weight gain by 20 weeks?

[Martie1]

I keep wondering if I am putting too much weight on. Im 5ft 6 and now weighing 10st 4 1/2 lbs. I was 9st 8 3/4lbs when I got my bfp around 4 weeks pg. So ive put on just under 10lbs. I've used those calculator things which say im in the right range for my stage, but I keep thinking im putting on too much. I feel like a house and I am afraid of ending up huge.

I know I am likely to get responses of put the scales away etc but I really do want to do this as sensible as I can, i don't see it as an excuse to put on loads of weight. Im trying to be sensible about my eating- healthy, salads, veg, fruit and lean meat but I always have a treat and maybe two a day. I suppose I should cut back. I did exercise regularly enough before falling pg, but when it finally did happen, I was petrified of exercising, as we had been trying for quite a long time and I was afraid of doing anything that would risk the pregnancy. Then of course the sickness hit and that also stopped me in my tracks from doing anything healthy. I should do a bit more walking I suppose....

Anyway would just like some feedback, be gentle please

[Scoobsmam13]

I put on 5 stone with my first pregnancy , so this time I am keeping a very close eye on my weight. I am exercising, and eating not too bad most of the time. I am 16+3 and have put on about 6lb so I have to say 10lb by week 20 doesn't sound too bad to me. I had put on a stone by week 11 the first time round!!

[Marnierose]

12kg / 2stones is the recommended 'normal' weight gain. But that's an average. Talk to your midwife if you are concerned.

[utopian99]

You sound fine for within limits at 20 weeks. I was almost exactly the same as you and same height at that stage last time (dc1) and was back in my old clothes in two months, lost it all plus a few lbs by 6 months. I doubt it would have been as easy to lose if I wasn't bf though.

This time round (dc2) I am really struggling and have put on 12lb by week 22 - hate it and feel grim but the sickness has lasted longer and am self employed with huge workload plus ds to look after, so my opportunity to hit the gym is now nil. Am assuming that it will take more work the other end!

[FruitBadger]

I weighed myself on Friday for the first time (at 22 weeks). I was 8st 10lb before I got pregnant and 9st 10lb on Friday.

I'm still going to the gym a couple of times a week, just not pushing myself and doing my pre-pregnancy Pilates class once a week too.

I have resolved to eat less crap as the weigh in was prompted by the realisation I'd eaten 6 packets of crisps in the previous 36 hours.

[FruitBadger]

Forgot to say, I'm 5'3", so I guess in terms of relative build / weight gain so far we're similar! X

[ImBrian]

I've put on 8lbs at almost 22 weeks but I'm normally ups stone by now (5th baby). I generally put on 21/2-3 stone the whole way through but I'm trying to be a bit more careful this time.

[Missingcaffeine]

If it makes you feel any better, I put on loads in the first trimester - eating carby food a lot due to sickness, and stopped exercising due to sickness/tiredness when I was previously exercising loads and really healthy with a target BMI.
Once I hit about 18 weeks and was feeling better, I started gentle exercise again and was eating better, and I think I've lost the excess fat as the second trimester went on. I'm now 31 weeks and struggling to do more than a brisk walk now, but I figured even if I gain a little fat this trimester, there has to be a limit to how fat I can get in the 10 weeks left. I'm still eating healthier than first trimester.

[Gennz]

I'd put on 3kg by my 8 week scan (didn't feel like fat, I was drinking about 10 litres of water a day and my boobs went from a 32D to a 34DD almost as soon as I got the BFP), 6kg by 12 weeks and 9.5kg by 20 weeks.

So that's approx 6lbs, 13lbs and 20 lbs at 8/12/20 weeks. (I'm 5'6 and had a pre-preg BMI of 24). I think at least 5 - 6 kgs is fat!

It's not ideal but I felt like utter shit for the first 14 weeks and was eating almost nothing but plain starchy carbs and throwing up every morning til 20 weeks so it is what it is. I'm hoping the weight gain will slow down a bit for a while (or at least that the weight gain will be fluid + baby, not lard).

Most of my friends and my sister all with average BMIs put on circa 20kgs & have managed to lose it afterwards. I'm not too worried. I don't really want to break that 20kg mark though...

[Heatherbell1978]

If the calculator says you're in the right range I would stick with that for guidance. I've been using one of them since the beginning and all the way through I've been bang on perfect until 31 wks where I somehow put on 4 lbs in a week but the bump did a definite growth spurt that week! I've been careful about what I eat and exercising and at times have wondered now the heck I'm putting on weight in places other than the bump but they say your body does what it needs to do and you can't do much to stop it. Just be mindful your bump will have occasional growth spurts which might put the calculator out of whack.

[Heatherbell1978]

Oh and I put on 10 lbs by wk 20. BMI of 21.4 (5'5 and 9st 2 to start). I'm now 36 wks and have gained 31 lbs.

[Martie1]

Thanks for all the feedback folks, all very interesting and reassuring. Going to try not to stress about it. missingcaffine your name is sending me for a decaf coffee!! Heatherbell, thank you for the detail. We're obvs similar in height/weight pre-preg and shall keep your comments in mind. Fruitbadger i know that penny dropping feeling of realising that you have just scoffed x amount of something while continuing to think you been eating healthy! utopian i too am self-employed so your tale fills me with dread.......

[utopian99]

If it helps martie, since my last post I have found a buggy fit class I can take ds to plus have started up with my fitness pal again, and simply by monitoring the crap I was eating am now 1.5lbs down on what I weighed when I last posted! (Turns out I was obviously eating way more crap than even the bump could stash. )

[kitkat321]

I'm embarrassed to say I've put on almost 2 stone - I'm now just approaching 22 weeks.

Exercise has been a no go because I'm always so tired/breathless. I've tried to eat healthily but suffer terrible nausea which only stodgy food seems to help. I do eat loads of fruit/veg, rarely eat chocolate or drink fizzy juice and everyone tells me I'm all bump but really hate that I've put on so much weight and since I don't seem to be feeling any better as this pregnancy progresses I doubt I'll be able to start exercising etc to try and help matters!

[LittlePeaPod]

Everyone is different Op. Unless your MW/consultant say anything then I would not worry about it. I was the other way, I only put on 1st 3lbs in total (last weighed at 39 weeks). I was constantly told I wasn't putting enough weight on.