Pregnancy Weight Gain Out of Control!

I have been learning about this myself, but only because I am now done having children, and the weight was not coming off, actually, I was gaining more. I've been going to my chiropractor for several years and I have watched the way they have been doing things. I have recently started eating the foods they eat, and, WOW! what a difference for me! In one week, I lost enough weight to be able to again button up a blouse that I couldn't use one week earlier. I eat only fresh vegetables - like fully loaded salads, absolutely NO breads, rice, pasta, cereals, etc., and only very lean meats. I also only drink water or real fruit juice. I can eat as much fresh fruit as I want, and lots of beans (for the protein), and as much organic as I possibly can.

I know - sounds scary, right? Actually, I am not missing the foods I used to eat. I get enough calcium from vegetables, vitamins and minerals from the fruits, and I never feel tired, I have more energy, and don't get that sleepy feeling after eating, because my body is not having to work so hard to digest food that is not good for it, or is processed so much that there is no way for it to be digested. I load up my salads with all kinds of stuff - carrots, tomatoes, cooked pinto beans and black beans, freshly squeezed lime juice, a little cheese, and whatever else is in the fridge. I am loving it so much! I can eat all day long, and I don't gain a pound! If you do use a diet like this and still gain weight, then it's good weight, and will come off eventually.

I am a 32 year old SAHM of 5 children 8,7,5,4,2, and have been married to my best friend for 9 years. I homeschool my children and I love being the one to watch them learn and be able to help them as they grow.

Hi S.!
Congrats on #2! I'm pregnant with #3 and going through very similar issues. Although, I was able to loose almost all the post baby weight after #2 since I started having an in-home personal trainer. She is wonderful and is the only thing that has worked to keep me motivated to exercise. She brings her own equipment and knows just what to recommend even though I'm pregnant now. If you're interested, I'll send you her email. But also, she is a personal trainer and gained 60+ with both her pregnancies, I'm a registered dietitian, I would hope I would know what I'm doing but still gained 45+ with both pregnancies. But we both somehow had healthy pregnancies and babies... which is what is important. For now I would focus on healthy eating and exercise, but don't worry too much about weight until after baby gets here.

I had the same problem. I gained 55 lbs with my second child even though I was sick every day!

I do know I also had a lot of fluid. I had a C-section and when they cut me open the fluid literally splattered all over the ER!!!! You could even hear it. I lost 32 lbs before even leaving the hospital.

WOW tough one- With each of my 3 children I gained between 25 and 30 pounds. I would highly recommend that you talk to your doctor and a nutritionist. Maybe what you eat "normally" is causing you to gain weight. Even a salad made a certain way is a ton of calories. Gaining to much weight can be harmful to you and the baby and it goes without saying it is very hard for you once the baby is born. I would not cut calories on your own because that also is not good. It sounds like you need expert advise. Good luck and congratulation - children are such a blessing. No matter how much you gain it is 100% worth it when you see their cute faces.

I have gained 37 pounds with my second pregnancy and now am back to my pre-pregnancy body after four months of baby birth. I was drinking an organic weight loss tea called Mummy magic tea that helped me losing my weight without affecting my breast milk production.

I found a huge difference between by first pregnancy and the most recent. My boys are (almost) 4 and just turned 1. I gained with my first, but nothing unexpected. I lost it after about a year without TOO much effort, though it did take some work. With my second, I gained like crazy and have yet to lose all of it. I feel (and this is just my opinion), that the difference in prenatal vitamins I was taking played a part. My eating habits were the same, if not better than with my first, and of course I was chasing after a toddler while pregnant the second time. With the second pregnancy my prenatal vitamins contained the Omega-3 oils. Of course, these are good for you, but I think that I was consuming enough on my own that this just added to it and my body wasn't in a position to eliminate the added fatty intake. Some of my reading has confirmed the possibility, but again, this is just my opinion and what I noticed with myself. Whatever the cause, here I am trying to wish away the pounds at the computer instead of on the elliptical sitting right next to me, LOL...

Hello, I dont really have any suggestions or know any medical reason for this but if you find out anything could you please let me know, lol!! With my son i gained 80 lbs. and with my duaghter i gained 60 lbs. and still have about 25 to lose. With my daughter i was only 3 weeks pregnant and my jeans were already getting tight and thats how i knew. Its crazy how much i gain! And i tried everything you did and nothing helped me. So good luck and congrats on the pregnancy!

I gained about 50lbs with my last pregnancy, and was miserable...my legs were pitting, my fingers were so numb I couldn't write and I just felt FAT! Upon delivery, it was discovered that I had Polyhydroamnios...WAY too much amniotic fluid. It was making it so the rest of my body couldn't get the normal fluids circulating and I was just swelling up. I hope that's not your problem but it's something to think about. Good news is that I now weigh less than I did before that pregnancy...go figure!

L.

S.

Pregnancy is quite a learning experience. At no other time in our lives do I think we are shown how "NOT in control we are able to be over all things". Of course you are watching what you eat if this was already a previous issue. But if you are still gaining weight in SPITE of eating healthy...and you have had your thyroid checked...you may just have pregnancies like that. If it makes you feel any better, I threw up morning/noon/night for 9 months straight with my first pregnancy, and still managed to gain 40 lbs.!! Ironically, we had just checked my throid before the pregnancy and it was normal. We checked it right after delivery too, and it was still normal. About 4 months postpartum, we found it was really underactive (I got it checked again because I was beyond exhausted---not just standard sleep deprivation). We got it under control and I felt great/lost my baby weight. Then I got pregnant again and started gaining weight and throwing up again. My thyroid levels remained normal, but I gained weight easily again in spite of throwing up/not eating much.

Rule out thyroid, but our bodies do instinctively know how to prepare for a baby...it may be out of your control. And remember that when you deprive your pregnant body of necessary smart calories, it will go into a survival mode for the baby...slowing your metabolism to preserve calories for the baby.

After your delivery, keep an eye on your thyroid (mine was normal immediately after but then plummetted 4 months later). And whatever you do, don't beat yourself up and/or compare your weight gain to other women. Your body is growing a baby! Barring any mediacal problems (ie thyroid), your body knows what it is doing while it is pregnant.

Hope you have a great pregnancy!

I'm sure you know not to diet while you're pregnant, so I won't go into that. I suggest you ask your midwife or OB what exercises are safe during pregnancy. Ask if they can refer you to a dietician or other expert who will give you a meal plan to follow that will give you and your baby proper nutrition. It is frustrating to gain a lot of weight during your pregnancy, but keep your eye on the prize; a healthy, beautiful baby.

Dear S. T.,

Many ladies in my church have lost even more weight than what they started out at (pre-pregnancy weight). All you do is NOT EAT ANYTHING until your stomach growls and then only have a tiny amount, drinking diet drinks or water with it, eating slowly. Your body takes 15 to 20 minutes to tell your brain you are full, so if you eat fast, you eat too much. Form your hand in a small fist and that is the size of your stomach. If you don't stretch it out, you lose weight. Even people in wheel chairs with absolutesly no exercise have lost ALL their excess weight.

My church is affiliated with weighdown.org and the Bible studies teach you how to go to God when you have head hunger and are not actually hungry because your body is calling for it. You can do classes on line if you like.

My church is called Remanant Fellowship out of Brentwood, TN, which is a suburb of Nashville, TN.

L. C.

I would get tested for gestational diabetes and thyroid right away. this is not healthy for you or the baby. I hope all goes well for you and your little one, but I would really suggest these tests. hope this helps...

I would have your daughter check your thyroid levels. For a lot of women, their levels drop, which means their metabolism slows way down. Just something to ask about - it only takes a simple blood test to determine.

I was overweight before I got pregnant. Since I was queasy, I carried raw pea pods or carrots everywhere for the first three months or so, nibbling to keep from getting too hungry but never really eating a whole lot. I craved full-fatted dairy like nobody's business, but limited myself to a couple of spoonfuls of rich vanilla bean ice cream or a 1/2 cup of cottage cheese in a sitting (working full time kept me away from the fridge during the day).
I walked to my OB appointments (half-mile or so from my office) all throughout the pregnancy (into late summer) and my blood pressure soared at the end (I'd have to sit for 45 minutes after walking to lower it.
All in all, I gained 20 lbs. Colleages who didn't see me often saw me get smaller and smaller from the back, but enormous from the front. My son was almost 9 lbs, and I had lost 35 lbs. (all water) at his two-week appt.
Keep up the walking....you'll get slower and slower, but it'll do wonders to keep you limber. Eat small colorful meals more frequently to keep your blood sugar at a constant level. And make sure you try to stay away from salt and empty calories (one woman I met gained 85 lbs. because she had a sucker in her mouth non-stop) which do nothing for you or your baby. And water! Even though it may seem counter-productive, the more you drink the more you flush. It actually helps bloating.
Good luck!

Hi S.
My best friend's almost a midwife, she'd told me we all gain differently. She gained 65, I gained 60, and were both very health minded people. I suggest keeping a food log so you know what your getting. And can back it up if the Doc gives you a hard time. Also log your exercise. And eat a ton of veggies. I have a good book called Every womans guide to eating during pregnancy isbn# 0-395-98660-5 it even has meal plans for vegetarian, vegan, and meat eaters! Eating vegetarian you can get all the protine you need w/ good food combinations, and it's lower in fat, and calories. It's a great book any way.
Good luck, A. H

My first thought is thyroid - and I see it has been mentioned previously. If you haven't had it checked, I would recommend having that done. If that's not it, at least it's ruled out... and it's very important to keep the thyroid working properly if possible. :) Good luck!

I would definately check into the medical reasons first with some help from your dr. (Thyroid, diabetes etc... ) From my own personal experience, even before pregnancy I have struggled A LOT with keeping my weight at a healthy level. I gained almost 60 pounds with my first and have been struggling to get back to a healthy weight ever since. I tried Weight Watchers before I had my second, and it helped to lose 20 pounds. Then I had a 3rd (and gained again). Then a year before I got pregnant with my 4th, I started making some life changes based on the research and science written about in the book You on a Diet by Drs. Oz and Roizen. Basically I gave up many foods (not all, I ain't a saint!!) that contain refined white flour, sugar, wrong fats and started exercising. I lost 15 pounds before I got pregnant, only gained 20 my entire pregnancy, had my 9 pound 2 oz. boy and went right back to my pre-pregnancy weight. And now (7 months after he was born) I have lost another 15 lbs. I feel great and I am only another 15 pounds away from my high school weight!!

I guess to sum up, If the weight gain can't be explained by a medical condition.. maybe look at the nutritional content of the foods that you're consuming? Since making the changes, I have so much more energy and I don't feel hungrey from the sugar rollercoaster I used to be on. But whatever you do... please make sure to check with your doctor!! There's a baby on board!!
Peace!
Be

Have you had your thyroid checked? I have an underactive thyroid and when my levels are out of whack I gain weight like crazy - pregnant or not!

S.,

Just a thought...Could extra calories be getting into your diet through what you drink?

Heather

As soon as that pregnancy hormone hit my blood, I put on 10 lbs too! even though I was puking my guts out! It was that way with both of my boys. I put on 50 lbs with both. The 1st one I was sooo careful about what I ate. I even measured my food so I knew I was eating enough and not too much. The 2nd one I ate whatever I wanted and I still put on 50 lbs. I think your genes will just dictate how you carry babies. Don't go crazy pigging out but don't stress too much. What's important is a healthy baby. The weight will come off when it's all over with some effort.

S.,

Don't sweat it! I'm pregnant with my 8th, and sometimes I gain only 15 lbs and others I gain 60. I don't know why. Probably the hormones. But, if you ask your doctor, and he can't find anything wrong, then, don't beat yourself up about it. In the end, you'll have a gorgeous baby, that you're going to fall in love with, and it really won't matter what size you are . . . that baby will love you too.
But, I can tell you for sure that, if you cut back on calories, when your body actually needs more, your body will store the fat to prevent starvation. So, just eat normally, but eat healthy.
God Bless You - G.

Hi S.---Congrats on baby #2. Our bodies are extremely efficient at 'storing' extra food in case of famine. It is why our species survived tens of thousands of years ago. So don't beat yourself up too much. Some are more efficient at storing than others.

Too many people think of their diet in terms of what not to eat and counting calories. I have been studying health and wellness for several years and I like the philosophy of choosing foods that will promote health. Don't think in terms of limiting calories. If you choose healthful foods like lots and lots of fruits and vegetables, WHOLE grains and legumes (beans), you will naturally meet your need for nutrients. If you want to count something, be sure to eat at least 40g of fiber a day, which you can accoomplish by eating from the 4 groups mentioned already. Limit animal products, they do not contain fiber and mostly saturated fat...animal products actually promote degenerative disease. If you eat 40g of fiber each day, you will lose weight and still consume the nutrients needed for good health. Don't be concerned about protein, plants have lots and lots of it. You can also get high quality protein from soy, tofu, tempeh and edemame (a wonderful 'veggie' found in the frozen food section).

And start a little weight training. It doesn't have to be anything rigorous, but lean muscle burns more calories even when just sitting.

Feel free to contact me and I can provide you with my sources. I have a home based business in wellness education and I would be happy to talk to you and your friends about health and prevention, at no charge to you. Good luck and I hope to hear from you. In health, D. ###-###-####

I have no medical reason for what is happening to you. I can understand your frustration! Could it be alot of water weight too? Too much salty foods? Also watch the carbs, which is really easy to want during pregnancy. Basically a good rule of thumb is eat lots of 'color' foods, green, orange, red, blue but stay away from white. Processed white foods, breads and crackers, white sugar even potatoes. They change to sugar in your system. I know that I gain weight very easily if I see myself eating too much sugar.

I teach HypnoBirthing childbirth education and we cover nutrition in the classes. Email me back personally if you want to discuss more about it.

Good Luck and happy pregnancy,
J.

I would talk to your doctor to make sure there are no unusual medical issues. It could just be how you gain during pregnancy. I would be very very careful about 'cutting back on calories'. You want to ensure baby is getting everything he/she needs. You need LOTS AND LOTS of protein while pregnant. Make sure you are getting the 'rainbow' of foods every day. Lots of veggies, fruit, protein, etc...

Maybe keeping a journal on what you eat will help you discover where your calories are coming from and help you make good choices.

But I would speak with your OBGYN about the issue and your nutritional needs.

watch foods that hold water! (salt, celery etc.) also watch carbs and starchy foods. that is what got me into trouble at the beginning of my pregnancy. if you continue to have a lot of wt. gain, ask your dr. to help with your nutritional choices of to refer you to a nutritionist that can set you up on your own personal plan that fit your needs exactly!

S.,
During my first pregnancy I gained over 60lbs. I ate a lot of starchy and comfort foods because it made my stomach feel better. I am currently 6 1/2 months pregnant and have only put on 10-13 lbs. The change in my weight gain has to do with the change in my diet. I found out I am allergic to sugar and yeast. I had to elliminate both items from my diet and the weight gain this time has been very slow. I am not eating any empty calories anymore and I feel that it has made a difference. I also don't have the craveings that I had before. If I were you I would make sure that it is not a medical issue first (talk to your doctor get your thyroid checked and allergies tested). I read somewhere if your body is in antihistimine reaction all the time you will put on weight and not be able to take it off very easy (because your body is under stress all the time). I hope you figure out what to do. J.

Dear S.,

I firmly believe that every woman is different, and that hormonal weight gain doesn't always follow calorie weight gain. With all 3 of my pregnancies, I ended upat the same weight,even though I started out at different weights. As long as you know that you are eating a nutritious diet, without excess calories, stop fretting over this. I just figure that when you are during the stages of having babies, your body becomes theirs, and when the pregnancies/breastfeedings are over I can reclaim it again. I also agree that you should check in with your doctor to make sure there is no underlying medical reason for this. Good Luck

I wouldn't worry about it, untill your doctor brings it up. My first preg. I gained 27lbs, and watched everything that went in my mouth. With my second preg. I gained 17lbs and ate icecream at least twice a day and a HUGE steak and potato dinner at least 3 times a week! The funny thing is, the first preg. I lost all the weight no problem, but the second one, I can't seem too lose the pounds!!! I personally think it depends on the child you are carrying and as long as your doctor is okay with it, it's fine!

Hi S.! That's rough! How frustrating!
I'm curious, has your Dr tested you for Gestational Diabetes? What about "functional" (key) low thyroid? How is your blood pressure? These are some things I look at first when people ask me for advice about weight. Another thing I find very important for weight management is how much protein are you getting.

If you would like to talk more about this feel free to email me back or call ###-###-####.
blessings! M. G

have you had your thyroid levels checked? My first pregnancy i only gained 24 lbs but when i got pregnant with my second, my thyroid was out of control (i did not know i had a thyroid prob at the time) and by my 7th week i was up 8 lbs as well and only eating 1700 calories a day. I'd ask your doctor because if it is your thyroid, it's best to get that under control soon.

Good luck!!!

Have you ever had your thyroid checked?? What about "empty" calories?? Pop is the biggest culprit of that one. We just don't realize how many calories we drink. If your not drinking plain water, there are some calories. And are you drinking enough water?? You should be drinking 64 ounces every day. If you are 200 or more, you should be drinking 96! If you don't drink enough water, the body stores it. I have thyroid disease, which I got between kids #2 and #3, and during my 3rd pregnancy, I ate just like my previous 2 and gained 50 pounds. With #4 I walked 2-4 miles every other day and ate very healthy and gained 22 pounds. But I know the feeling you have about gaining when it seems you should be loosing! For ten years, no matter how much (or how little) I gained at least 10 pounds every year. I recently changed to a new doctor, who looking over my history and talking with me, is testing for celiac disease. It's a start. It would explain alot, like how my belly gets bigger without putting on any weight, etc. My suggestion would be to have your thyroid checked first.Let me know how it goes L. S.