Scared to Get Pregnant...

Kaiser Permanente is in the midst of a study that looks at calorie counting when you are pregnant. It focuses on gestational diabetes and prevention.

Since I need to get pregos soon (as 35 is creeping up) and consulted my doctor who said they'd put me on a reduced calorie diet- enough for baby and specific nutritian. My other gal friend was alson on it and she was a healthy weight before and really was all baby while pregnant. We weren't sure the calorie thing was a good idea becasue she looked so great and only gained 25 lbs. We wondered about baby... well she just gave birth to a 10 lb baby and still looks fab! Point being baby is healthy and so is Mom.

I have had 3 children and I loooooove them dearly. I have never had a perfect body. Who has one?? You can control what you eat when you are pregnant. childbirth is a miracle and it made me less concerned about my looks and made me realize what is truly important. What is important to you? I guess that is what you have to decide for yourself. Having children also makes you way less selfish because you have to think about your kids first. Having a perfect body is really not important as long as you are taking care of yourself, eating right and exercising. Holding each of my babies in my arms after giving birth is the very very best feeling I have ever ever felt in my entire life. Who cares if you have a little extra fat on your body.

I would not be scared, fat comes and leaves, baby stays If you have a man to get pregnant from go ahead!

Yeah, some people gain a lot but you don't have to. I only gained 25 pounds with my first two kids lost all the weight within a year and 20lbs extra the 2nd time (of course then I gained 45 pounds the 3rd pregnancy but that was also mostly gone in a year).

I was terrified about the weight gain when I found out I was pregnant in 2010! I was the smallest I had ever been and I was so afraid that I would never be able to lose the baby weight, that my body would change forever, etc. I stuck to a pretty healthy diet during my pregnancy, and I didn't deny myself when I was hungry but certainly didn't embrace a hog-wild "eating for 2" mentality. I gained less than 30 pounds and was under my pre-pregnancy weight within 5 months or so. Bottom line is, you have to gain weight when you're pregnant (under most circumstances), but if you overdo it, it'll be much much harder to recover afterwards.

I think a lot of us understand what you're feeling. When I was pg with my daughter, I had to be put on complete bed rest for 3 weeks and then modified bed rest for the remaining 4 months of the pregnancy. That made it impossible to exercise and I gained a ton of weight (close to 60lbs); a lot of it had to do with being depressed/bored due to the bed rest and eating more than I needed to. Even though I was younger (26), it was much harder to get it off even with breastfeeding exclusively. I did eventually get it off though. I gave birth again as a gestational surrogate for a friend and was able to be active during the pregnancy and ate sensibly. I gained around 40lbs. I pumped for a few weeks and got right back into exercising vigorously as soon as the doctor said I could at my 6 week follow up apt; in fact I started a boot camp the following Monday after being given the go ahead. It's been about 4.5 months since the birth and I've lost all of the weight and am continuing to loose.

I definitely think if you're fit/healthy going into the pregnancy, continue to make healthy choices during the pregnancy and after, you'll be just fine. Heck, at my age (34) and having given birth only 4.5 months ago, I'm probably nearly as fit as I was in high school now (5'10" and 155).

Well, if you properly log your calories, it shouldn't be a problem. And hey, maybe you will be nauseous the whole time and lose a couple pounds.

I lost the weight after I had my twins but my tummy wasn't the same and never will be probably. They are worth it though. I've been a little slower on getting back in gear after my third, but that was me, not pregnancy. I was tired from having three kids in two years, you forget how much better you feel when you take care of yourself. Just don't forget that.

please don't let gaining weight scare you from getting pregnant!!!! you will gain weight...and likely more than you plan...but it will come off!!! if you put your mind to it and take care of your body during and after pregnancy you can shed the pounds my daughter was born 29 weeks ago tomorrow and just this morning i stepped on the scale and saw my pre-pregnancy weight!!! and 3 weeks ago i ran my 3rd half marathon and got my best time ever...all of that after gaining a little under 43 lbs while pregnant AND i am 29 years old (so not super young)!!! i do breastfeed, but i also got into a routine early on with my daughter to make walking and running together a priority...i eat well and count my calories, but i also allow myself ample treats my body is not 100% where it was pre-baby, but i have faith it can get there...don't let weight gain hold you back

I gained 60 pounds with my first and lost it (with lots of working out & breastfeeding) in about 10 months. I was told by a few people I looked better than before I got pregnant (weighed the same before and after). I think the reason is that with a child I HAD to schedule my workouts and even valued them MORE because that time was so sacred. Prior to children, I tended to make excuses and would miss a workout. I just had my 2nd baby a few months ago and gained a little more than with the first. I am older and realize it will be more difficult; but I know I will take it off...I just can't be concerned with how long it will take. One day at a time. Absolutely NOTHING can compare to the feeling of holding and feeding your own baby. Don't get tied up in your body image...it isn't worth it and that is not why we are put on this earth. Just be healthy and listen to your gut.

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?

I know how you feel. we have been trying for 7 years, and I would love nothing more to be a mom.. but the thought of gaining all the weight I've worked so hard to lose scares me... oye!

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!

^^^^^ THIS^^^^^^^

I gained about 20 to 25lbs with both of mine. Not bad at all. Left the hospital with only 10lbs left to lose.

Like others have said, if you eat healthily and continue to exercise as you are able to, you won't gain 90lbs. When you gain the recommended amount, about ten pounds of that ends up going to fat stores for breastfeeding. So by a few weeks out (once all the water retention has sorted itself out), you'd be left with about 10lbs to lose. Some people find that with breastfeeding weight loss is easy to do, some people can't seem to lose the last bit until they are done. Either way, you'll be left with weak abdominal muscles that need to be strengthened again. Having a baby is sooooo worth doing!

My wife is a bigger girl. Not fat but just not skinny minny either. When she got pregnant with both of my sons she gained a total of 10lbs each time. she was strict with her diet and didn't have the i can eat everything attitude she also walked 3-4 miles everyday. She even did this on the day of birth for both boys. Its been my experience with friends and women in my family that once they have kids they forget to take care of them selves because they are to worried about taking care of the baby and they haven't gotten great amounts of support from their significant others. My wife didn't have this problem as I have always been and will always be a strong supporter of her. So as long as you go into it knowing what you want you should be fine.

Although I didn't care about it at the time, I understand where you are coming from. My mother, while not huge, was a bigger woman when I was growing up. I was scared that would happen to me, but her stories of walking out of the hospital in her pre-pregnancy clothes were enoug to keep me from eating healthy.

With my first child, I gained 54lbs eating what I wanted, when I wanted. I had a c-section and walked out of the hospital weighing exactly what I weighed walking in (didn't even lose the 8lb 10oz that was my son). I was ticked. The next day I began to reclaim my weight and just started with light walks with him every day. It started as once a day walks and developed to 3 times per day as I felt better. I lost all of the weight except for 15 pounds. (I was 105 to start). But...I was young and able to bounce back easily.

I had my second six years later. Luckily, my cravings were a lot healthier, and I was also staying a lot more active. However, I was put on bedrest at 26 weeks. I ended up gaining 30lbs with that pregnancy. After, I was very active and walked again. I dropped all 30 of those pounds easily after.

I finally dropped back down to my 110 four years ago after I started running again. If I drink too much beer, don't run or eat too much junk, it starts creeping back up....So, you do have to watch your activity levels and calories. But, it's possible.