Third trimester weight gain

[savanahnana]

34 weeks here and I'm struggling now with the weight gain. I was very body/weight conscious before pregnancy so I know that doesn't help. I've gained 20lbs now which I keep reading is 'normal' but it's how quick it's started piling on that's depressing me.

I've ate healthy and sensible this whole time other than the odd day over weekends where I relax more over it yet I seemed to have piled 5lbs on over a week without changing anything.

I'm now worrying that I have another 6 weeks left if this weight gain now continues so rapidly. This is 3rd baby but I don't think I weighed myself quite this much before to remember how my weight gain was. I've just had enough of being pregnant now and stepping on the scales again has just made it worse.

Does weight gain actually increase this much in the last few weeks as all I seem to keep reading is that weight gain can slow down towards the final weeks..

I didn’t track throughout my pregnancy, I’m not sure that’s a good idea, as it’s a lot out with your control! Sounds like you know that. But in both pregnancies I gained nearly 4 stone in total - hope that helps you feel better?! And each time I lost it, first time easily, second time more work. Breastfeeding helps. How did you lose the weight last 2 times?

In my first pregnancy I put on 4.5kg in the last two months and then dropped 5 kg in the four days after giving birth! My daughter was about half of that weight.

I definitely looked chubby around the face and next when I had her but it went away, total weight gain was about 12kg, was lost (too) easily through breastfeeding.

I'm pregnant again and I'm three weeks "ahead" in my weight gain so expect I'll max out heavier this time.

LOL. I gained 20kg during my first. Which obviously wasn't great but I lost it easily postpartum.

I’ve been weighing myself weekly and had a similar panic around 30weeks when I increased from the usual half kg gain per week to well over a kg for a good few weeks. It did slow down again and there were a few weeks where the scales barely moved. I’m 36+4 and have gained about 13kg now, so in normal range.

Try not to panic, it’s not a linear gain. If you are eating healthily 80% of the time, then I think your body is doing what it is supposed to, to grow and feed a healthy baby!

For many women (me included) most of it comes off after the birth. At 6 months post baby I was slimmer than ever through being busy walking, eating well and bf.

I managed to shift the weight with the previous two without really trying so hopefully this time will be the same.

I know some may read this and think I'm being silly but when you've had issues around weight before pregnancy it's really difficult to remain relaxed about any kind of weight gain despite knowing it's perfectly normal.

I think I've just woke up feeling extra hormonal after yet another night of no sleep due to hip/pelvic pain and then getting on the scales just topped it off.

@savanahnana maybe you should step away from the scales? If you eat fairly healthy and try and do a bit of exercise if you can (walking, swimming? I found stretching and yoga good for pelvic pain) then any weight gain is just natural. Your body is doing what it needs to support baby. I agree with a pp, my weight gain wasn't linear either. Big jumps some weeks, then plateau, and I lost a little right at the end. Given that you have lost baby weight quite easily before I would try to forget about it this time. You aren't far off and your body knows what it is doing!

I left the weighing for my MW as I couldn’t stand how much I put on, but I ballooned in the last 6 weeks!
I lost of pretty quickly and was the skinniest I’ve ever been after having LO.
Retain a lot of water at this stage.
Don’t worry and enjoy the last few weeks!

Baby gains most of it's birth weight in the back end of pregnancy so most women will gain a fair bit at that stage. Don't worry about it, your gains are actually pretty low anyway.

I gained far too much in my 1st trimester, combination of carb loading, convenience foods, less exercise with 5 kids home schooling and feeling pretty tired and nauseous all the time. It's been damage control since then and not doing too bad. With our twins I stopped weighing myself at 2st gain, I piled on weight super fast with them but was only 7lb heavier after birth than pre-pregnancy. I felt so light after their birth as they were both big girls. I have larger than average babies so the weight gain can be pretty bad, the best I've done is 2.5st total gain with our 3rd and 2st was gone straight after birth. I really struggle with body image, even when I got very slim a couple of years ago I still saw the fat me in the mirror, having excess skin after very large pregnancies doesn't help.

Thank you.

Reading these has helped. I’m definitely trying to relax more with the thought of gaining more weight. I think I also have days where I feel much bigger than I am due to water retention too.