Lack of Weight Gain

Jamiedora · December 2014

hi ladies!

I am 19w today and this is my first baby. I am having problems gaining enough weight for my baby and me. In the first trimester I lost weight due to morning sickness and lack of appetite. I have now gained that back and only an additional 2 lbs. I am worried.

Any suggestions? I recently started to keep track of my food intake to make sure I am eating enough.

BabiesEverywhere · December 2014

Is your doctor worried? If not, you shouldn't be either.

If your doctor is worried, I'm sure he/she can give you good advice on how to gain more weight. It will probably involve eating a lot of protein.

ETA: @snegde‌ you beat me to it!

somewheresublime86 · December 2014

I agree with @snegde‌ - talk to your doctor. Only they can tell you if they're concerned about how much or how little you've gained, since your weight before pregnancy is a factor.

My doctor has been really helpful with this, and very reassuring - just ask. It's why they're there!

This and that · December 2014

I have the same question as pp. your dr can let you know whether or not it's a concern based on your body and needs and things you can do if it is.

ally3242 · December 2014

You need to address this with your doctor. We aren't medical professionals that can tell you if your weight gain is healthy or not.

adrianasfs · December 2014

I'm 21 weeks and only gained a couple of pounds too. It's nerve wracking... But the tummy is growing (how, I don't know!). My docs aren't too too worried. Talk to yours and it'll help you feel better. Mine had me meet with a dietician which was helpful. I mean, it hasn't actually helped weight-wise but it helped give me an idea what I should be focused on eating. Good calories and so on.

be888 · December 2014

Talk to your doctor. I know it seems as though you have only gained 2 pounds, but you have also regained whatever amount of weight you loss. You still have plenty of time to gain weight.

littlemissluc · December 2014

You don't have to gain a lot of weight or grow anywhere but your belly to have a healthy pregnancy. In fact, that is what most women dream of. If your baby is growing healthy and on point and you eat well and not gaining weight, it is absolutely fine! Plus you still have plenty of time to grow. My body loks exactly the same as before pregnancy, I just have a little bump and both me and baby are perfectly healthy. Your body knows what it needs ti do so if you're eating well and baby is fine there's no reason to worry!

jamiesc58 · December 2014

That sounds pretty normal but as the pp's have said, talk to the doctor. Every one of us will gain weight differently. Some now some later. If you are that worried about it I would suggest eating more.

alexis95 · December 2014

As pp have said, don't worry if your doctor isn't worried. I've only gained 7 pounds so far but my doctor always seems to be happy with how healthy baby and I are, so I don't even worry about it. You're only about halfway through, so you still have lots of time to gain more weight. Just make sure you're eating right and listening to your doctor.

OliveMom3 · December 2014

No need to worry. I've gained enough for the both of us.

somewheresublime86 · December 2014

somerandomchick said:

As far as your baby is concerned, the health risks associated with excessive weight gain are significantly less severe than the health risks associated with inadequate weight gain. It's better for your baby if you gain too much instead of not enough. Despite the societal conventions that say gaining weight is bad and scary and we should avoid it whenever possible, most people do NEED to gain weight during pregnancy. You are flat out wrong to say that it's perfectly fine for everybody to not gain weight throughout a pregnancy. At 20-ish weeks your doctor may not be concerned about lack of weight gain yet, depending on how you're doing and your starting weight, true. The OP should definitely talk to her doctor and if her doctor isn't concerned, it's probably fine. It's normal to lose a bit in early pregnancy, and everybody gains at their own rate (some grow steadily, some in spurts, etc)

My doctor told me the exact opposite of this yesterday - she said the risks associated with excessive weight gain during pregnancy were far greater than the risk of having a smaller gain, or actually losing weight if you started pregnancy with weight to lose. Obviously, dieting or trying to lose weight isn't healthy. But eating to excess isn't either.

Like you said, one size does not fit all. That's what OP needs to discuss her concerns with her doctor.

erikaluna01 · December 2014

This is a question only your doctor can answer. Everyone is different. Lots of factors are considered for example your pre pregnant BMI. My Dr showed me a curve of where I should be according to my BMI. I didn't gain much weight with DD and everything turned out fine. The only thing is she was 5lbs 7oz, small baby.

nutrishus · December 2014

I lost 16 lbs with my first pregnancy and only started gaining in my 7th month . Same thing with this pregnancy , I'm 18 weeks and I've lost 19 lbs . If I remember correctly I started gaining when I was eating a lot if my favorite comfort foods

littlemissluc · December 2014

@somerandomchick‌ I didn't try to say that it is normal not to gain weight, I just said that for some women it can be perfectly normal not to gain the average amount if that's how your body reacts. We are all different. Some gain barely 15 pounds and deliver perfectly healthy babies. As long as you are under your doctor's control you eat well, I don't see a reason to worry.

I disagree with you on the excessive weight gain being less severe that not gaining enough. Intrauterine growth restriction happens way less than all the excessive weight gain complications such as eclampsia, preeclampsia, diabetes and HELPP syndrome which can be extremly dangerous for both mom and baby. A woman who gets diagnoed with IGR is usually dieting during pregnancy, anorexic or having some other digestive illness such as Chrons. It does not happen to women who are healthy and eating well during pregnancy. The baby takes what the baby needs and as long as it grows properly and on time, there is no need to worry, the weight may come in at any time since 19 weeks is still pretty early.

lindsayanne14 · December 2014

@Jamiedora it's unclear from your post if YOU don't feel as if your gaining enough, or if your Dr has said you aren't gaining enough. Obviously, as pp have stated if you are concerned you need to speak to your Dr.

I also lost a significant amount of weight in my first tri when PG with DS. I can tell you that I didn't even reach my pre-pregnancy weight until 20 weeks, but eventually gained 40 from my start weight (plus the weight I gained back). My Dr never expressed concern as I "made up" what was lost and I obviously ended up gaining plenty in the end!

littlemissluc · December 2014

@somerandomchick‌ I didn't mean to insult anyone and I very well know what IUGR is and how it happens and I didn't mean to say that these are the main reasons that it happens but if we are talking weight gain issues than only not enough intake can cause this to happen if everything else is fine. Not to mention all the other problems. I am really sorry if I ofended you, it was by no means my intention. I apologize.

miahbelle · December 2014

I lost 10lbs due to morning sickness. I'm almost 20 weeks now and have only put back what I lost and 1lb. My midwife is fine with it. You just need to ask your doctor.

Eta: I didn't read any previous responses. In a hurry this morning and just wanted to let you know my experience.

JMichl · December 2014

I think the best measure is how the baby is doing. I lost 20 lbs in the first 10w. I'm now 20w and still -15 lbs from my start weight, but baby boy is in 65th percentile on size and very active. My doctor doesn't seem the least bit worried. If your baby is growing and thriving, don't stress about your weight- it won't help either of you!

JaneShops · December 2014

Everyone is different, especially in terms of weight. Listen to your doctor, and be diligent with your prenatal appointments. They'll be tracking your baby's development, regardles of your weight

JaneShops · December 2014

Everyone is different, especially in terms of weight. Listen to your doctor, and be diligent with your prenatal appointments. They'll be tracking your baby's development, regardles of your weight

ClareH1217 · December 2014

Yep, listen to your doc. I'm also 19 weeks and have only gained about 3 lbs, but I was a little overweight to begin with, so my doc isn't worried. I blame the lack of beer

somewheresublime86 · December 2014

ClareH1217 said:
Yep, listen to your doc. I'm also 19 weeks and have only gained about 3 lbs, but I was a little overweight to begin with, so my doc isn't worried. I blame the lack of beer

Ha! Totally. The lack of wine in my life has probably been the reason I haven't gained more yet. I'm replacing my wine handles with baby :-)

Blergbot · December 2014

I lost ten pounds in the first tri and, as of my last doctors visit, had only put one back on. I discussed my concerns with my OB. For one, I was a little overweight to begin with, so he didn't even bring up my weight loss until my last visit. What he recommended for me was to eat 6 small meals a day. Easier said than done, but I'm a couple weeks ahead of you, and my appitite has picked up a little in the last week. Basically, keep informed/updated with your OB, monitor your weight and don't stress too much about this.

Mushibamboo · December 2014

@littlemissluc‌--my twins are at risk for IUGR because of marginal cord insertion, not because of my nutritional decisions. I don't really understand if you were retracting your statement or apologizing. I would suggest more tact in the future. As @somerandomchick‌ said, it is great when your body/systems behave the way they are supposed to and support a healthy pregnancy. When they don't it is more than terrifying.

OP, I agree that this is a question best left to a medical professional.

ETA: Sorry if this comes off as butthurt ... I worry about this a lot and that post about IUGR rubbed me the wrong way.

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