Anyone else trying to put on weight while ttc?

[AliceScarlett]

My BMI was 17.8 this morning, not good enough! All the tracking, vitamins and preseed in the world won't counteract the effects of being underweight. I know it doesn't mean I won't concieve, but I can't imagine it will help.

I eat mainly Paleo, without the red meat and just don't find it easy to put on weight, even with all the cashew butter and bloody avocados I eat. I want to eat healthily, so don't want to fill up on junk. I barely exercise either.

All my life I've been trying to lose, now I'm trying to gain anyone else?

[sunshinegirl12]

Hi Alice

My BMI is also low, although I am perfectly healthy with a good balanced diet I have always been this way and find it impossible to put weight on. We have been ttc for just over a year now and have had all the basic tests which are all ok. The past month or so I have stepped it up forcing myself to eat bigger portions, milky drinks etc as I'm worried that if it comes to needing help in the future I'll be refused by the NHS until I gain weight.

[Orangesarenot]

I had to do this. The NHS wouldn't prescribe clomid til my BMI was 20, so I had to put on well over a stone. (Initially they said 19 but then upped it to 20 when I hit 19 and still hadn't conceived.) I tried milky drinks etc, but it was peanut butter that did it eventually - I would have some with every meal. Fortunately I love peanut butter! I also drank beer or wine every night of the week through the summer, and

I can't give you a happy ending unfortunately; although they started treating me last Sep when my BMI hit 20, the drugs still haven't made me ovulate. But at least if I ever do get pregnant, my body has the resources it needs to sustain pregnancy. Good luck!

[AliceScarlett]

Thanks guys. I need to up the peanut butter...

I'm kind of in denial and am hoping I can conceive at this weight. Of all of the stuff I'm doing to increase fertility, putting on weight is not one of them sigh.

[sunshinegirl12]

Alice, I have been the same with putting it off, I have tried everything else going and just figured that as I have a regular cycle and always ovulate that I would be ok...

[AliceScarlett]

Sames...if you don't mind me asking hoe long have you been ttc?

[sunshinegirl12]

Just over a year. We have had all the basic tests and everything has come back ok and my weight hasn't been mentioned. How about you?

[AliceScarlett]

One cycle, not even really started, hence the denial.

I don't know if being underweight is bad for fertility because you can lose your periods or whether its just bad generally regardless.

[sunshinegirl12]

I have done a lot of googling on the subject and have seen plenty of people with a low BMI that got pregnant quickly, aslong as it is not stopping you from ovulating. I don't know if it is the reason why we haven't conceived yet, it could be something totally different, but I know we wouldn't get treatment from the NHS if I need it until I've gained weight. Hopefully you will get your BFP quickly.

[AliceScarlett]

That's helpful info thanks.

Yeah I heard some trusts want a bmi of over 20! Wonder what the rationale for that is if you're actually ovulating.

Sorry to hear you have been trying for over a year, sounds incredibly frustrating. Would they give you clomid at your weight?

[sunshinegirl12]

Although I haven't discussed it with my NHS GP yet, I don't think they would prescribe Clomid as my BMI is just over 18. But I have an appointment with a private specialist lined up so I will see what they say.

[Orangesarenot]

I've remembered the other thing that helped - Jersey milk. Normally I hate full fat milk, but the TTD Jersey Milk from Sainsbury's tasted ok to me if I drank it on its own or in hot chocolate.

A few friends of mine needed IVF, and they told me that the good IVF clinics won't take you unless your BMI is 20 or above, because being less than that reduces your chances of successfully conceiving and carrying to term. There are plenty of examples of women with lower BMIs who do successfully have children I glare at them when I see them I've accepted that it won't work for me.

[sunshinegirl12]

Oranges, I hope you don't mind me asking but is it definitely your low BMI that is the reason for not ovulating?

[Whatdoidohelp]

A low BMI can be just as detrimental to fertility as a high one. I'm not clued up on paleo but I'm sure dairy is too be avoided? , are you sure you are getting enough calcium and protein and iron? Full fat milk is recommended to women doing ivf, maybe it's something you can try, it will at least help with upping calories.

It's maybe not what you want to hear but I know a lot of women who had to drop their eating lifestyle to get pregnant.l when they had ferocity issues. Maybe your one of them?

[sunshinegirl12]

WhatdoIdo, I totally agree with what you are saying, I have been dairy free for a long time as I think I may have a slight intolerance, but the past few months I have re-introduced whole organic dairy and feel ok on it, and I can tell I've already gained a few pounds and think my cycles generally feel a little better.

[Orangesarenot]

Sunshine it sounds like you're still having periods so you're in a better place than me! Feel free to ask away. Unhelpfully, they don't know. I was always slim (around 8 1/2 stone) and fairly sporty with regular periods, then I went to uni and put on the usual stone. I very slowly lost that, and then around the time I started work (with a more 'regular' lifestyle, including regular exercise), my periods stuttered and I got acne and mild depression. Hormone tests showed too much testosterone, so they said it might be PCOS and put me on Yasmin. This immediately solved the acne/depression, and I had regular bleeds. I stayed on it til Oct 14, came off it to TTC, had the pill withdrawal bleed and then nothing since then. My hormone levels don't indicate PCOS anymore, although mild acne came back as I put on weight, so they suggested it might be hypothalamic amenorrhea. This blog by an American woman has more info: noperiodbaby.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/ha-and-weight-which-turned-into-my.html. Hopefully this won't be a problem for you, you sound like your body is much more together than mine.

[AliceScarlett]

Full fat milk added to the shopping list :) iron and protein is fine. I eat eggs and make sure I have sesame seeds which have a ton if calcium in them.

[sunshinegirl12]

Oranges, this must be so frustrating for you esp as you have gained the weight required, are you still on clomid?

[Orangesarenot]

Sunshine I'm still on clomid. In this area they are strict - you need a BMI of at least 20, you get 6 clomid cycles in total, unmonitored apart from two progesterone blood tests per cycle, each cycle has to last 6 weeks (in most places it is 5 weeks), and they have to induce a bleed at least every other cycle. So I finally got the clomid pills in Oct, did a 6 week 50mg cycle which failed followed by another 6 week 50mg cycle which failed. I then had to take norethisterone (horrible drug) for 10 days to induce a period, as provera doesn't work for me, which is quite common for both slim PCOSers and hypothalamic amenorrhea. I'm on CD9 of clomid 100mg, I'll find out a week on Fri if it made me ovulate. However you don't have to worry about this - you say you always bleed and ovulate (I guess you've had blood tests showing that you ovulate?) so hopefully you just need a bit of luck I'm mainly writing this all out in case it helps anyone googling in future. And because it is nice to have a bit of a rant!

You say you've has the standard tests - I guess that means FSH, LH, thyroid, prolactin, oestrogen, progesterone, HSG, sperm analysis? If they are all normal it is probably just a matter of time. Maybe cut back on exercise if you do any? I would ask them if they're happy with your weight - it took them a while to tell me to put on weight, and then of course it took a while for me to actually put it on.

Alice sorry to hijack your thread for my rant!

[stumblymonkey]

Hey Alice **
**
Do you know how many calories you eat on an average day so that you know what your baseline is?

If not, it's worth downloading the app My Fitness Pal as you'd need to eat around 2,300 calories or more to see any noticeable weight gain...

How many meals and snacks do you eat currently?

[AliceScarlett]

Hijack away :)

I used myfitnesspal for aaaaages, so I pretty much know the calorie content of everything, I just don't want to eat junk and don't have a huge appetite, plus I just can't make myself eat when I can't, also I'm scared of putting too much weight on...I have a lot to sort out . If I can't conceive within 6 months I think that will break through a lot of the denial and I'll put more effort in. I just want to be slim and pregnant.... Is that too much too ask??

[AliceScarlett]

Oh, 3 meals, 1 snack, between 1600-1800cals a day.

[Inthehighcastle]

Hi I just wanted to give my story for a bit of reassurance. I lost about a stone a few months ago, BMI down to 18.7, got BFP earlier this month. Although my BMI is in the healthy range it is very low end of this and I feel too thin, so it is possible to fall pregnant with a low BMI. However I am being prescribed meal replacement shakes by my doctor to try to put some weight on (although this is more because I have just been diagnosed Crohns)

[LemurFingers]

Do you do any smoothie type things? I have a nutri bullet and add healthy seeds/nuts to it and can't taste them in it. Wondering if you could maybe add some kind of build up powder/drink? Like what they give you in hosp if under weight. High cal but good nutrients.

[AliceScarlett]

Thanks guys, congrats Inthehighcastle!

I have a nutribullet which is pretty good to get nuts and seeds and things into you without too much effort.

I've started to drink full fat milk as well. We will see.