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February 2012 Moms
pevila
member
Scolded by my doctor, again...
pevila
member
So, I had an appointment tomorrow and I have gained 6 pounds in a bit over a month. My doctor says that I've already gained all the weight I'm supposed to gain in the ENTIRE pregnancy, and I'm only 26 weeks 
(measuring two weeks ahead, though). He says that women with normal weight are supposed to gain only 18 pounds.
I talked to my coworkers today (most of them are female) and the average weight gain that they had was 26 pounds. And they all lost it while breastfeeding or soon after that. 
I'm on a diet now. If you want I'll share it with you, but I have to pick up my doctor's note from my MIL's house tomorrow.
My weight gain is all that I could think of today!
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Scolded by my doctor, again...
Don't worry about it too much! I gained 40 lbs with my daughter, and my doctor never said anything about it! (I did have a 9 lb, 13 oz baby!) The first 30 lbs came off easily, but I had to work hard to get the last 10 off.
This time, I haven't gained 15 lbs yet (at almost 24 weeks.) I'm hoping I will only gain 25 to 30 lbs so that I won't have to work so hard to get it off next time! My point is that your baby will be fine either way, but gaining less weight might make it easier on you in the long run!
18 lbs sounds low to me for a normal weight person. I always heard 25-35 for people starting at normal weight. I gained a little over 40 with DD and am on track to do the same this time (I am normal weight when not pregnant as well) and my OB is not at all worried about it. She says everybody is different and the average is just an average; your body will do its own thing. As long as you are eating healthy and getting reasonable amounts of exercise, you are doing what you need to do.
Your coworkers are also probably underreporting.
Good luck and try not to stress out about it too much!
according to webmd, if you are healthy to begin with, here is a break down of the "expected" weight gain:
Where Does the Extra Weight Go During Pregnancy?
Baby
Placenta
Amniotic fluid
Breast tissue
Blood supply
Fat stores for delivery and breastfeeding
Uterus increase
Total
I'm no medical professional by any means, but 25-35 lbs is the range that I've heard most. Unless you were overweight prior, 18 sounds a little on the low end.
I like this site for information. It goes along with what both my OB and insurance nurse suggest.
Most of my friends gained over 50lbs with their first, not saying that is ideal & neither do they. So 18 does not seem like a weight to be scolded for, maybe he should have just made you aware of his concerns.
"When the world says, 'Give up,' Hope whispers, 'Try one more time.'" -Anonymous
my friend steph just had a baby and gained 80 lbs. so even if you gain more then your doc wants (and 18 sounds low) at least there is no way you'll gain 80!! (I am only supposed to gain 10 b/c I was overweight to begin with and ***so far** am on track, but I always tell myself that if I end up gaining 12 or 15 it's no big deal, because it won't be 80.)
Definitely this! I would ask a second doctor for another opinion. You should never be made to feel badly because of your weight gain.
My family is a Foreign Service family. Families like mine are posted in every corner of the globe. We live our lives away from family, friends and the conviences and comforts of home. We often live and work in dangerous places among those that misunderstand our intentions and purposes. Sometimes members of our ranks sacrifice our lives to further diplomacy. Please remember that we serve too. And I'm always open to questions.
After 2+ years and multiple treatment cycles,
including an IVF vacation in Costa Rica/Panama,
IVF #2 brought us our miracle baby!
Surprise! Baby Boy is on the way!
That is a normal weight. 18lbs is pretty low overall. Your doc is crazytown. I've always been told 25-35lb gain is "ideal" for a normal weight person. I am also 5'4" and started pre-pregnancy at over 200lbs and my doc still said even I should gain 15-20lbs during pregnancy- and you should never try to lose weight during pregnancy.
How OLD is your Dr.???
I would seriously consider finding another care provider. Your Dr. sounds like a moron. At least make sure to run this "diet" by an actual dietitian- I personally would have a hard time taking any advice from this Dr. in the future.
Also, the whole focus on specific numbers is an outdated concept. My MW asks me my weight at every apt, but she really doesn't stress about it because she knows I am eating healthy.
I gained 35 with Lily and lost it all in 3 weeks...and I AM overweight.
GL
My Colton...Growing up so fast!
And Coralee, his baby sister...On the way!
Don't let it get to you. Just because you don't go by the standard guideline of weight gain doesn't mean that you're unhealthy. My friend gained 50lbs with her first pregnancy, and she was a bit overweight before she got pregnant... and all she did was worry about it... She breastfed her son, lost all 50lbs in less than 9 months, and never had an issue of any kind during or after the pregnancy.
Haha! He's really young, like 38, but he is really good. He gave us our IVF baby! He says that the normal weight gain is 2.2 pounds per month (a kilo), but I see here that most of your doctors said to gain one pound a week!
I will continue seeing him, but I'm going to an actual dietitian next week. I'm being good, I swear! I even stopped drinking soda (which is bad for you during pregnancy, but also bad for you in general) which was my craving! I eat some sweets, sure, but I've always eaten desert 2 or 3 times a week. I'm not eating anything that I didn't eat before my pregnancy. And the only thing I have for dinner is a glass of milk because I don't like to eat at night.
I'll keep you posted!
Thank you so much everybody for your support!
Dont let your Dr make you feel bad. I think only gaining 18lbs for a person of normal weight is actually quite hard to attain, meaning most people gain about 25-35lbs.
I think you're right on track for gaining and as long as you're doing it in a healthy way with proper foods and not junk then i wouldn't be concerned.
Sorry your Dr made you feel bad.
My Chart
All of this. exactly.
Every single book you read says that if you have a normal BMI then a good weight gain is 25-35 lbs. They used to recommend to our moms to only gain 20 lbs, but they don't do that anymore.
So if you didn't start pregnancy a little overweight, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Your doctor sounds a little crazy to me. I would definitely give him the side eye and a piece of my mind if mine told me anything that much at odds with everything else I've read and researched.
Just because he is good at IVF, does not mean that he is good at all aspects of pregnancy. I have had a couple of friends who have stood by their OBs because they helped them through fertility issues, only to be burned at the end.
Just be careful. What he is suggesting actually sounds unhealthy to a point. You are supposed to eat and gain weight when you are pregnant.
GL
Or just smile and nod and keep doing what you're doing. You don't always need a doctor to approve everything you do.
I totally agree with the PPs. EVERYTHING I have read says 25-35 lbs for someone of a healthy weight, which it sounds like you were. Babies have growth spurts and the weight doesn't always come on at a steady pace. It's completely unfair for your Doc to be scolding you for 6lbs in a month!
My midwife doesn't even weigh me at my appointments, if the baby's measuring correctly and I obviously haven't ballooned since my last visit, it's fine. As of this morning, I've gained about 17 lbs. On schedule for a 31 lbs gain.
I hope this diet your OB is putting you on is not too restrictive...
Married August 5, 2006
Baby girl born February 15, 2012
Expecting baby #2 in July!
I agree with everyone else. Everything I've read and even my doctors handout given at the first prenatal appt. says 25-35 lbs. 18 seems really low to me (assuming normal starting weight) and even leaning more toward the unhealthly side. It's one thing if you're eating well and the most you manage to gain is 18 lbs based on your body and metabolism...it's a whole other story to go on a diet to try to stick to the 18lbs. It really just doesn't seem right to me. I would ignore this specific piece of advice and just eat healthy.
And just because a doctor said something that doesn't necessarily coincide with the norm, doesn't mean he is a moron.
OP--there's a reason for what your doctor said, and he's probably just looking out for your health and the baby's health--not too many doctors (none that want to keep their license anyways) would suggest you do anything that would bring harm to you or your child. I wouldn't stress over it too much!
Actually, the reason the recommended weight went up is because it IS unhealthy for the baby. Babies need the nutrition for proper brain development which occurs later in pregnancy. Research indicates that gaining too little weight can lead to smaller heads, smaller brains and lower IQ. Obviously OP should discuss this with her doctor, but I do question why someone who is clearly of normal BMI prepreg is being told to maintain such a low gain.
I agree with the bolded part, and that's about it. I may not have an MD, but--like I said--not too many doctors run around telling patients to do things that will cause harm to them and their unborn child. We weren't at OPs appointment, so we have no idea how concerned her doctor really was with her weight. But, if she's that concerned, she needs to take it up with him....having a message board full of women who don't have medical degrees telling someone her doctor is a moron isn't going to do her any good.
This is exactly where I started and my midwife and the supervising OB, as well as every book I've read, says that I should gain the "recommended" 25-35 lbs. Not sure where he's getting 18lbs from, at all.
At my 20 week, the midwife told me to be careful as I'd gained 8 lbs in one month, and if I did that every month, I'd obviously be in trouble. I missed my 24 week appointment due to work obligations, so I'm going next week...not sure what I've gained since I'm honestly not keeping track. I'm eating pretty sensibly, and I'm exercising. That's all I can do! I was super depressed after they told me I gained too much too fast, so I decided to forget about it and just enjoy being pregnant.
Please do not go on a diet, I'm no doctor but that sounds absurd. As long as you eat well, don't overindulge and keep active you are doing all you can to keep your body and your baby healthy during pregnancy. I'm sorry your doc gave you a hard time, it sounds like you're doing everything right and I don't think you should stress about it!
Isobel
5 February 2008
This
*Lovebugs2012*