Scared to Get Pregnant...

In the end, what's more important to you -- having a child, or having to work harder to lose the weight you might gain?

I gained the 25 lbs my doctor told me to (not intentionally; it just worked out that way). I didn't weigh myself coming out of the hospital, but 2-3 months later (2-3 months of total inactivity and crap eating), I still had 10 of those pounds. Once I started exercising again, and eating more consciously, the pounds came off. You're already doing that, yes? So do it throughout your pregnancy, and your weight gains should remain healthy. It's a risk, but the alternative is never getting pregnant, and possibly never having the opportunity to be a parent.

if you are more concerned about your weight and appearance than your desire to have a child...maybe, just maybe, you should hold off on having one.

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?

Don't overeat and stay active (assuming your doc says it's OK).

Now, I was very young when I had my daughter, but it went like this: I weighed about 110 when I got pregnant and gained about 10 pounds in the first month (though my weight tended to fluctuate that much, anyway) then had terrible morning sickness and was 102 pounds from month 2 until month 7. I gave birth at 155 pounds and within a few months (and not even trying to lose) I was back to 115.

I gained 50 with my son. He was carried to term and born 8 lbs 4 oz. I lost the 50 lbs and then some with nursing, jogging, and healthy eating. It's not horribly hard to do. Just keep active and don't go overboard.

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?

A lot of the weight that you gain is within your control. Don't stop exercising. Don't use the theory "I'm pregnant so I can eat whatever I want"! I did that with my pregnancies and I gained tons of weight. I also didn't stay as active as I should have even though I was active duty Army during both!. Yes some people will go back to their pre-prego sizes quickly while it takes longer for others. But as a mom, I would go through it all again for the joys of having kids! How quickly the weight comes off is dependent upon how active you are!!!

Don't be afraid to get pregnant. You can still exercise while pregnant. I know people who still ran bunches and lifted weights while pregnant.

You can lose the weight if you are determined too. I just had my 4th child and I am 15lbs away from where I was before pregnancy 2 months post partum. With my first two I gained over 70lbs each and lost it all. If you are willing to put in the time and energy to work out and eat healthy the weight comes off. Also Debbe2 said it so right. Every lb is so worth it. With my son I just had I had finally lost all the baby weight from #3 and was wanting to build muscle and had a bunch of halfs planned and then found out #4 was coming sooner than later and everytime I look at his tiny adorable face I would do it all over again no matter what.

I know plenty of hot moms on here who lost a lot of weight and look fantastic!

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 was terrified, too. I think it is totally normal. I gained more than I wanted to, about 50, and now my daughter is 2 and I weigh less than I did when I got pregnant (and in much better shape). But I also FIRMLY believe if I didn't lose the weight, my daughter is worth that and 100 lbs more. You won't regret it! She is the biggest joy of our lives.

There's much scarier things imo when getting pregnant. I'm terrified of birth defects, miscarriages, possible future diseases that child may have.

In other words, I'd worry for my child. Not my physical appearance. Especially as, as many people pointed out, you can control the weight gain by working out and eating right.

The main reason people put on weight during pregnancy is because "I'm eating for two now" so they over indulge. It's not pregnancy that makes them fat, it's eating for two adults when your child is barely the size of a thumbnail.

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 don't mean to be harsh, but if this is your concern, you're probably not ready to be a parent. You give your life to your child and gaining weight in pregnancy is the least of your worries when a child's life is being brought into the world. I don't mean to be insensitive, but I've read this a few times and I'd be comfortable saying this to my wife, so if you're offended, I'm sorry.

That being out of the way, some of the advice below is very valuable. Let me offer you some examples of women I am close to who have had babies recently and their experiences.

1 - My wife
My wife has been very thin her whole life and gained about 35 (very average) lbs in her pregnancy. She didn't control her diet, but she never went way overboard on anything. Six weeks after the baby was born, she was below her pre-pregnancy weight without dieting or exercise, but exclusive breast feeding.

2 - My sister
My sister has always been a fantastic athlete and in great shape. She gained 75 lbs. Her face and feet swelled to where she was nearly unrecognizable. She pumped for a year and in about four months was back to normal except for the stretched skin in her middle. She did moderate exercise but nothing serious.

3 - Friend's Wife
IDK what her weight gain was, but she kept running until she was about 8 months and after that kept walking. She didn't look pregnant anywhere but her belly. She ran a marathon a couple months after delivery. Not sure about her diet, but she and her husband have very healthy lunches they bring from home every day at work.

4 - Other Friend's Wife
This gal is a nurse and did all this sodium free stuff to minimize her weight/water gain and never exercised at all. A month after delivery she looked the same as ever before.

5 - My Mom
Mom gained 10 lbs with me and 30 with my sister. Exclusive BF'ing for both and she's always been about 5'2 100.

So, your results can and will vary, even from one pregnancy to another within your own womb. You can do a lot to influence what happens to your body, but the bottom line is your body will do what it needs to do to supply the baby with what it needs. I hope that you make the very best decision for you and your husband, and your potential future children.

I gained weight when I was pregnant, I kept up my lifestyle while carrying my child, I lost the most weight in the first 6 months then put some on because I wasn't maintaining a good lifestyle and am now just fine. I weigh less now than I do before I had my son 4 years ago. There are some things that on me are permanent: my hips are wider and my breasts are smaller and less juicy.

5 years ago:



3 years ago (a few weeks before son was born):


last month just before my son's 3rd birthday:

With my first pregnancy I gained 50 pounds (before delivery). After I had the baby I ended up about 15 pounds heavier than I was pre-pregnancy. I lost about 5 of those pounds and never lost the rest. To be fair I didn't really put in the work I needed to gain only a reasonable amount of weight or to lose it afterward. I'm pregnant with number two and I'm about 7 months along. So far I've only gained about 12 pounds. I've been a lot better with my activity level (chasing after a 2 year old certainly helps) and with what I've been eating this time around. I've been making smarter decisions and it has definitely made a difference.

I also second the fact that beast feeding didn't help me lose weight, but I know for some women it helps a ton.

No, don't get pregnant right now. Wait until you are no longer so selfish that you are worried only about the weight gain rather than how you will be a great parent and raise a healthy, happy, functional human being. Having children is a huge commitment and your life, and body, will be changed forever. Weight gain during pregnancy is NECESSARY for a healthy baby. Health is the focus, and if you keep that in mind you won't gain 100 pounds. (Yup, I gained 70 during my pregancy, which was 20 pounds more than I should have... oh well.)

Sorry to be rude but as a mother, your comments just rubbed me very much the wrong way.

You can't let that scare you from having a child. You can always do other types of exercise while pregnant. But remember that having a child is a life long gift and any weight gained can be be lost in a heart beat.