Weight maintenance or loss while pregnant okay?

jenniferk32
jenniferk32 Posts: 1
in Health and Weight Loss
*Note* this is mostly because I've had two big babies in the past who were hard to deliver, and I don't want another one!

I started this pregnancy at 5'5" and 158 pounds, so 9 pounds into the overweight category. I am 13 weeks pregnant and am already up to 175. I ate a lot of starches my first trimester to keep nausea at bay, and healthy vegetables made me gag. Plus, I was too exhausted to exercise much.

The past few days my nausea has abated, and I had energy today to actually get in a good workout! I was just reading a study that says that obese women (which I am not yet) are okay maintaining or even losing a few pounds while pregnant, and they have more normal sized babies than obese women who even gained just 10 pounds. Here is the link:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070605185550.htm

The thing is, I was not obese to start with, though I will be in that category if I gain another 5 pounds. But do you think that I'd be okay aiming to at least maintain my weight for a while? Through exercise and just eating a little bit less, but more vegetables and fruits? I would love to maintain throughout the 2nd trimester and then gain a few pounds in the third.

Has anyone done this before? Do you think it's safe?

Replies

  • nineteentwenty
    nineteentwenty Posts: 469 Member
    I think you should probably ask your doctor.
  • bogo_baby
    bogo_baby Posts: 82 Member
    I think you should probably ask your doctor.
    ^^^^ Do that!!! Don't risk something like that without talking to the doctor.
  • HerbertNenenger
    HerbertNenenger Posts: 453 Member
    Shouldn't be asking a forum full of people known for being snarky. You seriously need to have a conversation with your doctor. Don't mess around with baby.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
    I think you should probably ask your doctor.

    Yeah this.

    Why would you trust something like this to a bunch of strangers on the internet?
  • pinklark
    pinklark Posts: 49 Member
    I agree, chat with your doctor. I gained 40lbs with my first pregnancy and only 12lbs with my second, simply by making better food choices.
  • shadow2soul
    shadow2soul Posts: 7,692 Member
    Talk to your doctor about it.

    I did find this interesting pregnancy calorie calculator. It takes your pre-pregnancy maintenance level calories and adds a little bit extra each trimester for the baby.
    1st trimester: 85 extra calories
    2nd trimester: 285 extra calories
    3rd trimester: 475 extra calories
    It averages out to eating an extra 300 calories per day.

    http://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm

    I talked with my Ob and he agree's with it. I've been loosely following the guidelines from the calculator and at 35weeks I'm up 22lbs. I absolutely love that fact. Sure I'm gaining, but not nearly as fast or as much as I did with my first. With my first pregnancy I put on 60lbs by 34weeks (had emergency c-section at 34 weeks) and my pre-pregnancy BMI was 33.4:grumble: This time, my BMI was 29.2 pre-pregnancy. :flowerforyou:
  • CuAlMc
    CuAlMc Posts: 139 Member
    when pregnant with my first I gained 66lbs that was 4 years ago and still trying to get rid of half of that. when pregnant with my second I was eating healthily and exercising regularly and my doctor gave me the ok to keep going that helped me keep my weight gain to 17lbs which was the weight I was when I went into labour and had an 8lb14 baby. so was back to 2nd prepregnancy weight with in 2 weeks. if you eat healthily and even if you just walk everyday it will keep weight gain to a minimum. But as you are growing another life consult your docter of what would be the best plan for you and your bubs
  • AllOutof_Bubblegum
    AllOutof_Bubblegum Posts: 3,646 Member
    We are not qualified to offer you medical/prenatal advice. See your doctor.
  • _lyndseybrooke_
    _lyndseybrooke_ Posts: 2,561 Member
    You should absolutely ask your doctor, not random people on the Internet.

    However, I'm fairly certain that if you only started out 9 lbs overweight, he will tell you that weight loss during your pregnancy is a bad idea. Weight maintenance probably isn't going to happen either. You probably will and probably should gain during your pregnancy just like most women do. If your first concern is the child, which it should be, you'll ask your physician and do exactly as he says. If that means gaining 20 lbs during this pregnancy, then so be it.
  • Thomasm198
    Thomasm198 Posts: 3,189 Member
    T_questions_to_ask_doctor_1.jpg


    Do not ask advice from a forum full of people who are in no way qualified to give that advice.
  • MB2MN
    MB2MN Posts: 334 Member
    *Note* this is mostly because I've had two big babies in the past who were hard to deliver, and I don't want another one!

    I started this pregnancy at 5'5" and 158 pounds, so 9 pounds into the overweight category. I am 13 weeks pregnant and am already up to 175. I ate a lot of starches my first trimester to keep nausea at bay, and healthy vegetables made me gag. Plus, I was too exhausted to exercise much.

    The past few days my nausea has abated, and I had energy today to actually get in a good workout! I was just reading a study that says that obese women (which I am not yet) are okay maintaining or even losing a few pounds while pregnant, and they have more normal sized babies than obese women who even gained just 10 pounds. Here is the link:

    http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070605185550.htm

    The thing is, I was not obese to start with, though I will be in that category if I gain another 5 pounds. But do you think that I'd be okay aiming to at least maintain my weight for a while? Through exercise and just eating a little bit less, but more vegetables and fruits? I would love to maintain throughout the 2nd trimester and then gain a few pounds in the third.

    Has anyone done this before? Do you think it's safe?

    So is this about your size or you just don't want to have a big baby? I'm confused...
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    I think you should probably ask your doctor.

    This.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    Talk to your doctor.

    It is true that the more overweight you are the less you need to gain. HOWEVER adequate accessible nutrition for you and especially your baby are key. Rapid weight loss during pregnancy is bad for the baby because toxins stored in fat go into the bloodstream and cross the placental barrier. AND because they need nutrition to grow well - in all trimestesr. Last trimester nutrition is especially important for brain development.

    You do seem to be gaining very fast. Talk to your doctor about a good nutrition plan.
  • cheri03
    cheri03 Posts: 172 Member
    I do agree that you should talk to your doctor. Recent guidelines recommend much smaller weight gains for normal size women and almost none for overweight and a loss for obese women but your doc should guide you. I actually lost 10lbs with my daughter, I was obese at the time and I was sick for all 40 weeks. My doc thought it was fine and my daughter was healthy and weighed 8 lbs.

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