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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

I don’t understand how you can gain 1lb per week?

27 replies

Moancup · 13/03/2022 08:34

This might be one of those threads I look back on in two months and laugh… but at 17 weeks I don’t understand where 1lb per week weight gain is supposed to go? I know weight gain is about more than the baby - fluid, blood etc. But even the placenta only weighs 1lb by the end! It seems excessive to me, but I don’t know whether putting on pure fat is important to help establish breast feeding?

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romdowa · 13/03/2022 08:36

1lb a week is only an average. Not everyone will put that on and some people will put on more. Trust me though your body will find room for it all.

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 13/03/2022 08:39

Oh bless your heart

Original poster

Moancup · 13/03/2022 08:41

@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor I did say I might regret this!

OP posts:

sjxoxo · 13/03/2022 08:43

I found it easy to see where the weight gain was ha ha. Infact I can still see some now 😬 baby 7 weeks. Lost 13kg at the birth - baby 3.8kg- so I think the placenta definitely weighs more than 1lb!!!! Xx

Luckystar1 · 13/03/2022 08:45

I’m almost 17 weeks too op but this is my 4th baby (8th pregnancy mind you, 4 miscarriages) and it just goes on. I don’t know where. But you are currently in the glorious stage of being either barely showing or have a neat little bump. This will last until about 33/34 weeks when suddenly, you’ll be PREGNANT.

I’ve had 3 big babies but always seemed quite small when pregnant but I have definitely put on weight. Every time, thankfully it has come off again, fingers crossed this time will be the same!

HarlowHenry · 13/03/2022 08:47

I didn’t gain massively in any of my pregnancies and gained nothing I think until about 16 weeks. Making up for it now they’re teenagers.

Caspianberg · 13/03/2022 08:48

I think all the ‘gubbins’ weigh a fair bit.

Ds was 4kg (8lb8) born. I lost 12kg (26lb) when I weighed myself the next day. So only 1/3 of the weight was baby.

HotPenguin · 13/03/2022 08:51

I thought the placenta weighed as much as the baby? Also the amount of blood in your body increases. And your tits will get massive.

00100001 · 13/03/2022 08:51

Where does pregnancy weight gain go?

Let's say your baby weighs in at 7 or 8 pounds (about 3 to 3.6 kilograms). That accounts for some of your pregnancy weight gain. What about the rest? Here's a sample breakdown:

Larger breasts: 1 to 3 pounds (about 0.5 to 1.4 kilogram)

Larger uterus: 2 pounds (about 0.9 kilogram)

Placenta: 1 1/2 pounds (about 0.7 kilogram)

Amniotic fluid: 2 pounds (about 0.9 kilogram)

Increased blood volume: 3 to 4 pounds (about 1.4 to 1.8 kilograms)

Increased fluid volume: 2 to 3 pounds (about 0.9 to 1.4 kilograms)

Fat stores: 6 to 8 pounds (about 2.7 to 3.6 kilograms)

www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/pregnancy-weight-gain/art-20044360

00100001 · 13/03/2022 08:52

Plus some women eat way more calories and/or don't exercise as much as before.

ukborn · 13/03/2022 08:53

A pound a week? Never heard that. From the start? That's 36 pounds. I think I gained about 20-25 with mine, and I'm no lightweight and the babies were just over and just under 10lbs. Mind you I felt pretty nauseous throughout.
Remember you carry a lot of fluid too, and the gain comes mainly in the last couple months I imagine.

Hellocatshome · 13/03/2022 08:55

Honestly I could put on 1lb a week easy and I'm not even pregnant

crossstitchingnana · 13/03/2022 08:56

You need mores blood, your heart muscle increases. Don't forget fluid retention!

CantStandMeCow · 13/03/2022 08:57

It’s a pound a week after the first trimester where it’s not unusual to gain none. And I’ve seen a placenta. There’s no way that weighs a pound.

yorkshireteaspoonie · 13/03/2022 08:57

God knows where it comes from.. but it does. I've definitely not eaten for two throughout pregnancy, the constant sickness and heartburn took care of that. 35 weeks now and I'm carrying at least a stone just of boob I didn't have before. Cannot wait to get rid of them 😩

museumum · 13/03/2022 08:58

Fluid and boobs.
Seriously, by the end you are pumping something like 50% more blood around your body, not to mention the amniotic fluid, colostrum and just general fluid retention.

And boobs. So much boob.

yorkshireteaspoonie · 13/03/2022 08:59

Oh and all the extra blood. I am one million degrees at all times and normally I'd be in thermals.

Caspianberg · 13/03/2022 09:00

I actually didn’t gain anything the first 20 ish weeks. Then gained 20kg (44lb) before due date. Going from 50kg-70kg. I think it was all needed. I ate healthy and exercised still.

12kg loss in 24hrs after birth indicated all that was baby/ blood/ water/ placenta etc. the other 8kg went in the first 6-8week.

The doctor said generally the lower bmi to start with, the more you need to gain

Original poster

Moancup · 13/03/2022 09:00

From the second trimester @ukborn, following 4lbs in the first trimester. Although maybe this is American advice as the NHS has a slightly more modest 22-26lb with the majority after 20 weeks.

OP posts:

MrsPelligrinoPetrichor · 13/03/2022 09:00

[quote Moancup]@MrsPelligrinoPetrichor I did say I might regret this! [/quote]

RavenclawsRoar · 13/03/2022 09:00

I should think fat is helpful for breastfeeding. I'm pretty sure breastmilk is made from fat. But also - there's so much going on. Blood volume increases, fluid retention, all the stuff in your bump (not just the baby). I have varied in weight gain in pregnancy - dc1 I gained 3 stone (no idea how, I had HG and could hardly keep anything down but absolutely ballooned! It was most unfair). Dc2 I gained 22lbs. Dc3 I gained about 15lbs (but had a very strict diet due to GD). All my babies have been around the 9lb mark so with 2 and 3 I was back to pre pregnancy weight pretty much straight after delivery.

JemimaTiggywinkle · 13/03/2022 09:02

It’s not compulsory!
I put on 1.5 stone over the course of my pregnancy.
A lot of it is extra water weight/bloating I think.

Doubleraspberry · 13/03/2022 09:04

I lost weight in my pregnancies. Put it all back on by eating crap on maternity leave. But every time I weighed less at nine months than when I got pregnant - likely down to a hormone imbalance being re-balanced by pregnancy.

cinamonbonbon · 13/03/2022 09:05

I gained four stone I genuinely thought it would melt off but alas it took a good year and a half to lose it all. Was all worth it though. No way I was going to control my pregnancy indulging though. I literally felt hungry every minute of the day and I had a scare early in so was overly cautious about doing too much exercise so more in and a lot less out equalled four stone.

TulipsGarden · 13/03/2022 09:05

Everything gets bigger. Not just your stomach, your boobs, your hips widen, your ribcage. Your body produces more blood. Your bump will contain a lot of amniotic fluid (variable amounts in all women) and towards the end you start to retain water and get puffy.

Also gave you seen a placenta? They're huge, no way they only with one pound!

I gained 1.5 stone, and I ate less than usual when pregnant due to nausea/puking/heartburn/food aversions. Most of it came off quite quickly, but then sitting around looking after a baby and eating sugar due to lack of sleep put it back on again 😂

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