Struggling with pregnancy weight gain

[graygoose]

I’m only 16 weeks and have gained a “tremendous” amount of weight (literately the doctors words). I’m embarrassed and baffled, has anyone else struggled with huge early onset weight gain?

During my first tri I was fighting for my life with nausea so had to constantly carb load but I made a concerted effort when my nausea stopped around 10-12 weeks to get better. I basically went back to my pre-pregnancy diet (I was a size 10-12) but I would eat yoghurt or toast for breakfast (I used to skip breakfast) and without the intense gym exercise and I’ve still gained so much weight.

I’m also baffled because during lockdown I drank like a fish, ate pizza, bread and chocolate constantly and barely exercised and didn’t gain anywhere near this much weight. Is it hormonal? Water weight? Or am I seriously in denial and need to go on a diet? I feel helpless, frustrated and embarrassed.

What do you mean when you say fighting for your life with nausea? Is this a real thing or are you just dramatising? Genuine question btw.

OP, how much have you actually gained?
It’s supposed to be 8-14kg over the whole pregnancy (if I remember correctly), so are we talking 3-4 kilos, or more than that?

8-14kg over the whole pregnancy ... I wish!
Like the OP I have put on an insane amount of weight. Over a stone and I am only 18 weeks . Trying not to gain this week and possibly lose a bit because I feel awful now and it is affecting how I feel about this pregnancy. I looked at ways to control weight gain and I think I will just try to eat clean and a bit less. A friend suggested low carb but I am not sure it is safe. 😞

@abmac95 i was definitely dramatising, I wasn’t literally dying from nausea but I found it very challenging and the only way I could function and not vom was to eat crackers and beige food all day. Before I was pregnant I would generally skip breakfast, eat a light lunch, no snacks and then a reasonable dinner so I used to eat very little indeed.

@Teachingteacher I’ve gained 8kg but I don’t want to make other people feel bad about numbers or what they should or shouldn’t weigh. My doc said she would expect me to have gained this by 30 weeks and I don’t doubt that what I’ve gained is an unhealthy amount, I feel terrible.

@MantaKay I will probably need to go low carb. I think it’s generally safe as a lot of ladies with GD have to go low carb but definitely check with your midwife/doc first.

I should also add that this is an IVF pregnancy so I was on steroids and extra hormones until week 12 but I shouldn’t make excuses for myself.

Forget about weight gain. Focus on healthy, nutrient dense foods that satisfy your hunger and are good for you and the baby. Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy, and congratulations.

I put 5st on in my last pregnancy - I had an awful lot of water retention and lost that weight within a year. Try not to worry and if they are that concerned, they can refer you to a dietitian.

You are meant to put on 20kg throughout the pregnancy (and this has been the bane of my life this pregnancy). I would loved to have only put on 8kg by 30 weeks but some bodies are not designed like that plus I am sure it will settle down and your weight gain will slow. Sometimes you just have to eat to stop being sick

Some babies need food and if you did not weigh that much to begin I would not really worry

Good luck!

My first thought was how bloody unprofessional of the doctor! Was it a man by any chance?

Not at all trying to make you feel terrible OP. I can’t speak to an IVF pregnancy and the hormones involved in that.

Could your doctor refer you to a dietician?

Where i live (not my home country) they plot your weight against a graph and make you feel terrible if you dare to gain one kilo above what they have projected. However, they also refer you to a dietician if you gain too much.

I’ve found that whenever I ‘ve had ivf I pretty much balloon and that’s quite common in ivf circles if you are prone to weight gain. When I look at pre pregnancy to now (18 weeks) I’ve put on an enormous amount of weight but when I look at post ivf to now it’s not so much. For now I’m trying to control the amount of sweet things I eat and genuinely ask myself am I hungry? I think you need to be kinder to yourself. It’ll be a long 22 weeks otherwise.

Sorry to hear you're feeling so low. Like you I found it really hard to cope without carbs in the first trimester because of sickness. For my first pregnancy I kept it at bay by eating lots and gaining weight. For my second I felt so sick I went off food. Big mistake. Spiralled into horrible sickness and lost 3kg which is far more worrying! Steroids can promote weight gain as well so that may have contributed in your case so please don't feel awful for it. You did what you had to to get through that period.
I found that once the nausea started to settle, being back on a normal balanced diet slowed the pace. I lost loads of weight after birth because healing from delivery and remaking all those blood cells takes calories too. Breastfeeding, if that's what you are hoping to do, is a mixed bag as some find it helps shed weight and for others makes them ravenous but for me, it really helped shed a lot of weight very quickly, as did being more active and going for walks.
At your stage I did stress a lot about the weight gain and really wish I hadn't.
Congratulations on your pregnancy op x

Why are you being weighed? I wasn't weighed at all during any of my pregnancies, though they were midwife-led care. Can you refuse the intervention?

As someone who is naturally around 9-9.5 stone, I gained nearly 4 stone in each pregnancy. I came home from hospital around 3 stone lighter each time, around 10.5 stone, and lost the remainder without trying in the first year... I had a lot (but within normal range) of amniotic fluid, large placenta and 8 and 9lb babies.

Ahh steroids!

That'll be the culprit, they make you immensely hungry. It comes as no surprise that you've gained a few pounds. You'll probably find your appetite will decrease considerably now.

Congratulations and good luck with your pregnancy 💕

By 24 weeks I had put on 1stone 7lb (9.5kg) due to eating carbs to help the nausea. I then followed the gestational diabetes diet as they were concerned I had a big baby and lots of fluid (but refused to test me as my booking bmi was under 25). They advised me to follow the diet regardless and I then only put on another 7lb, so 2 stone total by 40 weeks. It isn’t always the case that in the last trimester you gain lots, some people don’t. Agree with the above, try and eat well but don’t focus too much on it, I obsessed with following this GD diet just incase and it wasn’t worth it. Try and enjoy your pregnancy!

Are you getting confused between lbs and kgs, because it absolutely isn't recommended to gain 20kgs in pregnancy...

Just to add, even with GD it’s not about cutting out carbs completely, but balancing them with high protein and/ or fat each time you eat them. Carbs are still really important, especially for energy!

Thanks all, your messages and experiences are making me feel a lot better.

I've always had body image issues and always had to work quite hard to maintain my weight, so the doctor's comments were, for a want of a better word, quite triggering for me. However, I know I did what I had to get through the first tri with my nausea and being pumped full of steroids and hormones and would do it again to keep supporting this much wanted baby.

Am going to watch my carb intake, think about my macros and balancing with proteins and fats and insist to DH that we walk in the evenings. If I can just keep the weight gain at a more steady pace and slow it down that should hopefully make them happy!

I put on 3 stone in my first trimester for the same reasons as you. The only thing that helped the horrendous morning sickness was eating so somehow put on 3 stone despite throwing up 4-12 times a day. I put on 2 stone in the second two trimesters so 5 stone overall... lost 4 stone fairly easily by 9 months pp.

The midwife never said anything but I did start off quite slim and im 5'11 so didn't look totally ridiculous

It felt great once the morning sickness ended and I could eat healthy food again!

Im 21 weeks, and I've put on 1st 3lbs. No idea if that good or not, i leaning towards its alot to gain and like you im worrying about it as i lost 2st prior to pregnancy but i keep telling myself that once baby is here it will fall off.

Your Dr sounds like am unprofessional arse btw.

Forgot to add in my first pregnancy i put on 3 stone and i didnt care at all.

Maybe your thyroid it is common in pregnancy? Get some bloods done and check for hashimotos.

I don't think 8kg is that bad tbh. I always find I put on most of the weight in the first trimester, then weight gain slows down until the third trimester. I'm 35 weeks and have put on about 3 stone, I put on 4 stone in my last pregnancy. This is my third pregnancy and I've started each pregnancy the exact same weight so I wouldn't worry that you won't lose the weight after. Did your doctor say that the weight gain is a concern? Unless they said it was a concern I wouldn't worry about it

I put on a tonne. 4 stone(ish). Went from a size 10 to size 16. I could not stop eating. I'm pregnant again and it's the same. I also hadn't lost the weight from the first time as I got pregnant really soon after, so this should be interesting.

I'm not happy about it but I don't want to beat myself up over my weight and end up not enjoying my pregnancy and time with my daughter. I'll do something about it after.