Maintaining (more or less) while pregnant

nxd10

This is direct advisement from my obstetrician. At almost 32% BMI my baby's health will not suffer. Your body will always take for baby and deplete your stores for your own use.

That's great you are getting advice from your obstetrician. They will know how important it is to gain enough (more importantly, get enough nutrition) to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Inadequate weight gain puts babies at risk. (Sorry, I teach prenatal development.)

The reason you are hungry is that normally women are going to gain around 7 pounds for the baby, 2 pounds for the placenta, 5 pounds for breast growth, and another 10 for extra fat and fluids, etc. etc.. Because you are going to gain less, you are metabolizing your stored fat and using it to build all those things (baby, placenta, breast tissues, etc.) So you are at a serious deficit.

To keep at it, it's going to be hard. You will need to REALLY watch your nutrients. It is NOT true that your body gives to the baby first. It gives CALCIUM to the baby first. Everything else goes to you first. That's why those prenatal vitamins will be really important, as will your nutrition choices. Make every bite count.

I would also use all the tricks we all use to stay full at deficit. Eat soup with lunch and dinner to feel full with few calories. Make sure you have protein (boiled eggs, lean meats, peanut butter). I put bowls of munchies on the table so that I have something to put in my mouth after I've finished eating so I don't take seconds - radishes, carrots, celery, cashews.

SNACK on low calorie stuff too. Don't let your blood sugar drop.

You've got other little ones around so you may hit low blood sugar spots. I sure did when I was pregnant. A couple of jelly beans or a fig or two or a pear kept me from blowing my stack.

Good luck and stay healthy.

brandiewininger

This is direct advisement from my obstetrician. At almost 32% BMI my baby's health will not suffer. Your body will always take for baby and deplete your stores for your own use.

That's great you are getting advice from your obstetrician. They will know how important it is to gain enough (more importantly, get enough nutrition) to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Inadequate weight gain puts babies at risk. (Sorry, I teach prenatal development.)

The reason you are hungry is that normally women are going to gain around 7 pounds for the baby, 2 pounds for the placenta, 5 pounds for breast growth, and another 10 for extra fat and fluids, etc. etc.. Because you are going to gain less, you are metabolizing your stored fat and using it to build all those things (baby, placenta, breast tissues, etc.) So you are at a serious deficit.

To keep at it, it's going to be hard. You will need to REALLY watch your nutrients. It is NOT true that your body gives to the baby first. It gives CALCIUM to the baby first. Everything else goes to you first. That's why those prenatal vitamins will be really important, as will your nutrition choices. Make every bite count.

I would also use all the tricks we all use to stay full at deficit. Eat soup with lunch and dinner to feel full with few calories. Make sure you have protein (boiled eggs, lean meats, peanut butter). I put bowls of munchies on the table so that I have something to put in my mouth after I've finished eating so I don't take seconds - radishes, carrots, celery, cashews.

SNACK on low calorie stuff too. Don't let your blood sugar drop.

You've got other little ones around so you may hit low blood sugar spots. I sure did when I was pregnant. A couple of jelly beans or a fig or two or a pear kept me from blowing my stack.

Good luck and stay healthy.

The only time I was experiencing hunger was the first 10 weeks or so when my 15 month old was still nursing 6-8 times a day. Now that she is down to 3 times I don't have insatiable hunger anymore. As far as the comment I made about baby getting what it needs first, that was told to me by both my RD and OB last pregnancy. I do take my prenatal and eat decently but could always do better. I posted because the idea of only gaining 10lbs is intimidating. I gained nearly 20 last time while following a diet for my GD. Thanks for the tips on snack ideas. I do pretty good with choosing good snacks but like carbs a bit more than what I should.

VoodooAborisha

About 24 lbs is the MINIMUM you should gain when you are pregnant, because this is the approximate weight of the baby, the amniotic fluid, placenta, etc. Certainly a few more pounds than this is better than a few less pounds - you don't want to go under this number, for sure. Also, my doctor told me that the mothers eating the most protein were the ones who always had the easiest births.

Basically when you are pregnant you are going to have to accept weight gain. All these calculations of BMR and TDEE are approximate and are not 100 accurate for everyone's metabolism and body, so when a baby is involved, you have to veer on the side of caution and eat a little bit more than any calorie recommendation anyone gives you. Weight will come off later, but any problems a baby might have by being underweight, that could last forever.

Also, as I am sure you know, there are certain exercises pregnant ladies must not do, so double check with trainers and doctors to find out which muscle groups and activity levels are a no-go (this of course changes as the pregnancy progresses).

twinkfran

My doc recommended keeping weight gain to a minimum - I have other issues (thyroid) and she was worried that too much weight gain would be dangerous for me and the baby - if I don't watch it I can easily pile weight on and would end up in the obsese range. I think the general recommendation is that if your pre pregnancy BMI is over 25, try to keep gain to 8kgs (20lbs?) max.I think the idea is I put on baby weight but mainatain or even lose my own (not drinking wine helps!). I eat healthy but make sure I am always full so stick to around 1700 calories but make sure they are good calories - lots of fresh veg.

She also recommneded that if I felt hungry to eat protein rather than carbs as thats what the baby needs - I am veggie but trying to make sure I have lots of eggs, soya and tofu in my diet daily and carbs should be rice, quinoa, veg and brown bread/pasta - avoid white stuff even potatoes altho sweet potatoes are very god. So far I am 6.5 months and baby slightly bigger than it should be and doing very well. I have put on 4kgs but expecting that to go up in the last few months. Also keep exercising - nothing too cardio or that you twist/jump/lift but walking, swimming, and pregnancy yoga all good...

I won't say I'm perfect - sometimes I just want cake but I try and be good 80% of the time.

chatogal

Hi, good for you and all the other responders who reported they were watching their calorific intake whilst pregnant.

Eat nutriously sound food, keep to comfortable exercise, dont pile on the weight and you will help to reduce your chances of gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, macrasomic fetus, small for gestational weight baby and a host of complications during labour and birth. I am interested in where one responder said the minimum weight gain should be 24 lbs??... Seems like a very random number!! Well done you lovely people for being so interested in your (and because of thus, your baby's) health

juliehhallberg

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I walked a lot last time but I'm a bit more limited this time around with a toddler and the CO winter upon us. I think I'll take a previous poster's suggestion about a prenatal workout DVD. May I ask if you were overweight when you got pregnant or were you within a "healthy" range?
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I was overweight for sure - about 40 pounds outside my healthy range. The baby is 14 months now and I'm still working on it!

brandiewininger

Where are you getting that 24lbs is the minimum? It varies person to person based on pre pregnancy weight. Someone underweight would be expected to gain more than a person at a normal weight. Just like someone obese like myself is expected to not gain 24lbs minimum.

ren_ascent

Why don't you worry more about the health of your baby than gaining weight. You can always lose weight later. If your baby ends up sick at birth because you weren't taking care of it correctly no amount of weight loss will make you feel better about it.

Keeping the baby as the number 1 priority is good advice. Being overweight isn't good for the mom or the baby. If her OB gave her medical advice based on that, it is probably a reasonable path to follow. Good nutrition and a level of exercise, if recommended, is just good sense. Getting gestational diabetes or preeclamsia are directly linked to weight and poor eating habits.