So, I'M PREGNANT... Now what?

jbrunkhorst
jbrunkhorst Posts: 3
edited September 21 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been very pleased with my success since starting MFP a few months ago. But, I just found out that I'm pregnant!!!! So now what? Obviously I know that I can't diet or try to lose wait while pregnant, but I also don't want to gain 100lbs. Should I still keep logging? and if I do, how do I figure out what my calorie goal should be? I plan to talk to over with my OB, but just wondering if anyone has any advice in the meantime. Thanks!

Replies

  • Jenks
    Jenks Posts: 349
    When I was pregnant a Dietitian put me on a 2200 calorie diet, however I had gestational diabetes....so I'm not sure what the caloric intake would have been with out that. How long before you see your OB?


    Edited because Spell Check can be crazy :ohwell:
  • imagymrat
    imagymrat Posts: 862 Member
    you need to only eat 200 calories more then what you eat now, and continue to make healthy food choices, you will have a healthy baby. Congrats! kids are amazing little selfish, reckless creatures! :laugh:
  • dawnna76
    dawnna76 Posts: 987 Member
    you only need 200-300 extra calories a day when pregnant. so and apple and peanut butter should cover that!

    and in the beginning you may not get all your calories in anyway cause if you get morning sickness you wont have an appitite.

    just aim to make healthful choices during your pregnancy and try to avoid tempting junk food.

    Oh and start taking a prenatal!

    congratulations and hope you have a healthy and happy 9 months!
  • And continue to workout.........don't overdue it by any means, but stay active, the more active you are the easier the labor will be (from what I hear)............and by the way...........CONGRATS!!!!!
  • genann
    genann Posts: 236
    I can't help you much with your calories...but I wanted to say "CONGRATULATIONS on your pregnancy".....Babies are angels in disguise...
  • Crysta1976
    Crysta1976 Posts: 184 Member
    YAY!!! Congratulations!!!! :flowerforyou:
  • bonnymom
    bonnymom Posts: 107 Member
    Congratulations!

    If it were me I would change my goals to maintenance and then add 100-300 calories (which is the additional calories needed when pregnant/breastfeeding).

    Here is an article from WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/healthy-weight-gain

    In the end, definately talk to your doctor to find out his/her suggestion.
  • kittytrix
    kittytrix Posts: 557 Member
    I worked out with all but one of my kids and I was fine! Most of my problems with wight gain was only in small part due to pregnancies. It's mostly due to stress eating and medications.

    Idon't know what you're doing now, but definitely keep moving. Wlaking is great and some light weightlifting is good, too. But always ask your doctor first.
  • kittytrix
    kittytrix Posts: 557 Member
    Oh yeah and CONGRATS!!!!!
  • LeahSylina
    LeahSylina Posts: 40
    I want to agree with everyone...you only need 200 - 300 extra calories and you can continue to exercise. Don't overdo it, but you should stay active.

    I speak from experience that you don't want to eat too much and stay sedentary. I did that when I was pg with my son and I gained 60 lbs. I just thought...well I'm pregnant, I can eat whatever I want! I lost 30 of it (mostly water weight) right away but was stuck with an extra 30. Then I got pg again when my son was 4 months old (surprise!) and couldn't lose weight then obviously. I made much healthier choices the 2nd time around though and I only gained 26 lbs, all of which are gone all ready and my daughter is 2 months old. But now I'm still stuck with that extra 30 and I joined MFP to try and get it off.
  • ANewLucia
    ANewLucia Posts: 2,081 Member
    Listen, my doctor is from England and he is appalled at how much American women gain when they are pregnant. Like most have said, you only need to up your calories by 200 and continue your exercise and healthy eating. He said in England some women don't gain anything and less then 10lbs is ideal. I nearly fell over when he said that, but it is true. The whole gain 35lbs is totally unnecessary.

    Oh btw, he says that if a woman is obese when they get pregnant, if they are eating healthy and exercising they may still loose weight.

    Again, not suggesting dieting, but continueing the healthy lifestyle.
  • GirlTenney
    GirlTenney Posts: 33
    Congrats!!!! Everyone has very good advice! Eat healthy and stay active! BUT also take advantage of this pregnancy and eat something really yummy once in a while! :)
  • melodyg
    melodyg Posts: 1,423 Member
    Listen, my doctor is from England and he is appalled at how much American women gain when they are pregnant. Like most have said, you only need to up your calories by 200 and continue your exercise and healthy eating. He said in England some women don't gain anything and less then 10lbs is ideal. I nearly fell over when he said that, but it is true. The whole gain 35lbs is totally unnecessary.

    Um... LESS THAN 10 POUNDS? I had a 9 lb, 2 oz baby... that plus all of the other added things during pregnancy (increased blood flow, etc, not to mention water retention) already puts me quite a bit over 10 pounds... and everyone else who has a baby of a average size (which I'm guessing is 7 pounds or so) would be right at 10 pounds at least. Glad he's not my doctor.... I gained a ton of weight during pregnancy (not all due to good decisions... but mostly water weight too because all but 10 pounds was gone 2 weeks after delivery)


    For the original poster... I completely agree with the 100-300 extra calories a day on top of your usual maintenance calories. I have also heard it is fine to do whatever you were doing exercise-wise before pregnancy. The only exception to that is not doing exercise for the abdomen -- crunches, situps, etc. I can't remember if that is all the way through or starting a little later on (and then of course it is impossible anyway later on!) :)

    Congratulations!!!!!
  • hamiltonba
    hamiltonba Posts: 474 Member
    GirlTenny - We should eat something yummy every once in a while anyway - regardless if you are pregnant or not. This journey is a healthier life style not a diet that you lose and then go back to eating unhealthy. Anyone who has lost and maintained, did it by choosing to eat healthy for the long haul.
  • I was told to only gain 10 pounds during pregnancy because I'm considered obese but I ended up gaining 35. The 35 though ended up falling off within 6 weeks of having the baby. Since I was overweight to start with I'm starting from that point. The biggest mistake I made was stopping working out for fear it would hurt the baby. I just started again and he is 3 months old! I feel like I'm going to die I'm sooooo sore and out of shape. Keep working out and eating healthy and all should be fine, don't worry about putting a set number on how much you gain as long as you are making healthy choices!
  • navstar
    navstar Posts: 113 Member
    Listen, my doctor is from England and he is appalled at how much American women gain when they are pregnant. Like most have said, you only need to up your calories by 200 and continue your exercise and healthy eating. He said in England some women don't gain anything and less then 10lbs is ideal. I nearly fell over when he said that, but it is true. The whole gain 35lbs is totally unnecessary.

    Oh btw, he says that if a woman is obese when they get pregnant, if they are eating healthy and exercising they may still loose weight.

    Again, not suggesting dieting, but continueing the healthy lifestyle.

    WOW your doctor is way off,

    I'm in England and I put on about 10kg (about 20lbs) during my pregnancy and that was considered to be at the lower end of how much some women put on and I had morning sickness right up to my due date! You shouldn't try to lose weight in pregnancy as it is NOT recommended as the baby needs nutrition and if you are not providing all the nutrients it needs via food it will be leached out of YOUR body, and this is not good for either you (can cause osteoporosis, anemia and other deficiencies) or the baby (once he/she is born they will need a strong healthy mum to cope with the little feeding/sh*****g and sleeping machine) most women who lose weight in pregnancy do so as they suffer from severe morning sickness (mine was not severe just long lasting if that makes any sense).

    The best thing to do is speak to a medical professional, either your doctor or midwife and they can guide you as too how many calories you need to add if any to your diet.

    congratulations baby's change your world.
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    I've been very pleased with my success since starting MFP a few months ago. But, I just found out that I'm pregnant!!!! So now what? Obviously I know that I can't diet or try to lose wait while pregnant, but I also don't want to gain 100lbs. Should I still keep logging? and if I do, how do I figure out what my calorie goal should be? I plan to talk to over with my OB, but just wondering if anyone has any advice in the meantime. Thanks!

    You don't need to be prepared to pile on hundreds of pounds, just eat sensibly, get ALL the nutrients you need, cut out any rubbish and by the time you have had your lovely baby, you will probably find you won't have much to lose at all.

    I speak from experience on the other end on this one, my first baby I put on two stone, that wasn't too bad and I lost it all afterwards, however, when pregnant with my second daughter, I adored pasta in creamy mushroom sauce! OMG I can still taste it now, I would eat it nearly every day, stuff stuff stuff, munch, stuff, stuff, stuff, munch munch. I couldn't stop!

    The end result was a 56lb gain at the end of the pregnancy - that's a bloody lot I tell you :laugh:

    So don't do anything like that, stick to sensible eating, do not go on a 1200 calorie per day diet, because the baby WILL take what it needs even if it is to your detriment and could leave you deficient in nutrients which could be dangerous for you.

    Definitely talk to your OB and explain and they will advise you accordingly.

    The very best of luck with your pregnancy, wonderful time, make the very most of it :flowerforyou:
  • LotusF1ower
    LotusF1ower Posts: 1,259 Member
    ...... (once he/she is born they will need a strong healthy mum to cope with the little feeding/sh*****g and sleeping machine) ..........

    :noway: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Bahahahahhahahahahah! priceless, love it BAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • rcatr
    rcatr Posts: 374 Member
    I can't give you advice on diet cause i've never been preggers - Congratulations btw!

    But, one of my trainer friends was preggers and worked out through the majority of her pregnancy. The only changes she made was being extra careful about monitoring her heartrate and changing up her weightlifting routine.
  • I went from 135 to 179 (44 pounds) I ate what i wanted when i wanted. I lost all the weight and back in my regular size by Christmas... June 7 to Dec 25 (6 months), BUT i did watch what i ate after! I was told DO NOT exceed 124 BPM heart rate. while working out! BUT i didnt work out AT ALL!!

    If i were to do it again... I would: Watch what i eat the WHOLE time!! Do what people say and just add 200 calories to my diet. I would DEFFINTALY.... invest in yoga DVD's... Regular/ Pregnate ones... which ever.. i would do those 5 times a week NEVER skipping a DAY that's the main key.. DO NOT skip a day !! take 1 week off before the baby's arrival

    CONGRATZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :flowerforyou:
  • ElmFive10
    ElmFive10 Posts: 12 Member
    Congratulations! When I got pregnant I had recently lost about 40 lbs and I was soooo scared to gain it all back. The diet changes I made were really easy. I just made sure that I ate full meals instead of "snacks" and I started drinking milk. (Also prenatal vitamins!!) I worked out until I was 8 months and then I stopped because I was lazy... :blushing: I gained a total of 29 lbs and I lost it all within 3 months.
    My only advice is to not get lazy. That will carry on after you have the baby and it will be really, really hard to get out of that habit. Exercising with a little one is tough so stick to a healthly lifestyle throughout.
  • Mookz0r
    Mookz0r Posts: 143
    Listen, my doctor is from England and he is appalled at how much American women gain when they are pregnant. Like most have said, you only need to up your calories by 200 and continue your exercise and healthy eating. He said in England some women don't gain anything and less then 10lbs is ideal. I nearly fell over when he said that, but it is true. The whole gain 35lbs is totally unnecessary.

    Um... LESS THAN 10 POUNDS? I had a 9 lb, 2 oz baby... that plus all of the other added things during pregnancy (increased blood flow, etc, not to mention water retention) already puts me quite a bit over 10 pounds... and everyone else who has a baby of a average size (which I'm guessing is 7 pounds or so) would be right at 10 pounds at least. Glad he's not my doctor.... I gained a ton of weight during pregnancy (not all due to good decisions... but mostly water weight too because all but 10 pounds was gone 2 weeks after delivery)

    yeah - lol - the placenta, fluid and baby alone weigh 14lbs!

    Your doctor sounds a bit off the mark, tbh - the normal weight gain is around 10-15kg, so about 20-30lbs and midwives (the ones who actually look after the health of pregnant women in the UK) know this are aren't obsessed about weight gain. I put on around 18kg in each of my pregnancies and they didn't bat an eyelid - however, OBGYNs in Dubai - who follow a more American approach - would have been freaking out... they would have also told me that my then-unborn baby was "overweight" (born at 8lb7 and 8lb12 respectively)

    To the OP - don't worry about weight gain. As long as you're eating healthily, eating when you're hungry and feeling well, you'll be fine. Exercise is good, but if you feel your body protesting, ease off. Be aware that your ligaments will become more and more relaxed (in readiness for the birth) and so there will be more joint movement and it's easier to damage them. Because the relaxin hormone stays with you for a while after the birth, it also means that any damage stays with you for longer because your body doesn't register it's damaged so well.
  • CudyBug
    CudyBug Posts: 742 Member
    I cant help with calories or eating well since I gained over 60 lbs with my first pregnancy and gained back everything I lost from giving birth just in time to get preg again 18 months later. I did however lose 25 lbs with my second pregnancy but that was because I was over weight to begin with and had gestational diabetes.

    Anyways my point in posting is that if you to to sparkpeople.com before you log in on the right hand side at the top is other sites that are apart of spark and there is babyfit.com i think it is. Its free and its just like mfp and spark and its free and its all about pregnancy before and after and during. good luck and congrats.
  • fxdl2k2
    fxdl2k2 Posts: 250 Member
    Congratulations!

    I just shared this article with a co-worker who is in her 4th month. She loved it, maybe it will be helpful for you too.

    http://health.yahoo.net/experts/healthieryou/6-best-reasons-stay-active-when-you’re-pregnant
  • LittleSpy
    LittleSpy Posts: 6,754 Member
    Listen, my doctor is from England and he is appalled at how much American women gain when they are pregnant. Like most have said, you only need to up your calories by 200 and continue your exercise and healthy eating. He said in England some women don't gain anything and less then 10lbs is ideal. I nearly fell over when he said that, but it is true. The whole gain 35lbs is totally unnecessary.

    Um... LESS THAN 10 POUNDS? I had a 9 lb, 2 oz baby... that plus all of the other added things during pregnancy (increased blood flow, etc, not to mention water retention) already puts me quite a bit over 10 pounds... and everyone else who has a baby of a average size (which I'm guessing is 7 pounds or so) would be right at 10 pounds at least. Glad he's not my doctor.... <snip>

    This is what crossed my mind as well. Perhaps that doctor meant severely OVERweight/obese women should gain less than 10 pounds. :wink:

    My mother weighed about 120 when she got pregnant with my brother and gained 19 pounds. She lost 17 with birth and he weighed under 8 pounds.
    If you eat healthy & stay active during pregnancy, you shouldn't really gain more than 25 pounds and you'll lose the vast majority of that weight right after delivery. :smile:
  • katapple
    katapple Posts: 1,108 Member
    I went from 135 to 179 (44 pounds) I ate what i wanted when i wanted. I lost all the weight and back in my regular size by Christmas... June 7 to Dec 25 (6 months), BUT i did watch what i ate after! I was told DO NOT exceed 124 BPM heart rate. while working out! BUT i didnt work out AT ALL!!

    If i were to do it again... I would: Watch what i eat the WHOLE time!! Do what people say and just add 200 calories to my diet. I would DEFFINTALY.... invest in yoga DVD's... Regular/ Pregnate ones... which ever.. i would do those 5 times a week NEVER skipping a DAY that's the main key.. DO NOT skip a day !! take 1 week off before the baby's arrival

    CONGRATZ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :flowerforyou:

    Mine said 140BPM for max...

    Anyway, ask your doctor and he/she will give you all the info you need. Congrats! Happy and Healthy pregnancy to you!
This discussion has been closed.