weight gain at 19 weeks, worried!

[januaryjam]

Hello,

I've just stepped on the scales for the first time in ages and I've realised I've only put on 2 lbs so far & im nearly 19 weeks now. I know I shouldn't have, but I've been googling & can see so many people saying they've put on nearly a stone at this point. Coupled with the fact that so many people keep commenting im not very big yet etc. I've really panicked myself now. If it matters, my BMI was 24 at booking appointment, so normal.

Does anyone think I have any reason to worry about this? Would anyone mind sharing their weight gain around 20 weeks?

Thanks so much all :)

I wouldn't worry, I'm 22 weeks and put on about 8lb but most of that was in the last 4 weeks. As long as you're eating a healthy diet and not restricting yourself to much then I'd just be counting myself lucky

I've put on 3 pounds and I'm 17 weeks. Perhaps at the very start you lost a little?

As always, no real thing as "normal"!

Hey, when you have your 20 week scan, if baby is growing well then I wouldn't worry. I didn't start gaining wait until about 22-23 weeks and I suddenly had a massive bump. I was worried too but my son was born a healthy 8Llbs xxx

Is it your first baby? I didn't put on any weight at all until 20 weeks with my first baby.

Am 20 weeks with baby number 2 now and have put on 10 lbs.

I really wouldn't worry.

I'm 26 weeks and am 4lbs lighter than when I get pregnant. Midwife does not seem to care at all. I don't really know why? Scans all look good though so I suppose I'm ignoring niggling worries. They just keep saying it's not necessarily a problem. My bmi was 25 when I got pregnant and so I assume I have plenty of reserves. Doing my best to eat more. I didn't put on that much last time either but I did put on more than this dispite morning sickness (which I have not had this time). My first baby was 7.7lbs and very healthy.

Oh....but my teath are buggered. Aparantky the baby is taking all my calcium. Been back and forward to the dentist. Not something I'm used to.

I'm 27weeks and have gained 2lb so far. My BMI was 30 at the start (I'm 5ft 8 and a size 14, but for some reason have always weighed really heavy) and was advised to avoid gaining lots of weight so I've been doing Slimming World. However, I am eating A LOT, just lots of healthy stuff. Maybe you just have a naturally healthy diet?

24 is in the normal range but towards the top of it baby's probably just taken what it's needed. Do you feel like you've eaten many more calories than normal or not? I honestly wouldn't worry. I have the opposite problem, started at 19 bmi now 25 weeks and have gained around 18 pounds so feel huge but measure / look small for 25 weeks.
Every pregnancy is different don't forget.

I think it really is different for everyone. I'm trying (mostly failing) to relax about the whole thing but it is hard. I've put on 9lbs overall at 28 weeks which is fine but I've actually lost 1lb this month. I think it's just that with the weather I've been eating less and fancying salad and things. I thought I'd mention it to my midwife when I see her on Thursday.

Midwives don't weigh you (other than initially to see if you are higher risk due to raised BMI etc) so I really wouldn't worry about weighing yourself. It doesn't really mean anything. The baby takes what they need. When you're a bit further on they'll go on your bump measurements which are more accurate. I've never really had a bump till after 20 weeks and always told I looked small but my bump still measured fine.

Some women put on a lot of weight in pregnancy, some don't, you can control it a bit with how you eat/exercise, but not that much, bodies are just different

I know you're right weebairn but then there are NHS guidelines about how much I'm meant to put on. That must encourage women to weigh themselves.

splendide - I suspect the guidelines are more to stop people 'eating for two' and putting on a lot of weight which they'll then have trouble shifting.

At 25+2 and am the same weight now as I was around the time conception happened - I lost about 10lbs but have put it back on and then it's just fluctuated around that level. Baby is growing normally though so I must have reserves.

The NHS guidelines are to stop people cramming on too much weight early.

I am extremely high risk, 1st pregnancy, BMI pre pregnancy of 24.
I had gained very little by 20 weeks: my consultant was pleased!
You will not have harmed the baby in any way - it takes what nutrients it needs from you so unless you were literally starving it will be fine! Many women with high BMIs are told the gain nothing in trimesters 1 and 2 by their HCPs.

As for looking small: a lot of people don't tell anyone they're pregnant until past 20 weeks ... they're able to do that because actually many people hardly show until 20 weeks. There seems to be this 'competitive bump' culture amongst old biddies women in many workplaces which perpetuates a completely ridiculous idea of how big you should be and how early you should show/feel movement. Seriously at 20 weeks I looked like I'd had a big dinner and that was it - and I wasn't unusual.

Amy83 24 is within the 'healthy' range, though 'towards the top' varies wildly with height. If you are short there are only a few lb between 25 and 20. Also on paper I was in my 'healthy' BMI with my ribs, pelvic bones showing, fainting, aneamea and a really obvious eating issue: I would say "but my BMI is 18.5, I'm not underweight!".
If you are within the healthy range, there is no need to decide whether you are at the top or the bottom: you are within the healthy range.

...also Amy why are they measuring you at 25 weeks? Fundal Height (the only measurement I can think) would only be accurate 3rd trimester.
I have known people to carry twins and hardly show at 22-25 weeks (extreme case - but not clinically unusual) and likewise people with a pronounced bump who had a smallish (but healthy) baby.

Prior to the 3rd trimester the whole idea of 'big'/'small' is purely on scan measurements of bone length etc'? It actually hasn't got that much to do with the size of the mother.

I had my first fundal measurement at the 24wk midwife appointment. She did it as though it was a matter of routine (I didn't ask her to do it) and she's plotted the results on the percentile chart in my notes.

Belly I've been seen fortnightly or more by both MW and consultants locally and at a hospital- I asked about it and every single one said that it was too unreliable until about 28 weeks.
It seems one of those things that varies by area?

My belly was relatively small in the 2nd trimester, my womb was low/small - but my baby was/is in the 75th percentile! And now I resemble an egg on 2 pins

I didn't put on any weight until about 22 weeks. Then managed to put on 3.5 stone
I also found around 18 weeks to be a very anxious time, i worried about absolutely everything. Felt a lot better after 20 week scan

At 37 weeks (full term for me as I had EMCS) I had only put on around 7lb. I imagine everyone is different, so try not to worry!

My midwife rattles through appointments very quickly but I get the feeling she's 'by the book' and regimentally ticking things off a list. Must just be regulations here. She did get the student to do it, so perhaps it was more an opportunity for the student to take a measurement in a situation where it didn't matter what the result was. I do remember her saying something like 'this isn't a reliable predictor of how big the baby will be, but it's a snap shot of how big it is at the moment'. Maybe, in my case, they're more concerned about the baby being bigger than average (due to increased risk of GD). As it turns out, I don't have GD and the baby is very slightly smaller than average according to the fundal height.

Lucy955 - have you checked your Vitamin D levels? Apprantly low levels can affect your ability to absorb calcium.

Surfsup also plenty of vitamin C at the same time as calcium.
But sadly sometimes your teeth do suffer when pregnant - I was warned about this but am OK at the moment (touch wood).