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Original poster

to wonder why some expectant mums gain around 80 pounds?

210 replies

eliza456 · 28/08/2018 16:11

This isn't meant to cause offence. But if a baby weighs 7-10 pounds (full term) then why do some women gain over 80 pounds in total?

i understand there are fluids etc that contribute, but, 70 pounds worth??

purely curious to see if anyone has any insight into this

OP posts:
pumpkinnpies · 28/08/2018 21:22

I was told I’d had a miscarriage. When I was finally given a scan at 9 weeks and they found a heart beat I didn’t want to do anything that harmed my precious baby. Well at least that’s how I felt not saying I wasn’t being a bit precious myself.
I literally didn’t walk anywhere and stuffed myself with comfort foods. I’d always been healthy weight or underweight. Had baby. First time in my life obese. Carried on stuffing face through breastfeeding as just could not deal with crap energy levels and finally sorted myself out last year and went back to underweight and now healthy again.
I was bloody huge after baby born but I wouldn’t change it. I thoroughly enjoyed pregnancy. And had a great excuse to wear leggings full time . Put on 4 stone Blush

Sashkin · 28/08/2018 21:23

After the birth my stomach was practically flat the net day, no large bump for days after

That bump is your uterus - how long it is visible for depends on how tall you are and how quickly it contracts down. I am short, gained only 7kg and was below my pre-pregnancy weight five days after giving birth (I had a difficult pregnancy and lost a lot of flesh weight). I was in my pre-pregnancy clothes as soon as I got home. But I still had a bump for about four weeks. It isn’t fat and having one/not having one isn’t an achievement or anything to feel bad about.

hiddeneverything · 28/08/2018 21:56

Coz you're fucking hungry!!!

WinterIsComing84 · 28/08/2018 22:02

I had GD and through strict monitoring of my diet, I gained just 9lb in my pregnancy... All of which was gone as soon as my daughter was born (& more)
Not a stealth boast - just a fact.

OutPinked · 28/08/2018 22:03

After the birth my stomach was practically flat the net day, no large bump for days after

Kate Middleton is ordinarily very slim and I wouldn’t say she gains excess weight in pregnancy. Her uterus was still extended postpartum as most women’s are. It’s nothing to do with how much weight you gained in pregnancy, it’s purely to do with how fast your uterus contracts down.

anniehm · 28/08/2018 22:08

I gained about 10kg first time and 8kg the second- alas I hadn't lost much of the first by the second and many many years later I'm still carrying most of it.

AllDayBreakfast · 28/08/2018 22:12

I think the 'eating for two' mentality could cause considerable weight gain when the baby is only the size of a peanut. However, 80 pounds is what....5-6 stone?

BunsOfAnarchy · 28/08/2018 22:13

Ive fuckin gained that AFTER giving birth.

Go figure.

Oliversmumsarmy · 28/08/2018 22:18

I gained 7 stone with both my pregnancies and with eldest I lost it all bar 7lbs in a week.

All water weight.

TammySwansonTwo · 28/08/2018 22:22

Hormones have far more to do with weight than people realise or acknowledge.

On certain progesterone only hormone treatments, I gained 3-4 stone with no change in diet or activity levels. Then I went on a drug that induces temporary menopause and I lost that weight rapidly plus two more stone. When I came off it, I went back to my starting weight quickly. I can’t stress enough - I didn’t eat more or less, or do more or less exercise. The only thing that changed was my hormone levels.

Often the thyroid becomes less effective during pregnancy, which also contributes to weight gain.

Having said all that, I can’t imagine putting on six stone - I gained around 35lb when pregnant with twins (only about 15lb of that was babies, placentas and fluid) and it was almost all gone within a couple of weeks. Then I stopped breastfeeding and gained a fair bit back and it literally won’t come off despite the fact I eat less and am far far more active than I ever was before kids.

Hormones. They’re a bitch.

laurG · 28/08/2018 22:23

Think it is luck. After baby had been born I was back in my old clothes 3 weeks later. I had a really tight bump and no room for food. Heartburn and constipation put me off food through the whole third trimester. I never really had increased appetite except in tge first trimester and then I was still very active. Other people I know were simply ravenous tge whole time. Pregnancy hunger is hard to explain. It’s a compulsive thing can’t help it.

Aaaahfuck · 28/08/2018 22:26

Another goady fat-shaming thread under the pretext of curiosity or confusion.

Yep

I find it hard to believe you could not possibly fathom some answers to your question. It doesn't take much imagination and thinking about.

BlairWaldorfsHeadband · 28/08/2018 22:29

I find it hard to believe you could not possibly fathom some answers to your question. It doesn't take much imagination and thinking about.
If you’re someone who gains less weight (as I said, I gained like 14lbs) it is really hard to imagine. I don’t get how anyone, unless it’s all hormones, can eat enough to gain 80lbs in nine months.

I found this thread quite interesting, I don’t think it’s rude.

TammySwansonTwo · 28/08/2018 22:42

Oh, and SPD. Once that struck and I could barely walk, and my physio advised me to move as little as possible, the weight started coming on in earnest. I was 7lb lighter at 12 weeks but 35lb up when my twins were born. Women who are on bed rest for a large part of their pregnancy must really struggle too (and if I had to lie in bed all day with a hugely uncomfortable bump, I’d probably want to eat all day to stave off death by boredom)

Haworthia · 28/08/2018 22:44

All these stories of the weight being lost in super rapid time reminds me of when I gave birth to my second (I’d got too fat for my maternity jeans around 32 weeks and had to switch to leggings and dresses - thankfully it was summer) and I was looking forward to losing most of the weight within the first week or so.

Imagine my horror when I discovered I was still too fat for my maternity jeans, and my “fat jeans” which I’d bought after baby #1 Grin

Turns out I was still carrying a good 1.5-2 stone of extra weight. Anyway, I lost it and kept it off (thank you, low carbing). Just wanted to add a counter experience to all these fat stomach/“back in pre-preg jeans within hours” people. I got fat, it happens, it’s fine.

SleepFreeZone · 28/08/2018 22:47

I craved carbs hugely. Didn’t want to eat anything healthy. Also had morning sickness that dissipated after food. Saying all that I didn’t put on eighty pound! In both my pregnancies I gained about 2-2.5 stone.

NelleB · 28/08/2018 22:51

At 36 weeks I had gained 28 pound, more than likely due to the fact the only way I can keep heartburn at bay is with eating every two hours. Its that bad I vomit through the night. I’m by no means unhealthy or overweight but you try getting through the day when Satan sets your entire oesophagus on fire 24/7.

MermaidTail7 · 28/08/2018 23:05

I'm currently 32 weeks and was only weighed at my booking in appointment. I have purposefully not stepped on my scales at home while I've been pregnant.

Before we started TTC I was very active, ate healthily and had a solidly middling BMI. I came off the pill to TTC and it turned out the pill had been masking PCOS for most of my adult life- this resulted in me putting on over a stone in three months, despite maintaining my well established eating and execise regime. Metformin did nothing to help either in terms of weight, or cycle regulation and even adopting 5:2 religiously which I had previously lost 1.5 stone on only slowed weight gain rather than reversed it.

We conceived thanks to Clomid and the wonderful NHS. I am trying to stay active, but it has nessasarily reduced as the pregnancy has progressed (10k runs and 3 spin sessions a week are no longer comfortable for me, or bump) and I am also trying very hard to eat sensibly. However, I do worry alot about overall weight gain, and how I can loose any weight I do put on after baby is here given the impact PCOS has had on my ability to succesfully diet.

In short, there are a myriad of reasons women gain, or loose weight when pregnant, and after.. But the most important thing has to be a healthy baby, and a happy mum.

User1983 · 28/08/2018 23:23

I gained 63lb at least but lost 35lb immediately after giving birth. I think it was water mainly. When my waters broke, there was a lot of constant gushing over 48 hours!!!

Plus

  • water retention makes feet swollen so impossible to walk
  • migraines mean lying down and no exercise
  • the only thing that could stave off 20 weeks of nausea was food, usually crisps or cheese sandwiches
  • spd again meant little exercise!

The bulk of it gained was during the first trimester so it's not always the bump itself but the body changes, bigger boobs, bum, swollen feet etc.

LoniceraJaponica · 28/08/2018 23:35

I couldn't eat much when I was expecting DD. She took up too much space inside me and pressed up hard against my stomach, so I would feel full after half a plate of food. Being pregnant didn't make me hungrier either.

My sister put on 4 stone when she was expecting her first child.

I guess we are all different.

poppingalf · 28/08/2018 23:36

For those saying it doesn't happen, I gained 70lbs both times from being 100lbs before. Lost it very quickly naturally both times, just one of those things

Grilledaubergines · 28/08/2018 23:40

I can see it being possible easily. In the same way that some people gain barely anything, some people get morning sickness, some peoples teeth fall out. Pregnancy affects women in different ways.

Tigger85 · 28/08/2018 23:50

I put on 4 stone from ivf to birth. I was 8 stone at the start of ivf , 9 stone by the end of it and almost 12 stone at the end of pregnancy. My baby was 8.6lbs. I swam for exercise during the pregnancy and walked my dogs until 38 weeks when it became too difficult for me to walk them anymore. Pre pregnancy i did loads of exercise. I put a lot of fat on my bum and legs even though i have never carried weight there before. I don't think I ate massive amounts during the pregnancy and ate mostly healthy food. I'm 9.5 stone now a year later and flabbier than I want be but I can't do much exercise due to a severe prolapse. We are planning one more ivf attempt and I expect I will put on much more weight next time due to the hormones I will be injecting, then the pregnancy hormones and the fact i can't really exercise anymore, even walking is very uncomfortable due to the prolapse. I'm sure people will judge me.

kettleonplease · 29/08/2018 00:12

Not sure about 80lbs but here are some things adding weight;

Baby (Maybe 2.5-4.5kg)
Placenta (usually 1kg)
Extra blood (500g)
Extra fluid (1kg)
Extra hunger
Less mobile

It mostly all comes off pretty quickly after baby, especially if breastfeeding. Maybe not 80lbs worth though...

drigon · 29/08/2018 00:39

I felt very sick for the first 4 months and lost a stone, then couldn't get enough food into me, night and day and put on 2 during the rest of the time. 80 lbs does seem excessive! I'm sure it isn't usual to gain that much, but, theoretically it could happen. I lost the excess with no effort within a few months. Have since put on 5 stone, but that's another story!