Losing weight @ 12 wks... Is this safe?

[Kitty81]

Hi...

New to MN and also my first pregnancy, and I need some experienced advice. I've had just terrible sickness morning, noon and night for about 7 weeks now. DH commented this morning that, apart from my cleavage and growing bump, I was looking thin. I haven't even thought to look in the mirror at myself for quite a while and I was shocked at how thin my arms and legs have become. So I tried on a shirt that i haven't worn in a while; I've gone from a small 14 to a 10 in 7 weeks. As I haven't been in my normal clothes for a few weeks now I hadn't noticed.

I am keeping down some food; mainly clear type soups and the odd piece of cheese. Mostly my folic acid stays down I think. Should I be worried? I read that you shouldn't lose weight in pregnancy as it can harm the baby. I don't think it's hyperemesis as I am throwing up 5-6 times a day and I can keep fluids down most of the time. Help!

Don't worry too much! It is really common to actually lose weight in the first trimester (between nausea and a vile stomach bug I lost half a stone in my first trimester this pregnancy) and really won't do any harm to the baby. Does help to make sure what you do eat is nutritional and not junk, as the baby will take what it needs from you, but for your health it important to be sure you are replenishing your nutritional stores (and never hurts to be taking a pregnancy multi-vitamin if you aren't already). I'd say, don't worry too much, plenty of women have the same problem you are having and their babies are perfectly fine. After all, your body will nourish the baby first, so it is really only you that will suffer if you don't get a reasonable amount of nutrition in the long term, and hopefully the sickness should ease off soon and enable you to eat a bit more.

Just wanted to say thank you and sorry for disappearing; completely lost the ability to find threads I started! I ended up with hyperemesis and in hospital very unwell indeed but am on the mend now. Thin, but slowly gaining and not really worrying about it. The doctors have basically reiterated your advice; that the baby will be fine, it is just me who suffers! Thanks so much for your reply