Terrified of weight gain and hunger

[pringlebells]

Hi,

I'm 7+5. I have a son, born in 2019 and was lucky to only gain 2st and lose it straight away.

Countless lockdowns, mat leave and furlough later I'm about a stone heavier. Probably 10st 10ish and ALL belly.

I was tackling this and managed to lose half a stone and 6lb away from pre-2020

However I've gained it over Christmas and this pregnancy is so different to my last one. I am SO hungry all the time.

Every time I eat anything I have the worst indigestion and heartburn and empty stomach feeling like I'm starving. It's getting me down, I'm getting paranoid about what I'm eating. I'm logging everything I eat and calorie counting, I'm going above my recommended intake because I'm starving permanently (I'm not eating crap) it's just really getting to me.

I feel so heavy, I'm really top heavy and my boobs have already started to grow and I can't lie on my back without feeling like someone's sitting on my chest suffocating me so it's effecting my sleep

If I eat little portions often, I still feel hungry. It never ends did anyone else feel like this and have any advice?

I'm scared I'll gain too much weight

Try not to be terrified - weight gain is natural and healthy (unless there is some backstory e.g you're already morbidly obese or something). Eat if you're hungry.

I put on a very healthy 3 stone in my pregnancy and by 6 months postpartum was back to my usual 9 stone.

If you're concerned could u contact your midwife.

Try not to worry. I think it’s because we are conditioned daily as to the “ideal” weight, healthy eating etc., to change that mindset is really hard! I was strict about my diet / exercise before I became pregnant and have found it difficult to adjust. But I’ve had too because I feel really sick if I get too hungry! Weight gain is inevitable but as you have shown before, you can lose it afterwards. Congratulations on your pregnancy!

It's so hard, with my first pregnancy I was so strict but I didn't feel as hungry. Not much changed until the end when I had an extra piece of toast or so to get me through, but now I'm going hungry an hour after eating. It's insane.

I have an exercise bike, I was worried about using it as I had a previous MC so I'm full of anxiety but the weight gain fear seems to be much worse at the minute so I think it might help me

I was exactly like you in my second pregnancy. I was constantly starving in first trimester and actually by around 10 weeks if I didn’t eat I would throw up.
However in my last trimester I had no appetite at all. So overall weight gain was the same as first pregnancy

Hey, in my experience that tends to be the way very early on and then it calms down.

At 7+5 you're still in the midst of morning sickness and feeling terrible and needing to eat all the time - that should go away though when you start to feel better, even if it wasn't the same as in your first pg.

GL

Please don't restrict yourself. Your body is telling you to eat and you need to listen. By all means choose healthy options and don't eat for 10, but you must eat.

Hey! I feel the same. Currently 8+3 weeks and I feel hungry every 1-2hrs. If my stomach is empty at all I start feeling heavy in the chest and slightly nauseous so I make it a point to eat. I try and snack healthy though - fruits, nuts or peanut butter/toast. I also try and do low impact exercises 5 times a week to get some movement in. It's certainly not enough to cancel the extra calories I'm consuming but makes me feel better mentally.

Omg I am feeling the exact same! Its actually really worrying me why I'm hungry every single second of the day. I can eat a whole meal then even maybe 30 mins later im feeling hungry again. If I leave it too long before I have something else I start feeling so so sick. Its making it difficult to work due to covid meaning masks etc I can't keep pulling my mask down to eat haha but honestly if I don't snack all day long regardless whether its healthy or not I feel very very faint and just really ill. How bizarre! People are going to start thinking im a really greedy bugger haha!

However may I add i am 13 weeks and this has been happening since about 10 weeks 🙈

If it is any help I exercise to the point of being out of breath and sweaty at least 5x a week (and did so with my 1st pregnancy too). Still the second one is much harder, and the weight gain is faster and bigger for me too.

Exercise is the only thing that may help you. Bicycle is actually really good, walking does nothing (for me). I would not guilt myself over what I eat, but would rather try to sweat it out :)

Also remember - once the LO is here, you can do much more as well in terms of all kinds of exercise. You'll be fine!