How much weight should you gain?

Nlavender13 · June 2014

I am interested to hear what everyone has been told. How much weight should you be trying to gain? I have heard two conflicting opinions and wondered what you all have been told. I am overweight and worried cuz one said no more then I did with my DS and one said about a lb a week? Right now I am losing due to being really sick and with my DS it was good due to needing to gain no more then 15 lbs. but I have read it is not a good thing to start a twin pg off with weight loss. Thanks for your input!

absolutelymaybe · June 2014

Ask your OB. They would be able to tell you a more accurate amount.

As for the weight loss in early pregnancy, I wouldn't worry about that. I are a lot of MOMs around here that have had that happen and have had healthy babies.

eringerard35 · June 2014

My OB said you should only gain about 5 more pounds than you would with a singleton. So 35 pounds. I think that is BS because I was a healthy weight when I got pregnant and I have already gained 30+ lbs and I am only 28 weeks!

It definitely depends on your body type/what weight you were prior to pregnancy.

macchiatto · June 2014

The most updated guidelines I've seen are 37-54 lbs for a woman who is in the "normal" weight range pre-pg.

macchiatto · June 2014

eringerard35 said:

My OB said you should only gain about 5 more pounds than you would with a singleton. So 35 pounds. I think that is BS because I was a healthy weight when I got pregnant and I have already gained 30+ lbs and I am only 28 weeks! It definitely depends on your body type/what weight you were prior to pregnancy.

I agree that is BS considering the second baby itself would hopefully weigh more than that, plus another 1-2 lbs each for another placenta and amniotic fluid, etc. I would be interested to see if your OB has research to back that up. One of the OBs I saw early on said basically the same thing but it makes sense and doesn't agree with the research I've seen. Weight gain is really important in multiples pregnancies and while of course you don't want to go crazy with it, gaining 28 lbs by 28 weeks and about 37-54 lbs overall (if you start out normal weight) is associated with better outcomes.

24karat · June 2014

I was told 40-45lbs as I'm around average weight.

DoublePortion · June 2014

I started out overweight and none of my drs gave me a reccomended amount to gain. I lost 5lbs in 1st tri, have gained that back plus about 25lbs and I'm 31 weeks. I asked my OB about my weight and he said it was fine. As long as you are healthy and the babies are growing well, that's all that matters. Like PP said, just make sure to get lots of protein and calcium. I drink Boost High Protein since I can't seem to eat enough protein.

Jenn06L80 · June 2014

I started out overweight - 195 at 5'4. I gained 35 lbs. I lost that 35 lbs quickly within one month of them being born. However now that I am almost weaned from pumping/breast feeding I want to try to get to a healthier weight.

My OB/MFM never said one word about my weight from the start to the end of my pregnancy.

xtina78 · June 2014

I started out in the normal weight range (although probably upper end of normal thank you IVF) and by 28 weeks had gained 26 lbs. This is what my nutritionist said (she is the nutritionist of my local MOM group):

For your prepregnancy weight, the goal is to gain 31-50 pounds. I recommend one pound every week, so 28 pounds at 28 weeks is just perfect. You are on track to gain 39 pounds, which will put you right in the middle. This early weight gain (24 pounds by 24 weeks) is very important in building the healthy placentas necessary to get to 39 weeks.

Keep up the good work and eat, eat, eat!

Manada · June 2014

I started out about 50-70lbs overweight based on recommendations for my height/body type. The Dr Luke book totally freaked me out, but we did a ton of research and decided to take the 24lbs by 24 weeks ideal pretty seriously, and I was comfortable with the idea of gaining 25-35 lbs or so, given my height, frame and where I started.

That's TOTALLY NOT going to happen now. I gained 5 lbs in first tri, and since then have been fighting to gain throughout 2nd tri (and through bleeds, illnesses, and a cerclage placement). I actually lost 5 of the 10lbs I had gained last week while I was in the hospital... Currently, at 20w4d I am up 7lbs from my start weight. It's not ideal, but my MFM is not the least bit concerned, I have reserves that my pregnancy is obviously drawing from as my body composition and shape changes.

Honestly, pregnancy has been hard on me because I seem to pick up every little bug and get hit hard by it. Eating a normal amount has been a challenge, let alone extra calories. I am grateful my babies are still on track, but whenever I do feel well these days I really try to focus on protein and higher calorie, healthy snacks.

Bottom line though: as long as the babies are still growing healthily, and still have lots of fluid - I have been told not to worry. I am paying attention, but am not too freaked out yet, there is still time to let my weight gain catch up.

eandk18 · June 2014

I was told to gain 35-50 lbs by my OB. I started out at a low-average weight and gained 50 lbs. I did lose a couple of pounds in the 1st trimester due to nausea but I made up for it. Half of my weight gain was water retention though. I ended up developing pre-eclampsia at 36 weeks.

sasky · June 2014

I was average weight pre-pg. I was never given a guideline by my OB. In fact, even when I asked he said "don't worry about it." We would have discussed if it became an issue for whatever reason.

I'm not sure if that would have changed if I was under or overweight.

Mrs.McIrish · June 2014

My MFM didn't give me a number. The OBI started with (and left ) told me 25 lbs. I'm overweight starting out as well (bmi is about 31) and he just said that as long as babies are growing, we weren't going to worry about it. I gained a lot of weight with infertility treatments over 3.5 years so gaining 50 lbs with twins freaked me out. I'm 15 weeks 5 days and am still a few pounds under my starting weight the day of my transfer. I've been sick and not very hungry this pregnancy. I'm not going to worry until someone tells me the babies aren't growing. The Dr Luke book of course freaked me out...

curlylocks3 · June 2014

I started out at average weight and my OB told me she wanted me to gain at least 40#, I know current ACOG guidelines are 37-54# if starting where I was.
I ended up havig a lot of trouble gaining weight, first with serious nausea and later actually losing some between being on total bedrest and all of my food restrictions (was a gestational diabetic but also my nephrologist put me on an insanely restrictive diet). Every time I expressed concern my OB told me that the babies would just take what they needed from me and I'd be te one missing out. My growth scans always showed good growth and they were born at healthy weights.

Manada · June 2014

Yeah... In addition to what I, and the PPs above said - the exact quote from last week's MFM visit was "Their relationship to you is parasitic. They will take what they need from your body first, so only worry about it if it concerns you about your overall wellbeing"

Mrs.McIrish · June 2014

Manada said:

Yeah... In addition to what I, and the PPs above said - the exact quote from last week's MFM visit was "Their relationship to you is parasitic. They will take what they need from your body first, so only worry about it if it concerns you about your overall wellbeing"

Mine said something similar: that I would be basically have to be in famine-state for it to affect them...

badbridey · June 2014

My MFM agreed with the weight guidelines in Dr. Barbara Luke's book. I was overweight/obese to start with. I gained 20 lbs by 24 weeks, and ended up gaining 60 lbs by the end (delivering at 39 weeks). I gained a ton of weight, but afterward lost it pretty easily - 30lbs by 1 week pp (obviously most of this was baby, placentas, fluid, etc.) and almost all the weight by 2months -mostly because of the breastfeeding.

I think it's pretty normal to lose/not gain in your first tri, but then to make it up. Just do the best you can, especially focusing on protein. I did start drinking Ensures to help with the weight gain at the end of my first tri and onto my 2nd.

12bailey18 · June 2014

Mine haven't mentioned my weight gain or recommendations. Im average weight and have already gained 30 pounds. I gained 55 and 45 with my singletons so I imagine I'll be off the charts again. Blood pressure and everything is great so nobody is concerned.

jfoster516 · June 2014

With triplets my MFM originally said I should gain about 40lbs ( I am considered overweight). I lost 10lbs in the first tri and have only gained 3 of those back. So I am -6lbs from starting weight. When I went for my anatomy scan last Friday at 20w1d I had not gained any weight since my 16w u/s. But my MFM said that all the babies are growing and doing well so she is not concerned.

shanaynerz · June 2014

I gained about 30 lbs with DD and I'm obese (lost it all prior to getting pregnant this time). This time I've gained around 40 lbs give or take. My OB never really said anything about my weight gain in either pregnancy, but if you're concerned I would talk to your OB about what s/he recommends with twins.

mer313131 · June 2014

My OB just said to eat what I can and try to make healthy choices. He didn't give a number. I'm trying to eat a protein-rich diet, limit the junk and chug tons of water. I'm up 20 lbs. at 23 weeks.

spoonleg · June 2014

I asked my MFM doc this question today because I was concerned. My pre-pregnancy weight was low normal and she said 35lbs. That seemed low to me. I've read higher numbers in books.

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