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Pregnancy

Fed up with obsession about weight gain during pregnancy...

55 replies

Mummysaysno · 19/02/2013 02:34

Really interested to know what is 'normal'...we live in Hong Kong and I have my weight measured every four weeks, and at 24 weeks am at the high end of 'normal'.
This is our fourth child, my children all were born as 9lb plus babies, and I loose the weight after IF I exercise/eat well just like anyone.
I asked my ob what the focus on weight is...is it GD, he said no, although I'll be tested for that as routine at 28 weeks. In the UK I've never had this obsession with weight by midwives, nor in US.
Like many women weight issues can really stress me out...I hate talking about my weight, hate weighing myself, and am probably about one stone heavier than my ideal weight pre pregnancy. However there have been times I've lost lots of weight, and can't eat, due to being unhappy and valued being 'happy' if a little heavier than I liked.
My question is...how much weight gain is 'normal' for real women who eat and crave chocolate? FYI I just put on 5lbs in last 4 weeks and I think he said 21lbs in total so far.
Thanks for patience reading this!!!!!

OP posts:

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Mixxy · 19/02/2013 03:16

It's the same in the States. Weighed every doctors visit. I always ask the nurse if she wants to get on the scales after me. But I've managed to block my weight gain out by asking that I be weighed in kgs. I've no concept of kilograms so finding out that I tip the scales at 82 doesn't really bother me!

Mummysaysno · 19/02/2013 03:31

Yes I should ask my male ob to weigh himself!!!!
Funnily enough I had one of our children in NYC and don't remember obsession with weight...but I did manage to find one of the hard to find midwives instead of having an ob/gyn so I think she enjoyed breaking the rules a bit!
Thanks for making me laugh!

OP posts:

Mixxy · 19/02/2013 04:09

Must have been your midwife, because Im in NYC and the weight obsession starts early in the pregnancy. Don't let it get you down!

Mummysaysno · 19/02/2013 04:28

Oh I can imagine!!!!!!

OP posts:

HazleNutt · 19/02/2013 07:16

Same in France, weighed every month and was warned not to put on too much.
There are different opinions what's normal, one source recommends:
www.babycentre.co.uk/a554810/weight-gain-in-pregnancy

TanteRose · 19/02/2013 07:26

Yep, same in Japan too - they can be ridiculous about it

vvviola · 19/02/2013 07:33

Same in Belgium too. Although I had an English obstetrician who just kind of shrugged his shoulders and told me that Belgian women expected the focus on their weight. He never mentioned it to me again.

(He thankfully also never did the constant vaginal exams that seemed to be standard in Belgium from very early on.)

TepidCoffee · 19/02/2013 07:38

God, I would hate this. I was weighed at booking in and just had my 38 week appointment (well, nearly 39 weeks). It doubled as my homebirth booking so was done in my house. The mw asked if I had weighed myself recently as its technically supposed to be done again at 38 weeks.

I made a series of faces and said I would really rather not. Yep, I'm slightly overweight (and probably always will be) but I have historical eating issues, plus I am measuring bang on, am low risk and you can see that I haven't put on an excessive amount. Thankfully she just laughed and said we could skip it.

Are morbitity/mortality rates related to excessive weight gain higher in the UK than other places mentioned on this thread as having an obsession about it? I seriously doubt it!

curiousgeorgie · 19/02/2013 09:11

I'm in the uk and get weighed at every appointment as I have GD, just managed with diet.

I'm 22 weeks today and since booking in have lost 8lbs. I've never been so happy to be weighed!! ;)

ExpatAl · 19/02/2013 09:36

Yup same in Belgium. A friend of mine even had her belly pinched in a 'look at all this' kind of way. Unbelievable. Other than that I think the prenatal care is good here.

ExpatAl · 19/02/2013 09:37

Curiousgeorgie, how did you manage to lose so much? That's amazing.

Mummysaysno · 19/02/2013 09:40

So interesting to see how it's done elsewhere. Someone had posted a link earlier which said in UK weighing constantly was stopped as women got anxious...well I'm not alone then!
The scales are in the reception area so I have to weigh myself and then say out loud what I weigh to the receptionist...in front of whoever else is waiting eugh!

OP posts:

Flisspaps · 19/02/2013 09:48

What happens if you refuse to get on the scales (just out of interest)?

ExpatAl · 19/02/2013 09:55

Well you could I guess. But I don't think it's just because they want to see how fat you're getting - they're also looking out for any patterns that might signify a problem. I get my blood pressure and pee checked every time too - every four weeks. Also bloods to check for toxo and cmv.

noblegiraffe · 19/02/2013 10:00

Isn't about 2 stone normal? I put on most of that in the first two trimesters when I was starving all the time and ate tonnes of sweets and chocolate, then in the third trimester I barely ate as there wasn't enough room for my stomach. So don't worry if you're thinking your weight gain will continue as it is.

Mrsambition · 19/02/2013 10:28

Am in NI & havnt gotten weighed since my booking in appointment! It actually annoyed me that I have no idea how much I now weigh. I think it's the general obsession with weight that dominates every society now, some more than others & unfortunately some women more than other pregnant or not. Don't let it get you down as long as your not in the obese category & baby is healthy I wouldnt worry.

ExpatAl · 19/02/2013 10:38

I wouldn't appreciate having to shout it out to the receptionist but it seems to me that they're quite disconcertingly matter of fact in Hong Kong. I just stand on the scales and it's written down, never mentioned. I suppose it would be if I suddenly put on a lot. I hope to not find out!

PandaWatch · 19/02/2013 10:40

A friend of mine who gave birth in France was told, in her eighth month, to go on a diet of rice and water for 4 days as the doctor decided she'd put on too much weight

curiousgeorgie · 19/02/2013 10:59

Expat - my first DD was huge and although all my blood sugars were under control, the midwives were very judgy about it and I feel like I must've been doing something wrong. So this time I'm rigidly sticking to low GI, practically no carbs, skim milk, 3 small meals and 2 snacks a day and a long walk every afternoon.

Am only 22 weeks though so we'll see if it makes any difference!!

BraveLilBear · 19/02/2013 11:07

I've not had many weigh-ins yet - one at booking-in at 10 weeks, then bizarrely one two weeks later when I had my bloods taken for Nuchal test.

The thing that I found amusing is there's no accuracy in it at all - the scales were in different places, operated by different people, and both times I had different amounts of clothing on. Maybe that's the other reason they don't worry so much in the UK at the moment - a lack of resources to do it properly?

fathergoose · 19/02/2013 11:17

Weighed every appointment in the US also.

Although once I was two pounds down from the week before, and the nurse asked whether I'd been wearing different shoes. I said probably not, but I had been in a thicker jumper since the weather had been bad the week before. She laughed and said "That'll explain it then".

On other occasions they've often said "I'll take off a pound for that cardigan" or "two pounds off for those boots".

So the accuracy is laughable - makes me wonder why they do it really...

It's made me so much more aware of my weight and I've put on almost 10lbs less this pregnancy than with #1 (in the UK where I wasn't ever weighed). Still just in the 'normal' range, but only just. In a way, it's good: I still fit my pre-pregnancy jeans so have very little to lose post-birth, but in another way it's been a bit of a shame that I've been so conscious of my weight during pregnancy (and I was a low-normal weight to begin with so my weight was highly unlikely to ever cause medical issues).

fathergoose · 19/02/2013 11:20

Sd probably add that I'm 39wks now and the weight gain pretty much only lasted until end of second tri. I've hardly gained anything since 28wks....

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cyclecamper · 19/02/2013 11:25

The midwife did my height with my walking boots on at my booking in appointment (at 21+6) and would have cheerfully weighed me with my coat on if I hadn't made her wait whilst I removed it, so I don't think much of the accuracy! I know that about the time I fell pregnant I was just under 25 BMI, and I have not gained an unreasonable amount (I weigh myself every Wednesday, pregnant or not) so if her estimates are used to nag me I shall ignore them.

HazleNutt · 19/02/2013 11:34

No I don't think they're doing it because of some beauty standards or obsessions. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy can cause issues or be a symptom of issues, so it's just another thing they keep an eye on. I also get monthly blood and urine tests, blood pressure, exams etc.

ghoulelocks · 19/02/2013 11:42

Well I'll be careful never to give birth there! I gained 4.5 stone last time (lost 5 stone over the following year), 3 stone the next (lost all in 8 months) and gained 2.5 stone this time (8 weeks post partum I have 5lbs left of it)

I truely had no control over my weight in pregnancy (I honestly didn't stuff myself, ate a bit more of my normal diet but not the amount you would think), but I now weight less than I did at 20 and have a bmi of 20 so I think I'm proof that not all women are the same and weighing needs to be tempered with common sesne

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