[outdoorgirl81]

Hi Guys,

Looking for some perspective here please.

I am currently 27 weeks pregnant and have put on 15kg. This is my second pregnancy and last time I put on 20. I was a healthy BMI pre pregnancy and lost my weight within 6-9 months afterr, so had been at pre pregnancy weight for at least 9 months prior to falling pregnant again. This time however, for health reasons, and also because I struggled in the 3rd trimester, I was determined to try and limit my weight gain to 15kg.

In both pregnancies I have had hyperemesis early and lost some weight, but then when my appetite comes it comes with the vengeance, and I put on a lot of weight in the 2nd trimester. I try and eat well, but I eat alot, and even though most of my food choices are good one, I definitely eat too much high calorie snack foods. I exercised regularly throughout the second trimester but not huge amounts, I work full time in an active job and look after my almost 2 year old as well.

I'm starting to feel very depressed about the fact that despite being so motivated and aware this time, I only weigh 1kg less than I did at the same stage last pregnancy. While I do like food, I don't seem to have any problem controlling my weight when I'm not pregnant. Am I being too precious here? I am quite tall (178cm), should I just relax and accept for whatever reason that is what my body does during pregnancy. I'm torn between getting to obsessed with this and not wanting to cause health consequences to myself and baby through excessive weight gain. And I'm also VERY hormonal and vulnerable because I'm on night shift at the moment, so little things upset me more.

Thanks in advance.

[wannabe30]

I'm like you OP - we are even almost the same height. I also put on 20kg when pg but lost it all (except the last two pesky kilos!) easily.

I think it's best not to stress about it. I realised after I had DS how puffed up I had been with water retention. So I think a lot of the weight was just water, not fat iykwim.

I know it's hard, but given that last time you had no weight issues post-pregnancy, I think just relax ad accept that it's how you're meant to be when pg.

[Gruffalo's Child]

My SIL is like you in height OP, and a healthy pre-pregnancy weight. She was told by her OB to expect to put on 20 kilos or so in her first pregnancy, and did so. She also lost it quite quickly. She'd have put on a similar amount in her second pregnancy, but is already on the way to get back to her normal weight.

It can be hard watching the scales go up and up. My worst moment was when I couldn't even see over my bump to read the scales, so had to have the receptionist come out and inform me how much more I had put on. Very humiliating! I'd try to focus on the fact that you are lucky enough to lose the weight quickly and easily afterwards, I struggled for over 3 years to lose mine.

[deejie]

When pregnant with DS1, I stacked on 18kg. On a 52kg pre-preg, 163cm frame (healthy BMI), I can tell you this was massive. I ate reasonably well and walked to and from work each day (6km round trip) but it didn't matter. After DS1 was born, I dropped below my pre-preg weight before stabilising at my pre-preg weight when he was around 18months old (we were still BFing at that point).

I had DS1 through the public system and was always hassled about my weight gain. It irritated me.

DS2 was a planned homebirth and I threw away the scales. My midwife was not keen on weigh-ins, which delighted me. I didn't weigh myself once the entire pregnancy, but I can tell you I put on *at least* the 18kg I did with DS1. Throwing away the scales was the best thing I ever did. I learnt through my midwife to trust that given I was eating well and exercising moderately, my body would put on the weight it needed to birth and feed my baby.

I didn't stand on the scales again until DS2 was around 6 months old. I have never been one to overly stress about body image, but I must admit not having the (subconscious) pressure of weight gain and weight loss was just lovely.

Have you thought about throwing away your scales and just forgetting about it? You can't obsess and worry about what you don't know.

[outdoorgirl81]

[

Have you thought about throwing away your scales and just forgetting about it? You can't obsess and worry about what you don't know.
[/quote]


Yes!!! I guess that is what I am leaning towards now, getting my husband to put the scales in the attic where I can't reach them, and instead just concentrate on eating healthily, exercising moderately, and enjoying the last 3 months. To be honest stressing on this is starting to detract from my enjoyment of the pregnancy.

The irony is no one else is giving me a hard time, my lovely ob does a single weight at 10 weeks and hasn't mentioned my weight since, and last time the midwife actually told me at 39 weeks that 20kg was fine for my height. The problem is I'm a health professional and a "good girl" and I've been very focused on the 11-16kg advice as being the "healthy" weight gain for a pregnancy.

[libbylu]

I started this pregnancy in the healthy weight range and I have put on nearly 15 kilos and I am currently 26 weeks. I think I put on about 20kg overall last pregnancy, but I lost all but two or three kilos within 2 weeks of the birth (probably not totally healthy but I was in labour for three days and couldn't eat at all, then hardly ate after my emergency caesar coz I felt so sh*t), but then 12 months after DS was born I was even a few kilos lower than my pre-pregnancy weight, which I credit to all the breastfeeding.
So this time I am not so stressed about all the weight gain. I think some people do just put it on more when they are pregnant. The only negative I can see is that we may end up with bigger babies.
I am confident I will lose it again, although I am six years older this time, so expect it to take a little longer.
Try not to worry too much - using the words of my midwife "you'll be fine as long as you don't eat junk".

[belindarama]

I think sometimes your body just does what it wants to do.

I am 'tiny' or so people often tell me. Short and slight. I put on 25 kgs both times I was pregnant and I really didn't eat that much more than usual. I am not a huge eater and my eating probably just increased to what most people eat but my body held on to every single gram.

Even after the second, being a bit older and not having the ability to go for walks as easily with 2 I lost the weight pretty easily. My walks with the pram to get a bit of air became strolls at DS1's pace!

[Lozypopz]

Hi OP,

I could have written your post about a week or 2 ago....actually im pretty sure i did.

Im just over 26 weeks and i weighed myself about 10 days ago and I had put on 11kgs and was so worried....I also had bad HG until 20 weeks.

I then posted and all the lovely ladies on here were so helpful.
basically as long as you are not eating chocolate for breakfast lunch and dinner and getting a balanced diet dont worry about what you put on......and if you are still really worried, talked about it with your doctor.

I am not hopping on the scales for the rest of my pregnancy unless i have to.

I hope you feel better about things now!

[deejie]

Yes!!! I guess that is what I am leaning towards now, getting my husband to put the scales in the attic where I can't reach them, and instead just concentrate on eating healthily, exercising moderately, and enjoying the last 3 months.

Do it

[Tooties]

I'm only 162cm and with my first I put on 30kgs for a variety of reasons. It all came off pretty quick. With number 2, I refused to weigh myself, even to the point of when they weighed me on the day of my caesarian, I insisted they not tell me the weight!

This time round I'm doing the same thing - was healthy before I got pregnant, am eating well and refuse to weigh myself. I know I'm retaining water and I am having trouble being active so I know I'm stacking it on. Its just easier not to focus on or worry if I'm not attaching a number to it.