I just got home from a prenatal visit, I'm 28 weeks pregnant with my first baby, and I'm feeling a bit judged by my weight gain! I stand at 5' 9" and pre-pregnancy I weighed about 170 with a moderate BMI at 23 Even my lowest adult weight of super in shape was 150. I'm 25 pretty active every day besides just a gym routine and I know my diet is healthy as well. I've gain 27 lbs, in the first trimester it totaled 16, then another 5 and 6 at each visit. The first trimester just seemed like wow I've gained weight but with the last visit and today's as well I felt like I was being scolded! There's a group of midwives that I see and today I met with a midwife I had never met before and she littlerly said I needed to slow down because she didn't want me to gain 70 lbs. I'm floored! Of course being polite I agreed. I don't consume sugar or high amounts of carbohydrates, I eat small portions because I can't physically eat large meals, and I get regular excercise other than the 8 hours a day I stand and run around for my career as a hairstylist.... I really am just offended and wondering if anyone else can identify with this?! I thought I picked a great welcoming practice but I'm starting to doubt two of midwifes discretion about "healthy weight gain". Am I just being too sensitive??! Or should I stand up for myself a little more?
Re: Feeling a bit... Judged?
I gained 50 lbs with my first. (I'm 5'11 and was 180 to start with her) and not a word was said to me.
I was in tears in my docs office one day because I'd gained so much and she just let me cry and when I calmed down she said "are you healthy" to which I responded "yes". "Is your baby healthy?" "yes". "Then you have nothing to worry about".
I was informed that women gained at different rates and if I was personally concerned about it then I could do something about it (like eat healthier and walk more) but that she saw no reason for alarm.
IMO - that MW needs a B-slap!!!! I would put on your file that you are never to see her insensitive @$$ again for your future appointments or care!!!! Obviously keep an eye on things, but right now your hormones are out of whack because your body is busy making a person and PP a lot of your PG weight will come off, the important thing is to stay as physically active PP as you are now or Pre-PG.
Next - YOU need to stop focusing on the BMI as an indicator of health - period.. dot... end of discussion!!! BMI is woefully inaccurate for ANYONE with any level of physical conditioning. Most NFL players, bodybuilders, etc. in the peak of their physical being are considered "obese" or "Morbid" - BMI does not take into account an individual's muscle tone. A person can be "skinny fat" where they're ideal by BMI standards but they're fatty flab because they just naturally are small but don't exercise so it works both ways... Routinely (annually) I do a body composition scan (It's $50 OOP - though not something you'll do now while PG obviously), and my LEAN BODY MASS alone is considered "Morbidly Obese" by BMI chart status. Do I have a few pounds to loose, yes, but I know where I'm actually at, and if anything it gets the doctors to stop focusing on BMI as an indicator of health because facts don't lie. If BMI were developed in today's scientific world and forced to adhere to the rigors it would be qualified as junk science because health is all dependent upon the individual.
OP, some women gain more than other during pregnancy. Especially tall women (I'm not, but I have friends who are, and they did, and it was fine). You sound like you're doing what you need to do as far as eating and exercise.
Now having said that, some people really do just gain more than others during pregnancy through no fault of their own. If you are eating healthy, watching your "bad" carbs and sugar and staying active, know that you are doing what you are supposed to and let it go!
All that said, I could have probably stood to gain a few more. I EBF and by the time I was 6 months PP, I was close to 15 lbs below my pre-pregnancy weight, which is too light for me.
In short, every person and pregnancy is different. Keep eating healthy, exercise and try not to let negative comments from bothering you. Good luck.