Weight gain while pregnant

[mommylamb]

I had my prenatal visit today and the doctor, who pissed me off entirely for a separate issue which I may write about but haven't yet decided, told me I need to watch my weight.

So here's the situation. I weigh more than what I look like and the size clothes that I wear, and know I went into this pregnancy heavier than I should have been. Nothing I can do about that now.

I will be 28 weeks on Friday. So far I have gained 15 lbs. Since my last appointment 4 weeks ago, I've gained 1 lb. That's all. While I should have started out at a better weight, I don't think my pregnancy weight gain has been excessive. Am I kidding myself?

FTR, my practice has many positive attributes, but one of the big negatives is that it's big. It's a mixture of doctors and midwives, and I try to see as many of them as possible so that I'll hopefully know the person who is there to deliver the baby when I go into labor. They always have a doctor and a midwife at the hospital at all times, and you get who you get. I like most of them a lot. This guy isn't a terrible doctor, and I don't harbor bad feelings towards him in general, but he's very old school.

[arivecchi]

You seem to be in the healthy range according to this chart:

http://www.parentingweekly.com/pregn...gain_chart.htm#

[hoodlims]

Wait a second. 15lbs? That is nothing!!! At that point I had already gained about 25, and my midwife keeps telling me my weight gain is ok. I know if you start of heavier, you aren't supposed to gain as much, but 15 lbs is nothing for over halfway (I like to think of 30 as the minimum weight gain recommendation, not 25).

If it makes you feel any better, this morning the crotch of my GAP maternity jeans split today. I am taking it as a BAD sign. I am 37 weeks along and I thought I was looking pretty good...until about an hour ago.

[rin]

Don't worry about it in the least. You sound fine. I practice intuitive eating while pregnant (well, all the time really) and I fully believe that if you're really listening to your body you'll gain exactly as much weight as you need to. Some doctors love to freak you out (my OB during my first pregnancy nearly gave me an ulcer with nagging me about my weight gain; first it was too little and my baby was going to die of IUGR! then it was too much and my baby was going to be so fat and huge and I was going to get GD!) and IMO it's usually completely unnecessary and just creates anxiety. (For the record, my DD was a perfectly reasonable 8lbs12oz.)

[Green_Tea]

I think 15 lbs in the first 28 weeks sounds perfect. A pox on that doctor.

[mommylamb]

Thanks guys. When I'm not pregnant, I'm a size 10-12, so bigger than I ought to be, but not obese. I weigh a lot though. I always have. When I was in college, I lost a ton of weight and was wearing a size 2-4, but I still weighed nearly 130lbs and had a DD bra size. So, I'm not joking when I say I have big, dense bones (I don't think osteoporosis will be a problem for me at least). But I do weigh more than I ought to now. I should be a size 8, I think. Regardless, this is a lot less than what I had gained while pregnant with DS (I think). In total with him, I gained 38 lbs, and I just don't see myself gaining another 23 before this is over.

[emily]

15lbs sounds great to me! I don't even step on this scale this pregnancy but I know I've gained more than 15 and I am only 22 weeks. My OB hasn't mentioned my weight gain (which is probably too much). Maybe it's because it's the third time around. With my first pregnancy he nagged me so much about my weight gain (~40lbs total).

Ignore that doc of yours. You're doing great!

[waitingforgrace]

I wouldn't worry about it. I'm 32 weeks and net have only gained 11 pounds, I lost about 5 in first tri. My midwives always mention keeping an eye on weight gain and watch what I'm eating, blah, blah, blah. I too am heavier that I "should" be from pre-pregnancy but I think it's just a part of their routine speech to all patients. I don't take it personally.

[BabyBearsMom]

Ignore that jerky doctor. You look gorgeous and are doing just fine.

[mctlaw]

Yes, that sounds normal, especially after you clarified your range (I know the recommendation for obese people is to gain much less)! What a head scratcher! You should have had my OB for DS, who became my OB at about 5 months after a move. My net weight gain was 27 lbs. At the end of it all, she remarked, "you didn't gain very much weight overall, were you not feeling ok?"