First trimester weight gain?

[LucyKirk92]

Hey, so I'm in my first trimester. I read online that I shouldn't really be gaining weight during this time, maybe only a couple of pounds.

Well... I'm starving all the time. I'm eating more than I ever have, it's like a bottomless pit sometimes. I think I've put on a lot of weight but I don't weight myself, I just know. The extreme bloating doesn't help.

At first I accepted it thinking it was normal, my body needed it. But after reading online weight gain shouldn't really be a thing in the first trimester, I'm worried I'm eating too much and need to monitor my food intake as putting on unnecessary weight.

I don't have sickness yet, thank goodness

Did you gain a lot of weight? Are you starving all the time? Did you track your eating?

I lost 8kg but the past few days I've been hungry now the nausea has gone. Everyone is different, were you a normal weight before your pregnancy?

@Carebear99

I lost 8kg but the past few days I've been hungry now the nausea has gone. Everyone is different, were you a normal weight before your pregnancy?

So I haven't weighed myself. I'm a bit scared to. Before getting pregnant, I spent a year with a PT, tracked my calories every day, went to the gym 5 days a week. Obviously now I am not tracking and still gym 3 days a week. But just feel the weight is piling on. Maybe not adapting well to new body shape. Maybe I should weigh myself like you said, might not be as bad as I think? I've eaten 7 (!!!) slices of toast today slathered in lurpak, which is unlike me. I've already had breakfast, soup, breakfast bar, biscuits, banana, crisps etc.. I'm still soooooo hungry

I was starving all the time in first trimester and eating (mostly carbs) was the only thing that kept my morning sickness at bay. That and sour sugary sweets. It’s also the trimester I put most of my weight on. In the back of my mind I was worried about my weight, as pre-pregnancy it was on the line between normal and overweight but I decided it was better for me mentally to eat what I wanted, when I wanted instead of limiting my intake because of weight gain anxiety.
I’m now 39 weeks and have gained the maximum weight they recommend for a normal bmi and I know if I was a good stone lighter my mobility would be much better but it is what it is and I figured there’s nothing I can do about it now so I don’t weigh myself or beat myself up about it.
So I would say the same to you. Try not to weigh yourself, eat as well and as healthy as you can but don’t feel pressured to not eat because you’re worried about your weight because that’s not good for you either. I also found as I got closer to the third trimester I was less hungry and nausea had well and truly gone so it was much easier to eat healthier.

Looking back to my pregnancy I think the issue was that I was eating like a horse in the 1st trimester initially to help morning sickness. But it became a habit and I carried on eating like that for the entire pregnancy. My weight gain was ridiculous and even ny MW asked me to slow down.
I was slim and I became fat. 10months after giving birth and I still have extra weight that I am struggling to lose because I have been BF and I am pregnant again 😅

So ny advice is obviously dont starve yourself and eat healthy but try to slow down on empty calories...

@Pizzaandsushi

I was starving all the time in first trimester and eating (mostly carbs) was the only thing that kept my morning sickness at bay. That and sour sugary sweets. It’s also the trimester I put most of my weight on. In the back of my mind I was worried about my weight, as pre-pregnancy it was on the line between normal and overweight but I decided it was better for me mentally to eat what I wanted, when I wanted instead of limiting my intake because of weight gain anxiety. I’m now 39 weeks and have gained the maximum weight they recommend for a normal bmi and I know if I was a good stone lighter my mobility would be much better but it is what it is and I figured there’s nothing I can do about it now so I don’t weigh myself or beat myself up about it. So I would say the same to you. Try not to weigh yourself, eat as well and as healthy as you can but don’t feel pressured to not eat because you’re worried about your weight because that’s not good for you either. I also found as I got closer to the third trimester I was less hungry and nausea had well and truly gone so it was much easier to eat healthier.

Yes same with me! I want all the carbs, bread, chips you name it and my mouth will water like I've not eaten in months It's good to know there are people on the opposite end of the spectrum who do gain weight, despite what it says online. Started to wonder if I was making psychological excuses to binge just because I am pregnant. I know most people lose it through sickness but I haven't experienced any of that yet. Just extreme fatigue & increased appetite. I'm going to try not get myself beat up about it like you say, just accept what comes. Weight gain is always hard but hopefully it's ALL getting used for good (hopefully!)

@LucyKirk92 In the first trimester I was also constantly starving. I wanted all the beige bad things all the time. No sickness so just felt as though I was constantly eating. I often finished what was on my plate and DPs!

I'm now 16 weeks, into the second trimester and my hunger has definitely slowed. I think alot of the gain in that 1st trimester was water and bloating because I'm smaller now than I have been for weeks.

Eat what your body is telling you to eat and don't worry too much. When your energy starts to come back, so will the desire for better food choices.

I did not track my weight. Unless you are quite over weight currently I would eat whatever you within moderation.
Don't track your weight enjoy your pregnacy I look back at mine and wish I had of taken baby bump pictures and rested more.

I think I gained about 5kg each pregnancy in the first trimester, went from super fit to not being able to exercise as much but took a while to crack the eating, ha. I do think though that some people gain more than others as I was back to my normal weight and fitness within a year and a half first time round and I had gained well above the recommended amounts of weight.

@LucyKirk92 I would definitely try to make healthy choices even if you are starving so try to snack on fruit carrot sticks crackers. If you do put a lot of weight on it can affect your mobility and make you feel worse so trying to eat well and be active definitely does help x

I gained a lot of weight initially in first trimester because of being starving hungry all the time. I did start to track my eating (for nutrient purposes as well as calories), but stopped soon after as my weight gain tailed off quickly as nausea, heartburn & food aversions set in (though this meant I wasn't eating very healthily!) & my weight gain through the rest of the pregnancy has been slow but consistent.
I was very bloated in first trimester too, maybe you haven't actually gained as much as you thought?
I also didn't actually weigh myself initially, I just knew what I was roughly before pregnancy & was weighed at the 12 week scan so worked out what I'd gained then & started tracking, though not regularly at all.
Not sure its accurate that you shouldn't be gaining any weight in first trimester though - you've got amniotic fluid, extra blood & the placenta kicking in before the second trimester which all have a weight contribution.
I also found that I went up several cup sizes & a trousers size in the first trimester but am still wearing the same bras & trousers now at 40 weeks, just with oversized tops to fit the bump!
I wasn't able to be very active during my pregnancy & that's probably where if my appetite had stayed so huge I would have gained a lot more than I have. I stopped exercising in first trimester due to exhaustion & by the time I felt well enough to start again in second trimester my PGP kicked in. So just be aware that you might not be able to maintain your activity levels.
Overall though, you're pregnant & if you're hungry, you need to eat so don't be too hard on yourself. Your body is going to change - I found the second trimester where I just looked like I'd overeaten the most difficult body wise, once I got an obvious baby bump I felt much more positive.

I’m 8 weeks and for the last 2 weeks I’ve been hungry!! I can eat a fairly decent sized meal and within half an hour I feel hungry and my stomach grumbles 🤦🏻‍♀️ I crave carbs, bread, pizza, cheese etc. also I feel nauseous so have to eat regularly to keep that at bay.
Pre pregnancy I was 52kg, ate really well, avoided carbs, went the gym 5 days a week, I walk lots as well with my job. Although I’ve been tired and some days really cba I still go the gym, probably 3-4 times a week now and im 55kg, I’m not adjusting well to the body change already 🤣

With my DD I lost weight from HG in the first trimester, but this time i've probably gained 4-6 lbs. I was starting around a size 10 though so not huge to start, probably 10 lbs up though at the start from my first pregnancy. Try to not stress about it. If it is a problem your midwife will bring it up. Just focus on surviving the first trimester and avoiding sickness. There is plenty of time after having the baby to lose the weight. This comes from someone who had jelly tots for breakfast :). Try to keep some form of fitness, walking etc., whatever you can in between naps. Sometimes I can't believe that bodies do what they do, and can grow a wee human. We should be kind to them and if it is asking for something (within reason) give it a listen. Good luck x

Thanks all, I realise I should be kinder to myself. I definitely need to make healthier choices so going to work on this. As a few of you have said, maybe it's the water retention, bloating & additional weight through growing a baby, rather than putting on fat. Looking forward to seeing what the second trimester brings! Sounds as though it's a bit calmer

I gained about 7lb in my first trimester due to eating dry crackers constantly to keep sickness at bay (thinking about it, that must have been a shed load of crackers to warrant a half stone weight gain!) I completely went off sweets, chocolate and biscuits, but just chomped down on dry crackers by the packet.

Once the sickness subsided at 13/14 weeks, I found that my weight plateaued for a few weeks, then at 18/19 weeks I put on on average 0.5kg (just over 1lb) per week for nearly the rest of the pregnancy. In the last few weeks my stomach was a bottomless pit so put on about 1.5kg per week from 36 weeks.

I panicked about the initial 7lb, especially as this went on between 8 and 13 weeks, as I had always been weight conscious prior to the pregnancy. I shouldn't have worried. I ate intuitively for the whole of the pregnancy and put on the recommended amount of weight.

Plus, in the 2 weeks after I gave birth, I lost 10kg (baby was only 3 of that) so it's not all fat that you're gaining, there's lots of fluids, etc that contribute to your rising weight.

I put on around 2lbs in the first 11 weeks, but felt massive, bloat was bad, not weighing myself now because it will stress me out, currently at 13 weeks. Starting to pick my running back up again as couldn't at the beginning due to a fracture, so am hoping if I get back to running 3 times a week then I won't pile on the four stone I put in last time, although I was lucky that it came off easily, not so sure it would a second time.

I found that some of the constant hunger was linked to indigestion, gaviscon helped a little with that.

same same same. I was so floored with nausea in first trimester I just had to eat what I could. cheese on toast, pizza, super noodles (?!) all sorts of terrible choices. it meant I put on about 5lbs in 1st trimester. (Starting weight was 10st 4lbs, I'm 5ft 6) I have a history of body dysmorphia/eating disorders in my teens so I found it really really difficult to cope with. I'm now in the 2nd trimester and my appetite is reducing. I've also learned that a lot of the time that I think i'm hungry, I'm actually just very thirsty? if anyone else gets that?
I'm working on accepting the changes happening to my body, rather than having a panic about it!

I was so nauseous the first 8 weeks I lost half a stone. Then between week 8 and 15 I put on a stone as I had anti-sickness medicine which helped to keep food down.

I've been eating to help the sickness as it is worse if I don't have anything on my stomach.

I'm week 16 and still have a little nauseous but I can leave the house again.

I'm concerned if I keep putting a stone on every 7 weeks I'm gonna be the size of a house. My BMI pre pregnancy was 29.

I gained a stone! I was starving, literal stomach rumbling every hour.

I am 6 weeks at the moment and my appetite has gone out of control. I’m usually a stable weight and I’ve put on weight already! This is my first pregnancy and I was expecting to gain weight in the 2nd trimester but here we are week 6 and I’ve never eaten so much.

First trimester here and gaining weight like crazy! My belly almost looks pregnant already. I just wanted beige carby foods, although I wasn't actually sick, but felt sick constantly and that was the only thing that helped. Well done at keeping your gym going up, I have been quite low and totally exhausted exercise has gone out the window I'm ashamed to say so also added to the weight gain. I'm coming towards the end of my first trimester and feeling less exhausted and sick so I really want to up my exercise now.

I've struggled with my weight up and down and I was on the line on overweight before I fell pregnant.

Just wanted to post to say you're not alone with this.