Weight gain during pregnancy - gained too much?

[newcomer]

According to the books, the recommended weight gain during pregnancy is 25-35 lbs. I'm 32 weeks and have already gained around 30 lbs (depending on what I use as my 'starting weight') so by the time the baby is born, I'll have probably gained around 40 lbs in total.

I think I eat reasonably heathily (balanced meals, but with the odd bowl of ice-cream or choc bar) and am doing gentle exercise (plenty of walking, occasionally swimming, occasionally preg yoga), so I don't feel that I've been stuffing my face or throwing all abandon to the wind.

However, I've obviously gained an 'above average' amount and was wondering if anyone else had a similar experience and, if so, how much longer did it take you to lose the weight once the baby was born? I know that I shouldn't diet while pregnant or while breastfeeding, so I may be 'stuck' with some excess weight gain for a while, and I've accepted that.

[sillywoman]

I put on well over 4 stone with each of my (3) boys. It took about a year to lose it all each time. I don't recall doing/ eating anything different to what I did/ate with my daughter, but I only put on 1 1/2 stone with her. Bummer.

[melbourne groover]

I'm with you guys - but first pregnancy stuffed my face so deserved to be fat after, took 18mths to lose it. Last one was determined to be good - monitored intake religiously, walked as much as poss, went to gym up to 7 months. Did it make a bit of difference??? Bah humbug. Also is still taking 18 months to get off. Your body does what it does I think...

[Smiler]

Hiya, wouldn't worry about it at this point, as long as you are feeling well and your checks at the midwife go OK etc.

Would recommend avoiding scales and full-length mirrors for some time after the birth!

How quickly women lose the weight really seems to vary. I lost most of mine within around 9 months (trying hard with diet and exercise after the initial 3-months, and breastfeeding, which really helped, though made me hungry), but then slacked off and put on a stone again - argh! When you're ready there're threads on here about post-natal weight loss with lots of good tips.

[BellendenBear]

You might not gain as much during the final weeks as you think. I seem to remember it slowed down a bit towards then end. The main thing is that you and your baby are well. Don't get any of your old clothes out anytime soon and just look forward to all the miles of pram pushing you'll do this summer to get back in shape.

[sian]

I wouldn't worry. You do what you have to do to get through the pregnancy. I seem to remember it becoming harder to eat near the end. Heartburn kicked in and i was mainlining gaviscon..

[ClareC]

Hiya, I piled it on at the beginning and then didn't really put on much more. I think aot of people retain water which can make a huge difference!

[The Nappy Lady]

Yes - as the others have said, don't worry. Everyone is different and I remember huge weight gain around the 30 week mark, then it slowing down again towards the end.

Out of curiosity (which I know killed the cat), second time around I did weight myself when I went into labour, and again the same day after baby had arrived. It was very nice to lose over a stone in weight in just a few hours (wish they could invent a diet that worked that well)! Sadly the rest took a lot longer, but my experience both times was that it tends to drop off in bursts - breastfeeding helps a lot, but also around 5 months and 9 months I seemed to loose weight without doing anything.

I am now at the point where I would like to loose 1 more stone, but don't expect to do so until I finally stop breastfeeding, and my 16 month old seems to have other plans, so for now I am just living with it.

I'm sure you look glowing and fab, even if you don't always feel that way!

Molly

x

[crystal7]

I didn't dare go near the scales after 28 weeks when I was weighed and had gained a stone and a half. I did use pregnancy as an excuse to stuff my face and I never got heart burn so coud carry on until the end! Like Molly I lost the first stone or so quickly the next half slowly and still have at least 7lb I'd like to loose. BUT I've made very little effort to do anything about it. No time for exercise and too much for coffee and cake I suppose! I don't find breastfeeding a great way of losing weight. It makes me hungry even with a 12 month old who only has 2 feeds per day.

[pebbles]

I put on far too much weight with both my pregnancies and breastfed but wanted to lose weight but felt if i did it myself my milk supply lessened so i went to weight watchers adn basically they add on 10 points per day (you could in points rather than calaries) so that you can continue to breastfeed. WW has worked for me, i've still got a long way to go but it's allowed me to diet and continue to breastfeed.

Please don't worry too much about it, as long as your baby is healthy that's all that matters.

Good luck

[snowboarder]

It's when your bump gets enormous it's time to worry (well, maybe not worry, but take some action). Baby snowboarder had at growth spurt sometime between 33-36 weeks. But that's something your midwife will monitor....

[alibo]

snowboarder is right, a big bump can mean increased amniotic fluid and/or large baby which needed monitoring for me, have sent you a pm.

[ClareC]

A small bump isnt always great either! Mine never got huge, turned out my baby was posterior(?) (back to back) which is known to reduce the bump size! Would have been helpful to know before I went into labour.

[newcomer]

Thanks everyone! V reassuring.. Guess I will just ban mirrors and pre-pregnancy clothes for a while...

[Sqiggles]

if you usually weigh yourself in stone and pounds, then insist that you are only weighed in kilos - suddenly it sounds like some mysterious medical thing, rather than something to worry about!!

[Kalamiphile]

This happened to me 35 years ago, or as the Irish midwife put it "looking up to the Lord"! Along with a back labour getting her out was agony, however I had an enormous bulge but luckily it was all out in front! Still what goes around comes around, 'she' is now 4/12 pregnant with a girl and put on lots of weight in the first 3 months.

ClareC Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> A small bump isnt always great either! Mine never

> got huge, turned out my baby was posterior(?)

> (back to back) which is known to reduce the bump

> size! Would have been helpful to know before I

> went into labour.

[Pecanpie]

Breastfeed loads and it will fall away, just look after your back.

[newcomer]

In case anyone else reading this is pregnant and had a similar concern, I ended up putting on over 3.5 stone and, 3 weeks post-partum, have lost 2.5 stone already despite the fact that I'm eating more than ever as am

breastfeeding. So I think my body just needed that extra weight? Anyhow, hope this gives someone some comfort.

[newcomer]

Oh I should add that the baby was big as well - 9.5 lbs- so this probably also played a part.

[The Nappy Lady]

Hey congratulations (if not been said before!!).

Molly

[newcomer]

Thank you! I am smitten but exhausted - so a typical new mum I guess!

[missse22]

Im 39 weeks (+1 day.....yaaaay) and ive put on 15kg (which is 2.5 stone i think?) ive been walking everywhere and eating rather sensibly, ive bought a running buggy, so intend to burn off all the excess weight through out the summer!!! Dulwich park here i come!!!! ;-)

Simone

[Pickle]

Congratulations Newcomer :))

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Congrats Newcomer!!

I have gained 3 stones throughout my pregnancy and I thought breastfeeding would get it off...well I lost a lot of weight the first month of pregnancy because I was so ill from my labour, but breastfeeding has given me the biggest appetite going and now 8 months on, I am still 3 stones overweight.

[jrthomas_uk]

I have to admit to indulging in one too many cream cakes when pregnant and by time I gave birth I was topping the scales at around 16 st! Quite an increase when I usually weigh around 10.5st :-)

I gave birth in September and joined Weight Watchers in February and by the time August rolled around I weighed 10 st 1lb. I really dithered about dieting and joining WW as I didn't think they'd let you join while breastfeeding but they do (you get extra points) and between that and the gym lost the weight quite steadily.

I say don't worry about the weight gain and enjoy the last bit of your pregnancy, you'll soon be burning off all those calories.