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Original poster

Losing weight in pregnancy

41 replies

fussytodd · 23/10/2021 14:44

I've probably lost about a stone. I'm 12 weeks.

Has this happened to anyone and the baby has been OK?

I have HG, so I just don't eat much, as it makes me vomit. Still taking folic acid etc at night when I feel a bit better.

I was by NO means underweight before, in fact, slightly overweight because I gained during lock downs. So there are plenty of reserves if that makes sense.

I feel like I'll probably continue losing, as I just can't eat much.

Has this happened to anyone and they've been ok? And baby OK?

I will of course discuss with midwife too.

OP posts:
butterfly990 · 23/10/2021 14:47

Not me personally but it is quite common. A neighbour asked her consultant at about the 4 month stage as she couldn't keep anything down since the beginning. He turned around and said well there is plenty of meat on you. I would n't worry. Shock

Original poster
fussytodd · 23/10/2021 14:49

Hahah yes there is also more than enough meat on me, which is why I'm not that worried!

But the people around me are saying it's really terrible and tragic etc and I need to eat and need to hold it down etc.....

OP posts:
BikeRunSki · 23/10/2021 14:51

I lost 1.5-2 stone in both pg due to HG. Both babies were fine, and the weight sadly went beck in very quickly!

gogohm · 23/10/2021 14:53

I lost weight initially and barely gained any with dd2, but I was overweight to start with, I ended up on fortified drinks and being told to eat more Haagen Dazs

Original poster
fussytodd · 23/10/2021 14:56

Surely if you have enough reserves, then you don't need go gain weight ?

OP posts:
pinknsparkly · 23/10/2021 14:58

I had the same, and I didn't have a huge amount to lose to start with. My midwife essentially told me that plenty of women have the same issue and that "babies are parasites, they'll take everything they need from you even if you end up with nutritional deficiencies". So baby won't suffer, though you might! Have you found anything that you can keep down? I lived on bread for the first 20 weeks. I also managed to force myself to drink smoothies made from cucumber, spinach, almond milk and avocado to get some vegetables in from about 10 weeks onwards.

It's a sucky situation, and you have my deepest sympathies. Hopefully it'll ease off soon for you!

Original poster
fussytodd · 23/10/2021 15:01

@pinknsparkly

I had the same, and I didn't have a huge amount to lose to start with. My midwife essentially told me that plenty of women have the same issue and that "babies are parasites, they'll take everything they need from you even if you end up with nutritional deficiencies". So baby won't suffer, though you might! Have you found anything that you can keep down? I lived on bread for the first 20 weeks. I also managed to force myself to drink smoothies made from cucumber, spinach, almond milk and avocado to get some vegetables in from about 10 weeks onwards.

It's a sucky situation, and you have my deepest sympathies. Hopefully it'll ease off soon for you!

Ah that's interesting. The smoothies sound like a good idea.

Everything makes me feel sick. I also have constantly got loads of saliva in my moth, which is gross. I'm exhausted too.

I can hold down broths with veggies OKish. Which js what I live on. Not even toast makes it and I find once you've thrown up the same food a few times, you really go off it. That's my situation with toast and tomato sauces at the moment. So gross sorry.

OP posts:
OHthatbanana · 23/10/2021 15:04

You and your baby will be fine as long as you can keep some liquid down. Drink whatever you can, for me it was the juice from canned pineapples and full sugar Pepsi, I just can't stand water or squash. I am now 6 months with baby number 2 and finally starting to feel slightly better (more like normal human level morning sickness).

I lost about a stone at the start of both pregnancies with HG. No medical professionals were worried much as long as you aren't dehydrated or have high ketones in your urine. Make sure you ask for medication if you need it. Ondansetron was all that worked for me (as in lessened the actual vomiting) but don't suffer unnecessarily Flowers

ohdearthehouseisburningdown · 23/10/2021 15:05

I had HG as well by one week after birth I was 1stone lighter than pre-pregnancy. My Dr and Midwife always said as long as baby is growing not to worry. I found as I went along milkshakes helped me a lot and I used to freeze Powerade in to cubes for energy.

Graphista · 23/10/2021 15:06

Babies are wee parasites! They'll snag all the goodness from you before they're affected

I was lower end of healthy weight with dd with a lot of morning sickness (but not hg) at the first 4 months or so and I ended up a little underweight for a time but as soon as it passed put it back on, I was being monitored anyway as high risk pregnancy following mc and some complicated Gynae stuff. If i had lost much more they'd have whipped me in to be tube fed for a time purely due to the low weight thankfully didn't reach that point

My sister who was on the heavier side (but still healthy bmi) had hg with all of hers throughout! Made me wonder why she had more than one! Hospitalised bad each time so she had it rough but not dangerously so, all babies absolutely fine

It's a horrible condition for sure caused her to be anaemic etc (like I said I'm astounded she had more than one!) but she recovered well once babyies were born

Cuntness · 23/10/2021 15:10

I lost shed loads both times. Far more than a stone.

My five year old is absolutely fine. He's always been small for his age (5th percentile). I'm not sure if that's because of it, though.

Second baby is due soon and no one has mentioned any concerns. My bump isn't particularly big.

Also, I was back in my normal jeans within six days last time so it's not all bad.

Amijustagrump · 23/10/2021 15:18

Two and half stone lost in the first 12 weeks! (Was only a size 12 to begin with..) now 25 weeks and still 7kg less than before pregnancy

User527294627 · 23/10/2021 15:26

Don’t worry, your baby will take what they need from you. You’d have to be really seriously malnourished for it to affect the baby.

Hope you feel better soon, HG is so awful Flowers

DrunkenKoala · 23/10/2021 15:29

That happened to me in my first pregnancy. I had a healthy balanced diet and was a healthy weight before getting pregnant (the pregnancy made me underweight.) My GP told me that my body could store up to five yrs worth of nutrients so the baby would be fine. I did put weight on by the end of the pregnancy. DS ended up being a very big baby (over 10lbs) and he’s now 12 yrs old and he’s doing fine!

Hope you’re feeling better soon.

Original poster
fussytodd · 23/10/2021 15:39

Thanks for the assurances. If you ask people who don't know much about it, they're horrified if you lose weight in pregnancy!

OP posts:
MarmaladeToastAndAMarmaladeCat · 23/10/2021 15:58

I lost a stone and a half with my eldest during the first trimester. I was upper end of a healthy bmi at that point so although not ideal it didn’t take me to an unhealthy weight. I did put it back on when I could eat again from about 16 weeks. He was absolutely fine. You have my sympathy as it is utterly grim. I’m now 12 weeks with my third and suffering horrendous nausea and can barely eat but somehow have managed to not lose much this time.

Taenia · 23/10/2021 16:07

I'm currently 32 weeks and have lost 2 stone since becoming pregnant, due to a mixture of sickness and having to change my diet due to gestatiinal diabetes. Baby at growth scan this week is absolutely fine, measuring on the large size (97th percentile) and both consultant and midwife are not concerned about the weight loss as baby is fine. I was overweight so can afford to loose weight but I was worried too so just sharing the reassurance I was given. As mentioned above above will take everything it needs first :)

starfishmummy · 23/10/2021 16:09

I lost loads at the start, cant blame sickness as I barely had any. I ended my pregnancy mpre or less at my pre pregnancy weight. None of the medics were worried!

Saved a fortune on maternity clothes as I hardly needed anything bigger until near the end

MissLC · 23/10/2021 16:09

I lost 2 stone over the course of my pregnancy due to severe nausea throughout and LO was perfect, no extra complications and weighed a healthy 7lb5oz
You should be fine

Artie30 · 23/10/2021 16:09

I had severe morning sickness with my first and not so good with my second (not severe sickness second time around though!) and ended up losing a lot of weight. I wasn't skinny before though. I don't know how much I lost with Ds but it was quite a lot and I lost over a stone with Dd. I felt rough constantly. I couldn't eat at all with Ds but with Dd I'd only be able to eat small amounts. Everything made me ill.

Anyway, it wasn't an issue. It actually pushed my bmi into the healthy range by the time my first scan came along as I was overweight before...

When morning sickness subsided I gained a good amount of weight. It didn't impact my babies at all losing weight at the start! Both very healthy babies!

Just make sure you drink and try and eat little and often!

I was never officially diagnosed with HG with Ds but it was pretty obvious I had it. I couldn't eat for weeks, lost a ton of weight, went off everything, was so weak and tired I couldn't go to the shop without being exhausted, was signed off work for a while! It was hideous! I spent most of the time in bed it was that bad. I couldn't keep anything down.

With Dd it wasn't half as bad...

Aimee1987 · 23/10/2021 16:10

I lost a stone in my first trimester. Had horrible nausea and could only stomach very small portions of bland food. Gained nothing in my second trimester and gained about a stone and a bit in my last trimester. By the time I gave birth I weighted a stone less then pre pregnancy baba was fine.

I was and still am about 3 stone overweight.

KaleJuicer · 23/10/2021 16:15

Your baby will be fine but you run the risk of being severely malnourished which is a worry, especially if you’re planning to breastfeed. I know you probably can’t stomach multivitamins or supplements so fortified drinks /milkshakes with lots of little sips over the day may be the way to go!

TheKeatingFive · 23/10/2021 16:15

This happened to a friend of mine who had HG. She was more than a stone lighter than she started after giving birth. Baby was absolutely fine, so try not to worry. 😊

MissCreeAnt · 23/10/2021 16:20

Yes I lost a stone with both of mine, not HG mainly awful nausea, so I can imagine people lose loads more. Sympathy, it's so grim and it's the reason we stopped at 2.

DH used to stop off on the way home from work every night and pick up whatever I thought I manage. Mainly cucumber and salt & vinegar crisps. No idea how I would have coped without him.

nettytree · 23/10/2021 16:40

I think also people tend to eat healthier when pregnant, so that maybe why you have lost weight.

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