Pregnancy dilema - reassurance required!!

When I unexpectedly got pregnant with my 4th I had just lost 35 lbs and was feeling great about it. My first reaction at finding out I was pregnant was some disappointment that I might gain that weight back. It didn't last long and I got excited but I do remember feeling so guilty that I would feel disappointed just about my weight. I did end up gaining all 35 lbs back unfortunately. But after my little guy was born I jumped back into it and I've lost 85 lbs since then! And I can't imagine my life without him. He definitely completes our family. So I guess my point is that you have the tools for weight loss now so even if you do gain back some weight, you can lose it again. Weight gain is only temporary so don't let the fear of gaining determine what your family looks like.

I got pregnant with my 2nd in late 2013 at which point I was almost 90 lbs down from my heaviest (high end overweight at that point). I mainly focused on making healthy food choices 80% of the time and staying active. My OB advised not tracking on MFP while pregnant. He's thought was that it would be too tempting for me to restrict calories. I did gain 40 lbs during that pregnancy which yes took me back to obese, but I was able to lose that 40 lbs by the time he was 6-7 months old. I had a c-section that started to reopen and couldn't workout as soon as I had wanted, but I did go back to tracking with MFP around 6-8 wks postpartum.

JenPass1977 wrote: »

Hi all
Apologies if this seems a bit personal but I am hoping some of you might understand. I have lost a couple of stone using MFP this year and I am feeling pretty good about myself for the first time in a long time. However...my husband and I have decided to start trying for our 3rd baby and I am terrified at the thought of putting weight on and feeling crappy about myself again. It's almost at the point where I am wondering if we are making the right decision to try again. I know that is ridiculous and you can't decide not to have a baby simply because you don't want to put weight on but I can't help feeling like that. Is there a pregnancy section on MFP or does anyone have any experience of trying to control weight whilst pregnant so as not to return to being very overweight afterwards?
Thanks in advance

No one can answer that question for you. I have never gained much weight during pregnancy, many if not most women I know IRL did not, but some did gain amounts that would have sent me into complete panic. Can you control weight gain during pregnancy or not? Only you can answer. As for the whole debate of whether this is reason enough to not have right now one more baby, it is not ridiculous at all. You will be the one going through the pregnancy, how you feel is what matters now. You are not the first woman to wonder whether she can tolerate the changes that one more pregnancy will bring to her body. If it is something that really stresses you, then do not dismiss these concerns as not important. Does it matter what others feel? I would never ever reassure someone that all pregnancies are such huge blessings that nothing else matters. I think most mothers know that there are moments that are not nice at all, despite adoring the baby. Whether you feel emotionally prepared or not, only you know it. There is no right answer here.

I understand completely. It takes me 9 mo-1 year to lose my pregnancy weight (60,55,35,62 lbs) and I've had all of mine 2 years apart, so I finally feel good and bam, a few months later I'm pregnant . I always feel better when I exercise while pregnant, not really for weight control but to keep up my cardio fitness and muscle, so I bounce back faster after pregnancy. Even though I gain a lot, I always like how I look while pregnant...its just the first 1-4 mo after I hate.

I'm 8 mo pp and within 3 lbs of pre pregnancy weight (fastest ever!) and want a bit longer break bf the next baby if I can. I'm working on lifting now in hopes that I can recomp a bit to help me during/after the next pregnancy.

Maybe begin planning your prenatal fitness routine now--feeling strong during pregnancy always helps me deal with the weight gain. I like being the girl with the giant belly beating the guys at the gym!