Questionable "Suggested Weight Gain" for Pregnancy...

You Know????, I was over weight when I got pregnant as well, so I started walking 3 miles every day, I ate a lot but fruits, vegetables, lots of grains and water, tried not to eat sweets, white bread, sodas or juices because they have to much sugar.... I mean junck food(fries,etc) and... what happened??? I started loosing weight, instead of gain. At the end of my pregnancy my weight was the same.
I gave birth very quick and I can tell you without much pain, after that my doctor tell me that it was because I did exercise.
Good Luck.
Sorry if I made mistakes, english is not my first language.

baby #1 I gained 6 pounds and lost almost 15 before leaving the hospital. baby #2 I gained 20 lost 20,
baby #3 I gained 40 (went high risk) lost 20,
baby #4 I gained 70+ and have lost 10.

Eat well, walk and drink water.
M.

With my third pregnancy, it was suggested to me that I only gain 15-25. I have seen that in other places. I am 5'4" and at the start of this pregnancy weighed 150. I have never seen a weight gain that little be suggested. You can do a search for pregnancy and BMI. With my other two pregnancies, I was around 140-145 and was told I could gain 25-35. I was seen in an OB clinic with the military, so you rarely see the same person over and over again. I had one of the doctors tell me she didn't really care how much I gained (within reason) as long as I was eating healthy. She said if you are eating healthy, you won't have the excessive weight gain. She said all women are different and will gain different amounts.

I agree with the other comment about 10 pounds being unrealistic. If you have an 8 lb pound baby and then the blood increase, placenta and fluid...you would actually have to "lose" weight to keep within that "goal" Perhaps she made an error when she said it....we all make mistakes!

Ten pounds actually sounds about right. I mean, it's not the end of the world if you gain more, but she is trying to help you lose some of the "fat" you have now so that you will be even lighter once you have the baby. If you eat right and start exercising, you will actually lose some weight during pregnancy and then gain it back from the baby being healthy. So, you lose 15 pounds and gain 25, thus making you 10 pounds more than when you started. But, that is entirely up to you. You should have a sit down with your midwife and tell her how you feel.

I have also had a difficult time loosing the post pregnancy weight. I am also 5'11'' and pushing around 220lbs. My advice to you is that moderate exercise is recommended during pregnancey. Also ask your mid-wife if she/he can reccomend a good nutritionist. Hard dieting isn't reccommended during pregnancy however, by changing your diet and doing moderate exercise like walking or mommy yoga, you may find yourself loosing a few pounds in a healthy way.
When I was pregnant, my also pregnant personal trainer, gave me this information. Also during your first trymester of pregnancy loosing weight isn't going to harm you or your baby. Congrats on your new baby.

Hi A.. I'm a certified birth doula in Beaverton, OR. In my experience I have heard that if a woman starts out overweight that the weight gain during pregnancy is quite minimum. I'm not really surprised that a midwife would suggest only 10 lbs. An OB/Gyn would probably allow more weight gain, but midwives tend to be a little more strict on this. I know it seems like a very small amount, but if you eat wisely (not starve yourself), you should be able to manage it. If you're having trouble, then talk with your midwife about it and see if she can help you out. Hope this information was helpful.
K.

A.,

You'll learn real fast, that I am a great believer in God our Father. I would first pray for peace. I've learned when you start to panic in any situation, you can not think as well as you would if your mind was clear. Well at least I can't. Then I would ask him to bless me with a healthy baby, and a healthy pregnancy for me. Now, in that blessing, he'll let you know if weight gain at the time discussed is necessary. Maybe, Maybe he doesn't want you to gain weight right now so you can be healthy and take care of the one you have as well as the one coming. Now, I know a girl, she's got 2 beautiful baby boys, now ages 3 and 5. She was a tiny thing and gained only 18 to 25 pounds her entire pregnacy both times. I also know a lovely woman who is slightly bigger than you. Well, maybe just bigger. Anyways, she's got 3 lovely children the oldest 11 years old and the youngest 3 and she gained only 10 or 20 pounds her whole pregnacy, but those children are healthy, and she did great when having them, she actully didn't start having problems, till she had operations to loose weight. Put it in God's hands, he'll let you know. F.

Hi A., i agree with the other comments you recieved. this is a time to be celebrated. enjoy your pregnacy. stop worrying its not good for you or the baby, relax do whats right for you and it will all work its self out in the end. sometimes its just best to get a second oppinion. then go from there. i wish you the best of luck and congradulations. when i was pregnant what i did was keep like a note pad and i would write down everything i ate and before i knew it i was loosing weight without even trying to make it a conscience effort because when you see it on paper for some reason you see it in a different way. which helps you cut out the things you know you shouldnt eat to begin with.good luck

I see "yes" and "no" to your question and here's what I have to say. I was in the the Army when I got pregnant with my first. A little worried about weight I went to my Drill Sgt. Here's what this 5 nothing woman who holds the Army record for sit-ups told me. She gained 60 lbs. If that wasn't enough I went to my mom who put on 60+ lbs. with all 4 pregnancies. In the end, despite working out and watching what I ate, I put on 60 lbs. Your body needs what it needs. Instead of the focus being weight this should be a health issue! As long as you eat balanced meals, healthy snacks, exercise (I recommend the Fit Mama Pregnancy workout DVD-LOVED IT!), and remain HEALTHY, who cares what you gain...with my second I gained 35. Just go with what your body needs, limit junk and fast food, stick with clear liquids, and take your pre-natals faithfully. The key is being healthy.

as long as you are taking care of your self you shouldn't worry about your weight gain! It is important for your baby to be healthy...worry about your weight gain after the pregnancy. Only gaining 10 pounds seems a little unrealistic to me. You are going to gain the weight your body wants to gain...you might want to look into another mid-wife. Being pregnant and stressed isn't goos for you either.

You can do it. To only gain 10 Lbs while pregnant. You can loose body fat while the baby gains. You have to watch what you eat. Eat alot of proteins, vegtables some fruits, take it easy on the carbs. You have to eat carbs though for the baby so dont give them up totally. I had diabetes when I was pregnant with my last one and I only gained about 10 Lbs while I lost weight because of the food I ate. You will have to study up on alot of foods to see what is healthy. I gave up sugar all together but I still ate the fruits in moderation. I allowed myself one nutty bar a day,( I felt that was how I could cheat). Good luck with it. But you CAN do it.

I would assume your midwife is just giving you your ideal weight gain for your pregnancy. There is nothing she can do to you if you gain more. Most woman gain more than is recommended, even thinner women. It mainly means that you will have more to lose after the baby is born. I gained 45 pounds with my first and 35 with my second. My second is 6 months old, and I am only 5 pounds away from my original weight.

As a childbirth educator I would encourage you to stay as healthy as you can during your pregnancy though. Ask your midwife what low impact exercises would be safe for you to do during your pregnancy. Also, many overweight woman find that they lose weight during the first half of their pregnancy. The healthier you are, the better you will be able to handle to the rigors of childbirth. But I wouldn't worry too much about it yet. Feel free to email me with other pregnancy/birth related questions at ____@____.com

hey A. i too when i got preg with my second child was over weight.. well during the preg i ate right and did all i was suposed to well i lost 15 pounds while preg.. and i had a 8 pound baby boy who is perfectly healthy. so yeah it is okay to only gain 10 or even lose. and i was like your size when i got preg with my son.
C.

At first that suggestion seemed unrealistic, but thinking about my last pregnancy i guess its not that odd. With my second i was about 30 pounds overweight, but i didnt gain a single pound during my pregnancy, in fact i lost 3. I was a wreck about it but my DR just said that as long as i was eating and the baby was growing then i souldnt worry about it. My son was born 8 pounds 5 ounces, 22 inches long and perfect.

I jusy had my first baby 7 weeks ago, am 6ft tall and weigh about 265. I am really quite active and very healthy. I was 275 pre-pregnancy and gained 30 lbs eating pretty well and walking for exercise. I lost all my pregnancy weight in 2 weeks (baby was only 7lbs 5 oz) and have lost another 10 since (breastfeeding rocks)! I also had a midwife and ours was not concerned with my weight gain at all (and I'm a LOT heavier than U). Just a word of warning though - I ended up with toxemia, but not until my 39th week. Not sure if my weight had anything to do with the toxemia or not, they really don't know what causes it. My BP during pregnancy had normally been 120 over 62 until that last week and has since returned to normal. Our midwife never said a word of concern about my weight, just congratulated me on losing now. I guess bottom line I would say is get a second opinion. We are all different shapes and sizes and need to have more faith in our bodies - and love for them as they are!

Hi! The reason why the midwife suggested such a small weight gain is because you are probably at risk for diabetes and other complications because of your weight. By no means should you diet during pregnancy, but you don't need to eat a whole lot more because you are pregnant. "Eating for two" is a myth. I would just concentrate on eating healthy during your pregancy.
Each pregancy differs, and each person differs as well. During my first pregnancy I only gained 3 lbs. I did not diet at all and I love to eat! I was concerned at first, but as long as my son was developing and growing, I was told not to be concerned with the small weight gain. He was perfect at birth and not underweight. I lost 20 lbs after giving birth to him. I am now 3 weeks away from giving birth to my second child, and this time I have only gained 1 pound. My daughter is healthy and normal size.
Good luck during your pregnancy!

I would suggest another midwife. I am 5'0" and weigh 115. When I switched to a midwife for my 3rd pregnancy i told her that I gained 50 pounds during my first two. She said she would watch me and see if we could bring that down. My 4th (current) pregnancy I had to switch to another midwife. There was a considerable weight gain between 2 appointments (8 lbs). She asked if I believed that was true, I told her that I tend to gain 50 lbs, and she said some bodies just have their own idea of what it takes to help a baby make it, and if 50 lbs was normal for me then that is the way it should be.
Overall the most important thing for you to know is that it is your job to eat right and give your baby all that it needs. You will gain what you and your baby need and you shouldn't wory about it. There is a difference between a healthy weight gain and eating a dozen doughnuts a week.

If you don't feel comfortable with your midwife and the information she gave you, I recommend you switch ASAP as the relationship you have with your medical provider is very important. You have to trust her so you can go to her with questions and get honest answers.

good luck!

Hi A. I worked for an OBGYN for four years and weight gain is different for everyone. Some women even actually lost weight because before they we pregnant they ate what ever they wanted and when they became pregnant they were more careful. I would not worry about you weight gain just watch what you eat and try to walk daily and you will be fine.

Good Luck,

T. Ryan

That doesn't sound right...do you have Doctor that you could run the question by? I've never heard less than 15 either. I am not an expert, but I would say eat healthy, get as much light exersize as the Doc recommends and deal with any weight issues post-natal!

Have you questioned your midwife as to why she feels this way? It seems to me that the most important thing for you to do is take care of yourself and eat healthy and not worry about what the scales say. I am 5'6" and I weighed 220 lbs when I had my first kid, I gained 80 lbs and my doctors were not worried about my weight. With my last 2 kids I was just under 200 when I had them. I am 5 inches shorter then you and unless your midwife has a reason based on your health for your weight gain I would get a second opinion. My favorite thing about being pregnant is it's an opportunity for me to eat anything I want and as much of it as I want. I workout, eat healthy, and lose the weight after the baby is born. I still eat healthy when I am pregnant but I don't skip seconds on a good meal.

I was also considered overweight (5'11 and 185) when I got pregnant and also told to only gain 15 pounds; 10-15 lbs. gain is the textbook standard for "overweight" pregnant women. I put on 30. I have delivered my daughter two weeks ago and dropped almost 20 pounds immediately. Now, this is my first pregnancy so I can't tell you how typical or atypical my case may be, but know you are not alone. My body just wouldn't process veggies during pregnancy (I threw up every time I ate salad) or do well with other good food. I did the best I could and just tried to eat something. In the end, my daughter was 8 lbs. 8 oz. and both of us are fine. Take it all with a grain of salt.

I agree 10 lbs is a bit much or little as the case of pregnancy may be. She is probably thinking to tell you 10 with room for 5-10 more but no more than that. It can present complications at birth for you and maybe baby. I had good suggestions with my midwifes office along my pregnancy. Eat lots of mini meals. Eat as much fresh raw veggies and fruit that you can possibly eat. That plus wild salmon, light brown tuna, and halibut is excellent also sardines for brain food. Steam these if you cant stand raw. Lightly. Eat yogurt for snacks at night and to sneak in more protein into your new food plan, eat roasted soy beans(not genetically modified ones). Yogurt, and roasted soy bean nuts, saved me from gaining too much weight as did LOTS of daily walks, drinking lots of home delivered pure water, and taking
Shaklee supplements. Tons of them. I for the most part completley avoided junk food, refined sugars,but ate honey. I did not gain more than 12 or was it 15 lbs with my first. He is a little "genious" now! Gifted is what he is called. Now my second one, well, I thought I could relax as now, I was such the "expert". HUH! I ate Ben and Gerrys Chunky Monkey ice cream, and other junk foods (with no chemicals though). I gained like 37 lbs. took some "natural" health food store pre-natals, and well, I was still carrying 15 lbs of fat after my c-section and breast feeding. He also had ADHD which is now ADD due to a hypothyroid condition(too low thyroid function). He rarely goes to school and has been doing this for the last 2 years. So he has a 6th grade education and is in 8th grade but too smart for a "special" program at school. Learn from me, and don't cut corners like I did. Also I developed pre-eclampsia with this child in the last week or 2 of my pregnancy. This is caused by a protein deficiency/stress and too much junk food and not enough sleep, rest, water. I would never recomend "slacking" for any pregnancy! Eat "brain foods" lots of dark green veggies, and orange ones,fish and take good care of yourself . Watch "Losers" on tv and get some FREE nutritional weight control ideas from this. Good Luck . Take VERY GOOD care of yourself, It will greatly affect your baby. Did you know the water in your babies environment changes every 20 mins. good or bad? Drink lots of purified water. You can buy the large 5 gallon containers at WalMart or other stores, and fill them yourself at the grocery stores with purified water saving money from getting it delivered unless $ is not a big issue. Jean

I know how you feel! My doctor told me at 18 weeks that i had gained the maximum amount of weight that she wanted me to gain for my whole pregnancy. I was devastated but i will tell you what i have learned and the advice people gave me. All you need to do is make sure that you have a healthy baby that is most important. If you gain more than people think you should that is their deal, if you are doing everything in your power to make sure your baby is healthy. I would say just eat healthy and walk alot and whatever you gain is fine as long as that baby comes out happy and healthy!!

I was in your boat. I am 5'10" and weighed 185 when I became pregnant. So technically I was ten pounds overweight. I would worry more about consuming the right nutrients rather than the exact amount of pounds you should gain. I gained 20 pounds with my pregnancy, although I lost ten pounds in the first trimester, so I guess really I gained 30. But more importantly you need to focus on eating foods that are nutrional and getting an amount of exercise that is safe for you. If your mid-wife is more concerned on pounds rather than nutrion maybe you should find a new one. Hope that helps and good luck with your pregnancy!

My first concern is that she may not be the right midwife for you. If her concern is focused around your weight.... you'll likely have struggles in your relationship throughout your pregnancy.

A ten pound weight gain isn't realistic... and puts undue pressure on you. The amount of blood volume your body will increase weighs more than that. She is basically expecting you to "lose" weight during your pregnancy... and that isn't safe.

It seems we all have the same advise.. not to worry. My 1st pregnancy I gained only 12 lbs and my current pregnancy I have gained about 8 with 6-7 weeks left to go. I am 5'9 205lbs right now. You will be fine if you listen to your body. :)

Hi A.--have you ever had any problems with gestational diabetes in your first pregnancy or are you at risk for diabetes in general?

I am also on the heavier side and when my blood sugar rose dramatically during my first pregnancy, I was sent to a nutritionist who told me how to still eat enough for my developing baby but also how to restrict my sugar intake.

With my next two pregnancies, I also carefully monitored my diet and only gained 12 pounds for each child--so it is possible but get a nutritionist to help you do this. It's not only a matter of how much and what you eat, but when.

Good luck!

J.

I was around the same weight as you when I became pregnant with my 2nd but also knew I would have gestational diabetes. For the sake of the baby & myself, I had to go on a diabetic diet and get regular excercise. While I didn't do as well with the excercise, I stayed on the diet as best as I could and only gained 24 lbs. Try seeing a dietician or ask your mid-wife to help you out with this. A diabetic diet is good for anyone since it gives you the best nutrients and keeps your carb in-take low. Good luck & congratulations!

go to babycenter.com and check out their weight gain indicator. it takes your height and weight and if you're having twins or not and tells you what a safe weight gain would be. i am 5'8" and weighed 185 before getting preggers with twins. clearly overweight. it still says i should gain 25-45 pounds with the twins. and my doctor has not said a word about me already gaining 12 pounds in 5 months. ideally, the less weight the better but sometimes you can't plan ahead like that. good luck!

I would say that only gaining 10 lbs during pregnancy is a far reach...I believe all research recommends at least 15-20 if the pregnant mom is overweight.

Just watch what you eat and be sure to exercise. If you gain weight despite your best efforts, than that is what your body intends to do for pregnancy.

Hi A.,
I have 4 kids, and my first one was 9lbs 8 oz's, at that time before getting pregnant, I weighed 98 lbs, I weighed 168 before I had my 1st son, I'm only 5ft 2 1/2 in tall, I also had a midwife, the same midwife for all four of my kids, I did go back to my 98 lbs after my first and then my 2nd son came, I weighed 132 pounds when I had him, the same with my 3rd and with my 4th, and i know that is way over 10 lbs. so I'm not sure where that is going, so all I can say is just make sure you take care of yourself and I myself had no problems having my kids at home, my midwife was a very caring lady and she has done so many at home births, she was wonderful and I wouldn't have had it anyother way, her name was lydi, she now is retired and is working on a movie about home births. so I just pray you do what makes you comfortable. I even had all my kids turned right side up before I had them, and I was given excersizes to do to make them turn head down. so I do hope you will not have any problems. and wish you much luck.
Dee

Hi A.,
I have five children, and with all but my last son I saw a midwife, I am also going to school to be a midwife. Anyhow, I don't think at this point your midwife should be educating you on exact pounds to gain or not to gain, but on how to eat foods that are nutritionally excellent for you and your baby. For example you may eat foods that are empty in calories and gain forty pounds which wouldn't be good for you or baby, now if you ate foods that are nutritionally beneficial for you and baby and gained 25 pounds which is average for a pregnant woman, that would be ok. Just be as healthy as you possibly can, and try not to worry about what the scale say's.
Best of luck to you!

Take it as a suggestion, you are way too busy to focus on that. It will probably be much easier on your body if you don't gain a lot of weight. With all of the other things going on in your life you will be busy enough without worrying about weight, and if you are like many of us thinking about it is frustrating and you'll eat more.

I can appreciate the "bit narotic about research" as I am the same. I think you are certainly justified in your concern and should bring your research and concern to your midwife and see what she says.

10 lbs sounds a bit extreme. Though, with my second pregnancy that's about all I gained. I think I gained 13 over all. I'm only slightly overweight. (5'9" and 165) I delievered a healthy 8lb 7oz baby girl in August. But I credit my low weight gain to no fast food. I had a huge aversion to any fried food. I couldn't even stand pizza. So I ate pretty health. I ate a lot of fruits and vegitables and drank plenty of water. I also did a lot of walking. Take your other child out for walks during the day or something. Good luck, and don't stress about it too much....stress makes you gain weight anyway! :) Have a happy pregnancy!