Upset about weight gain at 23 weeks

[LittleBoyJuly2020]

I am in my late 30's and have been dieting since my teens. I've gone through periods of exteme dieting and periods of not dieting and gaining weight. So I guess I've yoyo-ed throughout my life with disordered eating (I gain weight very easily)

I started this pregnancy about a stone over my 'happy weight' - a size 12 and felt ok with it.

I've eaten very healthily (but plenty) this pregnancy but was weighing myself daily. I hadn't put on any weight by week 20 and decided to stop weighing myself and just continue eating healthily. I weighed myself this morning at 23 weeks and I've gained 4 lbs.

I don't know why but it completely freaked me out and I felt so ashamed and alarmed by that number. I feel like my midwife will moan at me and 'tell me off'.
I'm a logical person, I know being pregnant equals weight gain but I've convinced myself it's fat and not baby and that I should overhaul my diet and curb this weight gain.

I'm gutted that previous horrible thoughts about gaining weight are surfacing again, especially now when it's not a time to be dieting or being overly concerned about it.

Has anyone dealt with this? If so did you talk to your midwife about it? I would never cut calories or purposely eat less whilst pregnant but just wish I could relax and accept a bit of weight gain is normal

Just to reassure you 4ib is nothing; you have a lot of extra water and blood as well as placenta and baby. When I had my DS recently I automatically dropped over a stone just from all that going. I’m normally a size 8/10 and in my first pregnancy any extra weight just fell off with breastfeeding and despite in my second pregnancy gaining more than the recommended amount no one ever told me off and it’s coming off.
I do get that it’s hard to gain weight in pregnancy and not be in control of it; I’ve struggled with that in both my pregnancies and noticed that I gained weight in my second trimester whereas in my third it was only baby that grew. It will come off after if you want it to and chances are it won’t take too much effort.
If it’s playing on your mind then do talk to your midwife and carry on eating healthily but dont restrict yourself, if you’re hungry then you need to eat.

@user1493413286

Thank you so much for your reply, in my head I already know and expect to gain weight, and then when it happened, all that logic went out the window and was replaced with panic. So frustrated with myself for worrying.

I'm enjoying being pregnant and so thankful that baby and I are healthy, I just wish I wasn't letting previous anxieties about something as superficial as weight, get in the way pf my happiness.

I think this is really really normal, I had exactly the same in my first pregnancy and started gaining weight at the same point. I know it's hard but you need to somehow reset and see this as a positive thing. Your body is building a baby and has already made a whole new organ to support it. Everything suddenly seems to start speeding up after the 20 week point, your bump will pop out.
I think there's guidance on how much weight you will/ should put on, if you are in a normal weight bracket on starting pregnancy, I think it's about 2 stone, with natural variations up and down. I put on about that and then a bit more right at the end which was all fluid ( swollen ankles etc)

We did a really interesting exercise in NCT where the course leader gave us bottles of liquid to represent extra fluid and blood, potatoes to represent an average baby, something for the placenta etc etc. It really brought it home what a massive job your body is doing.
If you can I would approach this a scientifically as you can but also love yourself and your body it's amazing capacities.

Do you realise at 23w your baby will weigh half of that, plus your placenta, you've not really gained weight, you're growing a baby.... most women gain weight their pregnancy weight in the 3rd trimester which you're fast approaching.

Hi @LittleBoyJuly2020, just wanted to say I am also 23 weeks & due in July, and I have put on about 10lb so far, I'm not liking this especially as I have a very small bump but I still look basically the same, apart from the bump, and I can still fit in my old clothes (obviously the belly sticks out though!)

My opinion is that when pg you should eat healthily but don't deny yourself any food. Don't know about you but I am constantly hungry and get nauseous and light headed if I don't eat, but as long as you're having healthy snacks and a balanced diet rather than crisps and chocolate then it's fine (obviously if doc tells you otherwise then go with that). Your body and baby will tell you how much you need.

Best thing to do is talk to your midwife about your concerns; she won’t tell you off, far from it, instead she’ll be able to help and support you with regaining control over your dieting fears.
I’ve suffered with an eating disorder for years and whilst it’s been (mostly) controlled this pregnancy, it has also been a struggle at times.
Being a size 12 I’ll assume you’re in the healthy BMI range so you should be expecting to gain approx 25lb if not a bit more in total. At 4lb by week 23, you’re actually under the curve so everything you’ve gained will be baby related; extra blood, baby, placenta, fluid etc.
Take care of yourself and try (easier said than done!) to relax, you’re doing great xx