Please hold my hand... 39 weeks and I've gained over 4 stone!

[rosemarycait96]

Before pregnancy I was about 61-62kg, healthy size 8, 5ft tall so BMI was about 25. I've previously been quite overweight and for years have needed to consciously think about my diet/exercise in order to maintain my weight at that level.

I weighed myself this morning out of curiosity and was shocked to see the scaled tipping at 86kg (13.5 stone)... Admittedly I've eaten like a gannet since the start, but I walk everywhere and am still very active day to day. Is this just what pregnancy does??

My thoughts are a bit spiral-y right now:

• I'm planning to breastfeed for at least 6 months, preferably a year (obviously that depends how it goes) and eating less and exercising intensely isn't supposed to be good while BF. I'm worried that I won't lose any weight while BF because apparently it does make you feel hungry, and I will need to eat a good amount to keep my supply up
• That will be difficult, because I'll be constantly battling the thoughts in my head that tell me how easy it would be to lose the weight if I just... didn't eat
• What if the weight never goes? I have an entire wardrobe of size 6-8/XS clothing that I'll be devastated if I can never wear again

I can see it's all trivial. I have a healthy baby in there. But I can't help but feel a sense of dread about my post-partum body.

Anyone else currently feeling like this? Anyone been through this kind of weight gain and can give any reassurance? Will I ever feel good about my body again, even if I don't lose the weight?

Also an added thought - all this stuff about recommended weight gain in pregnancy has to be utter BS doesn't it! I'd already gained the 'suggested amount' by the end of the first trimester 😂

Your BMI at 5ft 62kg with moderate exercise levels aged 30 is actually 26.8 and your healthy weight range is 47-57kg

No it isn’t “just what pregnancy does” I am afraid Op.

but eat sensibly post north, lots of movement when you’re up to it and the weight will reduce quickly

Great, thanks for the correction, which has made me feel even worse! :) If anyone has anything more helpful to say, I'll be back in a bit...

i am same weight as I was pre children 12 years ago. Actually slimmer. And I’m underweight (pretty scrawny actually). My friends similar.

It’s important to be honest with yourself Op and not hold yourself up pre pregnancy on a pedestal.

eat healthy. Lots of walking. And then build up to exercise. You’ll get there

I BF

appetite increased but the weight fell off. I was doing LOADS of walking though

Park your worries for the time being and focus on your baby will very soon be here!

First time mum here so share the same worry! If anything, breastfeeding helps you lose weight faster than formula feeding, plus the lack of sleep will probably make you lose weight as well. Just try to be conscious of what you eat and stop gaining any more weight from now.

I was exactly the same in my first pregnancy, put on four stone, I probably ate for two to some degree, but I had a massive amount of water retention in the last trimester and I lost three stone by the time DD was 6 months old. I got out and about for walks and breastfed and was lucky that it came off. This time I ate for one, still had a lot of water retention, but put on 2 1/2 stone. Everyone is different post pregnancy and in pregnancy, don't be too hard on yourself

I gained 4 stone in my last pregnancy, I felt exactly the same as you do now, 9 months after giving birth I was back to my prepregnancy weight. Don't give away your clothes! This is what I did as I thought there was no way I'd ever be the size I was again. I didn't do anything to lose the weight I just gradually returned to normal. I did breastfeed though so maybe this helped

Yes, I gained 3 stone in pregnancy 1 (look set to do the same again with this pregnancy). I did lose it between pregnancies. Don’t forget probably about 2 stone of that is actually the baby and all the fluid and placenta.

Just focus on the baby, you will be busy and tired after they are here and in my case weight dropped quite naturally initially due to long walks with the pram to get her to sleep and trying to eat healthier.

This really isn’t something to cause you worry right now. You have more important things to think about!

thanks all for the perspective and reassurance. I know there's way more important things to think about right now and I'm eternally grateful to have had a healthy pregnancy, minus a couple of blood pressure scares.

I have a history of disordered eating and poor body image issues so this threw me for a loop a bit.

@K37529 and no I won't get rid of my clothes! They're too nice to give away and I've got to hold out hope somehow 😂

You sound just like me before my first baby. I’m also only 5ft tall and I gained just over 3.5 stone (couldn’t eat much the last 8 weeks though because of horrendous heartburn so would have gained more I’m sure). I also used to be very overweight years before I got pregnant and I found it very hard mentally. Within 6-7 months I had lost it all. I breastfed (which burns calories) and I walked a lot with the baby in the pram.

I’m 12 weeks now and have gained 7lbs already as the only way to control my nausea is to eat so I’m sure it will happen again but I’m not worried this time. I know once the baby is born I can get the weight off

I was unexpectedly weighed at my 38 week MW appointment yesterday, I was horrified as I too have a history of eating disorders and poor body image (granted it wasn't my usual MW, and I just didn't bother looking at the scales).

However, they put my updated BMI on my notes so I managed to work out the new weight based on my height (a gain of about 2 1/2 stone). All I can say is I feel the same as you do now with the numbers being too high for my liking but also that this is pregnancy #4 for me and with each one I've always gained a similar amount and managed to get back to around my PP weight, all be it with a bit of extra 'snuggliness' around my tummy.

Each time I have BF and focused on keeping healthy (lots of walks, nice food, never really dieting) and the weight has come off gradually. I just try ignoring the scales too and focus on which bits of my wardrobe I can fit back in to!

Please don't worry :) I hope all goes well the birth, not long to go now.

I gained over three stone in pregnancy and weighed similar to you at the start -mind you I’m 5’6 so started from a lower BMI. My baby was 9lb and my husband is 6’4, so that may well have had something to do with it!

Don’t worry about this at 39 weeks, but try and be honest with yourself about WHAT you are eating once the baby comes. If you breastfeed, you’ll likely have an increased appetite (I certainly did - my boy took in a ridiculous amount of milk) but try and focus on it being nutritionally balanced, rather than the quantity of what you’re eating. I was able to return to my pre-pregnancy weight within a few months with breastfeeding and regular walks, so it can happen. I did find that my upper half and shoulders had widened, but everything else pretty much went back to normal, bar a stretch mark or 2. The difficulty is maintaining and reducing your diet once you stop breastfeeding - I found it tricky to gauge what I actually needed to eat after 20 months of breastfeeding!

I don't think there's a one rule for all..on the positive side you say you have been really active so hopefully it'll be easy for you to return to activity one baby is born. That'll do wonders for your physical & mental health. Well done for keeping active!

Also you can't underestimate the fluid & bloat in later stages of pregnancy so it might not be as bad as you think. Even if it is, a healthy happy baby is the goal.

If it is getting you down, all you can do is try to achieve a balanced diet in first few months and work on finding a new, healthy attitude with your postpartum body. The disordered thinking is hard to shift so personally I'd ditch the scales....i haven't weighed myself in years for this reason and tried to go by how i look & feel in myself.
I hope that you get back to being happy in your body soon & delighted with your bub.

I had a healthy BMI before my first pregnancy. I put on 5 stone throughout the pregnancy and ended up huge! No matter what I did, I struggled to lose it while breastfeeding. It made me very miserable as I was used to being slim. The pregnancy was unexpected too and I was only 23 so still very vain! After I stopped breastfeeding at 14 months, the weight dropped off and I went back almost to pre-pregnancy weight. However, fast-forward 5 years to now, I am 25 weeks pregnant again and the weight is piling on. I eat fairly balanced - lots of fruit and veg. I am veggie anyway so healthy-ish. I love sweet treats though is the issue. I'm not stressing this time though - if it takes a couple of years again after to get it off, who cares?

@rosemarycait96 if its any help I'm in a similar position. 38+3, I haven't weighed myself but plan to do so next week. With my first child I gained 38lb and I can tell from my maternity clothes I've gained more this time.

I started heavier so no surprise. I eventually lost it a lot of it by low carbing so hope to do the same again this time (we can only try!)

Best of luck with your baby ❤️

Don't worry about it OP. I gained around 3 stone with first pregnancy and same as others lost most of it by doing lots of walking with the pram, I BF exclusively and I don't feel like that had a negative impact in any way. I ended up having to cut out dairy a few months in which helped with weight loss as I couldn't eat all the cakes and chocolate . Unfortunately put on some lockdown chub between pregnancies, I'm now 32 weeks pregnant with second baby and have gained more (have to eat constantly due to nausea, been feeling unwell most of the time so less active) so I expect by the end it'll be at least a 4 stone gain but a lot comes off initially after the birth then once you feel up to it you can get out for walks etc and just eat sensibly without cutting calories and that should help :)

I haven't lost weight breastfeeding so don't assume that will happen. Im now trying to eat more sensibly. You can exercise/lose weight while breastfeeding but they advise to do it really gradually- one website suggested 1.5 lbs a week. If it's something you'll worry about you might just have to set very manageable targets and let yourself do it slowly.

@rosemarycait96 ”eating less and exercising intensely isn't supposed to be good while BF”

you seem to be all or nothing.

1. you can eat as much as you like or need to, but you can cut out sweets, crisps etc and fast food. Which don’t give you any nutrition, just fat.

1. you can also do as much moderate exercise you can fit in or that it’s not too exhausting, walking, some light weights training, YouTube videos

if you do these, you’ll lose all the pregnancy weight. And more.

BF burns about 500 kcal a day! That’s what I remember from researching it. It’s a lot. Especially on top of 1 and 2.

Be kind to yourself. You are growing a tiny human. I am in a very similar situation to you and am not worried. Every pregnancy is different, and I think you have to trust the process. I am 31 weeks and have gained around 3 stone. (before the pregnancy I was a healthy size 6-8). I went up 4 cup sizes in the first trimester, with no change to my exercise routine (I was still running and going on hikes at the weekend).

I think it's important to acknowledge the weight gain and not shy away from it. It may be 12-18 months before you return to your pre-pregnancy weight. It will be a journey. Be sensible with your diet. I find that it's very easy to get into the habit of eating more than you need; sometimes a few days of writing down everything you eat makes you more aware of what you are putting into your body. Keep moving. I wouldn't focus on just losing weight, exercise so that you can be a fit and healthy mum.

It's not going to happen overnight. Trust yourself and trust the process. Remember, this is your journey. Everyone's journey looks a little bit different. I'd keep your old clothes, but maybe put them somewhere out of sight for now. Wear clothes that fit you and make you feel nice. You deserve it!

Zombie thread - baby is nearly 10 months old

I’ve been much more healthier eating in this pregnancy bar first trimester (all I could stomach was beige was bed bound for most of it) - compared to first pregnancy & have still put on a lot more than I wanted.Almost at 30 weeks now & will be just trying to eat healthy still & go back to slimming world once baby is here. I have pgp spd so can’t do much in terms of exercise right now. You’ll be fine once baby is here though. Good luck.

I gained 5 stone in both pregnancies. Didn't bf but came off across twelve months by diet.
Stop being hard on yourself, forget the weight now and focus on meeting your baby. You've made a person!!