Weight GAIN during pregnancy question

Shayztar

I never thought about water retention! I know that it certainly happens since all the water comes out the week after giving birth in all kinds of neat and disgusting ways. I was afraid that my body was doing something weird with fat retention, or slowing of metabolism despite eating properly in order to provide for the baby.

What ways? I MUST KNOW!

lmao

Mostly sweating like a stuck pig, and peeing like a race horse. Where pregnancy is beautiful, birth and postpartum is really gross.

FitMrsR

I've not read the other responses but the majority of weight is gained during the 3rd trimester. The baby is putting on fat, amniotic fluid is increasing, uterus is growing to the max, blood volume increases, water retention, and some necessary fat stores your body saves for breast feeding along with a host of other stuff. As long as you are eating properly and staying as active as you can, don't worry you're doing great. You'll drop quite a but of the weight in the first few weeks after birth and the weight loss will continue.

edited for typos

chelseasunrise

So I gained weight really steadily throughout my first and second trimesters. Once I hit third trimester I started gaining around 4lbs a week then at around 35 weeks I started gaining around 7-8lbs a week. Turns out I had severe Oedema (Swelling - water weight) because I had pre-eclampsia. I put on 90lbs. Most women have some form of oedema in the third trimester. If you aren't having any blood pressure issues or any other complications it isn't anything to worry about. I lost so much weight in the first few weeks after birth because the Oedema was leaving my body!

jls8209

It wasn't linear for me. I gained 36 lbs total, 7 lbs were gained during week 27 (yep, 7 lbs in one week!), and the last 4-6 weeks I didn't really gain, just had one pound that kept coming and going. Like you, my doc was never concerned about my weight since I was a healthy weight to begin with and my belly measurements were always on track.

I ate maintenance calories for my entire pregnancy, focused on making healthy choices (with some treats), and I kept up my exercise routine. I was moving slowly by the end because my pelvis hurt, but I was at the gym waddling along on the treadmill on my due date.

I'm now 6 months post partum, the first 21 lbs I gained came off quickly (gotta love the night sweats and frequent pees!!), and I've been busting my butt and eating healthy for the past 4 months to get back to pre pregnancy weight (1 lb to go!!!).

Good luck!

Lyerin

Trust your doctor. I know that typically, weight gain of 25-35 pounds is considered "normal". I gained 29 and 28 pounds in each pregnancy (and it came off soon thereafter, but of course I gained "real" weight after that).