Scared to Get Pregnant...

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Musicianess20
Musicianess20 Posts: 21 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I would love to experience the miraculous wonders of pregnancy and childbirth..however I have been running from the possibility everytime I think of how much weight I would gain. I've heard some people have gained 90 pounds! Seriously??!!?? I've also heard it's ridiculously hard to get off. The basic motto is either you've got "the snap back genes" or you don't. :( Is this true?
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Replies

  • MrsAzriel
    MrsAzriel Posts: 35 Member
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    I don't know anything about losing the weight after having a child or how you'll look after, but I do know the feeling you're having. I'm terrified of not being able to lose the weight, even though both of us know that if you're active, work hard and eat well, it shouldn't be bad.

    There are a lot of mom's here that have lost a ton of weight and look amazing. There is hope.
  • kellyp10111
    kellyp10111 Posts: 1
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    Some (if not a lot) of the weight you gain is completely within your control. If you don't subscribe to the theory of "hey, I'm pregnant, I can eat whatever I want!" you won't gain 90 lbs. As long as you are observant of what you are eating and give into those pregnancy cravings in a reasonable way (ie, eat ice cream if you want it, just don't eat the whole dang carton on a regular basis!) you will be fine.

    I have also heard that breastfeeding can help you burn the weight off faster.
  • magj0y
    magj0y Posts: 1,911 Member
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    Some (if not a lot) of the weight you gain is completely within your control. If you don't subscribe to the theory of "hey, I'm pregnant, I can eat whatever I want!" you won't gain 90 lbs. As long as you are observant of what you are eating and give into those pregnancy cravings in a reasonable way (ie, eat ice cream if you want it, just don't eat the whole dang carton on a regular basis!) you will be fine.

    I have also heard that breastfeeding can help you burn the weight off faster.

    ^^^ *8even if you don't breast feed, you can use a breast pump with the same results. You can also keep exercising. for many people, the older you are, the harder it is to "snap back"
    I weighed about 170 with my 10lb kid (MIL would insist I eat soo much food!) I bounced back in about 6 months or so, but I was also 23.

    And if this is the ONLY reason holding you back.. go have a kid. You'll be fine. In the long run, I think you'll regret NOT having kids
  • stephiehun7
    stephiehun7 Posts: 8
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    One of my first thoughts when I found out I was pregnant was that I would never, ever be skinny. I was lucky and only gained about 25 lbs, and lost it pretty quickly. Now I working on the 40 lbs I needed to lose before that!

    Every woman is different. All you can do is eat as well as you can (except during the first trimester -eat whatever doesn't make you sick!) and stay as active as you can!
  • Mummyadams
    Mummyadams Posts: 1,125 Member
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    I totally get where your coming from. I was at my peak weight and looking hot when I fell pregnant (it was planned so I was very happy) but it killed my body. I put on 25kgs (55 lbs). I tried to keep my gym routine going but after 6 months I just gave up and piled on the weight. I was sooooo hard to get off but I have managed it after a lot of sweat & salads.
    Don't let it stop you from having a child but all I can say is stay healthy, and don't use it as an excuse to eat crap and stop exercising -you will regret it ... it is so hard to get off and with a baby you will be tired so energy levels will be low.
    My body will never be the same and as much as I love my son, I miss my old shape.
  • Mummyadams
    Mummyadams Posts: 1,125 Member
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    P.S. - breastfeeding did not help me lose the weight - so don't rely on it as a given.
  • purple_tux1
    purple_tux1 Posts: 250 Member
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    My weight problems started after I had my first child. I feel that something about pregnancy changed my body. Just like now, I used to eat sensible foods when hungry.Gained 45 pounds with the first. Lost it quickly no problem due to breastfeeding but gained it all back. My weight was stable for 5 years in between kids (my kids are 7 years apart). With my 2nd, gained 70 pounds (alot of water weight). Got gestastional diabetes both times. Again, lost it all due to breastfeeding, but it all crept back. So now I weight more than when I was 9 months pregnant with my first. I swear the 2 pregnancies made me more insulin resistant and naturally hungrier. I am working hard to lose the weight through calorie counting, but the only way I have been able to do this is through a low carb diet.

    I love my kids, but I hate how my body has changed due to pregnancies. I would love to have a 3rd, but there's no way, I'd probably end up with type 2 diabetes.
  • love4fitnesslove4food_wechange
    love4fitnesslove4food_wechange Posts: 6,897 Member
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    I can't wait--snap back genes or not, I think giving birth is one of the most beautiful and amazing gifts in the entire world!
  • GCLyds
    GCLyds Posts: 206 Member
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    Just dont eat for 2 literally. In the first trimester, you dont need extra calories, unless you are throwing up a lot. In the 2nd and 3rd trimester all you needs is an extra 300-500 a day. Pregnancy is not a free licence to eat everything in sight. Start taking a prenatal when you start trying to conceive to make sure your maternal reserves are up.

    Women who breastfeed lose more weight on average than those who dont. Again, Its only about 500-600 cal a day that it burns, so keep that in mind. Its not a miracle worker, and statistics mean everything to the group and nothing to the individual.

    Exercise during pregnancy. What ever you do before you get pregnant you can keep on doing after, so long as its not an extreme sport that can cause major injury. You set the precedent before getting pregnant. Exercise during pregnant will also prepare your cardiovascular system for the marathon that is labor.

    Watch what you eat, indulge on occasion because your hormones like that, and it is possible to get back in shape. Your body however, will never be the same whether you lose the weight or not. Stretch marks, and swollen boobs, etc. take their toll.
  • Mummyadams
    Mummyadams Posts: 1,125 Member
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    I can't wait--snap back genes or not, I think giving birth is one of the most beautiful and amazing gifts in the entire world!
    Yes your right ... I just wish our bodies didn't have to pay the price :cry:
  • ausf
    ausf Posts: 51
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    i gained 45Ib
    and my son know five years old and im still dealing with losing the weight i gained during my pregnancy
    still have 30 to lose lol but i was eating for 2+6 lol:)
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
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    I have had 8 children. With my first I put on my size 5 jeans 3 days after she was born and left the hospital with my baby. Not as lucky with the others. With my second I put on 40 pounds BUT I was a lot less active then. I agree that you can control a lot of the weight gain while preggo. Why don't you check out babyfit.com? It is a website for those trying to get preggo, already preggo, and trying to lose the preggo weight. It has menus for each need and threads where you can talk to other people who may be in the same situation. Children are a joy. I do not regret leaning my body to them for awhile.
  • annabellj
    annabellj Posts: 1,337 Member
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    I would never ever trade the amount of weight i gained for being pregnant with my boys. its amazing. that being said, breastfeeding will help. dont overeat, walk or exercise, and eat healthy foods for the most part. after my first child i lost the extra 25 lbs i was carrying because i was breastfeeding.
  • GoodyGirl3
    GoodyGirl3 Posts: 5 Member
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    I definitely see where you're coming from. My weight has been up and down 20 pounds my whole life. Currently, I'm the thinnest I've ever been but also married, 31 and no kids yet. I know eventually it'll happen, and I'm scared that ill go right back into my cycle of gaining (obviously if I'm prego) but then not motivated to take it off. I can only hope that I'll keep my mindset of counting calories and running while I'm pregnant and with a newborn! Honestly, being at hone all day with baby and not eating everything in sight will prob be the hardest for me.
  • zephtalah
    zephtalah Posts: 327 Member
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    I have 7children. With my first, I gain 80 lbs (part of that was water weight from hypertension). Five months after I had lost all but 15 and found out baby #2 was on its way. With each of my children, I have worked at losing the weight soon after they were born. Not crazy hit the gym on the way home from the hospital, but conscious steps to get back to where you should be. Breastfeeding does help, but you're also hungrier because of it. If you eat healthily during pregnancy and stay resonably active you won't gain nearly as much and it will come off easier. Same goes once the baby has arrived. Over the last eight years, I have gained 285 lbs from pregnancy and have lost 276 of them. I am working on that last 9 and I will be back to my wedding weight at which point I would like to lose about 10 more. Don't let the weight keep pilling up and it won't be insurmountable.

    p.s. My babies are 8 months old I have lost all of their baby weight. I am now working on the 9 left from the pregnancy before theirs. She was 9 months when I found out I was expecting and we traveled a lot during that time, so I didn't do as well with losing her weight.
  • alisha232
    alisha232 Posts: 43 Member
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    I gained 60 pounds when I was pregnant. I felt absolutely awful in all honesty. I never had to pay attention to what I ate before, so I didn't really put restrictions on what I could or couldn't eat. I ate when I was hungry (which was more than normal HAHA)
    I am now weighing in less than before I got pregnant. It was a lot of hard work to get it off. The first 30 pounds fell right off, but the last were stubborn. I am only 22, so I think it really depends on genetics whether you bounce right back or not. If I got pregnant again I would watch more of what I ate, but I would restrict how much. If I'm hungry, its probably because I'm using my energy to grow a baby inside of me.
  • MyLovesMyLife
    MyLovesMyLife Posts: 424 Member
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    I think the biggest advice someone could have given me was DONT EAT LIKE YOUR EATING FOR TWO. Bc your not! My doctor told me that you only need to eat maybe an extra apple or a slice of bread w/ pb. THats it! Not a #1 from McDs or anything extreme. Stay healthy, walk or do w.e exercise you enjoy. I would recommend Leslie Sansones walk at home. I think that is an excellent exercise for preggers. :) Dont worry about it! The Lord doesnt provide babies so that we can worry about how much weight we will gain during pregnancy. Just enjoy the pregnancy when it happens and realize babies are a gift. The first pregnancy is always a shocker because its the first time you realize you have new life growing in you. Amazing right! :)
  • VelociMama
    VelociMama Posts: 3,119 Member
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    A lot of women use pregnancy as an excuse to eat like pigs and sit on their bums instead of taking responsibility for their nutrition and fitness. You really only need 300-500 calories extra per day to have a healthy pregnancy especially if you choose nutrient-dense foods.

    Just FYI, I'm 22 weeks now, and I've only gained 12 lbs. I was still overweight before I got pregnant (though I was close to a healthy BMI), so I'm only supposed to gain 15-25 for the whole pregnancy, and I'm right on target for that. I've been tracking my calories, eating at maintenance plus 1/2 lb per week and getting daily exercise the whole time.

    Some of the weight gain will not be controllable (I had a LOT of fast gain in the beginning from bloating from the pregnancy hormones, which was mostly out of my control), but IMHO there's no reason to gain 90 lbs during pregnancy unless there's some underlying medical issue causing that. You have a LOT of say in how you manage your health and fitness while pregnant.

    The fitter and healthier you are before you get pregnant, the better off you'll be after for getting your weight off as well, statistically speaking, so it's important to take care of your body before as well as during and after your pregnancy.

    Beyond the vanity reasons, not overeating and maintaining a fitness regimen during pregnancy also has a lot of benefits for both you and your baby. It reduces the risk of gestational diabetes, hypertension, and a host of very serious pregnancy-related health risks. Remaining active also helps during labor quite a bit.

    Long story short, just like in your life now, you have a lot more control over your weight during pregnancy than you think you do! I say go for it if you and your partner are ready to make that commitment. Just be proactive in your nutrition and fitness management, and you'll do great!
  • joysyear
    joysyear Posts: 48 Member
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    Don't worry about that at all, if your fit before you get pregnant you'll only gain 30lbs or so and then the pounds will melt off because your body has muscle memory. That's why I'm getting back in shape now so that when I get pregnant with my 2nd child I'll have just as easy of a time getting the weight back off.
  • wildapril
    wildapril Posts: 97 Member
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    My tiny little 5'4, 120 lb mom gained 10 lbs per child, never lost any weight. Five kids.

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