Loosing weight before getting pregnant

daneejela

This might be a silly question, but I am hoping to hear experiences and thoughts of women who have more experience than I.

I am a bit overweight (BMI 26.1 at the moment) with around 20 lbs to lose ( 5'8" and 172lbs/173cm 78kg ). I am 34 years old and we would like to have children.
While I wish to have a baby as soon as possible, I am also thinking if I should lose some of my extra weight before pregnancy?
I have diabetes in the family and I've read that there are more potential complications when overweight.

Is it silly in this age wait with pregnancy another 2,3 months?
Has anyone had experience of weight loss before pregnancy?
Did it trigger bigger weight gain during pregnancy?

dsg2000

I've had two pregnancies while being on the upper end of normal BMI and actively trying to lose some right before I got pregnant the first time. It worked out fine for me - I ended up gaining at the upper end of the normal range during pregnancy (around 35 lbs), then lost all of that within a month after birth. I was extremely careful about what I ate during the pregnancy, though (I was not eating at a deficit, but I was vigilant about eating healthfully). Second time around I was a lot less vigilant and gained more (40+ lbs); now at 4 months postpartum I'm just a few pounds shy of my starting weight. Breastfeeding helps me lose I think, but I'm also very active.

I'd say you can try to get pregnant as well as try to lose weight at the same time, so long as you're not at an extreme deficit. It's not silly to wait a few months to get to where you want to be weight wise before getting pregnant, though, no - just depends on your priorities. Maybe try to work on eating more healthfully and try to carry those habits into the pregnancy itself. But, no matter the weight at which you start off with, I wouldn't beat yourself up about the amount of weight you gain during pregnancy - I gained a lot both times, and have been successful in getting it off again both times with fairly minimal effort.

Kst76

Well, why not. However. Is this your first child. I know you are not old at all, but you don't know how long it will take to get pregnant either. It took my about a year with my second child when I was 37. My sister tried several times and had several failed attempts before she finally got pregnant. If you want a child now, or in the next year or so, I would start trying now. You can still eat and get plenty of nutrition for you and your baby without gaining unnecessary weight.
Once the baby is born, you can start focusing on real weight loss. You don't have much weight to lose. If you were much heavier it would be a different story but you are not.

Cassandraw3

I think this would be a good question for your doctor.

Personally, since you are getting close to the higher age for pregnancy (usually they say over 35 increases pregnancy complications) I wouldn't wait to start trying to get pregnant. It is possible you may have fertility issues and it is better to find that out sooner rather than later. Plus, many women find that it takes several months to get pregnant, even with no explicable fertility issues. You have the rest of your life to lose the weight. Again, that is just my opinion.

MamaKL5

I think if you want to start trying, then go ahead and do it. Have you ever tried to get pregnant? If you haven't, you may not be one of the lucky ones to get pregnant right away. It can take a while, and you can focus on health while you are trying. Good luck!

pinuplove

(Disclaimer: Always check with your doctor )

At a BMI of 26, you're barely into the overweight category. It seems doubtful that will statistically raise your risks of anything vs starting out a few pounds lighter. I'd venture to say you'll be one of the smaller ladies in your ob/gyn's waiting room anyway at that BMI (based on my experience in my part of the world, that is). Best wishes to you!

rickiimarieee

daneejela wrote: »

This might be a silly question, but I am hoping to hear experiences and thoughts of women who have more experience than I.

I am a bit overweight (BMI 26.1 at the moment) with around 20 lbs to lose ( 5'8" and 172lbs/173cm 78kg ). I am 34 years old and we would like to have children.
While I wish to have a baby as soon as possible, I am also thinking if I should lose some of my extra weight before pregnancy?
I have diabetes in the family and I've read that there are more potential complications when overweight.

Is it silly in this age wait with pregnancy another 2,3 months?
Has anyone had experience of weight loss before pregnancy?
Did it trigger bigger weight gain during pregnancy?

I personally just got done being pregnant, lost all my weight before pregnancy then my husband harassed me for another baby (I didn’t want one at first since my first pregnancy was really rough) but I went from 158 to 127 and got pregnant and bounced up to 180 even with very careful eating (a lot of water retention) and now at 3 weeks postpartum I’m at 151. So it was pointless for me to lose the weight before pregnancy. I was overweight with my first and didn’t have any weight brought on issues. You’re barely overweight. I would consider those issues if you were in the obese or morbidly obese or higher end of overweight category but nothing wrong with trying to be as healthy as possible for your baby!

rickiimarieee

I also agree with starting to try now. It can happen quickly or it can take years.

daneejela

Thanks, everyone! You really help me put things into perspective!

I guess it's best to work on habits and trying to set up behaviors that would support long term weight loss.
Deep down I knew this, but every once in a while I get impatient and fall into perfectionist's trap.

I do want kids, and as you all pointed out, it's really hard to know when would it happen, it can be next month, it can take years. Best thing I can do for me and my future kid is to set up a healthy everyday environment.

Thanks a lot!