great visit, but worried about gain.
got back from my doctors just now and heard the heartbeat at 150! she said everything looks great, and my blood work came back perfect! i was so nervous about the GD test, but she said my results were actually on the lower side and i dont need to take a 3 hr test!
i have gained 4lbs since my last visit (a month ago) so i know i need to work really hard this month to not gain more than 2lbs.. i am trying my best, and i thought i was gonna have a good weigh in with the amount of working out ive done this past month! but, she wants me to keep it in check and try to only came back with a 2lb gain! ahh! so far im at +6lbs total, and i feel like thats really good, so im stressing a bit about the next visit.
how are you all staying within your weight limits? not sure how much more i can "cut" out! thanks ladies, hope everyone is getting great results today!
Re: great visit, but worried about gain.
Wow, your dr seems really strict about weight gain. I mean, I understand not gaining a TON of weight and going overboard by eating Ben & Jerry's every night... but still, that's crazy. I have gained about 10lbs so far. I'd gained 3lbs by the 10wk mark (using my home scale); 6lbs by 11wks; and had been fluctuating between 7-10lbs between week 12-16. My ob isn't the least bit concerned about my weight - and they have me down as having gained 2 extra pounds.
With my last pregnancy, I started out 10lbs over what I normally weigh and then gained 34 during the pregnancy. I'm not doing anything differently now than I had been then. Unfortunately, I still don't always get the chance to workout like I'd like to - but I didn't then either.
thanks for the advice! i dont know why i feel so concerned about this, but its in my mind every moment! they would like me to limit my gain to under 20lbs, which i know its doable, but its extremely stressful if i feel like i doing everything right, but the numbers are showing it! i just dont want to have any complications so im trying to stay without their judgment.. my doc didnt straight out say "youve gained to much" she just said.. "youre doing okay, just keep it in check.."
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but it sounds like your OB is trying to make you borderline anorexic by telling you that she would only like you to gain 2 pounds. Especially by putting you on weight restrictions. I don't mean to sound rude, but are you a bigger woman? Even my DH agrees with me in questioning your OB's credibility or professionalism. I would start looking for a new doctor. As far as the GD test have you had GD before? It's odd that they tested you this early. My doctor doesn't want me to set foot in the lab to get the test done for another 2 weeks and I am 25 weeks.
A large portion of our population are obese. So there is a good chance that OP may be obese - why everyone is questioning her doctor, I don't understand. The recommendations are to gain 15-20 lb if you are obese so it sounds like everything is reasonable. I know people on this board seem to hate "weight restrictions/recommendations" - but they are there for a reason. There are complications that happen when people gain too much or too little weight so I don't see a reason why I would get upset if I either gained too much or not enough and my doctor said something - that's her job.
my doctor is great, and wants nothing but a healthy baby and momma.. i do have a higher BMI. im not obsese, but i am only about 4'11.. so for my height, my weight is definitely higher than it should be. so i am not at all questioning my doctors recommendations, i am more nervous about making sure i am able to stick to these recommendations. i know everyone has different issues with gaining/losing and such, i just have this on my mind 24/7 so i guess i was curious about who else is worried about going over the "recommended" gain..
thanks for the tips and advice, i know my body will gain what it needs, i guess some days will be more of a struggle then others i suppose!
My MW is pretty strict about weight gain too- I gained 15 pounds right away, was within my normal weight range, but on the lower end. Even though I know I am ahead of where I want to be in terms of weight gain with this pregnancy, I appreciate my midwife making sure I stay on track. She wasn't rude by any stretch of the imagination, she just mentions I should keep my weight gain in check because of GD, joint pain and problems with excessive weight gain, and trouble losing it after my pregnancy. I was actually given a weight range of 20- 25 pounds to gain by both the MW and the nutritionist I visited after discovering how much weight I had gained so early on.
Since discussing my weight gain with them, I did get some good advice that has helped me be more focused with my diet- no juice, soda or sugary drinks, and try to save my calories for things that are good for the baby- protein, vegetables, and fruit. I've had friends tell me that because I'm craving something that I should eat because the baby "needs" it... but I highly doubt the baby needs frosting right out of the can or pizza for his development.
yep, they had me do one early on to check and it came back great! i will be doing another 1 hr at around 25weeks or so. not that crazy really.. its quite common in some woman.. i have a few friends that did the same.. i guess it depends on the concerns the doctor may have.
every doctor is different, and some have their patients do things that yours might not, i dont think that makes any of them "bad" doctors, or questions their creditably. some woman need to do things differently than other woman.. we are all built so different that if your doctor had you take a test earlier than your girlfriend may have, it doesnt mean its wrong, maybe there is just a concern with you, that didnt come up with the woman sitting next to you..
i wish i could have the prefect, everything by the book pregnancy, that would make this so much easier and i wouldnt have any questions if that were the case! for now, i take it day by day and if the doc recommends a certain test, ill most likely take it!
haha! love this!
I have never heard a good doctor that tells a pregnant woman she can ONLY gain 2 pounds per month. This is utterly ridiculous! 4 pounds in one month is an average of one pound per week, which is totally healthy.
And listen to these numbers - I am 5'6" and a normal weight. During my first pregnancy, I didn't gain much through 20 weeks. Then I gained 11 pounds in one month! And I wasn't eating like crazy, that's just what my body needed to do. And then the next month I didn't gain any weight! Really, there is no rhyme or reason (unless you are on the fringe of being either totally crazy with calories, or restricting calories, those are two dangerous situations that I was not in). I ended up gaining a total of 32 pounds, totally healthy.
I would consider asking my doctor why she was so freaked out about weight gain, and maybe even finding a new one.
Hi OP,
Some people don't have to worry about their weight gain, but the reality is that some of us do. Just like some of us have to keep an eye on our blood sugar or blood pressure or any number of other things. Thats just the way it is.
I'm in a similar situation as you. I'm pretty short (5'2") and overweight- my midwife recommended I limit my weight gain to 15-25 pounds. At first it seemed like everyone I told freaked out about how impossible and unreasonable that was, but the more I spoke with people (and researched) the more I realized that my Dr's advice was really reasonable FOR ME.
At first I was very worried, nervous, and thought about it all the time. But then I realized that as long as I stuck with reasonable eating habits, then my goal seemed a lot more realistic.
This chart has really helped me: https://www.baby2see.com/pregnancy_weight_calculator.html
I'm a geek so plugged in my information and plotted the results in excel. Every two weeks I check in with myself to see where I fall within my goal range. It might be overkill for some but it has really helped me stay calm as I gain weight. I've remained within my goal range so I know I'm on track and don't have to worry. Its not the bible but it is a guide and guides help.
Really, the best advice I've gotten from other moms who did not gain excessive weight during their pregnancies has been to just eat normally. The people I know who ate normally did not have a problem with their weight gain. The few I know who gained excessively admit that they enjoyed "eating for two". So, it's doable and you really don't have to worry. And then if you've done your best and things don't turn out exactly the way you'd hoped, be kind with yourself. At the end of the day there is an element to this that we can't control and we just have to do our best and keep in mind that the goal is to have a healthy baby. Just be smart and good luck
loyaboya- wow! thanks so much, that was actually really helpful! its nice to know that my friends arent the only ones to "freak out" when i tell them my doctors recommendations for my weight goal plan.. haha. 15-20 doesnt seem like alot, but its actually around 2 pounds a month, which is so doable and really healthy for me (and lots of other woman!) i know if i go over once in a while, i wont be scolded, i just want to try my best to do my part. its odd to me that others would say to get a new doctor due to this! i am definitely really looking forward to trying out this chart, i feel really good after reading what you wrote, thanks again!! i wish you the best of luck and hopefully we can both stay on track and have the best, non-complicated 9 months!
This much pressure and stress about weight gain is not healthy. You need to just relax and any doctor pressuring you about your weight IMO is not doing a good job supporting you. Some women's bodies just pack on the lbs during PG, more than others. It doesnt mean you are sitting at home eating hohos and twinkies it just means that your body is programmed to hold onto more weight.
Please don't stress about each lb you deserve a relaxing PG, relaxing and "enjoying" PG is more beneficial to you and your baby than having a "healthy" weight. Which no one can identify as "healthy" for you individual body during PG. It is amazing how much your body knows what to do, so just roll with it.