Found out I'm pregnant...now what?

MFPBrandy

Talk to your OB--he/she will be able to tailor advice to your specific situation. But GENERALLY SPEAKING, the goal is 25 lbs. depending on where you start, people may need to gain more or less. Keep logging your food; pregnancy may cause some crazy cravings, but your body's actual caloric needs only go up about 300 calories (again, talk to your doc ASAP, and just use 300 extra calories as a guide until you can get personalized advice). As for exercise, the general rule of thumb is that if you were doing it before you got pregnant, you can keep it up. You can also slow down and still get gentle cardio (elliptical), yoga, light weights, etc.
I got pregnant at 10 lbs overweight. I gained the prescribed 25 lbs during pregnancy, and left the hospital 10 lbs over where I was when I got pregnant -- and I had a VERY inactive pregnancy for medical reasons. You can do this without gaining a ton of weight, and you've already got great tools for success here on MFP. And CONGRATULATIONS!!

**now that I think about it, 300 calories extra is for breast feeding; I can't remember if pregnancy was 300 or less. Either way, it's not a significant increase -- pay attention to your body; you don't need to force-feed yourself as long as you're eating healthy. The extra calories are just a guideline to work through the "eating for two" myth.

tmauck4472

My Zumba teacher is 5 months along and she's only gained 1 lb. She's not sick at all, but she does Zumba several days a week(cause she's the instructor). So I'd say yeah go to maintaining mode and talk to your doctor. But Congrats

devil_in_a_blue_dress

Please talk to you OBGYN!

When I was pregnant, my doctor told me that I needed to consume 300-500 extra calories per day for proper fetal development. Initially my goals were to eat at maintenance plus an extra 300-500 calories. But pregnancy has a way of never going according to your plan. I had horrendous nausea my entire pregnancy. So much so that counting calories to make sure I wasn't eating WAY too much became a moot point. I gained a total of 18 pounds and came home the same size as I was pregnancy. I never looked pregnant, never wore maternity clothes.

You really cannot control when you gain weight because a lot is fluid in the early months anyway. Even though I was probably only taking in 1200ish calories a day, I still gained 6 pounds in my first trimester. I gained 2 in my second, and then 10 in my third. I don't suggest eating JUST because you can, but there is no need to worry about gaining, so long as you are eating your maintenance plus 300-500. Whatever you gain will be because you and your baby need it.

ETA: I am 5'3, was 150 when I got pregnant.

andreamkelly

That happened to me with my third child (25 years ago). I'd just a diet where you go in and pay and take supplements and get about 800 calories a day. I'd lost about 10 pounds (needed to lose 40). Then my husband flew in for the weekend and my parents watched the two toddlers and we spent the night at the same hotel we spent on our wedding night... Needless to say a few weeks later, I kissed all the money I'd paid to the weight loss clinic goodbye and started eating again. Unfortunately I wasn't into healthy eating and gained quite a bit like I did with my first two pregnancies. You are one step ahead by knowing you want to minimize weight gain by eating healthy.

mhotch

You need to start pre natal vitamins today!

I see a few pregnant women in the gym, lifting and cardio. I know a friend just had a baby, her OB/GYN told her to keep her heart rate at a specific level, but by all means continue her exercise schedule. Be careful to stay hydrated!

There are different times during the pregnancy that you will need to up the calories. Your OB should be the one to advise you how much, and when.

Snow__White

17 day diet!!! It's all healthy, nutritious food but it's organized in a way that can help you lose weight.

^^Bad advice^^

dodihere

It's urgent that you begin a prenatal vitamin tomorrow. Talk to the doctor about what to eat, he will tell you that you need folates and believe me you do, if you don't eat what they recommend you run the risk of spina bifida. Just stop by the doc's office and they will have a pamphlet or can let you talk with a nurse.

I could not agree more. It is SO VERY IMPORTANT to have folic acid RIGHT NOW in your diet. There is a reason why eating healthy and getting enough nutrition so that your baby develops normally. Stay fit and active and eat for your health of you and your baby.

BTW your doctor will let your know what is best for you, direct your questions to him.

0somuchbetter0

17 day diet!!! It's all healthy, nutritious food but it's organized in a way that can help you lose weight.

I'm going to assume you posted here by accident because you would never advise a pregnant woman to go on a useless (for anyone) crash diet.

To the OP -- I never *tried* to gain weight when I was pregnant, I just ate when I was hungry and tried to make good choices. I gained about 18 the first time, 15 the second. (I was already overweight when I got pregnant, but anyway....) I exercised up until the day I gave birth. I stopped running around 6 months the first time, 8 months the second, simply because my hips hurt...but I took up swimming all the way to the end. The good news is after I had my babies the weight just fell off. I was 15 lbs under my pre-preggo weight a month after delivery...both times!

Congratulations.

And yes re: folic acid -- it's crucial to developing your baby's spine and preventing spina bifida in the earliest days of pregnancy (20-22 days I think)...

meglet175

Congrats! I am a mom of three, and I will tell you that you are in for a crazy, beautiful, thrilling ride. You may think you know what unconditional love is, but when you hold that child in your arms for the first time and look down at him or her, you'll be blown away! Enjoy every moment!

Right now your job is to make a healthy baby. That means whole, healthy foods, moderate exercise, lots of water, good prenatal vitamins, regular OB visits, and plenty of rest. I've not seen anyone else mention that it's quite important to keep your core body temperature from getting too high, especially during these first few critical months when all of junior's little parts are forming. So - no marathon cardio sessions, no hot tubs, and in general, lower impact and lower intensity exercise than what you may have been used to. But - I taught aerobics and walked all the way to the end with my prenancies, and had three strong, healthy babies and complication-free deliveries.

Yes, you are eating for two, but #2 is the size of a peanut right now and doesn't eat much. Your weight can stay relatively steady for these first few months, but around month 5, expect to see some serious changes! Many blessings to you.

MFPBrandy

My Zumba teacher is 5 months along and she's only gained 1 lb. She's not sick at all, but she does Zumba several days a week(cause she's the instructor). So I'd say yeah go to maintaining mode and talk to your doctor. But Congrats

Please don't think this is normal -- great for the Zumba teacher, assuming her baby is healthy, but most women will have gained more than 1 lb at 5 months. Everyone is different, and you will hear stories like this that might make you feel bad about yourself if you gain more. Some people gain slowly & steadily throughout the pregnancy,, some people gain all at once early on or much later. The one thing you can be sure of is that everyone will have an opinion. The only ones that count are those of your doc/midwife and you.

kmhallett

I went through the same exact thing not too long ago. I have three children and my husband and I had not planned on having another one....well I guess there were other plans for us. I was doing so well on here and was finally losing the weight that I wanted and need to. I am kind of embarassed but I cried for a few days...but then I realized it was a great thing...and I got really excited. I just decided to eat really healthy and still exercise such as walking and even jogging and maybe I could be one of those girls that weighed less after baby than they did before they got pregnant. Unfortunatley a month later I had miscarried..So be happy and do your best. You will have plenty of time to worry about your shape afterwards:)

keepitcroosh

talk to your doctor/ob-gyn.

This & if you can try to stay away from those cravings for at least the majority of the time , you should gain a healthy weight. If you eat tons of junk, it'll be harder and youll just be adding on extra pounds. But yes, MOST IMPORTANTLY, talk to your doctor or ob gyn. They should help you out with healthy eating habits during pregnancy. And yes you should be able to do some moderate exercises including swimming (as long as your doc/ob-gyn approves of this). Good luck and congrats hun!

kaseysospacey

Talk to your doctor and eat at least 1800 calories. Also, most people do gain about 5 lbs in the first trimester, and for a slim to average weight woman carrying 1 baby its normal to gain 25-35 lbs. What you need to focus on is eating nutritious food for that baby, and if you keep it healthy you won't need to obsess over calories as much.

MissMay87

Start buying diapers. Now. When I was pregnant my ob-gyn told me to eat about 300 calories more per day. Assuming you're eating a deficit right now you might want to start eating maintenance +300. Your doctor can help you with this. Congrats and good luck!!

Fiery_Vixen

Thanks for all the advice guys...besides the 17 day crash diet idea, its all very helpful. I plan on picking up prenantal vitamins tongiht and calling an OBGYN tomorrow morning. I've been pregnant before so I know how it goes...this is just the first time getting pregnant while on a diet (I guess my body wasn't having none of it and decided to make me gain it back somehow lol). I'll talk to the OBGYN and let him know the situation and ask him how many calories I should be consuming compared to what I have been. I hope to gain only the recommended 25 lbs so I can get back on track faster after the baby is born....unless its twins again...then I'm screwed!!! :laugh:

MyLovesMyLife

Twins again? How blessed are you! I have always wanted twins. Congrats again!

JessieSunshine81

I wasn't really focused on fitness when I had my kids.. but from what I gather from friends.. you add a few hundred calories (500??) and you continue to work you did before only without any ab work for now. I know a girl who jogged everyday into her 6th month.. then just started speedwalking. shoot to gain about 20 lbs but not too much more than that. and when its all over after 6 weeks go back to your original workout.. its possible to get your former tummy back.. people have done it. I have seen alot of beautiful flat tummys on women with lots of kids.. look up pregnancy workouts and pregnancy yoga. YOu can do it. congratulations

Drop_it_Like_Its_Hawt

First, congrats on both your weight loss and the pregnancy. Second, I agree with what a lot of people here said about talking to the ob first - they know all about proper nutrition/healthy eating during pregnancy and can help you at least not gain weight (other than the baby weight) during the process. Just focus on your health now, instead of your body shape.

elisa123gal

congratulations. I see so many beautiful pregnant women at the Y working out..and you can they are going to bounce right back after that baby comes. Get a good plan in place and it will all be okay.
:flowerforyou: