Out of control weight gain

[Bumblebee39]

I have put on 2.5 stone between weeks 10 and 22 and am scared it is out of control. I know I shouldn't be losing but this gain is out of control.
Any help gratefully received!

Can you pinpoint how? Obviously you've eaten to much, but how? Wrong foods, constant grazing? If so why? Sickness? Genuine hunger?

I've gone off sweeteners and can't drink anything until midday that isn't fizzy which isn't helping, but honestly I don't feel like I'm eating much at all. I'm probably doing the classic thing of not eating much during the day and then cramming it all in before bed and I'm definitely less active (but still fairly active)
Tbh I'm shocked. I thought I'd put on about a stone but this is a lot. I'm going to try writing down what I eat for a few days and go from there. I think there must be things I'm forgetting about- or my portions are just way out.

Can you have fizzy water with fresh lime in? Thy could help cut down sugary fizzy drinks. I’d keep a food diary so you can calculate roughly how much you’re eating.

I’ve been so so hungry during the pregnancy (baby is 95th percentile so that’s been my excuse 🙈) I’ve had horrendous PGP so unable to even walk so I’m sure I’ve put on a ton of weight I’m too scared to weigh myself and living in leggings. I know It’s hard but making small cuts here and there and switching to healthy where possible is your best bet.

Might be worth asking to have your thyroid checked, pregnancy can prompt a thryoid problem/make it worse

As a start how about fizzy water with cordial? Vimto or high juice (full sugar).

I think logging your intake is a great idea.

Whilst it will be helpful to track what you are consuming for a few days I would also definitely raise it with your midwife/gp. Some simple blood test will be reassuring and mw may be able to help you figure out a strategy from here. As pp has said it is sometimes possible for thyroid to act up during pregnancy.

I think one of the issues might be that I'm pretty scared to exercise

I walk a lot and do quite a bit of housework and lug my toddler around, but I normally do DVDs and the gym and have stopped as I'm unsure if I'm doing it right. I know we are not supposed to do sit ups incase our tummy muscles separate, is there anything else I can't do? I love HIIT and Enjoy all of Davina's DVDs. Don't want to spend on a gym membership at the moment but would like to be fitter.

Judging from tonight's dinner cheese may be the issue... I used about half a bag of pre grated cheese on my pasta and sauce and no protein. I should know better, but have got out of the habit of meal prepping.

I can't believe I have gained so much. I have a mild ED and this is worrying me, as although I've been really good during previous pregnancies (and so far in this one) I'm aware this could be a trigger. I don't want to just gain uncontrollably and then end up on a diet, using diet pills, laxitives etc. Once baby arrives. It would be a shame to go backwards.

Is the weight piling on because I'm normally on a restricted diet? I've heard of this happening to anorexia sufferers but I've never been that extreme

Could it be water retention? I gained more with my second (gained nothing except baby and fluid with the first) and I think it's because your body has done it all before so grabs more nutrients in preparation for third tri and feeding etc.

Rapid weight gain can be a sign of pre eclampsia, I gained 9lb in two weeks due to it. Could this be something you need to check out?

Definitely get your thyroid checked I put on 4 stone and it was that my thyroid had broken!! I also gave ED so it was bad.

I had late onset preeclampsia with DC1 (and not at all with DC2) so my midwife checks everything every couple of weeks. I have not swelled at all, urine and BP etc. all normal. I did have my thyroid checked about 5months ago pre-pregnancy and it was normal, but I will ask for it to be done again.

If you’ve stopped exercising and you’re eating a lot it’s probabaly just that coupled with the baby... but good that they are keeping close eye on you ! Can you ask midwife for advice at your next appointment?

I've been avoiding the scales or converting my weight at check ins in KG to stone (or remembering it even) on purpose as I believed it would be bad for my MH/ED and because it has been fine with previous pregnancies but this has really worried me.

Hey OP. I’ve been there. I had gestational hypertension and a lot of fluid in both of my pregnancies, and put on more than 3 stone both times. In my second pg, my craving was ice, and I really wasn’t over-eating.

I did however have constant nausea and heartburn all the way through. Especially the first time, I ate to keep the heart burn at bay.

I recommend mentioning it to your midwife, and if heartburn is causing over-eating, maybe think about getting omeprazole etc. I did lose the weight both times with some effort. But I think some people are more prone to fluid build up.

Sorry, cross post with your note about BP etc.

@le42 I have been considering asking if I can join slimming world as it helps me structure my eating much better (not skipping meals, eating more of the right things and less of the wrong ones without worrying/obsessing) but I didn't think I was overweight so thought they'd say no...

I'm obviously deluded...

I bought the scales to weigh the kids as I was worried I hadn't weighed them for a few months, but instead I weighed myself and started freaking out

Ah I feel ya with the sweetners. I cant stand them this pregnancy and they make my mouth have an awful taste and so I’m stuck with fruit juice or really sugary fizzy drinks too. Water tastes disgusting to me as do most squashes. I was constantly grazing and eating carbs at the start too so I piled on the weight. Way more than with my first.

However, although I put on over a stone weeks 6-14 it seems to have slowed down so as others say, it might be worth checking if it keeps going up.

I think I'm going to have to keep an eye on my weight from now on
I wanted to be liberated and bin my scales, but this is really unsettling...

I don't think I ever have sugar normally...
Lucozade, Coca Cola, or orange juice are the only things I can drink in the morning. I try to limit these. Then from lunchtime I can drink water etc.
I drank the same stuff with previous pregnancies and weighed as much as I do now at delivery, though, not with still nearly half the pregnancy to go!

Hey OP - id still keep a food diary so you can see whether you are overeating or whether it could be something medical.... it’s not going to help your mental health to beat yourself up xxxxxxx

I gained 3st in pregnancy, most of it in the first 2 trimesters when I was just so hungry, and was back in a size 8 by 8 weeks post partum just through breast feeding. Worth checking out with a doctore/midwife but if they think it's fine and you are genuinely eating healthily when you're hungry I wouldn't stress too much. I don't know what size you are to start with but I figured I could have begun pregnancy a stone or more heavier than I did and still have been a healthy weight so it didn't matter too much if I put on more.

If you suffer from ED then you definitely shouldn't be joining slimming world/weighing yourself/worrying about this! As long as the dr is happy you're healthy then do not worry about it. You're not over weight and as long as you eat healthily which it sounds like you do, then your body is just doing what baby needs.

I am overweight though. I just didn't know it until I stepped on the scales.
I was in the top of my BMI to start with, and now waaaay over.
I don't think anyone knows I weigh this much, haven't been weighed in a month by anybody.

Everything is normal though- blood sugar, vitamin levels etc.

Your pre-pregnancy weight is possibly relevant here. If you were borderline underweight to start with then I'd be less concerned, if you were already overweight then you do probably need to follow some of the advice given above.