Friends losing weight for future planned pregnancy.

VeryKatie
VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am hoping to find some friends who are at the same point in life as me. I have about 7-10 lbs to lose to get to my goal, and I would like to be there a couple of months before my husband and I start trying to have a baby.

We're hoping to start trying in June/July... which means I'm hoping to reach my goal around April.

I am looking for others who are hoping to reduce their weight before pregnancy too! Even if our timelines and amounts are different right now.

I have two main reasons:

1) If I am at a lower weight then my highest weight while pregnant will hopefully be more likely to be a healthy one (plus a little less to lose later possibly).
2) I'd like to improve my fitness now so that it's less risky to exercise while pregnant also.

So I was thinking we could friend each other and maybe start a group also?
I have trouble talking about this kind of thing to many people in real since it kind of "outs" our timeline hahah.
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Replies

  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    And... time for a 12 hour bump!
  • scfarrant
    scfarrant Posts: 30 Member
    Hi Katie,

    Yes my partner and I have similar plans, although due to amount I have to lose to get to a good BMI (about 35lbs), it'll probably be this time next year when we TTC. But this is certainly a great -- possibly the ultimate -- motivator!

    I think preparing your body for the big task which is creating a baby is something that should be taken seriously. Eating nutritiously and ensuring a strong level of fitness can only help towards good results for mother and baby. I have seen some friends have overweight pregnancies and it was a big struggle throughout the process (including conception).

    Also - as for the fitness whilst pregnant, I have some good role models for that to share... Big no. 1 is pregnancy and antenatal yoga, of which there are increasing numbers of fully qualified practitioners. I know a great one in London. Also there are activities such as kettlebells, where workouts have been created specifically for pregnancy and labour in mind (I'm thinking specifically of Lauren Brooks: http://www.ontheedgefitness.com/product-category/lauren-brooks-kettlebell-workout-videos/lauren-brooks-baby-bells-the-fit-pregnancy-workout)

    Feel free to PM me or add me to any groups you are establishing!

    Sarah

  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    Hi Katie,

    I am also losing weight prior to trying to get pregnant. It's one of my biggest motivators right now. My thinking is 1) getting down to a healthier weight supposedly helps fertility, 2) I want to give myself the best chance at having a healthy pregnancy, 3) I DO NOT want to see 200+ on the scale pregnant or not, and 4) if I can't lose the weight and change my lifestyle/eating habits now, it's only going to be that much harder after a baby when I have added pregnancy weight and a whole new lifestyle with new responsibilities.

    I do have more to lose than you (another 35-40 pounds) but due to my age I don't know if I will actually wait to reach goal weight before trying to get pregnant, especially since we want more than one child. I have a friend who had a baby recently, and she was considered high risk because she is over 35. The extra testing and constantly being told she is too old and high risk really stressed her out, which isn't healthy.

    We intend to start trying around the end of year (my 32nd birthday), and my goal is to lose as much weight as I can in a healthy way until I get pregnant or hit my goal weight.

    Feel free to add me as a friend.
  • tkmotivation
    tkmotivation Posts: 19 Member
    ***Possibly TMI***

    I will add you. I am in a similar situation, although I need to lose more than you. We have a son, who is 6 years old. In April 2015 I had a ruptured ectopic pregnancy where I required emergency surgery and I lost my left fallopian tube (and was critically ill requiring a blood transfusion-YIKES). I did not know I was pregnant. We were not sure if we wanted more children or not. After that loss, we realized we do want more children, so started TTC shortly after my check-up with my OBGYN giving the go-ahead. Found out we were expecting in November 2015-only to have a miscarriage at 8 weeks in December.

    My husband and I are both on the weight loss wagon. I am waiting for my first AF to arrive post miscarriage and we have been given the green light after that happens to TTC. We are not waiting as I am 31 and my husband is 36. We want to get pregnant as quickly as possible due to our ages and our son's age. We also want to TTC as fast as possible because with only one functioning tube I have less of a chance to get pregnant on a month-to-month basis.

    In the meantime, I am trying to be healthy with diet and exercise, and if I get pregnant soon without losing TOO much weight, that is great and more than welcome! If we don't get pregnant right away, getting healthy is still a great goal and losing more weight before pregnancy is a bonus! I am down from 230 when starting 11 days ago to 224, so off to a great start!
  • Sabrinarose8
    Sabrinarose8 Posts: 26 Member
    Hi, I am doing both right now. last year my hubby and I took a break from trying because it was getting so fustrating. We did the basic testing and the doctors couldn't find anything so unexplained infertility, boo.

    Fast forward a year, I am 40 pounds lighter and we are trying naturally again. hopefully the weight loss has helped. I still have 65 pounds till my goal but I am much healthier than before. All the women in my family are overweight and my cousins who aren't really have to work at it. Besides being healthier for me I wouldn't want my child to learn the same bad habits that I did growing up.

    Feel free to friend me
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    I so glad you all answered me :) I figured I wouldn't be the only one in this spot. For me, it would be my first baby. Assuming everything goes well. I'm going to ask something silly... what's TTC? Try to conceive?

    @scfarrant thank you for the input on exercise! It's always good to plan ahead. If yoga is good for pregnancy maybe I should pick it up pre-pregnancy. I agree this is the best motivator. I wish we hadn't decided to wait to try hahaha.

    @puffbrat I agree! Doing it now seems so much easier. Pregnancy and breastfeeding (or just general lack of energy) cravings will make it tough. I think you have really good goals. I heard that doctors were starting to think they should revisit the 35 year old rule. I wonder what will happen with that.

    @tkmotivation Thanks for telling your story - I can't even imagine that... even though I know there are risks :( if staying healthy can help at all then it is best to try right? You are doing so great! 6 pounds in 11 days is fantastic!

    @Sabrinarose8 I am not sure I will ever be able to stop working at it either! I wonder if it's just an effect of having been overweight in the first place... it's so hard to judge how much to eat and so easy to fall back into old ways. Congrats on 40 lbs lost! That's inspiring :)
  • 123Allyxox
    123Allyxox Posts: 112 Member
    Sending a request, I am TTC now but still trying to lose that "last 5 pounds" from my first baby:)
  • letivallejo
    letivallejo Posts: 28 Member
    Hi Ladies! I just had a baby. I, like you @VeryKatie , wanted to get to a steady healthy weight before I started having kids, but little Joey came as a surprise!! Lol! My first pregnancy, with the grace of God, went wonderfully. I lifted & cycled up until the day I gave birth. The fact that my body can do what it did made me want to do it even better the second time around! I follow women on instagram that have these amazing bodies doing amazing things all while they are pregnant and its just inspiring! So I plan to be in the best shape of my life for baby number two! I have 10 or so pounds to loose. Feel free to add me ladies & you can also follow me on Instagram letivallejo19, and I'd love to follow and add you as well :)!!
  • scfarrant
    scfarrant Posts: 30 Member
    edited January 2016
    Hi Ladies!

    So glad that there is a good response to this subject, let's do this! @VeryKatie will there be a group for this? Not sure how MFP works...

    Just wanted to quickly revisit the 35 MYTH, as it is getting debunked by science as just that. Anecdotally, my sister had her first at 39 and second at 41, conceiving immediately on trying and pregnancy without complications! I have a friend from yoga who just had her first at 42, and at the delivery everyone was so impressed by how easily and quickly it went! Of course, I understand that each woman's fertility is different and challenges can be common, I'm just saying that it isn't necessarily about your age as many health professionals claim.

    Here is a great eye-opening article for you:

    http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/how-long-can-you-wait-to-have-a-baby/309374/

    Quote from article about study in 2004: "82 percent of 35-to-39-year-old women conceive within a year, compared with 86 percent of 27-to-34-year-olds. (The fertility of women in their late 20s and early 30s was almost identical—news in and of itself.) "

    That's right: over 35s only have a 4% difference in fertility over women in their late 20s, and for early 30s it is basically the same as being in your 20s. If your doctor or anyone else is telling you otherwise, they are INCORRECT according to many recent studies and back-dated studies.

    Here's a more recent article from the British press: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/10838177/Why-fertility-is-far-from-finished-at-40.html

    Sorry for the capitals but I feel very strongly on this issue. Women across the world are being flat out lied to and I hate it!
  • laurenbowen2904
    laurenbowen2904 Posts: 77 Member
    Hi Ladies - same boat here but I am working hard to loose 40-45kgs (so far I have lost 5.6kgs in 6 weeks - yay!) I would love to start in TTC later this year.
    Please feel free to add me as friends and if the group goes ahead please add me.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    scfarrant wrote: »
    Hi Ladies!

    So glad that there is a good response to this subject, let's do this! @VeryKatie will there be a group for this? Not sure how MFP works...

    Just wanted to quickly revisit the 35 MYTH, as it is getting debunked by science as just that. Anecdotally, my sister had her first at 39 and second at 41, conceiving immediately on trying and pregnancy without complications! I have a friend from yoga who just had her first at 42, and at the delivery everyone was so impressed by how easily and quickly it went! Of course, I understand that each woman's fertility is different and challenges can be common, I'm just saying that it isn't necessarily about your age as many health professionals claim.

    Here is a great eye-opening article for you:

    http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2013/07/how-long-can-you-wait-to-have-a-baby/309374/

    Quote from article about study in 2004: "82 percent of 35-to-39-year-old women conceive within a year, compared with 86 percent of 27-to-34-year-olds. (The fertility of women in their late 20s and early 30s was almost identical—news in and of itself.) "

    That's right: over 35s only have a 4% difference in fertility over women in their late 20s, and for early 30s it is basically the same as being in your 20s. If your doctor or anyone else is telling you otherwise, they are INCORRECT according to many recent studies and back-dated studies.

    Here's a more recent article from the British press: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-health/10838177/Why-fertility-is-far-from-finished-at-40.html

    Sorry for the capitals but I feel very strongly on this issue. Women across the world are being flat out lied to and I hate it!

    I was under the impression that it wasn't an issue of fertility, but instead an issue of the age of the ovum, since women are born with them. But again, I am interested in the development! I will read you links later.

    There will for sure be a group! I will make one later and post it here :)
  • tigerette12
    tigerette12 Posts: 14 Member
    Hi
    I am a bit older. 41 yikes!
    Trying for our first after two losses. One in 2012 and one in 2014.
    I gained a lot from depression and now hoping to drop the weight to get pregnant again.
    I am currently 14 pounds from when I got pregnant and 50 pounds from my ultimate goal of 180 pounds.
    Feel free to add me.
    I alternate 1 hour bike and treadmill days with Sunday's as my rest day.
  • deetails26
    deetails26 Posts: 108 Member
    I'm in a similar boat, anyone feel free to add me if you'd like. We have an (almost) 8 year old and have been wanting another for a long time, the timing was just never right. We conceived last March and subsequently miscarried- around Mother's Day of all days. I took it as a sign to get my health right first, I have about 45 more lbs to go until I reach my goal. I had previously lost 20lbs and kept it off for 2.5 years, so I'm going slow, but now my plan is to reach my goal before the end of the year so we can start trying again.
  • must_deflate
    must_deflate Posts: 183 Member
    scfarrant wrote: »
    Hi Ladies!

    Just wanted to quickly revisit the 35 MYTH, as it is getting debunked by science as just that. Anecdotally, my sister had her first at 39 and second at 41, conceiving immediately on trying and pregnancy without complications! I have a friend from yoga who just had her first at 42, and at the delivery everyone was so impressed by how easily and quickly it went! Of course, I understand that each woman's fertility is different and challenges can be common, I'm just saying that it isn't necessarily about your age as many health professionals claim.

    I had my baby at 41 -- got him on the first try. His best friend is an "oops" baby born to his 46 year old mom.
    So I agree that the risk of waiting is exaggerated. But all said, it's probably better to try a little earlier if circumstances permit, just to be on the safe side.

    For all those trying to conceive, let me suggest a book titled "Taking Charge of Your Fertility". It's got info your doctor may have no clue about. And I am sure it is one reason I conceived so quickly.
  • mizzmercury
    mizzmercury Posts: 30 Member
    I have quite a bit of weight to lose before my boyfriend and I begin trying again. I recently had an ectopic and had one fallopian tube removed and before that I had 6 miscarriages. Not sure if it was due to my weight or other health issues. At one point they thought I had PCOS but then I was told I did not. Would just like to get to a healthy weight so I can try to make my dream come true of having that family one day. Anyone can feel free to add me.
  • mdpeoples
    mdpeoples Posts: 19 Member
    Hi, I have quite a bit to lose to reach my pre-pregnancy goal, but we're not necessarily holding off on TTC until I reach that goal. I have been working consistently on achieving my goals and have seen progress. My goal is to lose approximately 40-45 pounds overall. Pre pregnancy goal isn't as much weight, but I am working hard to achieve as much as I can before I am pregnant.

    Feel free to add me, I would love all the motivation and support I can get!
  • Sabrinarose8
    Sabrinarose8 Posts: 26 Member
    So sorry to hear about all the miscarriages. I hope that you ladies can find peace and that soon you will have a bundle of joy to hold in your arms.

    Been doing a lot of research on vitamins for fertility and about to start a new multivitamin with extra vitamin C, fatty acids, and folic acid. Also I found out that CoenzymeQ10 is good for egg quality. For those of you getting ready to start TTC and not already taking a multivitamin I suggest looking into it as another way to get your body baby ready.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    edited January 2016
    Sorry there isn't much in here yet, but here is the group!

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/111647-planning-for-pregnancy

    I tried to add all of you as friends! Sorry if I missed you, if I did, please send me a request!
  • Sabrinarose8
    Sabrinarose8 Posts: 26 Member
    Thanks!
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    Thanks for starting the group!
  • WifiresGettingFit
    WifiresGettingFit Posts: 1,773 Member
    I am not currently TTC but will be either later this year or early next year. I have about 75 pounds to lose to be at a healthy weight and having healthy pregnancies is definitely one of my motivators for getting my butt in gear.

    I'd be glad to be a part of the support in all of your journeys so feel free to add me. I've also joined the group. :)



  • vrokhfit
    vrokhfit Posts: 55 Member
    Hi everyone! I have a significant amount of weight to lose and my main motivation is a healthy, successful pregnancy. I have a 9 year old already, so this next baby has been a long time coming! I've joined the group as well and I'm really excited to have a group of people with similar goals!
  • monica_1986
    monica_1986 Posts: 3 Member
    Hi Katie!

    Yes, I'm currently also on this same path! I was in really good shape before my first pregnancy and was able to shed the weight quickly after. But this past year I've started struggling with my weight and am trying to get back on track. We are hoping to get pregnant this spring/summer. I'm hoping by March I will be where I want to be.

    Glad to see so many others out there doing the same!

    Monica
  • NatashaLP2014
    NatashaLP2014 Posts: 82 Member
    I'm hoping we will start trying to conceive early/mid next year. I have about 75 lbs more to lose (already lost 29 lbs) to get firmly into a healthy range and I won't let us try until I get there. Unfortunately during my first pregnancy I ended up with pre-eclampsia, not diagnosed, which led to a seizure at 28 weeks. Because of that our daughter was born with severe CP (though she is still the most adorable 4 year old) and my risk factors are increased. Before my first pregnancy I was only about 10-15 pounds above my healthy BMI and gained no weight during, so it scares me now to think about trying 60 pounds above.

    I want to do my best to minimize any risk, plus it was strongly encouraged that we have any more children before I'm 35 years old. (I'm currently 30 1/2 and only want one more child. Two total was always the plan, though for a while I wasn't sure if I wanted any more at all after my daughter.)

    More then weight loss, I want to make sure I'm physically fit enough for my piece of mind. I started walking a fair bit and progressed to jogging. I can jog for 25 minutes straight now! And I'm concentrating on bodyweight strength training. My daughter is 30 pounds now and completely non-mobile so requires a lot of physical lifting, holding, pushing the wheelchair and I need to make sure I can handle that throughout a pregnancy.


    So I'm definitely with you ladies on getting healthier before pregnancy!
  • teegan84
    teegan84 Posts: 39 Member
    Yaaaay so happy to find this post and realise I am not alone! We are looking at TTC in the next few months and I know I need to bump down the weight (perhaps a sly 10kgs) to get me to my goal weight of 75kgs.....I know that if I don't shift it now it won't happen after a baby
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    Woo this is exciting! So many wonderful ladies joining up!
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    So I am looking for suggestions for a spreadsheet type challenge :) I posted a discussion in the group, so if you haven't joined already, please do!

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/111647-planning-for-pregnancy
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    Is everyone excited for the Feb 1 Challenge start date? :)
  • WifiresGettingFit
    WifiresGettingFit Posts: 1,773 Member
    I am! I've never done any type of challenge on here so I'm definitely excited! :)
  • computerfox82
    computerfox82 Posts: 54 Member
    Hi, I just came across this board and I'm in the same boat. Hubby and I would like to TTC in a few months. I'd like to lose some weight before, but we'll TTC regardless. I do not want to let myself go and would like to get into good eating habits so that it will be easier to shed the weight after baby. I'm 33 and would like to ideally have 2 kids, but we'll see what happens with one first.

    I'm happy to see stories of women over 35 having successful pregnancies. My boss had her first and only child at the age of 37, a former coworker of mine had her first pregnancy at the age of 45 and had twins, a friend of mine had her child at 36, and my hairdresser had her first at the age of 39 and her second at the age of 41.

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