Does anyone else really hate putting on weight in pregnancy?

[ElectraInExcelsis]

I'm aware that my feelings about this are not normal, reasonable or good for the baby but I really really hate putting on weight and I'm probably not eating enough calories. I have never been clinically anorexic but my BMI is always classed as low and if I gain even a few pounds I can almost see it going on to me and I hate it - it is part of my psychology to restrict my calorie intake.

How important is it to actually gain weight and what happens if you don't? The baby is growing and I have a small bump emerging.

I'm 23 weeks and it is my third pregnancy. With my other two pregnancies I was able to put these feelings aside temporarily but this time it's proving to be much more difficult (perhaps because I'm older now - my psychiatrist said the more time that passes where you use a 'bad' coping mechanism the more entrenched in your psychology it becomes)

I am wondering if I'm the only person who feels this way? The things I do eat are always healthy but very low in calories.

I didn't like putting on 3 stone with ds, but that's because it was so darn uncomfortable, I felt like a whale. I'm making a conscious effort to eat less biscuits this time!

I think it is important to gain a certain amount of weight, as most of the weight is baby related - placenta, fluid, etc. If you are eating healthily that's a good thing, can you speak to a nutritionist or your GP just to check if you are a healthy weight for your stage of pregnancy?

I remember feeling like that with my second. I even went on a strict calorie controlled diet in the last few weeks, losing 10lb in the process. I remember standing in front of the mirror and weeping at the sight of my whale like image.

Sorry - I'm not helping am I?

Thanks for replies. I am worried too about having a massive baby. My daughters were both over 8 pounds (a midwife recently said to me 'I can't believe two 8 pound babies came out of you) - though strangely they don't continue on that centile once born.

Anyway, it doesn't help that a friend of mine has had a vision of this child weighing over 9 pounds and me tearing badly and having a horrid labour. He has been right about other things in the past..... Silly I know but it doesn't help.

OMG - your friend said this to you? how helpful

Yes, I know. He didn't mean it to be unkind - I think he was warning me so I could try to avoid it! I will do my best...!

How can you alter the size of your baby?

Your 'friend' is no friend I think

You sound like you have a wonderful womb and placenta and that your babies thrive in there! How lovely

I have a friend who's placenta only grew tiny tiny babies and no matter how long they left her, she had hardly a bump and her babies all had to go to Intensive care.
You are lucky actually, as I'm sure you know It was hard for my friend to go home without her babies due to low birth weight.

Have you thought of hypno therapy? It might be useful for your friend as well - I often have terrible dreams about things I'm worried about - they never come true.

Yes, you are right of course I should be glad that I have been able to have babies that thrive. And I guess over 8 pounds isn't really big these days anyway. I didn't know it was to do with the placenta.

I think it's Thailand where the word for Womb actually translates as the Baby Palace!
Your's is obviously a five star!

LOL well I still have a long way to go so who knows, I guess....