How much is your doctor advising you gain?

patti654 · October 2015

Hello, my doctor is advising I only gain 20-25 lb. I have always heard it is 25-35 lbs if you are at a healthy BMI pre pregnancy, which I was. Wondering what other doctors have told you?

llybeck · October 2015

For healthy BMI it's usually 1-5lbs in the first tri and a pound a week after that which, you're right, puts you at 25-35lbs. My doctor hasn't recommended a certain amount to gain in either pregnancies because every pregnancy is so different. What they recommend is just a guideline and as long as you are trying to be healthy, that is what matters most. I wouldn't stress about the difference between 20-25 and 25-35, just do what you can to be healthy.

patti654 · October 2015

I like the idea of gaining a little less, as long as it's healthy for baby. I absolutely don't want a c-section, and since they are more common with bigger babies I figure having a smaller(but still healthy) weight baby might help with this. I have only gained about five lbs at the 16 week mark, so figure I am probably on track to be at the lower end of weight gain.

saladflambe · October 2015

I was told 25-35 (starting from avg BMI), and I had secretly already gained 5. $:\$ ">

DrillSergeantCat · October 2015

I was told no more than 20. I'm 21 weeks now and I've gained 3.5 so I'm good. My doctor isn't one to put a whole lot of emphasis on weight as long as it's not ridiculous, but she also knows that some women, regardless of what they eat will gain a lot.

nbc2015 · October 2015

I'm 20 weeks and have gained 17 pounds! 9 pounds of it all piled on in the past 3-4 weeks. It's so discouraging. I'm probably going to get yelled at by my doctor; she told me to aim for 15-25 pounds for the whole pregnancy. Whoops. Damn you, Halloween candy. Damn you.

FutureMrsCaesar · October 2015

patti654 said:

I like the idea of gaining a little less, as long as it's healthy for baby. I absolutely don't want a c-section, and since they are more common with bigger babies I figure having a smaller(but still healthy) weight baby might help with this. I have only gained about five lbs at the 16 week mark, so figure I am probably on track to be at the lower end of weight gain.

Just fyi the amount of weight you gain doesn't directly correspond to the size of your baby. I only gained 20 lbs with my biggest baby (and started slightly underweight) and almost 30 with my smallest. Lots of women who put on a lot of weight have tiny 6-7lb babies. But I'm with you on keeping the weight gain low just so I don't have much dieting to do after I have the baby. I suck at dieting.

samara267 · October 2015

I don't necessarily think you need to worry about the number on the scale, as long as it isn't something crazy. If you've gained like 100 pounds, I'd hope your doc would say something about it. I think more important than the number is eating food that is beneficial for the baby. I prefer not to eat a bunch of empty calories (other than a bit of ice cream a week or something) and eat food that's actually healthy. I don't believe pregnancy is an excuse to eat whatever we want guilt free. In fact, I try and eat better than normal to provide my baby with the most optimal nutrition that I can.

That being said, if you are eating as many whole foods as you can, and if you aren't eating fast food all the time and are eating foods other than chocolate and twinkies, I think you're doing ok. Everything in moderation, including moderation.

Also, milkshakes are freaking delicious.

ecwk · October 2015

I think my doc said about 25 lbs. I'm 18 weeks and I've probably gained about eight lbs maybe more...
I'd be happy to gain another twenty but after that I think I would feel uncomfortable and disappointed in myself. Then again, this is my first pregnancy so I've no idea really what to expect.

2-Step · October 2015

For my first two my doctor said 30 pounds max. I gained 50 with my first, maybe more, and about 40 with my second both times he gave me warnings as I approached too much, but also kind of said just to try my best to keep it in check. I ate pretty healthy and kept active during both pregnancies and everyone in my family seems to gain 50 pounds with pregnancy so I don't really think there is a whole lot I could've done. I lost it all and more by 5 months postpartum. This time he hasn't brought it up at all. I think he figures I gain what I gain and I haven't had a problem returning to a healthy weight so he isn't going to bother bugging me about it this time around!

macdeezy · October 2015

According to my BMI, I was considered obese.
My doctor recommended I only gain between 11-20lbs.
I'm 25 weeks and have only gained 6lbs.
So I'm pretty happy about that.
I think your weight gain is perfectly normal.

jonesl12 · October 2015

According to my BMI 35 pounds is what's considered normal. I'm up 5 pounds at 14 weeks

llybeck · October 2015

patti654 said:

I like the idea of gaining a little less, as long as it's healthy for baby. I absolutely don't want a c-section, and since they are more common with bigger babies I figure having a smaller(but still healthy) weight baby might help with this. I have only gained about five lbs at the 16 week mark, so figure I am probably on track to be at the lower end of weight gain.

That isn't how that works actually, gaining less weight or more weight doesn't have anything to do with how much the baby weighs, those are separate things. And there are a lot of factors that go into determining if someone needs a c-section, women can birth large babies vaginally without issue and then there are some women (like myself) who have average or small babies and end up needing a c-section for other reasons. Weight of the baby would very rarely be the only factor for someone needing a c-section.

Jules08 · October 2015

My DR doesn't give a number; she just advises to eat what you can if you are feeling nauseated and try to eat healthy the rest of the time.

With my first, I lost 4 in the first tri and then gained 19, so 15 overall. (8 days post-partum I was below my pre-pregnancy weight.) Also, I have plenty of extra ... fluff.

So far with this pregnancy, I am down 12.

misstopsail · October 2015

I'm overweight, so my doctor suggested I gain as little as possible. So far, I'm down 10 lbs from morning sickness, but I'm sure that'll change. He didn't provide a specific number, just reminded me to eat healthy when possible.

roo1oo · October 2015

25-35 lbs. My first I gained 40, with every intention of only gaining 25. The second tri hungries got to me, and then the third tri cravings got me again, but I also gained probably 10 lbs in the last 2 months alone from water weight. So some of your weight gain you won't be able to control. FWIW, my doctor said my weight gain was just fine as long as I was eating healthy and baby was growing fine, which it was. Also, I did not look fat in any way by the end, just really pregnant (just in case thats what you're worried about). I did not have a c-section, and I had an 8 lb 6 oz baby.

Post partum, I lost probably 25 lbs of that weight with no effort at all and very quickly, and then another 10 with moderate effort. That last 5 never really came off but I didn't stress too much about it since I knew I'd have another baby.

This pregnancy I'm finding that when I don't eat enough, I definitely don't feel well. And I haven't gained any weight in the last month, so that says I probably need to eat just a touch more. My doctor didn't say that to me, but going with just the way I feel, that's my take on it.

Don't get too stuck on a number. Get stuck on eating the right foods, and how you feel.

eastdurian · October 2015

Nobody mentioned anything at my appointment.

I ate pretty healthy and walked ~2 miles a day with DD, started at 18 BMI and gained 30 pounds. I don't think I could have gained any less and it all fell right off.

I don't know my BMI this time, it's probably 19-20 because I'd gained a few pounds when I got sick before getting pregnant. I hope to gain the same or a little less.

That being said I try not to weigh myself outside of appointments. I know when I've been "bad" and eaten way too much junk food, I'm trying to watch that and make sure I'm hitting at least 2 miles a day.

amaniupendo · October 2015

I never hVe gotten guidelines. My last doctor was only worried when I put on like 4 pounds in a couple weeks and she had me come back a week later (in which I lost 3 of them) to make sure nothing was wrong. No swelling--just post baby shower bloat.

skc040512 · October 2015

According to my BMI, I'm just over the line into obese. So far this pregnancy, I've lost 17 lbs. In talking to my doctor, he told me to eat healthy and do mild exercise, and not to worry about weight gain. He did add that he thought I'd be fine gaining as little as 10 lbs, but he didn't want me gaining over 20-25.

fourtsixand2 · October 2015

15 lbs....beacuse I'm already fat

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