Dreading Pregnancy Weight Gain

[Guinea Piggy]

Hi All,

Are there any other mother's or father's out there that can give me some positive words about gaining weight during pregnancy. I am really struggling. I made the mistake of stepping on the bathroom scale the other day and even though I have only gained 12 pounds in the past two months (which I think is pretty normal when pregnant?) I was still devastated . I worked so hard to lose weight and I'm having a really hard time letting go and letting myself gain now.

What does it take to lose post-pregnancy weight? Does it shed faster than body fat that has been accumulating over the years? Are there things I can be doing right now, other than eating healthy and getting some exercise (all I can seem to do comfortably is walking) that will minimize the weight gain and keep my body fit. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Guinea Piggy]

welcome to the forum BM. you are 5 monts along? me too! that's too bad about not being able to exercise much anymore. to be honest i thought it might harm my pregnancy because i was still pretty overweight so i didn't try to jog or do anything too strenuous.

i haven't tried prenatal yoga myself, but my sister-in-law is going to lend me a video so i can do it at home. i'll let you know how it goes.

[shairawilliams]

It is absolutely normal to gain some extra weight during pregnancy but there are few exercise that you can do to be able to stay fit even if you are carrying a precious child.

[stela]

weight loss during pregnancy

Weight gain in pregancy is normal. Mothers should have to go for small exercise programs.

[JJ72]

Congratulations!!

Hi ladies, firstly congratulations on your pregnancy's.

I have had 3 children 15, 13 and 2. Its hard to control your weight when your pregnant, your body will tell you what it needs to keep you and your baby healthy. Every one is so very different and I think age and how many children you have had makes a difference. The younger you are its earier to go back, and also on your first child as your tumm would have only been stretched once. After my 3rd child at the age of 36 I had loads of work to do and am now fitter than i have ever been, it took alot of work this time around for me but if your already used to eating healthy and doing exercise before baby then its easy to go back to it (a suportive partner or family helps). I think pregnant mummy yoga is good to keep you supple without overdoing it.

Go with its, this is the most natural thing in the world (even though it really doesn't feel like it sometimes!!!)

Take care and dont forget to put your feet up sometimes.

[Marie Shelton]

Bob is right, there are indeed risks when you get pregnant with problems on your weight. Obesity can cause complications during pregnancy and labor. Im sure that you would not want to put your health and your baby at risk. in the first place, it is hard to conceive when you are overweight or obese. It can cause accumulation of fat tissue on even on the surrounding regions of your reproductive area which produces excess estrogen. We all know that estrogen is responsible for ovulation and any deviations from the normal level can cause hormonal imbalance which may in turn result to decreased chances of ovulation


During pregnancy, there are even greater risks. obese or overweight women have higher chances of developing gestational diabetes and even deep vein thrombosis. diabetes can cause low blood sugar and jaundice to your fetus. deep vein thrombosis on the other hand results from poor circulation which may help in the formation of blood clots. This is life-threatening.

During delivery. If you are suffering from gestational diabetes, you will have a significantly large baby which can lead to C-section especially if your pelvic bones are small.

So you see? you need to watch out for your weight especially when you have plans of conceiving. It is not only for you but for your soon to be child as well. Goodluck on your journey!

[Janica Lim]

If you are dreading to get pregnant because of fear of gaining too much weight, then I think you are not ready to have a child yet. Prepare yourself for the joy and the sacrifice of having a child and making your own family. If you cannot see yourself sacrificing your body for the sake of bearing a healthy child, by all means do not conceive because dieting during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage.

But you ave to know that the longer you wait to have a child, the higher is your risk of gaining too much weight during pregnancy. If you get pregnant at a young age, there is a big chance of losing all the fats off after labor. Getting pregnant during late 30's makes mothers at risk of all the dangers of pregnancy plus it is harder to lose all those pounds after delivery.

That is why I suggest that you ready yourself first but do not wait too long to get pregnant. Do not worry, there are plenty of weight loss regimen for new mothers and even to those who are conceiving so you have absolutely nothing to worry about if you are thinking of keeping your fit body intact while bearing a child. Anyway, the best of luck to you and I hope you have made your decision about this.

[Guinea Piggy]

Thank you for your opinion.

Personally, I think that many women worry about gaining weight during pregnancy and then not being able to get it off. This does not make them not ready to have a child, or selfish in some way, I think it's just normal to wonder what will happen.

I had my baby in May 2010 and am only now starting to get back into work and life. Nuturing him has been my only focus and he is such a happy and wonderful baby that I do not even consider it a sacrifice when I think of all the things I used to be able to do compared to these days.

As for losing post-pregnancy weight, I am a living, breathing example that it can be done! I had gained over 50 pounds during my pregnancy and as of today have lost it all, plus a pound. It took 8 months.

I have not been dieting in the traditional sense because I am nursing my baby and I want to continue doing so until he is one year or older. However, I do not let myself eat lots of sweets or high calorie foods. I try my best to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and lean proteins. This has helped my body heal from pregnancy and has helped my weight slowly return to what it was before I became pregnant. (I would say it took at least 6 months before I started to physically feel really healthy and healed again.)

Another important factor to losing weight after pregnancy is exercise. Although I haven't yet started jogging again, I walk a lot and push the stroller. I tackle big hills and push myself to walk at a fast pace.

To be honest, my body is not the same as it was before I became pregnant. I have less muscle and more fat for sure and the skin on my stomach is not nearly as taught and may never be again. But I don't regret anything and I would do it again in a heartbeat.