Pregnant! How many calories should I eat?

Babykeys32
Babykeys32 Posts: 36 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
Hi all! So after 2 years of trying I am FINALLY pregnant! I'm so happy.

Now I've had a couple of days of "aaaand relaaaax" with my diet , as I was so strict when trying. But now I want to make sure I'm eating the correct sensible amount of calories during my pregnancy.

I am getting married 6 months after baby is born so I don't want to gain more than necessary, but I am of course not goin to even think about losing weight whilst pregnant.

I just want a healthy pregnancy, without ballooning and overdoing it.

I'm currently 10st 8 and 5ft 4. I've lost 3 stone over the past 4 months to reach that weight. I currently eat around 1500 cals and I lose slowly on that - maybe a pound every 2 weeks.

Anyone got any tips? Ideas of amount of calories I should be eating? How much weight I can expect to gain?

Thanks to all! Xx
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Replies

  • StereophoneyGaz
    StereophoneyGaz Posts: 406 Member
    I think all women are different but when my wife was pregnant she was advised to eat as she would normally, a friend of ours decided she was eating for 2 and just absolutely ballooned and struggled to lose the weight post baby. Hope all goes well :)
  • TheBigFb
    TheBigFb Posts: 649 Member
    CHill there big guy

    I think its about 300 calories extra a day you need. But on something like this I would talk too a midwife, they will know best
  • TobyFuntaine
    TobyFuntaine Posts: 2 Member
    There are plenty of websites out on google with good nutrition information for pregnant women.
    But you should not be trying to lose weight, so eat at least your maintenance level.
    Your weight gain depends on your body, exercise and general diet. You can also try talking to your doctor once you go in for the first check up.

    Good luck with your pregnancy!
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    Babykeys32 wrote: »
    Hi all! So after 2 years of trying I am FINALLY pregnant! I'm so happy.

    Now I've had a couple of days of "aaaand relaaaax" with my diet , as I was so strict when trying. But now I want to make sure I'm eating the correct sensible amount of calories during my pregnancy.

    I am getting married 6 months after baby is born so I don't want to gain more than necessary, but I am of course not goin to even think about losing weight whilst pregnant.

    I just want a healthy pregnancy, without ballooning and overdoing it.

    I'm currently 10st 8 and 5ft 4. I've lost 3 stone over the past 4 months to reach that weight. I currently eat around 1500 cals and I lose slowly on that - maybe a pound every 2 weeks.

    Anyone got any tips? Ideas of amount of calories I should be eating? How much weight I can expect to gain?

    Thanks to all! Xx

    Congratulaltions!

    Eat at maintenance unless the dr advises you to do something different. If you feel this is not enough, try upping the calories by about 200-300 or so. In general, this should not be needed until the second or third trimester. It is very common to lose at first, so if this happens, do not panic, but talk to your dr. The main concern these first months is being able to drink enough.
    Ideally, you should gain something like 12 kilos (average recommended weight gain, for an average height and weight woman, with a normal pregnancy) and there is of course a bit of room below and above this that is still within the ideal range. How much you will actually gain, depends on how you eat, like always. Remember that the average baby will be somewhere between 2-5 kilos, usually around 3, then you gain about 7 kilos (again average) from the placenta, amntiotic fluid, increased blood volume, breast and uterus changes and so on.
    The rest will be body fat.
  • kcowart130
    kcowart130 Posts: 10 Member
    yup 300 additional to your normal maintenance is what I was taught back in nursing school, and increased protein.
  • sweetd6
    sweetd6 Posts: 74 Member
    And remember to make all you calories "count", healthy foods, lean proteins, fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and nut butters. If your baby was in front of you, would you feed it to him/her? No? Then don't eat it, because you will be feeding it to him/her, lol. You're actually "building a baby", use the healthiest foods to do so. Congratulations!
  • SophieKean90
    SophieKean90 Posts: 52 Member
    First of all, Congratulations.
    Second of all, i could not stress hard enough that you shouod be speaking to your Doctor about dietry concerns. The vast majority of people on here are not medical profs.
  • rjmudlax13
    rjmudlax13 Posts: 900 Member
    From what I've heard (as a lot of my friends are pregos these days) it's +300 calories.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
    maybe ask your DR instead of a bunch of random internet people….
  • Melwillbehealthy
    Melwillbehealthy Posts: 894 Member
    If it took you 2 years to get pregnant, and you were concerned with your diet during that time, why haven't you received proper medical advice from a doctor? Just curious.
  • MelissaPhippsFeagins
    MelissaPhippsFeagins Posts: 8,063 Member
    Ask your doctor or midwife. The general advice is 300 extra during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters; however, with my last one I was overweight enough that my doc told me to do less than that and let my own body burn some of its fat. I listened to her and maintained throughout the pregnancy. Do what your medical team says. They are the experts. (I am not a doctor, I do work for an OB though.)
  • leggup
    leggup Posts: 2,942 Member
    Doctor. Doctor. Doctor.

    People on the forums are internet experts on weight loss. Some of them are real experts on weight loss. None of them are eligible to give actual medical advise.

    Blanket statements like, "You need 300 calories over maintenance" are dangerous because they do not take into account your specific dietary needs. What if you're not getting enough ... protein with an extra 300 calories? What if your BMR is higher? What if you are at risk for gestational diabetes?

    Doctor.
  • rockinrobyna
    rockinrobyna Posts: 6 Member
    Ask your doctor. No one on this forum is qualified to answer that question for you...unless your doctor happens to be on this forum :smile:
  • ilenuca_mare
    ilenuca_mare Posts: 1 Member
    First of all: Congratulations!
    Second: i think it is time to take a break from the internet and go see a doctor. He/she is the best person to give advice concernig both you and the baby; while i do not agree that a pregnant woman is eating for two, that does not mean that eating less than necessary is ok. Remember that it's not just you any more, and that whatever you do also impacts the baby.
    Good luck!
  • mhoffman2007
    mhoffman2007 Posts: 10 Member
    I agree ask your doctor - but here's what my doctor said. I'm currently pregnant and was in the overweight but not obese category when I got pregnant. My doctor was perfectly fine with my sticking with 1500 calories the first trimester as long as I was eating healthy. She wanted me to bump that up to at least 2000 the second trimester and then was fine with my going back to 1500 at about 32-34 weeks. BUT that may not be the correct advice for you. I am currently 36 weeks and did not do as good on my diet and exercise as I was hoping - it's going to be tough! Good luck with your pregnancy!
  • saires_au
    saires_au Posts: 175 Member
    Speak to your doctor or get a referral to a registered dietician/nutritionist maintenance as soon as practical. Until then eating at maintenance should be fine, many struggle to do this due to morning sickness in the first trimester
  • Heartisalonelyhunter
    Heartisalonelyhunter Posts: 786 Member
    I agree ask your Dr. It varies so much depending on your weight/ current diet and even what research your Dr has read. The 300 cals extra per day thing is completely outdated, please dont follow that without checking with a real expert. I am pregnant and at the lower end of a normal BMI but my Dr said I don't need extra calories until the third trimester. Congrats on your pregnancy!
  • determined_14
    determined_14 Posts: 258 Member
    sweetd6 wrote: »
    And remember to make all you calories "count", healthy foods, lean proteins, fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and nut butters. If your baby was in front of you, would you feed it to him/her? No? Then don't eat it, because you will be feeding it to him/her, lol. You're actually "building a baby", use the healthiest foods to do so. Congratulations!

    And ignore all of this, for the love of sanity! Unless your doctor says otherwise, treats and extras are typically just fine in pregnancy. Hit the nutritional requirements outlined by your healthcare practitioner, by all means, but don't be afraid to enjoy some extras too! We parents already have way too much stuff to feel guilty about!
  • Heartisalonelyhunter
    Heartisalonelyhunter Posts: 786 Member
    determined_14 wrote: »
    sweetd6 wrote: »
    And remember to make all you calories "count", healthy foods, lean proteins, fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and nut butters. If your baby was in front of you, would you feed it to him/her? No? Then don't eat it, because you will be feeding it to him/her, lol. You're actually "building a baby", use the healthiest foods to do so. Congratulations!

    And ignore all of this, for the love of sanity! Unless your doctor says otherwise, treats and extras are typically just fine in pregnancy. Hit the nutritional requirements outlined by your healthcare practitioner, by all means, but don't be afraid to enjoy some extras too! We parents already have way too much stuff to feel guilty about!

    Also completely agree with this. Eat what you like as long as you hit your macros. Ice cream for example is a great pregnancy food - fat, protein and lots of calcium are all essential baby building materials!!
  • shamcd
    shamcd Posts: 178 Member
    From what I can recall of my work for an OBGYN many moons ago, I believe you only need an additional 200 - 400 calories per day over your maintenance. The whole "eating for two" adage was so severly blown out of proportion for so long, that our practice wound up implementing an in-house weight maintenance program for our pregnant patients that were either at risk for or already gaining too much weight during their pregnancies.
  • Runnermadre
    Runnermadre Posts: 267 Member
    When I was pregnant with my son, I had just lost a bunch of weight, and was worried about gaining too much during the pregnancy. I upped my calories by 300, which put me between 1800 and 1900. When I talked to my doctor, she stressed to me that I needed to be eating between 2000 and 2200 most days, so I did. I gained only a healthy amount of weight, 25 pounds, and most came off immediately after. So, as others have said, please talk to your doctor. They can tell you what's best!
  • Ninkyou
    Ninkyou Posts: 6,666 Member
    First - Ask your doctor
    Second - Generally, first trimester you do not need to add any additional calories. Just eat at maintenance. 2nd trimester I think I increased it to 150-200 calories and during my 3rd trimester I was at 300+ calories. I gained just under 25 lbs overall and had my baby in January. You may want to tailor your calories to your specific needs though, based on how you're feeling and how hungry you are. I used http://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm to give me a general idea of my calorie intake.
    Third - Get some exercise! I can't stress this enough. It keeps you fit and active. And I 100% believe that being active helps with labor and delivery. I did a prenatal swimming class with both of my pregnancies. My first daughter was a 7 hour labor and my 2nd (January) was 4 hours. I think it helped alot to have been so active.
  • OriginalKatie
    OriginalKatie Posts: 119 Member
    Congrats! Someone recommended this website to work it out: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm
  • victorprocure
    victorprocure Posts: 17 Member
    sweetd6 wrote: »
    And remember to make all you calories "count", healthy foods, lean proteins, fruits and veggies, whole grains, nuts and nut butters. If your baby was in front of you, would you feed it to him/her? No? Then don't eat it, because you will be feeding it to him/her, lol. You're actually "building a baby", use the healthiest foods to do so. Congratulations!

    lol
  • KrysGettinFit
    KrysGettinFit Posts: 131 Member
    Congrats!
    Please check with your doctor on your calories etc. some people need more than 300, some need less. It's all about your body and how you are responding to pregnancy.
  • nxd10
    nxd10 Posts: 4,570 Member
    What your doctor tells you to.
  • Babykeys32
    Babykeys32 Posts: 36 Member
    Thanks to everyone who tried to give me genuine advice, I appreciate it.

    However I just want to say I have of COURSE spoken to my doctor!!! I'm not an idiot. And to the person who asked very rudely why I havnt addressed my diet...I have! I lost a huge amount of weight prior to my pregnancy and that was a really judgemental comment to make. Also I don't need anyone to tell me when to get off the internet, thank you very much.

    I simply wanted to get a bit of advice (maybe from other women who have had children) about keeping a healthy weight whilst pregnant.

    I would never blindly follow anything someone on a forum said, but I just wanted some support and advice. I don't have a mum or sisters etc so I don't really have any to ask.

    My doctor was very uninterested in discussing my calorie intake anyway, but I guess I've figured it out now, thank you.

  • determined_14
    determined_14 Posts: 258 Member
    edited May 2015
    I think a lot of people feel uncomfortable doling out "medical" advice to someone they don't even know-- hence all of the "don't ask us; ask a doctor!" comments. The fact that your doctor didn't seem concerned with outlining calorie intake seems to indicate that it's really not something to stress over. Eat when you're hungry, aim for reasonable macro ratios, and take care of yourself! (This includes ice cream. ;) )
  • arabianhorselover
    arabianhorselover Posts: 1,488 Member
    Babykeys32 wrote: »
    Hi all! So after 2 years of trying I am FINALLY pregnant! I'm so happy.

    Now I've had a couple of days of "aaaand relaaaax" with my diet , as I was so strict when trying. But now I want to make sure I'm eating the correct sensible amount of calories during my pregnancy.

    I am getting married 6 months after baby is born so I don't want to gain more than necessary, but I am of course not goin to even think about losing weight whilst pregnant.

    I just want a healthy pregnancy, without ballooning and overdoing it.

    I'm currently 10st 8 and 5ft 4. I've lost 3 stone over the past 4 months to reach that weight. I currently eat around 1500 cals and I lose slowly on that - maybe a pound every 2 weeks.

    Anyone got any tips? Ideas of amount of calories I should be eating? How much weight I can expect to gain?

    Thanks to all! Xx

    I think they generally say to eat an extra 500 calories per day.

  • cjeanme
    cjeanme Posts: 12 Member
    Its generally 250-300 extra/day per child you are carrying. This is if yur bmi is in a healthy range and after the first trimester. First trimester eat as normal but do not eat less than 1200 cals/day. Also pregnant. Have done a buttload of research. ☺

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