Pregnancy: Are you gaining too much weight?

[Janeen]

I've always struggled with my weight. I was the chubby kid, chubby teen, and then in college, the weight just magically came off. I was so happy. Then in my 20's the struggle was back on but I had a better handle on it. When I got married at age 30 I looked like this:



Then I got pregnant and the struggle was not only back on, but the weight won, BIG TIME!

Here I am the day we came home from the hospital:



(I've since lost all but 10 pounds but it hasn't been easy)

I won't tell you how much weight gained. I'm taking that number to the grave. Let's just say it was MORE WEIGHT THAN ANY HUMAN SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO GAIN! It was actually quite scary and I was afraid that I was going to hurt myself or the baby. The weight just kept coming on. I kept eating and kept gaining weight and I couldn't stop it. And it was actually very, very painful too, both physically and emotionally.

The school of thought is that women starting out at a normal weight, should gain around 25-35 pounds during their entire pregnancy. If a woman is underweight when she becomes pregnant she can gain as much as 40 pounds. Obese women should gain much less. These are guidelines and every woman is different. Your doctor can help you gauge your weight gain and what is healthy for you and your baby.

But what are some complications that can arise from gaining too much weight?


1. Gestational Diabetes
2. Preeclampsia
3. Larger babies at birth, making a vaginal birth more difficult
4. Increased C-sections
5. Women who are larger after before/after the birth can have a harder time breast feeding due to low milk production or problems positioning the infant.

The best way to stop high weight gain during pregnancy is to:

1. Eat healthy meals
2. Do not subscribe to the eating for 2 mentality
3. Exercise during pregnancy (clear all exercise activities with your doctor or midwife)
4. Watch portion sizes
5. Limit junk food intake brought about by cravings
6. Try to limit stress which can bring about emotional eating
7. Enlist the help of your partner, family, friends or other moms-to-be

Especially for first time moms, the changes in the body brought about by pregnancy bring with it a certain amount of anxiety. Remember that this is totally normal and that these changes are necessary to make a healthy little baby.

Luckily for me, even though I gained all that weight, I went on to have a healthy pregnancy. My one complication was a very long and hard labor.

For more on pregnancy and weight gain see:

Vanessa's post No weight gain recommended for obese women during pregnancy

Voices In My Head Pregnancy weight gain: Are you too gaining too much weight?: This post reminds me of what I could have written during my first pregnancy. I want to give her a hug.

Hip Slope Mama Body Image and Motherhood: Interview w/ Claire Mysko co-author of "...

Tales of a Plus Size Pregnancy - a blog from a pregnant mamma who is currently at 306 pounds.

WEGO Health member Jill Knapp who suffered from gestational diabetes and went on to lose the weight and live a healthy life (along with running for Mrs. Idaho!)

What is the biggest issue you hear in your communities regarding pregnancy and weight gain? Did you gain more than you should have or did you stay on track? What suggestions can you add to the list for keeping weight in check while pregnant? Do you have any websites for healthy pregnancies that you can share? Please take any of these tips, links or stories back to your community to add to discussions on pregnancy and healthy weight gain.

[Susan M.]

Hey Janeen,

Thanks for sharing this information. I've definitely seen that when most women discuss obesity/weight and pregnancy, they talk more about managing their weight and trying not to gain too much or simply how much they should gain but you're right, there are a number of complications and risk factors that are associated with obesity. I don't see this topic discussed enough within the pregnancy communities but it's very important.

The 3 Fat Chicks (On a Diet) blog has a great post about the Surprising Facts about Obesity and Pregnancy

The CDC even has information on the Connections Between Obesity and Pregnancy Complications

I'd be interested to hear what others think about this topic - is it getting better representation in your communities? Why not broach the subject and see what the response is!