Is it actually impossible to ‘tone up’ whilst pregnant?

[Amby99]

Before pregnancy I was probably the fittest I’d ever been. I’m nearly 14 weeks and recently been trying to get back into the gym after a horrendous first trimester (I gained 4 pounds because I eat lots of due to horrendous nausea, albeit I did eat healthily but maybe too much bread)

I’m 5ft 1 - rather short and so I am just conscious of ‘unecessary’ weight gain that I put on the first trimester due to my excessive eating…. I’m not about to go on a diet and in fact since sickness subsided I’ve eaten less naturally and more healthily but my once waist 26 jeans are getting very snug. I want to go and use the stair master at the gym to work my thighs and bum (these seem to be looking much softer and fatter) and maybe do some light squats…. Is it completely pointless though?

In short I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed that lots of my clothes are becoming tight, because I was tiny before ‘fitted’ clothes looked good and now all I want to wear is trackies and lounge around and it’s just not me.

I know it’s natural and once the baby is born I really won’t care and it’ll all be worth it but I can’t help but feel self conscious currently especially when there isn’t an evident ‘bump yet’

Best thing is walking and getting a good amount of steps in, you can do the gym if you want but obviously it comes with risks.

This is a very unhealthy way to think. You re pregnant. The waist is the first to go, because your womb is enlarging and you essential organs are moving upwards. Stop weighing yourself. There is zero point measuring yourself. Your body is thereto accommodate a growing fetus and you are focusing on your thighs getting floppy.

Look up what exercises pregnant women can do. Don't even attempt any stomach muscle exercises unless you want diastasis recti. Do it to make yourself feel better but not to get thin and toned because that is pointless.

You can go to the gym in pregnancy, and there’s no reason why you can’t build muscle. But pregnancy causes your ligaments to soften so you might want to go a bit easier than normal. I have a personal trainer and the client she sees before me has been training right through her pregnancy.

Of course your 26 inch waist jeans are going to get snug in pregnancy, they’ll be completely out of the window soon.

4lbs is fine.

I’d see the midwife if you continue to feel so anxious around this.

I've found prenatal pilates really good because you do feel stronger and it helps with posture too.
That said the way you're talking about your weight does not sound healthy. Of course your jeans aren't going to fit and you will be gaining weight! It can be uncomfortable when you don't "look pregnant" yet but it is a necessary phase and it will pass.

Staying fit is good but try to keep the focus on how you're feeling, not how you're looking.

4lb? Don’t be daft. You’re pregnant. You need to stop obsessing and just stay fit and accept the jeans won’t fit for much longer.

I totally get it this feeling as I was the same ❤️ If it helps to know at all I have returned to (very close to) my pre-pregnancy size after one year of diet snd exercise.

It’s hard when you feel like you can see yourself disappearing, especially as a short person, but remind yourself that it’s all temporary and for a good reason! For now, focus on pregnancy safe exercise and eat as well as you can.

I think the responses so far have been pretty harsh. Yes, you can train in pregnancy. Actually according to my doctors, midwife and post partum trained physio it’s encouraged.

In your position I’ve focused on a healthy diet (inc. a good amount of protein), pregnancy specific exercise routine (I use bumps to burpees or similar) and cardio (for me cycling or swimming).

Yes, pp are right to say of course your clothes will start to feel tight around the waist etc but you can still make sure you’re looking after your mental and physical health. I’d also suggest finding support of these thoughts on size etc become overwhelming.

I do agree with you though, it is hard to deal with the body changes if it’s something that has always been important to you.

I think you need to reframe your question.

Is it possible to stay active and eat well in pregnancy absolutely?

I didn't do much exercise when pregnant with my daughter due to various reasons but as I had been previously fit and healthy -running 3 times a week plus cycling and Pilates - I found I did maintain a good level of fitness. I had hyperemesis in the first and third trimesters and lost quite a bit of weight in the first trimester but still became softer and stopped fitting into clothes by the end of it. It's not the extra 4lb that has triggered this change it's your body preparing to grow a new life.

I'm pregnant again and not had the sickness to the same degree and gained 2-3 lb but looked the same at 14 weeks as I did with my daughter. I have stayed active with lots of walking and did regular pilates class with personal adjustments until 28 weeks. I'd say my arms and legs are still relatively toned but everything from bottom to chin and has become softer.

It's probably helpful to see the breakdown of weight gain in pregnancy
Typically at term
7lb baby
2lb amniotic fluid
1.5lb placenta
2lb uterus
7lb extra blood and other bodily fluids
2lb breasts
7lb fat protein and other nutrients

The extra fat is there to help your body through the pregnancy and the period after birth. When pregnant with my daughter I gained the bare minimum for various reasons and I had a hard time postnatally as I had used my reserves getting through the pregnancy so when pnd hit and having to breastfeed an allergy baby on a limited diet I had nothing to sustain me and I lost a lot of weight.
I am having a few health issues in this pregnancy and am struggling with gaining weight and it's likely to be contributing to my utter exhaustion I'm feeling at the moment.

Your body will get softer and curvier and "fatter" it's meant to, it's got to sustain another life for 12 months. The fourth trimester isn't just for the babies it's for you too. Those first 3 months can be a grueling on your body as pregnancy even if you are formula feeding instead of breastfeeding.

Yeah, got to say, you seem laser focused on the unimportant things right now. So your waist size is increasing… well, duh. And your thighs and bum should be looking fatter. You are storing fat to go into producing breast milk. Regardless of whether you choose to FF or BF your body doesn’t know that and is doing exactly what it’s supposed to be doing.
By all means go to the gym and stay a level of fit- that IS good for you (although you do need to be mindful of injury and actually walking is one of the best things you can do if able) but you do have to accept your body is changing and is going to continue to change. Stay away from the scales and measuring. Every woman is different. And throw away this idea of “snapping back” too. Motherhood can be brutal. You’ll start to feel more like yourself when you start to feel more like yourself, and that is different for every woman.
When you choose to carry a child you do give up parts of yourself and sacrifice your pre-pregnancy body. Social media is a lie. You need to learn to love the new you because what your body is doing is far more impressive things than any marathon you’ve ever run, or anything the scales have ever told you. But I do fully empathise. I was the fittest I’d ever been before I had my DD and found the transition hard.
I’m due any day now with baby 2 and I’ve just had to learn that these are my childbearing years. I’ll try to lose weight and get fit after the baby comes, but really life is so hectic and the children are the focus for the next few years. And that’s okay. That’s the stage of life I’m at and my time will come again.

Sorry to say this but you shouldn't be worrying about the weight you have put on 4lbs is nothing you can put on between 22lb - 28lb in pregnancy. Of course your clothes aren't going to fit you are growing a baby. You don't have to wear baggy clothes you can wear tight fitting clothing as long as they're stretchy. When you have a bump show it off and be proud of it.

Of course you can tone up in pregnancy but what it sounds like you need to work on is a healthy body image which would be better treated by the perinatal mental health team.

I dread to think how much I've gained in my first trimester, I'm avoiding weighing myself! I've struggled mentally with the weight gain, despite knowing it is inevitable, it's hard your body changing even when it's expected and for a good cause! My pregnancy has come after 2 losses, 2 years of infertility and 2 rounds of IVF so I'm so grateful to be here, but I've really been though it and the IVF meds saw me packing on the pounds before I even got tbe positive test

I'm trying to focus on feeling as best I can in myself, eating good nutritious meals but not beating myself up if I feel sick and need a snack to help me out (bread has been my best mate) and now I feel less terrible (I'm 16 weeks tomorrow) I'm getting back into some exercise - PT sessions from a pregnancy qualified trainer, some pilates, and lots of walking - having a dog helps a lot here as its forced me to get out every day!

I think it's a hard adjustment to go through, body image is complicated and we are bombarded with images of perfectly tiny women with a perfect bump, I know it makes me feel bad about myself when my clothes don't fit, but I don't really look pregnant yet. Anyway, rambling now, but I think be kind to yourself, accept that things will change and its not controllable, but eat/exercise in a safe way to feel as good as you can in yourself is my advice!

Thanks for all of the responses - of course I know the weight gain is all for good reasons but I also think it’s natural to feel a little discomfort about it if you’re not used to your clothes not fitting. I’m mainly concerned with my thigh and bum weight gain, my skirts aren’t really coming over my bum anymore which is why I asked if it were possible to tone these things rather than worry about waist size increase (which is inevitable)

I’m pretty sure there is a hormone released that makes your bum look flat through pregnancy and BF. Mines usually quite perky but looked so bad at the end of pregnancy, proper flattened out & wobbly. I went back to the gym 8 weeks PP and am lighter now than pre pregnancy. Bum and legs look way better (9m PP). I think it’s normal to feel cautious about how your body is changing but it’s worth looking into what is avoidable and what isn’t, as you don’t want to drive yourself crazy over things you can’t change.

You can absolutely train in pregnancy. Pre pregnancy I had just lost 2 stone and I was feeling great then had a bad first trimester, eating beige and not able to gym. Similar to yourself I went back around 14 weeks. What I would say is try not to worry about the fact your clothes don't quite fit right - especially if you were petite to start with. I'm 5ft9 and broad and I also found clothes starting to get tight from about when you did! If you can shift your mindset focus to be able being strong, fit and healthy, preparing for birth then that will really help instead of focusing on trying to "tone up" or other pre pregnancy goals. If you keep doing lifting, squats etc. you will keep your muscle tone and it is only a good thing to be strong at the end of the day ☺️

My mother was told allow 9lbs for the baby and 9 for everything else. So no more than 18lbs weight gain. Honestly I think it's good advice and what I strived for. Eating as much veg and fruit as possible is the way to go (I repeat, you cannot get fat on fruit!)

Exercise wise, the rule I was given was you can carry on doing things you were already doing but don't start new exercises. I used a running machine up to c5 mths, then went on a step machine for the remainder of the time, as well as walked lots. Things like squats risk bearing weight down on your pelvis.

Of course your trousers are getting tight!! personally I would buy good maternity trousers ASAP to take pressure off the waist

I feel like you're in some kind of denial. You don't need to let yourself go, equally you do need to face into and accept how your body is changing

You can exercise in pregnancy but a good rule of thumb is to just continue whatever form of exercise you are already doing rather than starting new things.

I was still swimming 60 lengths when 9 months pregnant, I just wore a size 14 swimming costume to fit my bump in as it was much cheaper than a maternity one! I also did a lot of dog walking and after having a 9lb baby I could pretty much get straight back into my jeans.

Of course you can use a stairmaster when pregnant and keep fit. much better to keep fit and healthy. Don't believe that you 'have' to put on weight anywhere other than your bump if you exercise and eat well. I didn't.

Sorry @curious79, I see you already said that!

I teach exercise classes and I’m very happy for my regular participants to continue attending when they are pregnant (provided their GP or midwife has said it’s ok), but if someone new turned up who hadn’t tried the class before and was pregnant, I would suggest they wait until after the birth.

Of course your jeans are getting tight around the waist, you’re 14 weeks pregnant!
I didn’t have a massive bump until quite late in my first pregnancy but my normal trousers were snug at the waist by around 14 weeks. Most women go through a stage of looking like they’ve just put a bit of weight on before looking obviously pregnant.

You will likely put on around 2 stone by the end of the pregnancy if you’re a healthy weight now, most of it baby, placenta, amniotic fluid, increased blood volume, boob weight and some extra fat which you need to support the baby.
Carry on eating healthily and you shouldn’t put on an excessive amount.

But to answer your question no there’s nothing wrong with doing some light exercise and you can tone up. Be extra careful not to over exert yourself though because ligaments relax more during pregnancy so you’re at increased risk of injury.
I did pregnancy yoga which was a nice way to relax and prepare for the birth as well as doing some exercise.

my once waist 26 jeans are getting very snug

Well yes you're nearly 4 months pregnant now. That's what happens. This seems like a very unhealthy way to think. Surely you must realise that as a pregnancy progresses you get bigger and will need bigger clothes...that's not a failing.

In addition to weight gain your body produces a hormone which causes the ligaments in your body to relax this is to give more space in the birth canal for baby to make it's exit. This can change the shape of your body - hips can get wider and even your feet can change size!

Pregnancy really can change your body in a whole host of ways!

And it's normal to stay that way! You can definitely be fit and healthy postpartum but your pelvis and ribcage might just be a bit wider than before.

You're going to need go get used to your body looking different and gaining weight. You can try and tone but it's a bit of a losing battle. Focus on strength and what makes you feel good rather than how your clothes fit. You'll drive yourself mad otherwise.