Weight gain - help!

[Eggcellent29]

Hi everyone

I am worried about my weight gain and suppose I’m looking for anyone who has been/is in a similar position!

My weight has been a problem for years - I gain really easily and struggle to lose. I’m very tall and a ‘heavy set’ (wide shoulders, etc).

Anyway, before I got pregnant I lost 5 stone. My pregnancies are supported by IVF and I found the medications made my weight spike and I struggled to keep it in check, but did my best.

Sadly, my first pregnancy ended in a missed miscarriage. I had gained 5 pounds in that pregnancy/in the horror of the loss and did not lose it before going into the next round - I was told it wasn’t significant. It put me into the ‘obese’ category (although I wouldn’t say I look/feel obese, having deffo been it before!!) slightly.

Anyway, in this pregnancy (16/17 weeks) I have already gained around 6 pounds. Everything I’ve read said I should only gain 15/20 pounds throughout my whole pregnancy so I am freaking out!!!

I haven’t changed my diet (I literally eat the same thing for breakfast and lunch every single day, habit from my diet days) in any significant way. I now drink two glasses of milk a day which I didn’t before (under medical advice), and do indulge in a fun sized chocolate bar every day for pudding (about 100 calories). I appreciate these are new but it seems like I’m gaining an awful lot for these small additions! I’ve now cut out the chocolate and I’m miserable.

I am fairly active - I am on my feet all day at work and walk regularly at the weekends.

Has anyone else been in this situation? What did you do to lose weight safely? Am I just over reacting? Is 15 pounds a realistic weight gain?

Thank you!!!

I think 6 pounds so far is fine? I gained 7kgs last pregnancy and literally lost 4kgs over night when baby was born (fluid, baby’s weight). Your midwife should monitor you but it sounds like you are being really sensible with what you are eating.

Thank you for replying :)

I think this is why I am so frustrated - I am trying to eat sensibly. Don’t get me wrong, I am sure I snack and don’t ‘realise’ it, I am hungry a lot more but do my best to have fruit or something healthy. I don’t have crisps, takeaways, etc

I’ve got my midwife appointment next week and I guess I’m worried she is going to be horrible to me about it - I’ve had so many medical professionals make discussions around weight into personal attacks that I always worry now!

Everyone is different. I don’t know how people only gain 10kgs. I gained 23 kilos with both pregnancies. I’m on my third and at 27 weeks I’ve gained 10 kilos. However, my breasts are huge and heavy. And I drop 13 kg over night w my births. Then I have the 10kg to lose. And I always do. I’m quite slim naturally though and read if your slim you are more likely to gain weight (58 kilos when at my normal weight and 5 feet 8 inches). But then again, I also have slim friends who still only put 10 kilos! Not fair! I think as long as you continue to eat normal amounts with enough nutrients for the baby it’s fine. The only thing I’ve changes is adding more fruits and veggies to my diet. Normally eat what I want (but naturally I don’t pig out or snack much).

I was advised baby, water, placenta, extra blood etc weighs 2.5 stone. Just eat healthy and remain active and I'm sure you'll be fine. Cutting out the chocolate bar sounds like a good idea given all the milk you need to drink

@Mamabear12 @bedtimestories

Thank you guys, that all sounds a bit more realistic! I did kind of think, if you only gain 15 pounds and the baby itself can be up to 8/9 pounds, that only leaves like 6 pounds for everything else! My boobs are huge too, I’ve gone up three cup sizes already so I imagine there’s quite a bit of weight there 😂🙈

I do miss the chocolate bar though 😩

Yea and weight gain doesn’t necessarily mean big babies. I gained so much and my babies were tiny at 6lbs each. For my son we had to stay 48 hours in hospital bc he was considered low birth weight! But thankfully all was fine. They just wanted to monitor feeding was going well, and he fed like a champ 😀