Losing weight before TTC?

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mamabearr
mamabearr Posts: 304
in Motivation and Support
I was just wondering if there were any ladies in the same boat as me. With my first pregnancy, I gained 50lbs. I lost 20 of it in the first two weeks and am now working on losing the rest. We have decided to TTC #2 when I reach 125 lbs. Someone told me that losing weight before getting pregnant would be pointless, so I just want to know if anyone else on here is doing it too. And maybe we can support each other.

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  • TNAJackson
    TNAJackson Posts: 686 Member
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    Losing weight is never pointless.
  • MrsMonologues
    MrsMonologues Posts: 10
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    I am trying to lose those last few pounds and work out a lot more during that time. I want to be at my ideal weight/fitness before we start TTC#1. It isn't pointless because it is teaching you good eating habits and will give you the ability to work out during. I don't see how it could be bad. I am glad that I am doing it.
  • kportelli70
    kportelli70 Posts: 67
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    I tried with all my pregnancies (5) to be at least close to my goal weight. I had a friend who was over weight and her doctor told her to lose some of it before getting pregnant. Not sure why that matters though? Sorry I don't really have an answer for you.
  • monroe61
    monroe61 Posts: 620 Member
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    I am not trying to have another baby but I did want to make sure I lost weight before I got pregnant. I think it's healthier for you and the baby if you are already healthy to begin with. I say go for it for sure and they say when you lose weight and get healthy it is easier to conceive!

    Good luck :smile:
  • sheneverfails
    sheneverfails Posts: 74
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    My husband and I are actually BOTH trying to lose weight before TTC#1.

    EDIT - My doctor told me that excess weight, especially to the point of obesity, can affect your cycles and your fertility (as it certainly has for me). So the closer you are to a healthy weight for your height, the more regular your cycles are likely to be and the better chance you have of getting pregnant. That's my understanding anyway.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    First off, it's never pointless. However, at your height and weight you probably don't "need" to lose any weight if you're ready for another baby and you don't want to wait.

    I was 40 pounds overweight when I conceived my first, had trouble losing weight and actually gained 25 pounds before I conceived my second, and thankfully lost that 25 before I conceived my third (I'm now 25 weeks along and have only gained about 6 pounds). We're thinking we may want one more after this, but whatever we decide I'm going to work hard to lose more weight after this baby is born.
  • apenabaz
    apenabaz Posts: 7
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    I am on the same boat, except I have a lot more to lose than you :)

    The more you lose now, the lower your weight will be after the pregnancy and the less you will have to lose with 2 kids. So, it is definitely worth trying to lose.

    But, don't be too hard on yourself. We never had any problems TTC with #1 and this time around it is taking longer. So, don't postpone it for too long just because you haven't reached your goal weight.

    Good luck!
  • katrson
    katrson Posts: 1 Member
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    My husband and I are talking about when we'll start TTC #2 and I am trying to get down to a decent weight before we do. I dont expect to be my "ideal" weight or anything, because its been a LONG time since I've been that low, but I am working towards being a lot healthier.

    I agree with the others-- it helps you get into a workout routine and healthy eating habits that you can continue when you are pregnant.
  • lisafred24
    lisafred24 Posts: 313 Member
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    You should always try to lose it before TTC because if you don't then you have a higher risk of gestational diabetes.
  • melsmith612
    melsmith612 Posts: 727 Member
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    I am trying to lose weight before TTC#1. My OB/GYN basically told me that the closer I can get to a "normal" BMI, the better it will be for me and baby. The last time I was a "normal" BMI, I was probably under 10 years old so my goal is to get back to a weight where my body felt healthier before. I am currently ~250 lbs (5'2" tall) and attempting to see 175 lbs before TTC. It's a long road and one that I know will pay off in the end. I don't think that losing weight before TTC is pointless at all. The healthier YOU are, the better your chances for a healthy pregnancy & baby.
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
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    I gained 73 while prego-- in same boat!
  • JULIEICAC
    JULIEICAC Posts: 16 Member
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    Getting fit before a pregnancy is a great idea for you and your future baby. If you are working out and toning up, all of that will help you during the pregnancy and bouncing back after. I would ignore whoever is telling you it is pointless.
  • puddup
    puddup Posts: 2
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    I'm trying to lose weight before TTC #2, too. I gained 50lbs with baby #1 (and was overweight to begin with). It was an uncomfortable pregnancy, and I feel like I was overly paranoid about pregnancy issues because of my weight. Our goal is to start TTC in December (our little one will be a year then). I' currently about 7lbs lighter than I was when I got my first BFP, but I would like to lose another 20ish lbs before getting pregnant again.
    I definitely don't think it's pointless!! A healthier mama = healthier pregnancy/ baby (less risks, etc.)
    One thing I am worried about is that I know I've heard in the past that it can actually be difficult to get pregnant if you've recently lost a LOT of weight...but I'm willing to take that gamble, since in my opinion it's more important for me to get healthy first :)
    Good luck!!!
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    It's not a bad idea to try and lose some weight before, but I think more importantly, you should continue to eat well and exercise through your next pregnancy. I 'let it all go' when I was pregnant and really regret that. My fourth and last pregnancy I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had to follow the diabetic diet and actually lost 10 lbs in my 7th month and then didn't gain any more weight for the remainder of my pregnancy. That gave me a headstart losing the rest of the baby weight.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    You should always try to lose it before TTC because if you don't then you have a higher risk of gestational diabetes.

    This really isn't true. All pregnant women have some degree of insulin resistance. The severity of the insulin resistance depends on the amount of a specific hormone that is produced by the placenta. Each pregnancy is different so there's really no way to tell why some women get GD and why others don't. Plenty of overweight women do not get GD and plenty of healthy, thin women do. It's just like anything else that happens by chance during pregnancy, sometimes you get it, sometimes you don't.
  • mamabearr
    mamabearr Posts: 304
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    I didn't even think about losing weight making it easier to TTC. With my first pregnancy we only had to try one cycle. It never occurred to me that being overweight would make it harder. Thanks! And I'm glad to know there are some who have the same goal as me. Getting healthy for a future pregnancy.
  • jjclem07
    jjclem07 Posts: 127 Member
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    Why would you not want to be at your healthiest for the baby?? Did she mean it was pointless because you are going to gain it back during pregnancy?? So I guess being 50-100 lbs overweight is healthy and then tack on 20- 50 more on top of that and then we can add in the possibility of gestational diabetes, early labor and possible miscarriage.....sadly I think that person gave you very wrong advise. It is always good to put your body in the healthiest mode it can be for a pregnancy. Not saying none of this can happen at a thin weight either, but being over weight it does increase the % rate of problems during pregnancy. This is what I am doing...I have 50 more pounds to go and then baby time!!! It is not my ideal weight, but it is considered my healthy weight.

    ...but honestly if you want an expert opinion...take to your doctor and see what they say. Mine has already told me what I needed to do and I am following it.

    Also..I have PCOS and my weight is a huge factor in me not being able to conceive. It messes with my hormones I never ovulate.
  • mamabearr
    mamabearr Posts: 304
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    Yeah she meant it's pointless because I'd gain it all back. Which hopefully I wont because I do not plan to gain 50 lbs the next time.
  • JNettie73
    JNettie73 Posts: 1,208 Member
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    I think you should speak to your doctor about this to get the best answer. My husband and I would like to TTC #1 however due to my weight and age my doctor recommended I loose at least 30 lbs before TTC. She explained to me that being very overweight (which I am) can lead to a ton of problems for both me and the baby. In the same respect, everyone's situation is different so what applies to one person may not necessarily apply to another.

    I agree with what everyone else had said, the healthier you are the better it is for your baby. Loosing weight is never pointless if it means that you are getting healthier in the process.
  • NoAdditives
    NoAdditives Posts: 4,251 Member
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    Yeah she meant it's pointless because I'd gain it all back. Which hopefully I wont because I do not plan to gain 50 lbs the next time.

    With healthy eating habits you shouldn't gain too much. I only gained 25-30 pounds with my first two pregnancies (and I ate like crap) and this time I've only gained about 6 pounds and I'm 25 weeks today. I'm not restricting myself at all, I'm just eating better and trying to be a little more active while I chase my two little ones around all day. And, being overweight doesn't really interfere with getting pregnant unless you're significantly overweight. 20-40 pounds, even 50 pounds overweight shouldn't affect things too much. In fact, having a BMI of 30 will make you have more estrogen in your system which can sometimes make you more likely to have twins, but generally it just makes it a little easier to conceive. And while you do gain weight during pregnancy, most of it should come off by itself since it's baby, placenta, extra blood, amniotic fluid, etc. If you gain 30 pounds chances are 20 of those will come off on their own, with the rest being fat stores to help with breast feeding. And those 10 should come off during breastfeeding.

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