How to get enough calories?

diz1313 · July 2014

So I am almost 16 weeks..... Got tons of time to go.... But already I feel stuffed like a tick. My belly is hard and tight and there just doesn't seem to be enough space. The biggest problem I am having is both eating and keeping properly hydrated. It seems that I only have space to do one or the other without feeling pain or not being able to keep it all down. Anyone else have this problem, and if so what do you do?.

RayRay007 · July 2014

I drink Ensure high protein to get a bit of extra calories and protein without filling up too much. Also, talk to you own OB, but mine said not to worry about stuffing my face. The appropriate weight gain will come naturally by eating when hungry and eating healthfully.

diz1313 · July 2014

I don't try to stuff my face.... The problem is being able to eat at all if i drink the glasses of water I am supposed to. If I get the amount of fluids I should I have no room for any food. Hehehehe

ballygirl · July 2014

I ate small quantities all day long. I was pretty much always 'snacking'. I had a hard time eating a full meal because I would either feel nauseous and lose my appetite (in the early days) or there just wasn't enough room and I'd get reflux (towards the end). So - I ate small portions every couple hours or so. I never counted calories or anything and just ate when I was hungry. The same goes for drinking water. I just sipped all day long but never really counted how much I was drinking. The only thing I watched was my protein intake to make sure I was getting enough, especially in the early days when I had a lot of nausea and food aversions.

CNYBride05 · July 2014

I was worried my whole pregnancy about weight gain (not enough) and calories, etc. I gained very little weight and most of it at the end. But the girls always looked good in u/s and were 5.5 and 5.8 at birth and are now 2 weeks shy of their 1st bday and very healthy and rolly-polly. Eat what you want when you are hungry but don't stress too much about stuffing yourself to get "the right" number of calories.

erinwithtwins · July 2014

Smaller more frequent meals is the key for me. I'm less worried about calories and my dr is more concerned about protein. Even though I eat a ton of protein every day these boys are making me anemic and malnourished technically (low protein). So now I have a protein smoothie everyday and have chese sticks,yogurt, and nuts as snacks. No more carby meals. PS I'm not a skinny girl at all. No one would ever say malnourished except for a blood test

absolutelymaybe · July 2014

RayRay007 said:
I drink Ensure high protein to get a bit of extra calories and protein without filling up too much. Also, talk to you own OB, but mine said not to worry about stuffing my face. The appropriate weight gain will come naturally by eating when hungry and eating healthfully.

This.

I prioritize staying hydrated. Especially in the hot weather. The weight gain has come naturally (despite pretty severe MS).

MissMarnee · July 2014

My doc recommended peanut butter. I ate it on everything & it seemed to do the trick... : )

Mrs.McIrish · July 2014

Original poster: I'm almost 19 weeks and initially I was freaked out by the calorie/fluid recommendations from Dr Luke. But my own MFM told me not to worry --that the babies will take what they need first. I'm no longer worrying about it. I'm not counting calories or counting my fluid ounces. I eat if Im hungry. I have "spare" weight for my girls to take. I do always bring water with me whenever I go somewhere but no way am I drinking 100 ounces. I can't do it. If I did that, there'd be no food like you. I also get bad heartburn from too much liquid. As long as the babies grow, Im not worrying out it. If an u/s shows an issue, I'll revisit it all..

BeesKnees181 · July 2014

In my second trimester, I was able to eat a lot, though not at one sitting. I sort of just constantly grazed (mostly high calorie foods) and I drank at least a gallon of water a day. I tracked my water intake during the day with a large (32 ounce) water bottle, or I just drank directly from a gallon of water. At night, I would get very thirsty and I generally drank another 32 ounces. In the third trimester, I could only take a bote of something before getting too full. It wasn't a problem. Though my last two weeks (34-36 weeks) I did not gain a pound. Now, I am having this problem even more after they are born. I barely have enough time to eat and it makes bf-ing impossible if I cannot get enough calories everyday.

auntjessy · July 2014

I'm sorry, but I'm gonna go against what most people here say. You DO need to make sure you get the calories, especially in your 2nd tri, because you'll be even more full in 3rd tri and multiples have a habit of coming early. I did everything I could to gain enough weight and (even though I was 40 lbs heavier at delivery) weighed less a week after delivery than before I was pg - and I'm a relatively big girl, sz 14-16.

My babies came 6 weeks early, and my smallest (my daughter) was 4.12. She came home the day after I did and didn't need anything. I believe this is due to my being extra careful, following the doc's recommendations, doing bedrest, etc. My son had 'wimpy white boy syndrome' - he wouldn't eat enough, and they kept him for 11 days. He still didn't have any issues, just wouldn't eat the amounts they wanted him to WHEN they wanted him to. Also, you may already know this, but enough weight gain in the 2nd tri lowers your risk of pre-term delivery. Eating right now is a chore, but it is SO worth it. There's nothing harder than leaving your new little ones in the NICU. Nothing.

I lived by Dr Luke's book, and I had an excellent doctor who had 35+ yrs experience delivering multiples and high-risk pregnancies. He told me even though I was overweight to shoot for 45+ lbs gain for the sake of the babies.

I got the extra calories in with cheese cubes. I had a GD diagnosis, so I had to watch what I ate in carbs, but I made sure every time I could, to just pick up some cheese cubes out of the fridge and snack. They're high in calories, a good balance of fat and carbs, and have plenty of protein and calcium. That, and cashews. Mmmm.

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