Inexplicable huge weight gain first trimester

[BidetBeforeDDay]

First pregnancy... was at lower end of BMI to start, FWIW. Weighed about 9 stone 3 for ages. Now, 13 weeks pg, I'm a stone heavier! (10 stone 3.)

I've been counting calories and exercising as per usual. (Before any negative comments - I've done this for years and it's the best way for me. I can eat without guilt because I know it's within my "allowed" limit. Also sometimes I get anxious and struggle to eat, so it has helped me eat enough at those times.) I had some confused days from week 5-8 where I felt so rough I ate nothing, then junk. So not sure of calories on those days. And I have slept a little more, so maybe that's using a lot less energy?

But overall I can't work out how the hell I've gained so much weight. Even weirder, I don't look like I have. My face looks the same as before. My jeans have only just started getting tight (but still fit!)

A few years ago I was this weight as normal (eating healthily, exercising. Accidentally lost a stone when ill and never regained it). And my face looked rounder, and clothes slightly bigger, couldn't clearly see my ribs like now. So I can't understand how I've gained so much more than I should have during the first trimester, but it doesn't show?

I'm quite upset about this. As you can probably tell it matters to me, my aim was to not put on unnecessary weight whilst pregnant. I don't have a partner to tell me I'm still beautiful or anything either, so it's hard! But given I am eating healthily, actually counting the calories to ensure this, it's so upsetting to have mysteriously gained too much weight. Is there something I'm missing here?

I will add that at my booking in appt. I was surprised how much I'd gained, that was at week 7. Obviously with clothes/boots on, and on different scales, it's not a totally accurate comparison, but actually the vast majority of the gain was before then! (Think I was 10 stone or over, although probably actually less due to clothes etc!)

Is there something I'm missing that means huge weight gain very early on that mysteriously doesn't make you actually fatter?

@BidetBeforeDDay hi, I totally get where you’re coming from, if it makes you feel any better I gained most of my weight early on. I’m 27 weeks now and have only gained 2 pound in the last 2 months. Maybe it will balance out and slow down for you too. Xx

I think your body makes more blood and keeps in more water?
We know how heavy a bottle of water is, heavy!
Not sure when but I wouldn’t worry about it.
You're creating a human. It’s amazing!

I’ve put a stone on too in 10 weeks. I’ve had a gastric sleeve so like you I’m worrying. As before pregnancy I couldn’t physically eat the amount I am eating now. If I don’t eat every two hours I feel like death. Also I’m eating carbs which I didn’t eat before too. Making me depressed I’m getting fat again

Well, you’re not overeating and you’re exercising, so there’s little you can do. It could be water retention so worth mentioning at your next appointment.

I did actually mention it at my first appointment, when the midwife weighed me and I was shocked. She asked if I'd ever had an eating disorder... It's frustrating when you are (generally) slim and people assume any kind of restraint over what you eat or awareness of your weight is somehow unhealthy, rather than how you are trying to stay healthy!

Large weight gain won't show on my midwife records, as it happened before my first appointment. When I was shocked at my weight, she just said something vague about water retention and perhaps the scales weren't calibrated. Will be interesting to see what they say at next appointment! Because by my reckoning it'll barely have changed.

Weighed myself again this morning for a fair comparison (to pre pg weight) without huge onesie and booty slippers on 😆 and was 3-4 pounds lighter than last night. So still about 2-3 times what I should have gained, but slightly less scary. I had planned to avoid the home scales the whole pregnancy but I think I'll be better off for my own peace of mind checking once a month for a more accurate reading than the midwife takes.

@Hhhhmmm
That sounds frustrating. Were you under an eating disorders team or anyone like that that you could speak to for specific advice for your situation?

I wouldn’t say the weight gain was mysterious, you’re pregnant! And it’s not a ‘huge’ weight gain at all. It’s entirely normal and common to put weight on in the first three months.

If this is ‘upsetting’ you then I would consider speaking to your midwife about it from the perspective of possibly needing support from the eating disorders / mental health team.

Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Rather than check your weight yourself, because you are not an expert in this subject i would suggest you instead rely on the midwives to monitor your weight and dietary choices to ensure all is well. Put the scales away.

I don’t think I am the only one here wondering if you’re kidding yourself that you don’t have some kind of eating disorder.

It’s one thing to be aware of your weight. It’s another to be freaking out about it when you are growing another body. You shouldn’t feel the need to control your weight at this time. Just eat lots of protein etc.

You eat healthily and take exercise anyway. Youll be fine.

Will the sky fall in if you birth a healthy baby and are a stone overweight? Youll lose it with jogging with baby in a buggy and swimming, walking in the park etc. You don’t need to worry. Just keep talking to the experts. All will be well. Relax and enjoy this exciting time!

Your midwife was concerned about you having an ED because your concern about normal pregnancy weight gain and the language you use around eating and weight gain is common in people with ED.

It doesn't mean you have one, just that you have a lot of ED cognition.

What kind of weight gain were you expecting in pregnancy? You seem to overly concerned, so what did you expect to happen? Its not like it is in the movies, where the only visible sign of pregnancy is a neat bump at the front.

I gained 4 stone when I was pregnant and I lost 2 stone giving birth. I carried a lot of water! Everyone is different but the one thing that’s the same is that you have to just go with it. Your body is doing what it needs to do. You do seem overly sensitive about weight gain which is why the midwife talked to you about an ED. She’s clearly not concerned about your weight so you must be within a healthy weight range. Just go with it and marvel at how your body knows what to do for your baby.

Typical you are only weighed 1-3 times in pregnancy so they probably won't comment on your weight gain unless you bring them up. They won't be monitoring your weight unless you ask them too. You are usually weighed at your booking appointment, your dating scan if you have the screening and sometimes at 36 weeks so they have an up to date weight in case you need and emergency anaesthetic.

I had hyperemesis in my first pregnancy and I asked my midwife a couple of times to check my weight as I was struggling to eat and wanted to know I was gaining a normal amount. I have a long standing issues with my weight. I had eating disorders throughout my teens and twenties and in my 30s it's less of a problem but I know I can't always be objective.

I have had 2 children and in neither pregnancy have I gained weight linearly. By 12 weeks with my daughter I was half a stone lighter than pre pregnancy and by 12 weeks with my son I had gained almost half a stone. By the end of the pregnancies however I gained more with my daughter than my son as with him I became unwell in the 3rd trimester and didn't gain any weight from 29 weeks onwards!

I put on 3.5 stone over my pregnancy. What you are experiencing is normal and what your body needs to do to grow a baby.

Why are you so worried about if if you look the same and your jeans are only just getting tighter now? I do think this sounds like eating disorder mentality and I would urge you to put away your scales for the duration of the pregnancy. It’s not healthy to be so anxious about this.

The NHS suggests 3.5 stone is not "normal" but more than expected.

As to what I'm worried about if my body is only just beginning to change in appearance - precisely that! What exactly is weighing so much if I've not obviously put on fat? PP's suggestions of water retention may be an explanation.

I was expecting to be within the NHS suggested healthy parameters. This is the main thing. That's why it concerns me to have put on 10 pounds - and almost entirely in the first 7 weeks! - when the NHS suggest 0-4 pounds is normal within this time.
If the NHS said that women typically put on 8-12 pounds in the first trimester, I wouldn't be concerned at all.

I also thought that if I didn't overeat I wouldn't put on much fat, just the weight of baby, fluids, uterus, milk... whatever else.

Ah but pregnancy does so many things to your body before baby is bigger than a peanut. Water retention, blood volume, general swelling and movement. Even things like your bowel slows down so you carry more poo weight than normal. It all adds up.

There's genuinely no such thing as normal. Some people balloon, others just carry the baby.

If this is going to be a problem for you then you need to talk to your midwife asap to get you referred for some specialist help, there's usually a specialist perinatal mental health team floating around somewhere.

Your body will deliberately putting on fat in pregnancy. It needs the fat to support your body through pregnancy and breastfeeding. Your breasts will grow in pregnancy, also your body will change shape even if you go back to the same size.

In pregnancy you uterus will grow ... 1-2 lbs
Your body will need a larger volume of blood .... 3-4 lbs
Increase protein and fat storage for breastfeeding, supporting a newborn and recovering from pregnancy... 8-10 lbs
Water retention and other bodily fluids ... 3-4 lbs

So that is 15-20lbs that you might gain in pregnancy that has nothing to do with the size of the growing baby.

I'd try to speak to someone about this and try to trust your body that it knows what it is doing. I know gaining weight can be scary for some. It definitely is for me but at the same time your body is going doing a lot of hard work and knows it's got a lot of hard work to come too. I would try to make the weighing less frequent if you can. In pregnancy I often found that I would weigh the same for a few weeks then the next week jump up. For me I found tracking how it changed month to month more beneficial than week to week.

In both my pregnancies I've put on minimal amounts which has been fine in pregnancy but the. I've found post partum harder as I've got less reserves. The first time around it made me very unwell so this time around I'm having to be very mindful about eating enough despite the limitations of a newborn. In pregnancies when I've spoke to medics about food and struggling for whatever reason they have always said "don't worry, baby will take everything it needs, it's only you that's going to suffer". Your body right now is trying real hard to make sure it gets you through pregnancy without suffering. Have a bit of faith and please do talk to someone

And I am somewhat sensitive about weight gain. Being overweight through your childhood and teens will do that. (At least, when I was young and it was less common.) Weirdly I was brought up with healthy eating and didn't obviously over eat, just seemed to always be chunky from toddlerhood.

I actually told the midwife that no, I'd never had an eating disorder but that I skirted close to it. This is why it's important to understand what's medically expected and healthy weight-wise. If I can understand the numbers and not be waved away by vagueness, I can stay away from unhealthy thinking.

I have found throughout my life that the best way, for me personally, is roughly totting up calories and enjoying my food within those limits (as well as making sure to eat plenty of protein, fruit and veg, not too much sweet stuff and whatever else generally healthy eating!) And weigh myself every few weeks just to keep an eye on it, or more as reassurance that I'm getting it right.

If I don't this/when I didn't do this, I was prone to heading towards disorder territory. Because I'd look in the mirror and base my size on my imagination or current self-esteem rather than cold hard numbers on a scale that are more accurate! Also I would put on weight without realising and then be shocked, rather than managing it consistently. Ditto counting calories - cold hard numbers help me, rather than just vaguely trying to be healthy. Instead of feeling guilty because I'd like a piece of cake, I'll happily enjoy my cake, knowing it's all fine within my calorie limit!

As explained, this has also helped me not under eat. Because I might have thought "I've had three full meals today, I don't need any more". But knowing they were oddly low-calorie meals means I might have some toast and peanut butter in the evening, rather than ignoring appetite. When I went through a difficult time and anxiety made it hard to eat, I did stuff like adding double cream to cups of tea just to get the calories in!

I just find the numbers way easier. That works for me. I am autistic so perhaps thay is why.

Being vaguely told my weight is "fine" isn't helpful. I'm not concerned about my current weight per se, but that the gain from what it was seems disproportionate, and I would like to understand why. Being wafted away with "don't worry about it" and no explanation is the very worst thing for me.

@stackhead
Ah but pregnancy does so many things to your body before baby is bigger than a peanut. Water retention, blood volume, general swelling and movement. Even things like your bowel slows down so you carry more poo weight than normal. It all adds up.

Thank you! This is the sort of thing that is helpful. (Goodness knows why the NHS think initial weight gain should be so little.)
Also the poo thing. Ha - I'm not imagining it/not just me then!

I get this completely. I had an eating disorder in my teens and the way I have managed since then is by having control of my weight and what I am eating. I know if X clothes fit me or my weight is between A and B everything is ok. Above or below this the thoughts come in more.

We might have crossed posts as I replied at the same time as this post. Please do check out some of the breakdown I listed about what your body needs to gain in pregnancy not connected with baby. There are a few images online if you put in breakdown of pregnancy weight gain or something like that

When I was pregnant with my first I switched from weighing myself in stone /lbs to kg. I found this a lot easier mentally as I have to think about the conversion and I'm less emotionally connected to the values and small changes have less impact. For example if I changed from X stone 13lb to Y stone 1 lb I would panic as it felt much "bigger" than other 2lb increases. Where as the exact weight gain in kg was fine as the big number didn't change, it's helped me keep small changes in perspective.

Thank you, @Superscientist, it helps that someone understands it.

I understand the overall weight gain thing. It's more the spread of that over time that's the issue.

Yes! Do you gain weight pre-period? I gain like 4lbs ish, you didn't lose that either, in fact the lining got thicker.

Try and rationalise it as much as possible, but also. Poo weight, boob weight, uterus weight, blood volume weight, water weight. etc... You might find it evens out over the next month or so as the bloating and general bleh of early pregnancy goes away.

I get it. I was an obese child, teenager and still am. I was so concerned about weight gain during pregnancy (but more so about being judged for already being fat).

if it helps you to track, then track. But at maintenance level. And add the extra calories in the late second & third trimester (it's about 300).

BUT the minute you spiral and start thinking about restricting you call the mental health team. Baby will get nutrients from you, so isn't at risk unless you go to extremes, but you need to be in the best shape possible when baby is born - which won't be the case if baby has leeched nutrients from your bones and muscles because you weren't fuelling properly.

OP I am not long recovered from an eating disorder of 21 years so I understand. I have resolved not to weigh myself during this pregnancy - I think our bodies will gain what they need to regardless of how hard we try to control things. The NHS is notoriously fat phobic (not that you will get fat!) so I would take their guidelines with a pinch of salt. It is actually far healthier for you to gain ‘too much’ weight during pregnancy than too little

Also the nhs recommends x amount of weight but countries like the USA and Australia recommend more so it’s all a nonsense really anyway

Hormones do inexplicable things to weight. It's normal for it to go up 4-5lbs pre-period; why? That's not the weight of the thickened lining alone, it's water retention maybe? And hormones are changing and surging throughout pregnancy so unpredictable and unexpected weight gain is not unusual. Women's health is underfunded and under-researched. There isn't enough interest and attention for us to actually get proper explanations for this kind of thing. With kindness, your need for facts and numbers is going to come up hard against the reality of pregnancy, in which your body is doing amazing and miraculous things which won't fit neatly into expected parameters. It's great to monitor your health and wellbeing, but the numbers on the scales are unlikely to follow a nice neat pattern that feels under your control. That's just not how pregnancy goes.