. But, my metabolism was running quite nicely at the time and I did not gain weight.

A lot of women heavily cut down on their physical activity because they are pregnant and then are amazed at how much they gain while not feeling like they've changed their diet all that much.

I tracked my entire food intake for over a year at sparkpeople. I am aware of my portions and know approximately how many calories I am eating each day - including how much is fat, protein and the like. You are talking about people that are not me. I've spent years working with a nutritionist and know how this stuff works. I know that my portions went up when I finally felt like I was able to eat. However, they are now more like they were when I got pregnant. If I ate less, it would be dangerous for the baby.

I gained weight with this pregnancy when I couldn't keep anything down during the day. I gained weight with this pregnancy when I wasn't throwing up. I think your view is simplistic. Every body is different. Every pregnancy is different.

I found that when I was trying to lose weight after my 4th pregnancy that metabolism, diet and exercise were all an equal part of how to get the weight off and feel good. It's not different here. What one eats and how much they eat is not the only reason that women who are pregnant gain a ton of weight.


Hyperemesis, BTW, was very likely the reason you lost the 20lbs in the first pregnancy, right?

I had hyperemesis with the first and the third pregnancies.

[Liz Mc in SC]

I gained 30 w/ my first and a little more with my second. I had mine close together. My dd was 1 when I found out I was preg w/ ds. :) I barely had time to knock off the first baby weight before starting on the second. I also retained a lot of water with the second.

And like most, I put it on fast at the end. Most Dr. also look at your starting weight. A very good friend who is heavy, gained only 10 lbs -- which was close to the baby's weight.

[Lovedtodeath]

With DD I had untreated Gestational Diabetes and gained 60 lbs. With DS I lost 40 lbs by the time I was 5 months along, then gained 60 after that, most of which was 7 months plus. DD was 9 lbs 12 oz and DS was 9 lbs 4 oz.

I think that how much weight one gains is usually consistent for the individual woman and diet, exercise, etc, have very little to factor in. The Grilfriend's Guide to Pregnancy agrees with me on this. Get it from thelibrary. You'll love it!

[Spy Car]

This is a topic that infuriates me. The actual number of pounds gained is not nearly as important as the food being eaten. I wonder when practitioners will stop using the scale as a means to berate pregnant women and actually ask them what they are eating. Take a look at the Brewer Diet for information on eating healthy foods in pregnancy. Try to eat whole foods, as close to their natural state. Get plenty of protein (for adequate blood volume, liver function and building blocks for baby's growth), lots of fruits and vegetables (for essential nutrients and fiber), healthy fats (for growing a brain and healthy nervous system, calcium source, and whole grains (for energy and fiber).

BTW, I stopped doing the math after 45 pounds and that was with 8 weeks to go. With the first 2, I lost the weight within a year, doing nothing special - just nursing, eating healthy (similar to what I ate during pregnancy, just a little less) and going for walks. With the last, I was so tired that I am hanging on to 20 lbs, but it took them 5 years to diagnose my thyroid problem.

Reya,

Just about all of those studies failed to look at what the women were actually eating. Women can gain a ton of weight eating junk food with few nutrients. These women are more likely to have the health problems you describe. Women can also gain 50 lbs eating highly nutritious, healthy foods. These women are less likely to have these health problems - they grow healthier placentas, their livers function better, they need fewer interventions. They don't necessarily have larger babies. Also, pelvic floor trauma is more a factor of practitioner style than a factor of size. Practitioners who restrict birthing positions, and aggressively manage 2nd stage of labor (time limits, directed pushing, pulling on the baby, instrument delivery) have more moms with pelvic floor damage than those who encourage positive pushing positions, encourage mother-directed pushing, and are patient with regards to the length of 2nd stage.


:iagree: I agree with you Ellen. The emphasis ought to be on the nutritional value of the foods being consumed, and not the number of pounds gained.

Bill

[Alenee]

Well, with baby #1 I was under weight to begin with and almost miscarried her. Doc said to gain weight right away. I ended up gaining 100 pounds. It all came back off with the exception of the extra I needed to be healthy.

With #2, I only gained 40 and it too came off.

With #3, I had gestational diabetes and again gained 100 pounds. Those were the hardest pounds to get off. I lost some of it, then some of it creeped back on. I've finally gotten to where I'm comfortable for my 6 foot frame.

My body has a thing about gaining and losing quickly. Once it starts, it doesn't top out for a while.

[Barb F. PA in AZ]

My wife who is quite slender (don't hate her) only gained about 19 lbs (don't hate her :D).

It was pretty funny in some ways, because viewed from many angles you couldn't even tell she was pregnant. But from the front it literally looked like she stuffed a ball under her shirt. So fake!

And she ate well too! I know, because I was feeding her and making wonderfully healthy meals. And the woman can eat.

She was doing yoga, which I think helped her in many ways.

That was a fun time.

Bill (who knows life isn't always fair)

Buddy-Boy, you're playing fast and loose with your rep, jumping on here with a story like that and my hormones raging.

:::Finger twitching toward the ugly disapprove button:::

Barb (due today!!)

[Lovedtodeath]

This is true. However, you haven't taken into account metabolism. I had severe nausea in the first 6 months of this pregnancy. I could not get to the gym. Previously, I had been going to the gym a lot and was in great shape. Because my metabolism plummeted so quickly AND I was no longer exercising, I was losing muscle. The muscle turned to fat very quickly.

Now, I am still not exercising. I am very tired caring for 4 children. I have to convince myself to eat enough because there is just not enough room in my stomach. But, I keep gaining weight.

I gained weight with this pregnancy when I couldn't keep anything down during the day. I gained weight with this pregnancy when I wasn't throwing up. I think your view is simplistic. Every body is different. Every pregnancy is different.

I found that when I was trying to lose weight after my 4th pregnancy that metabolism, diet and exercise were all an equal part of how to get the weight off and feel good. It's not different here. What one eats and how much they eat is not the only reason that women who are pregnant gain a ton of weight.

:iagree: Good rep as soon as I have it! I was on bedrest with my 2nd b/c my uterus was not cooperating. Not only did I gain weight, I lost muscle, and now I don't have the time and energy to exercise. It becomes a vicious cycle.:glare:

And Ethyl, you will get it too!!

[Spy Car]

Buddy-Boy, you're playing fast and loose with your rep, jumping on here with a story like that and my hormones raging.

:::Finger twitching toward the ugly disapprove button:::

Barb (due today!!)

Big hugs Barb! :grouphug:

I hope you are blessed with an easy delivery.

Congratulations on your impending joy!!!

Bill

[Reya]

During pregnancy though, you CAN gain what you haven't consumed.

Averages per the Mayo Clinic:
Baby: 7 to 8 pounds
Larger breasts: 1 to 3 pounds
Larger uterus: 2 pounds
Placenta: 1 1/2 pounds
Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds
Increased blood volume: 3 to 4 pounds
Increased fluid volume: 2 to 3 pounds
Fat stores: 6 to 8 poundsThat's 18.5 to 23.5 pounds even if you don't gain a single ounce of fat, which is really the only category listed that you have any control over. If you tend to retain fluid when you're pregnant then that number could be significantly higher.

You can't gain mass you have not consumed. Period. EVER. It's a violation of the basic laws of physics. Conservation of mass CANNOT be overcome!

If it's fluid (which is a SMALL percentage of a weight gain of 50lbs+ unless you've got pre-eclampsia!), then you've consumed that water. It doesn't magically materialize on your body. :-)

[Kleine Hexe]

Sounds like your OB is hung up on weight and just has to nag about it either way. I'd tell him to shove it, but that's snarky me.


I gained 50 lbs with my two previous pgs. This pg is turning out to be different. I'm almost 32 weeks and I've gained only 18 lbs. Actually I just lost a pound due to the stress I've had the past two weeks. My midwife is fine with it, and just told me to eat small snacks throughout the day.


Like you I'm not hungry much. It's just so hot and I have no appetite when it's hot. Listen to your body and you can't go wrong.

[caitlinsmom]

I gain 35lbs with each kiddo no matter what I eat (all very diff diets), how I exercise, or starting weight. My sister gains 25 and my best friend 60.

[Lovedtodeath]

You can't gain mass you have not consumed. Period. EVER. It's a violation of the basic laws of physics. Conservation of mass CANNOT be overcome!

If it's fluid (which is a SMALL percentage of a weight gain of 50lbs+ unless you've got pre-eclampsia!), then you've consumed that water. It doesn't magically materialize on your body. :-)

This arguement is getting pretty ridiculous. We are talking about a healthy weight gain for pregnancy. All pregnant women should consume water. Women with large amounts of fluids should consume even more water. If the body was functioning optimally then it would not be retaining that water, but flushing it away. As it is, someone who is retaining large amounts of fluid still needs water that can be flushed away.

If the argument is calories in/ calories out... I feel compelled to point out that some procreating bodies become very protective of the fetus and hoard calories by lowering the metabolic state of the mother. Therefore, someone eating 2500 calories a day can end up retaining or gaining the same amount of fat as someone eating 4500 calories a day.

[attachedto4]

This is a topic that infuriates me. The actual number of pounds gained is not nearly as important as the food being eaten. I wonder when practitioners will stop using the scale as a means to berate pregnant women and actually ask them what they are eating. Take a look at the Brewer Diet for information on eating healthy foods in pregnancy. Try to eat whole foods, as close to their natural state. Get plenty of protein (for adequate blood volume, liver function and building blocks for baby's growth), lots of fruits and vegetables (for essential nutrients and fiber), healthy fats (for growing a brain and healthy nervous system, calcium source, and whole grains (for energy and fiber).

BTW, I stopped doing the math after 45 pounds and that was with 8 weeks to go. With the first 2, I lost the weight within a year, doing nothing special - just nursing, eating healthy (similar to what I ate during pregnancy, just a little less) and going for walks. With the last, I was so tired that I am hanging on to 20 lbs, but it took them 5 years to diagnose my thyroid problem.

Ellen said this very well, thank you!

I am a small person and all of my babies have been 8 lbs or more, my last one was 9 lbs 8 ozs. I've delivered them at home without any pelvic floor trauma and agree with Ellen's other post that that has a lot more to do with position during birth and unnecessary interventions than it does with size. I've gained 30-50 lbs with all of mine and my midwife and I don't worry about weight gain because I eat a very healthy diet and my body does what it needs to do. I have also lost it afterward with nursing and eating healthy.

[Kisa in CA]

With my last son I gained 20 pounds when I was 24 weeks along. He was born then weighing 1 pound 7 ounces and I went home only 5 pounds lighter. So my little tiny boy left me with 15 pounds.

With my first son I gained about 30 pounds and went home 20 pounds lighter. Doesn't make sense!

[lovelearnandlive]

You can't gain mass you have not consumed. Period. EVER. It's a violation of the basic laws of physics. Conservation of mass CANNOT be overcome!

If it's fluid (which is a SMALL percentage of a weight gain of 50lbs+ unless you've got pre-eclampsia!), then you've consumed that water. It doesn't magically materialize on your body. :-)

I understand the concept of conservation of mass. You were talking about consuming calories and accumulating fat stores and I was trying to show that only a small portion of weight gain is usually fat stores. It's easy to forget how much of the weight we gain when we are pregnant has a major purpose.

I just feel that there are so many variables that have an effect on weight gain that it's impossible to just see a number and assume that a person wasn't eating properly or was lounging around getting fat.

And I don't agree that fluid is a small percentage of pregnancy weight gain. Most people I know who gained 50 or so pounds only had 10 or 15 leftover to lose at a month post partum. Even accounting for the baby and placenta, that still leaves a lot of weight that's unaccounted for. And they didn't have pre-eclampsia either.

[lighthouseacademy]

The biggest concern is to be sure you are eating plenty of fresh fruits and veggies and high nutrition foods and not processed junk...

I believe that if you eat properly, your body will do what it needs. I gained 55 lbs with my ds eating properly. I gained 35 with each of my girls. The only difference with the girls was little dairy and with my last no meat either. I always ate HIGH nutrient fruits and veggies. I had to lose almost all of this after babies were born and did not lose a ton at their births.

I started at 115 with all 3 and am 5'5". My oldest was almost 8 pounds, my girls were 7lbs 2ounces (the records show that my older girl was 4 ounces but she was wearing clothes and a cloth diaper and she was smaller than the other so I believe she was 2 ounces too). I did not have any pelvic floor damage, amazing blood sugar, and amazing blood pressure. I also had almost 0 blood loss with both girls. I lost the weight the easiest with #1 and was back to prepregnancy weight within 4 months. Furthermore, he literally nursed all my fat stores away because by the time he was done nursing, I was almost emaciated and was down to about 110. My body knew what I needed to gain to feed him! My girls the weight was off at about 5-6 months. My son is NOT by any stretch of the imagination battling obesity. In fact, in order to wear his pants, he is stealing his sister's belt to hold them up!!!

[Karin]

Pregnancy weight gain is highly controllable, barring hyperemesis. Variations in average weight gain between countries and within our own country over the past 40 years proves this quite handily.

Gaining too little highly raises your chances for low birth weight, BUT how much "too little" is depends on your pre-pregnancy weight and body composition. For a slender but not underweight woman, too much less than 15lbs can be a concern, for example, but for an obese woman, a complete lack of weight gain can be perfectly fine (even a negative gain if the weight is lost in the first trimester only).

Gaining too much is associated with a number of negative birth outcomes, including gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, and HELPP syndrome but also raising the risk of Caesarean delivery, excessive vaginal trauma, and the lifetime risk of obesity for the child. It also raises the chance that the mother will never shed the weight and that her own health in the future will be negatively impacted by the permanent weight gain. Future pregnancies in which a mother begins weighing too much (often because of a previous pregnancy) have a great host of possible complications associated with them that are much, much higher than for women who start at a healthy weight. So it isn't just a "vanity" thing!

Neither my OBGyn, one of the top in this part of the state (the nurses in his hospital all see him due to his great ability plus his excellent bedside manner), nor my bil, who is a great family physician and has delivered many a baby, were the least bit concerned when I gained 67 pounds with my first. Not only was I tall and thin to start (stayed tall), but I started at the very bottom of my healty weight range. I needed every ounce of that to get me through the first 10 months of br**stfeeding my nearly 10 pound, very, very active baby. I ate healthy food, and ended up losing more than I gained, by for she was a year old which made me underweight. And I was eating plenty of healthy food. Had I not had those extra pounds I would have had to spend all my non nursing time eating.

While there are generalities, there is no hard and fast rule that covers everyone. A knowledgeable MD takes all this into consideration, not just statistics. Were I 10 inches shorter, this weight gain would have no doubt been too much, particularly if I didn't start off so light for my height. As for my first C-section, that had nothing to do with my weight gain--dd had her larger than average head in the wrong position and I'd have had a C-section back in the early 1960s when only 4 percent of births were by C-section just as my mother, who gained 20 pounds had to with me when I had my larger than average head in the wrong position.

For my second, I started at about the same weight and ended up 10 pounds lighter, for my last I started at the top of my healthy weight and went up to the same weight as with my first. Today, at 48, I'm at a very healthy weight, but at the top of my healthy levels (done on purpose, btw as I expect to be going through menopause in about 5-7 years based on family history.)

[melmac]

1st-75 lbs!

2nd- 50 lbs

3rd- 25 lbs

[LadyAberlin]

I wish it would let me vote twice. I gained 15 with first ds and 50 with 2nd and with both at about 5 months post partum my weight starts to fall and I can't stop it and it bottoms out around 105 pounds. A good weight for me would be 115-120.

[Reya]

I understand the concept of conservation of mass. You were talking about consuming calories and accumulating fat stores and I was trying to show that only a small portion of weight gain is usually fat stores. It's easy to forget how much of the weight we gain when we are pregnant has a major purpose.

I just feel that there are so many variables that have an effect on weight gain that it's impossible to just see a number and assume that a person wasn't eating properly or was lounging around getting fat.

And I don't agree that fluid is a small percentage of pregnancy weight gain. Most people I know who gained 50 or so pounds only had 10 or 15 leftover to lose at a month post partum. Even accounting for the baby and placenta, that still leaves a lot of weight that's unaccounted for. And they didn't have pre-eclampsia either.

It is NOTNOTNOT a smart thing to gain too much weight during pregnancy. It's not "for a purpose" to gain 10, 20, or 30lbs too much--in fact, there's good evidence that current guidelines are too high for normal, overweight, and obese women. It is occasionally unavoidable to gain so much weight but very often simple recklessness--as reckless as gaining too little by choice.

70%+ of fat is water, too--and 70% of the baby is also water! So is a lot of the food that you eat! You could calculate out exactly how many calories go into making each component of the weight gain of a pregnancy (3,500 calories make a lb of fat in you or a lb of fat in the baby--you could hash out how many calories each pint of blood takes, or the bones of the baby take, or the brain of the baby takes, etc.) but the fact is that a LOT of calories go into a weight gain of 50lbs. And gaining 50lbs isn't a good idea, period, any more than a woman of a healthy weight gaining 10lbs.

You can't make the baby or placenta or maternal fat stores or anything else out of thin air. If you ate exactly the same number of calories as before you got pregnant, you'd gain some weight as your body went into ultra-conservation, you're-starving-the-baby mode. (This is highly DISrecommended--just a theoretical situation. If your body has to, it will rob you of as much nutrients as it can to feed the growing baby.) But it would be a much, much smaller amount that 50lbs.

If you gain 30lbs, theoretically, you have 7lbs of fat to lose. If you gained 20 more, you're not going to have 27lbs! I never said that--in fact, if you did, it'd be better for the baby overall. You're going to have made a bigger baby--say, that's 3 more lbs there, on average. The placenta will be larger to support the larger baby--and your blood volume will also have to be up, too. At most, I'd expect that you'd have another 10lbs to lose over the woman who gained 30lbs.

Gaining 50lbs+ isn't MAINLY a bad idea because you might get fatter and not lose it, though that's far more likely if you gain too much. It's MAINLY a bad idea because of its impact on the baby--from raising the risk of C-section and all sorts of other pregnancy complications to giving a kid a lifetime higher risk of obesity and diabetes. (This is one piece of the obesity puzzle--an upsurge in childhood obesity that coincided with doctors telling pregnant women to gain as much as they wanted in reaction to the too-low recommendations that existed before.)

If you are a normal, healthy woman, you have done something to gain those 50lbs. It IS controllable, and it DOES come from choices that you make every day. It isn't a freak, uncontrollable accident that the average pregnancy weight gain has increased by around 30lbs since the 60s. It has to do with the choices that pregnant women make--some better (like not smoking) and some worse (like thinking that as long as the food's healthy, they are, in your words "eating for a cause"). It also isn't an accident that women in other countries--first-world countries--gain far less than the average American woman now does.

(First-trimester weight gains do tend to go just about entirely to fat, BTW, but they impact the baby less unless it pushes the mother into a high-risk weight category. So they're actually safer....)

You can give me all the "Well, *I* gained 70lbs with a single baby, and my baby was 8lbs9oz and I had no complications at all!" that you want. Anecdotes don't change statistics. And statistics are pitiless. Statistics don't care about your particular circumstances. They don't care about anything. And they always win out, on the average.

Most women have no idea what a blessing it is to be able to get pregnant whenever they want and have a very, very high chance of carrying a healthy child to term. If they did, I think fewer would treat it with such a blase, nothing-bad-will-happen-to-ME attitude. I really does miff me that women who have absolutely everything handed to them, reproductively speaking, will gamble it all even though they have every reason to know better. The risks are there. I'm not making them up to be "mean" or "anti-fat"--if we had a society in which women tried to restrict their weight gain to 10lbs on a large scale, I'd be talking about the dangers of gaining too little. There are risks to many choices--yes, usually choices--including gaining too much, not consuming enough folic acid, having babies too close together, etc. Heck, there are also (smaller) risks to having babies too far apart--my two are farther apart than the safest gap, through no choice of my own. You can get lucky--or fail to get UNlucky--but the statistics and the risks they represent are still there.

[SABE]

I've averaged 48 pounds per pregnancy, with a range of 35 to 64. So far I'm on track to gain less this pregnancy, and I really hope that continues!

[Lovedtodeath]

Heck, there are also (smaller) risks to having babies too far apart--my two are farther apart than the safest gap,
I have never heard of this safest gap idea, care to explain?

[Jennifer3141]

I lost weight during both pregnancies. Both babies were fine. DD was small but not abnormalls at 6 pounds, 5 ounces. DS was 2 pounds more at birth.

I ate. I even kept a food journal to satisfy the insurance company. It just didn't stick to me for some reason. Of course, that's the ONLY time in my life that my metabolism works that well. :D

Jen

[WTMindy]

I gained about 60 pounds during both of my pregnancies.

Me too. My doctor always told me that I was doing great! He never made me feel like it was too much. (Oh, how I love him for that!!) And, I did lose it all afterwards.

[OhElizabeth]

Gotta agree with Jami on that set point thing. I've eaten 18,000 times better with this pregnancy than my other, but my weight gain, and even the pattern, is almost IDENTICAL. Go figure. Now let's just see what I birth.

As for your lack of appetite, well that could be the packing of the tummy that makes it hard to eat, low thyroid, or even just needing to eat more fresh/raw fruit to rebuild your digestion. I suggest eating more fresh fruit and seeing what happens. When I eat all the fruit I'm supposed to, it leaves me really hungry the next day. It has lots of enzymes that get your system going!

[susie in tx]

It is NOTNOTNOT a smart thing to gain too much weight during pregnancy. It's not "for a purpose" to gain 10, 20, or 30lbs too much--in fact, there's good evidence that current guidelines are too high for normal, overweight, and obese women. It is occasionally unavoidable to gain so much weight but very often simple recklessness--as reckless as gaining too little by choice. You keep quoting statistics and numbers, but I haven't seen any of the documentation to back these statistics and numbers up. Also, in the places that you are getting this information - who funded the study? What was the population studied? How were the pharmaceutical companies involved? I have many other questions, but I don't just blindly follow statistics and numbers. It's too easy to manipulate numbers.

You write as though there are no other options, as though there are no other ways to look at the information. This is simply not the way things work. There is never only one way to look at information and research.



Women have no idea what a blessing it is to be able to get pregnant whenever they want and have a very, very high chance of carrying a healthy child to term. If they did, I think fewer would treat it with such a blase, nothing-bad-will-happen-to-ME attitude. I really does miff me that women who have absolutely everything handed to them, reproductively speaking, will gamble it all even though they have every reason to know better. The risks are there. I'm not making them up to be "mean" or "anti-fat"--if we had a society in which women tried to restrict their weight gain to 10lbs on a large scale, I'd be talking about the dangers of gaining too little. There are risks to many choices--yes, usually choices--including gaining too much, not consuming enough folic acid, having babies too close together, etc. Heck, there are also (smaller) risks to having babies too far apart--my two are farther apart than the safest gap, through no choice of my own. You can get lucky--or fail to get UNlucky--but the statistics and the risks they represent are still there.

This is a gross overgeneralization. How do you know that any of the women on this thread or anywhere else do not have fertility issues? How do you know that any woman who gets pregnant easily takes any risks differently than you do? I'm very sorry if you have had reproductive issues. It's insulting to assume that those who do not have reproductive and/or fertility issues are not looking at all sides of an issue.

[lovelearnandlive]

If you are a normal, healthy woman, you have done something to gain those 50lbs. It IS controllable, and it DOES come from choices that you make every day. It isn't a freak, uncontrollable accident that the average pregnancy weight gain has increased by around 30lbs since the 60s. It has to do with the choices that pregnant women make--some better (like not smoking) and some worse (like thinking that as long as the food's healthy, they are, in your words "eating for a cause"). It also isn't an accident that women in other countries--first-world countries--gain far less than the average American woman now does.

You can give me all the "Well, *I* gained 70lbs with a single baby, and my baby was 8lbs9oz and I had no complications at all!" that you want. Anecdotes don't change statistics. And statistics are pitiless. Statistics don't care about your particular circumstances. They don't care about anything. And they always win out, on the average.



You have control over what you eat and how much you exercise when you are pregnant. You do not have control over how your body reacts. Yes, all women should follow a healthy diet. Yes, some women gain too much weight because they are eating too much, or too much of the wrong things. But if a pregnant women is following a healthy diet, she should not worry about whether she gains 20 pounds or 40 pounds or even 50 pounds. The focus should be on eating right, not on the number of pounds gained.

Back in the 60s doctors were telling patients that they shouldn't gain more than 15-20 pounds when they were pregnant. They discovered that this policy was causing babies to be born with low birth weight. Maybe the fact that they have changed this policy attests to the fact that it wasn't a healthy one in the first place.

The problem with averages is that they are just that: averages. And not all women are average. And so throwing out average weight numbers and saying that those who don't fit into the range aren't healthy just doesn't work.

I'm not making this argument in defense of myself. I didn't gain "too much" weight with my pregnancy. But I think that your posts could push a "non-average" woman to start worrying too much about her weight as opposed to just concentrating on eating a healthy diet and letting her body do the work it needs to without trying to conform to a number. Which is what her doctor would probably advise her to do as well.

[Mama Lynx]

With DD I had untreated Gestational Diabetes and gained 60 lbs. With DS I lost 40 lbs by the time I was 5 months along, then gained 60 after that, most of which was 7 months plus. DD was 9 lbs 12 oz and DS was 9 lbs 4 oz.

I think that how much weight one gains is usually consistent for the individual woman and diet, exercise, etc, have very little to factor in. The Grilfriend's Guide to Pregnancy agrees with me on this. Get it from thelibrary. You'll love it!

I don't know about consistent. I gained 45 with #1, 30 with #2, 45 or so with #3, and 30 with #4.

I didn't know much about nutrition with #1, but I *certainly* did with #3. Birth weights were comparable for all except #4, who was a full pound heavier than the others.

There are so many, many variables. I have studied pregnancy extensively (I had the idea of becoming a midwife); while I''m no expert, from my reading, experience and observations it seems to me that if a woman is eating healthily (lots of veggies, high-quality protein, no junk food), and exercising, she should not concern herself with the number on the scale.

[Lovedtodeath]

Originally Posted by Reya http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=544198#post544198)
Women have no idea what a blessing it is to be able to get pregnant whenever they want and have a very, very high chance of carrying a healthy child to term. If they did, I think fewer would treat it with such a blase, nothing-bad-will-happen-to-ME attitude. I really does miff me that women who have absolutely everything handed to them, reproductively speaking, will gamble it all even though they have every reason to know better. The risks are there. I'm not making them up to be "mean" or "anti-fat"--if we had a society in which women tried to restrict their weight gain to 10lbs on a large scale, I'd be talking about the dangers of gaining too little. There are risks to many choices--yes, usually choices--including gaining too much, not consuming enough folic acid, having babies too close together, etc. Heck, there are also (smaller) risks to having babies too far apart--my two are farther apart than the safest gap, through no choice of my own. You can get lucky--or fail to get UNlucky--but the statistics and the risks they represent are still there.

Originally posted by Susie in Tx
This is a gross overgeneralization. How do you know that any of the women on this thread or anywhere else do not have fertility issues? How do you know that any woman who gets pregnant easily takes any risks differently than you do? I'm very sorry if you have had reproductive issues. It's insulting to assume that those who do not have reproductive and/or fertility issues are not looking at all sides of an issue.

I have to agree with you again Susie! I tried for over a year with hormone treatments to get pg with DS. We almost lost both of us due to severe Ulcerative Colitis. After almost starving to death and being a hair away from a feeding tube, I had to have minor surgery while pg, along with drugs that are not tested for safety. After going through that food had a new appreciation for me (I still have to fight the urge to eat as much as I can when I can) and I went on to pack on at least 60 pounds in the remainder of my pregnancy. My baby boy is so precious to me. It was a struggle to get him and keep him here. (He also had moderate jaundice and severe food allergies which caused breathing difficulty.)