MFP and Pregnancy

nrgott

Hi everyone. I'm Natalie and I've been using MFP since sometime last year but this is my first post in the community, I usually just "lurk" and read stuff I find interesting. However, I could use some advice.

I'm 5'6", 156 lbs (just on the border of being overweight, my BMI is 25.5), 24 years old. My goal weight has been 135-140 for awhile now, and at my heaviest I was probably 175. I lost most of that through exercise and getting off the Pill a couple years ago, and I've been kind of plodding along with these last 15-20 lbs for what seems like forever. I've been losing inches but not a lot of actual weight, but most of that is due to inconsistency - life getting busy and not going to the gym, too many "cheat meals", etc.

As you've probably guessed from the subject, I'm 9 weeks pregnant this week. This is my first pregnancy and I'm pretty freaked about gaining weight...I'm trying to remind myself that it's for the baby's health and that I NEED to gain. My first prenatal appointment was last week, and my doctor seemed okay with my weight right now but we didn't discuss it too much.

My biggest concern is how exactly to use MFP during pregnancy. I've been set to lose 1 lb. a week, but I'm thinking I should probably change to maintenance at this point? Also, I haven't logged for about 3 weeks because we were on vacation at the beginning of the month, and when we got home, morning sickness hit hard. I've recovered somewhat, but my tastes have definitely changed...I'm craving a lot of carbs, fruit, and bland foods, not healthy proteins and veggies like usual. For a little while, I couldn't bear to log because I was only keeping down so much and what I was eating seemed so unhealthy.

Does anyone have any experience using MFP during pregnancy? Any tips for me? Like I said, this my first pregnancy so it's all new. Thanks in advance for anyone who can help.

IveLanded

First congrats.

Second......I don't mean this harsh at all......this is what I'd say to you if you were my best girlfriend sitting right in front of me.......

Get off MFP. If you are honestly "freaked out" about gaining weight during pregnancy, I would even suggest going to therapy to talk about your thoughts on food and body image status.

You seem aware and smart and I'm going to bet that you are well aware how to eat healthy, right? That's the best you can do right now.

You're going to gain weight. You might be heavier after the baby. Trust me (and I'm sure you've heard this)....those first few months after are so incredibly hard......hard enough without worrying about your weight. Once you feel human again, come back.....this site will be here, we'll all be here, and you'll have a ton of support to get back to a shape you're happy with.

But if you were my friend, I would tell you to think about looking into why you are so anxious about weight gain during pregnancy instead of focusing your efforts on using a weight loss website. ***hug*** Good luck.

SMC_chick

I kind of agree with IveLanded. I would just get off of here for awhile. I did. I recently had my baby and that was the first thing I did when I got pregnant. Honestly, you can keep coming on here and focusing on exercise and just quit logging food and weight changes. You don't have to ditch MFP completely if you want to be on here because of the support you are getting. You could also ask your OB what you should be gaining each week and change your goals to weight gain. You can then log your stuff and use it to stick to your goal of not gaining too much weight during pregnancy. I have to say, though, as a mother of 4 kids, don't sweat the small stuff. There are things in pregnancy that are going to wear you out. Aches and pains or just plain hormones will be enough for you some days and may make you dread MFP no matter how much you want to do it. Just try to be sensible about what you are eating (don't eat a pint of ice cream each night) and work out as your body and doctor allow and forget trying to calculate it. You can always get back on here after your baby is born. There are so many more cool things like feeling the first kick or singing to your baby that are more important.

nrgott

Thanks so much for the feedback, ladies! My first inclination was definitely to just forget about MFP and all calorie counting during pregnancy, but today was my first day back to the gym in a long while, and I started to wonder if maybe I should be keeping track.

But I definitely agree with both of you...while I don't want to go crazy and just eat whatever I want, I think I'll just try and keep "mental track" instead of stressing about eating enough calories per day or too many. While the idea of gaining a ton of weight definitely scares me a bit, I'm trying not to let it! I've struggled with weight my whole life and it's hard to turn off that instinct to lose weight. I'm sure I'll catch on with time, especially as I learn more about being pregnant and talk with my doctor about what's reasonable.

Thanks again!

IveLanded

You're going to to great things for yourself and your little one by staying fit and active and healthy during your pregnancy and, honestly......you're doing way better than a LOT of other women. Heck, I got fat because I just gave when I was pregnant with my last two kids.

I know you're gonna hear it a million times and I know it sounds cliche but really try to just enjoy this time, because you never get it back.

And...yay for new babies!!!!

farmboyphotography

Congratulations! Children are life-changing -- you will love it.

As the husband of Smc_Chick, I have to say I kind of disagree with dumping MFP completely. Why? It's hard to get into the habit of consistently logging food and exercise. You might want to stick with MFP only insomuch as to log your food and exercise (but ignore the calorie guidelines). Of course I would throw out weight loss, weight gain, or maintenance tracking completely until after your baby is born. This is going to be an exciting time in your life, and the last thing you need to worry about is weight gain -- it has to happen, but its a beautiful thing! You and your baby need that for now.

Whatever you decide to do, good luck. Enjoy!

mckinney_mommy

I totally disagree with dumping MFP... I did when I got pregnant 5 months ago (just got a new profile yesterday) and now I'm already up 30 pounds and need to slow the gain. Eating whatever you want when you are pregnant can put you at a higher risk for gestational diabetes and malnutrition (I speak from experience!)

You should be setting your goals to gain every week. You can set your weight goals to meet where you are in pregnancy:

First trimester: gain of 0 to .5 pound a week
Second Trimester: gain of .5 to 1 pound a week
Third Trimester: gain of 1 to 1.5 pounds a week

That would put you at a gain of 18- 36 pounds, giving your body plenty of room to do what it needs to do to grow a healthy little baby.

More importantly that tracking gain, MFP can help you track things like Iron and Fiber, which are really important to your pregnancy. I was iron deficient and felt so low energy and tired I could barely function, not great when you are taking care of a toddler full time! I have been using Spark People for the past week (this site is a little more user-friendly) and the change in my mood and energy is incredible now that I'm getting better nutrition.

Good luck and congrats on your pregnancy!

Shweedog

I'm currently 21 weeks pregnant. My doctor told me to eat maintenance for the first trimester (12 weeks) and then up my calories by 200-300 starting in the second trimester. This is when the baby needs more from you. By no means should you be trying to lose any weight at this point. The goal is to help your baby grow and develop and that can be hindered by cutting calories. You can worry about losing the weight after the baby gets here. That being said, don't go crazy "eating for two". Your baby is the size of a sesame seed right now. That's hardly eating for two. Lol! Congratulations!!

Vegetablearian

There is no reason to gain weight (as in extra fat on you) during pregnancy thats just pigging out. You do not need to eat any more until the last 3 months where you should eat 300 cals more only. A bunch of cells that small doesnt actually take any cals from you at all really despite what people thing thats how people gain like 8 stone on a pregnancy ..

Your weight will go up but when you have your baby there is no reason why you cant be pretty much the same weight as before your pregnancy. My mother actulaly lost 7lb from start to finish!

cartea01

From a calorie requirement perspective in pregnancy, for your first trimester you should eat maintainence, then you need an extra 200-300cal per day in your second trimester and then another 200-300cal per day in your final trimester. I think MFP can still be a very useful tool but only you can be the judge of that. Healthy weight gain is normal and recommended in pregnancy, too much and too little can be unhealthy for you and baby. Speak to your doctor and get some advice. You should aim/expect to gain 1-2 kg in your first trimester, then 1-2kg per month until delivery. All the best!

Andrea_McQ

I also think I would be tempted to continue on MFP to track but in a different way. I found MFP after my second pregnancy and I think it might have been useful to make sure I was eating enough, eating the right things for nutrients, and gaining in a good way. I went into both pregnancies overweight, at least, and only on the second pregnancy did I read anything detailed about the recommended way to gain weight for a person who is already overweight while pregnant - I read What to Expect and got great advice on all of this. If I was going again I would read that info again and use it to set up MFP to work for me. For me I didn't gain much at all in second pregnancy, although the baby was a good weight, so I was losing my weight as the baby was gaining. That still left me well over what I should be, but not as bad as I could have been!

Having said all of that, I would try not to get stressed about it as that isn't going to help anything. If it was stressing me more than helping me then I would stop until (well) after the birth!

Best of luck with everything and have a happy and healthy pregnancy! So much fun ahead of you!!

MrsSpinks

I say don't dump MFP either! I wish I had found it before I got pregnant in 2010 - I gained so much weight in the first 4 months it caused severe SPD and my baby ended up being born premature. I agree that you should use it for logging your calories and exercise just so you can keep an eye on what you're doing - I worked out that I was probably consuming nearly 3000 calories a day during the first few months of my pregnancy (I had the mind set of 'I'm pregnant, I can eat what I want') - next time I get pregnant, I will be staying on here for sure! I know I have to gain weight when pregnant, but too much can definitely be a bad thing! Good luck and congratulations!

betsygw

Don't obsess about your weight during pregnancy. You need to gain between 18-36 lbs for a healthy baby. The average recommendation is 25 lbs. I was 157 lbs and am 5'7" (about the same size, bmi 24.6) when I got pregnant with my 2nd I gained a healthy 21 lbs, without counting calories at all. I went off my calorie counting website (another one at the time) and put all my concern into eating healthy well balanced whole and fresh foods for my developing baby. (you could probably still log your calories, just remember you are not eating to lose on mfp) Your body needs about 200-300 extra calories starting in the second trimester over your maintence for your developing baby to grow and get what he or she needs. I also exercised throughout my pregnancies doing non weight bearing like ellipitical and stationary bikes and prenatal yoga. (I was never a runner, but if you are, with your docs permission, feel free to continue all safe and healthy exercises you were doing before). I lost every lb after my 2nd baby was born plus 10!. (I gained it all back plus 30 after having my kids, had nothing to do with pregnancy) Don't worry about your weight, just worry about being as healthy as possible for your little one. Once he or she is born then you go right back to it! Congrats, there is nothing better then being a mama!

betsygw

PS....Thought I'd throw this in there so you know where all that 25-35 lbs is going for your new baby from what to expect.com.......



"What to Expect.com says that with a 30 pound pregnancy weight gain, distribution is approximately; baby: 7.5 pounds, placenta: 1.5 pounds, amniotic fluid: 2 pounds, enlarged uterus: 2 pounds, mothers breast tissue: 2 pounds, mothers blood volume: 4 pounds, mothers tissue fluid: 4 pounds and mothers fat stores: 7 pounds."

This is a healthy weight gain:) Best of luck, and again CONGRATS!!!!! I love babies!!!

chantel_rn

I think you should stay on MFP for support and to keep in the back of your mind that it is not best to go crazy with weight gain during pregnancy. That being said, I am nurse for a living and here is my advice: although there are books and websites that tell you what to gain/not gain; this is something that you need to discuss with your Dr. You and your OB (not anyone else or their guidelines) need to decide what is best for you and how much weight you need to be gaining during your pregnancy and when. I think that most of the advice you have gotten on here is great and well intended; however, please set goals with your OB as everyone is a little different and what your OB wants you to do may be different from what someone else's OB wants them to do. Also, congrats! This is going to be an amazing time in your life and I am so excited for you

sarajo16

I think you should stay on MFP. Set your calories manually to match what is required for each trimester. Don't try to lose weight but I'd still track. It's better to have a healthy diet and track what your eating.

purplelilac123

You can track calories at Babyfit. That website is designed to help pregnant women gain in a slow and safe way. Generally, you need to eat an extra 300 calories a day. To be honest I am not sure is that is over maintenance or the calorie deficit that your body is used to. I did this for my first pregnancy but really did not exercise much at that time (I very occasionally was working out at Curves). This last pregnancy I was working out at a gym so I just tried to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Both times I lost the weight fairly easily. I think my stomach is actually smaller than it was before this last pregnancy because I was exercising. I am now losing the extra weight that I had.

mrskrueger

I'm hoping to become pregnant soon and plan to continue using MFP. I have been reading "How to excercise when expecting" by Lindsay Brin and I've gotten some very good information about nutrition during pregancy. It is very important to gain slowly and only the recommended weight. This makes for a healthier preganancy, easier delivery and faster weight loss after baby. Not only will I use it to help track calories, I plan to use it to track other nutrients like iron and calcium. I think it would be overwhelming to NOT track these things. As always, you should check with your doctor. Good luck on a happy and healthy pregancy

mckinney_mommy

There is no reason to gain weight (as in extra fat on you) during pregnancy thats just pigging out. You do not need to eat any more until the last 3 months where you should eat 300 cals more only. A bunch of cells that small doesnt actually take any cals from you at all really despite what people thing thats how people gain like 8 stone on a pregnancy ..

Your weight will go up but when you have your baby there is no reason why you cant be pretty much the same weight as before your pregnancy. My mother actulaly lost 7lb from start to finish!

Actually, women of average weight do need to gain fat (called maternal fat stores) when pregnant. It's considered necessary because of the need for extra calories for breastfeeding, among other things.

You also don't need to eat more only in the last three months. Most doctors will tell you that you should be upping your calorie intake starting in the second trimester.

And as far as staying the same weight when you're pregnant or even losing weight, that should *never* be a goal for anyone, unless they are morbidly obese and their doctor has given them that advice. By trying to maintain your weight while pregnant you risk all kinds of issues for your baby, including pre-term labor and miscarriage.

yesthistime

Fit, Fabulous, and Pregnant:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1903-fit-fabulous-pregnant

yesthistime

Oh Baby, Baby:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/3643-oh-baby-baby

jsmith2377

Hello! and congratulations! I'm currently almost 8 months and I've been using MFP since March 1st of last year. I've gained almost 20 and MFP has totally helped. While I slip up, MFP helped me to lose about 20 pounds pre-baby and I know it'll be there as soon as I have her. There are tons of groups on here for expecting moms. We even have one that crosses over to Facebook.
As far as gaining weight, you will gain weight, you should expect to gain between 25-35 pounds but a lot of that is fluid and baby. Maitenance the first trimester and then after that 200-300 extra calories. Good luck and congrats again!

jsmith2377

There is no reason to gain weight (as in extra fat on you) during pregnancy thats just pigging out. You do not need to eat any more until the last 3 months where you should eat 300 cals more only. A bunch of cells that small doesnt actually take any cals from you at all really despite what people thing thats how people gain like 8 stone on a pregnancy ..

Your weight will go up but when you have your baby there is no reason why you cant be pretty much the same weight as before your pregnancy. My mother actulaly lost 7lb from start to finish!

Actually, women of average weight do need to gain fat (called maternal fat stores) when pregnant. It's considered necessary because of the need for extra calories for breastfeeding, among other things.

You also don't need to eat more only in the last three months. Most doctors will tell you that you should be upping your calorie intake starting in the second trimester.

And as far as staying the same weight when you're pregnant or even losing weight, that should *never* be a goal for anyone, unless they are morbidly obese and their doctor has given them that advice. By trying to maintain your weight while pregnant you risk all kinds of issues for your baby, including pre-term labor and miscarriage.

Yes, you should certainly NOT try to stay at the same weight. It's simply not safe, particularly when you at a decent weight to begin with. The only time I have EVER heard of a woman actually losing weight is when there is extreme illness or if the woman is extremely overweight before pregnancy. It should never be a goal in pregnancy to lose weight, don't go nuts but understand that the fats are good for that brain development

cutmd

Fit, Fabulous, and Pregnant:

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1903-fit-fabulous-pregnant

Indeed! No need to leave MFP! Join us! :happy:

For the record - you do need extra calories after first trimester and it's expected and good for the baby to gain weight using pregnancy. And there's nothing wrong with having cncerns about weight gain and wanting to stay fit during pregnancy. Everything else is bunk.

Spanaval

And keep in mind that all the stuff you read and what people tell you are guidelines. People don't all gain according to the book, and if you don't, that's okay. Stay active. And HUGE Congrats!

TinkrBelz

My advice might not be good and I was not on MFP while pregnant.

BUT, I feel some women gain a lot in pregnancies and others do not. I am one that gains 50-60lbs/baby!! yes, i have done this SIX times. Every pregnancy I swore that I would not gain that much and then, BOOM, 2nd trimester hit and I was gaining 2lbs/week. That means that I was eating an extra 7000 calories per week!! And, I can promise you that I was not.

My main concern was to make sure tha the baby got what he needed. Like you said, just mentally keep track of how you are doing...or if you choose to track on here, I would not overly worry about the calories. Do what your body tells you to do.

My babies were all 9-9.5lbs. I always lost the weight after each child....yes, the last kid was harder, but I was 39! I breastfed and I swear that is like liposuction!!

Anyway, congrats on your pregnancy...what a wonderful gift to have that child growing in your body!!!!

AZKristi

Congrats!!

Maybe continue logging with just a pencil and paper. Rather than worrying about calories, you can look back at your days and try to assess the overall nutritional value of what you put in your mouth. Seeing the facts in black and while is powerful.

sninny

bump for future reference.

jameejune

When I got pregnant with my first child, it was the best feeling ever! For the first time in my life, I didn't have to worry about losing weight. It was also the first time in my life that I was 100% dedicated to being healthy. Somehow, I was able to stick to healthy habits for my baby's sake even though I struggled doing it just for myself. Focus on being healthy, not the weight gain. If MFP helps you keep your focus on healthy eating and exercise, then stick with it. If it stresses you out, take a break. Stress is one of the worst things for your little one.

I'm currently 10 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child and I'm using MFP and I'm finding it extremely helpful. Many women just think that they can eat whatever they want because they are pregnant and end up gain 40-60 lbs. While some weight gain is necessary, you don't need to gain excessive amounts. Talk to your doctor about how much you should be eating and then try to stick to that, but don't beat yourself up. If you can only keep down carbs, then eat carbs. You need food.

Most of all, try to enjoy it. Once the first trimester is over, it'll probably get easier and once you start feeling that baby move, it'll be wonderful. Good luck!

NoAdditives

I just had my third baby a little less than three month ago. I didn't use MFP at all during my pregnancy. I ate a ton (after the morning sickness was over) and it wasn't super healthy for a lot of it. Morning sickness made it impossible to eat anything but carbs and even water made me sick, so I drank a lot of soda. Then, we lived in a hotel for 6 weeks while we waited to close on our house, then it took a while before we had appliances. So, lots of frozen foods and restaurant meals. But, I only gained 15 pounds.

You cannot freak out about gaining weight. It's going to happen and it needs to. I actually feel a little guilty that I only gained 15 pounds last time because my baby was the smallest of my three, which isn't really normal for a third baby. That was a big surprise for everyone though, I'd been measuring 2 1/2 weeks ahead for my entire third trimester. Even my doctor expected her to be about 8.5 pounds, and she ended up being 7 pounds 5.2 ounces.

So, you have to gain weight. Try eating at your maintenance amount and see how you feel. If you aren't that hungry in the beginning it's not a big deal. Once you hit 20 weeks you should start eating an extra 300 calories a day. But, definitely listen to your body. If you feel hungry, eat. Don't restrict yourself too much because your body needs all the nutrition it can get. Just make sure you eat healthy foods most of the time. Give in to some cravings. If you don't, they'll drive you crazy. My rule is that if I crave something I won't make a special trip to get it. If I have a craving I'll wait until the next time I go grocery shopping. If I still crave the food, I'll get it. About 75% of the time the craving went away. The rest of the time I got whatever food I was wanting.

Feel free to add me if you want. I've been through this three times now and I've figured out good ways to keep my weight under control without going crazy and without depriving myself.

JOEYJACKMOM

Congratulations! I am a childbirth instructor, I teach a twelve week class. Nutrition is a HUGE component of a healthy pregnancy. All of the mothers in my classes keep track of everything they eat and turn it in to me for review each week. I am looking for a balanced diet, vegetables, protein (you need 80 - 100 grams / day), and water intake (1/2 of your weight in ounces everyday). I think MFP is a great place to log your food and make sure you are getting everything you and your baby need to have a happy and healthy pregnancy.