If your only supposed to eat 200 extra calories in the third trimester.....where does all the weight magically appear from?

[emonslemons]

Just that really.....I was thinking how it could be possible to grow anything extra out of your already needed calories?!
What's your understanding. ....and do u agree with the advice?

[ohthegoats]

My consultant was going on about this last week - I think that your body just stores it differently. I was asking about putting on weight (management of), and she said that I could do everything right and still put on a stone, or everything wrong and put on 5lbs. All a bit of a mystery.

[HolgerDanske]

Baby will take what she needs from the extra calories. If people ate very carefully and clean they would not gain all that much in pregnancy. Baby plus a few kg for the placenta/waters and a bit from water retention. But it's not that easy when you feel rough as and have to eat whatever you can to keep it down...

200 calories x 7 is 1400 cal per week, and baby doesn't gain all that much weight until the last month.

[HolgerDanske]

In the earlier months baby will be fed and nourished from stores in your body, so fat, minerals, etc that you already have, plus some of what you take in with your normal eating. This is why women get free dental care in NAND after pregnancy, because quite often your teeth will suffer from depleted mineral stores. Same with bones, etc

[allduffedup]

I seem to put on a lot more in the second trimester than I am currently doing in the third trimester. Similar eating pattern so who knows whats going on!

[HolgerDanske]

It's the last month where the baby will lay on most weight most quickly. About a kilo, if I remember correctly. Other than that I would say second trimester is where you will,see most weight gain. But I'm not an expert or anything...

[squizita]

Holger It also relates to breastfeeding: it simply isn't true eating healthily will work in all cases. The body stores what it assumes it will need (based on genetics, usual weight and lifestyle etc') so some women with retain more, others less.

[Letthemtalk]

I am overweight, and started both my pregnancies overweight. I didn't gain any extra weight with either as my diet was much better. I don't think that massive weight gain is inevitable if you're not eating much more

[Heatherbell1978]

I think it's very individual. My appetite hasn't changed at all during pregnancy and I've had no cravings or aversions. If anything I've eaten less and more healthy. Didn't put on anything in first trimester and at 36 wks I've put on over 2 stone which I imagine might mean I've put 2.5 st by the end. Normally I never budge from 9 stone and am slim. So I don't agree that if you eat healthily you won't put on much - clearly my body feels the need to store a bit extra.

[HolgerDanske]

Oh no I know that, sorry - was not saying that if we all ate clean it would be a breeze! I realise it's all much more complex than that.

Just trying to explain in clumsy terms how in terms of weight related to actual baby and placenta it's not that much and how it happens that one could grow a baby out of 'nowhere' for most of the pregnancy.

[HolgerDanske]

Argh just read it back and it does sound very judgy and prescriptive. Not how I meant it at all! And also, I gained loads with my second so I'm not one of the lucky ones either :-)

[HaveYouTriedARewardChart]

I do wonder how that 200 calorie figure was arrived at! As it is so individual and by the third trimester many women have put on weight, or not, and had their normal weight, eating and metabolism so messed up by months of pregnancy.

[Inbl00m]

In some ways 200 calories sounds a lot when adult women are advised to eat around 2000. Baby is less than a 10th adult size.

[MrsAtticus]

I always thought this 200 cal extra thing was a load of rubbish. I think my food intake doubled in pregnancy, and I put on quite a lot of weight. Now ds2 is 3 months old, I'm 5 pounds over my normal weight and in my pre-pregnancy 10-12 clothes. Think I needed the extra fat for the baby (who is EBF and gigantic!).

[emonslemons]

I honestly don't think anyone truely knows all the ins and outs of it all......I mean how is it possible that one woman can gain 5 stone during a normal pregnancy and drop it all once the baby is born......and yet another barely gains 2 and struggles for years.....clearly one size doesn't fit all! So how they can set an amount I don't know.......

[HolgerDanske]

Yes I doubt that we will ever know all the ins and outs.

I quite routinely used to eat a whole full sized baguette in a day in the first and part of the second trimester of my second pregnancy as it was the only way I could keep any protein at all down. Seemed to keep baby happy but wasn't great for my overall weight gain

[Artandco]

It sounds about right tbh. Like someone said its 10th again of the max calories a women should have anyway (2000). And a baby is usually much smaller than 10th of your total weight. Plus any stores from before pregnancy will be used. I think that's why if you have lots of children close together you might need more in each pregnancy as not many stores left.

Both my babies were 7lb, and 7lb 4. I was just under 8 stone at the start of both pregnancies and gained about 20lbs each time. Usually ate 3 meals a day, added a snack into day when pregnant. Most the weight was baby/ placenta/ waters

[Elizabeth120914]

I put on a lot in second trimester and wanted to eat more. Now in third my apetite has dropped and I'm not half as hungry as I was. I've definitely lost weight from my face and tops of arms etc although bump is bigger.

I haven't weighed myself I'm not going to go there .. But I'm pretty sure extra weight is being taken off me now as I eat less and more to bump.

I know everyone's different but I've just eaten what I need too to feel well and not worried about the weight side of it I know if I see I've put on 3 stone I'd be fed up but I'm happyish with the extra weight on my body so I'm going by that ..