Overweight/Plus-Size Moms Check-In

expandcontract · August 2016

I took the initiative to host this requested topic. This is my first time hosting so if I'm doing something wrong or have suggestions please let me know.
If you prefer a different title and a have a suggestion, please let me know that also.
We can check in every Sunday.

How are you feeling?
What are you concerns?

MLRocha · August 2016

How are you feeling? I'm feeling very slow and sausage-y. My energy has been returning a bit, but I'm still not 100% myself.
What are you concerns? My biggest concern is gaining too much weight, especially since working out and home cooking meals has seemed like climbing a mountain lately. I had always hoped that I'd be a bit lighter when I got pregnant since I know there are increased risks of GD, etc. So, I'm just going to try to be as healthy as I can but not beat myself up when we end up ordering pizza.

expandcontract · August 2016

@MLRocha that's one of my biggest concerns, too. Before I was pregnant, I was eating a salad nightly with avocados which I truly enjoy. But since the pregnancy, the thought of salads and avocados makes me gag.
I seem to only be able to eat carbs. My doctor's PA didn't seem too concerned. She said that for right now eat whatever your body won't throw up. But now I'm in my 2nd trimester and I'm still very nauseous.

alemarie1 · August 2016

Hello, thanks for hosting the group. I'm 11 weeks edd is 02/22/16. Gained quite a bit of weight in the past couple months due to nausea and not being able to stomach some of the healthier foods. Also, haven't been able to stomach cooking anything so takeout has been my savior...

I have been feeling a little better the past week and have been eating better. Starting again on my exercise routine as well... I finally get to meet with my ob on Tuesday to discuss my concerns about the weight gain... Will let you know how that goes...

angeltennis3 · August 2016

This is my second pregnancy and I had hoped to lose a little bit more weight than I did (I started at the same prepgregnancy weight as I did with my first).

Last pregnancy my doctor suggested I only gain 10-15 pounds, so I am hoping to stay in that range again.

Last pregnancy I really just tried to not increase my calorie intake. The only way I could accomplish this, while still satisfying the increased hunger, was by only adding fruits and veggies to my diet.

This pregnancy has been rough because my nausea has been a lot worse so I eat what I can stomach. I do monitor my weight regularly and have kept consistent with my previous pregnancy so I feel good about where I am at so far. I hope to keep the same trend and will adjust my diet and exercise regimen accordingly if I start gaining too much too quickly.

tishb · August 2016

My doctor suggested for me to maintain/lose 5 lbs during my pregnancy. I lost 5 in the past month, even though I feel like I've only been able to stomach carbs and more carbs. I'm not really working out at all, mostly because I'm still exhausted. I was hoping to lose some weight before getting pregnant, but we nailed it on the first try!

Im feeling sick and tired still. And the only concern I have is that bp will remain low and baby will be healthy!

jab3-2 · August 2016

I'm feeling supersize already. I just feel big and in the way all the time. It's already tough for me to do things like bend over and pick things up, get in and out of bed, move in certain ways etc. I'm so damn tired, sick and moody still. Very very bad back and hip pain too. I feel bad for my kids. I'm already having a tough time lifting them or even having them sit on my lap. I'm also getting a lot of swelling and numbness already. Very sore too, like all my muscles and bones are killing me and sensitive to the touch. I'm also getting oily/greasy skin and breakouts on my shoulders. I normally never break out and have such horribly dry skin. My face seems to be the only other place I'm actually gaining weight though besides my stomach (which is HUGE.) So despite being big already, I actually do look very noticeably pregnant to the point where it's kinda scaring the shit out of me. I get that it's my 3rd and there's bloating and all that, but this is a little ridiculous. I literally look like I'm already in the 3rd trimester. When I tell people I'm not due until February jaws drop.

jab3-2 · August 2016

This thing just cut out half my post. I'll shorten it because too lazy and tired to rewrite everything but that sucks. I'm worried about high cholesterol, high BP, GD, severe lack of energy/mobility etc. haven't had any health issues related to my weight as of yet but worried my luck is bound to run out at some point. Also very worried about the added physical-emotional stress on my body and heart especially. I carry the weight pretty well I think and because of that and the fact that I haven't suffered from any health issues, my docs don't say anything to me. I'm at a dangerously high weight for my height though and if I gain the same amount I did with my first 2 it is not going to be good. I'm pretty bummed because I had started seeing a nutritionist back in November and had already lost 15 lbs but will probably now gain that back and then some. So far, have only gained a pound or 2, but it's still so early so I'm really worried.

feelingjovani · August 2016

This is my first pregnancy and I was working on losing weight before which went well since I had lost almost 40 lbs. Like others, I'm scared of gaining too much weight. My MW said she recommends 12-15lbs when I had my first visit with her. I've always had a hard time with overeating and binge eating and I know (and already have) used being pregnant as an excuse to eat whatever I want. I'm nervous I'm going to end up with a huge baby and/or I'll get GD.

This is also superficial but because I'm already overweight I also have this fear of not looking pregnant. I keep thinking that it'll take forever for me to look pregnant and when I do I'll just be all round and swollen looking.

hispenguin · August 2016

I've been feeling the usual tired. I've also been having some breathlessness when running up and down stairs which is new. My asthma has also gotten worse since getting pg, so it could be that too. It got really bad my first pg so I'm trying to monitor it and see if I need to visit the doctor.

My first pg my midwife told me she didn't want me gaining any weight. I ended up losing weight because I had to change my diet (ie limit all carbs) when I got GD. I also have PCOS so I'm at a very high risk of getting it again. That is what I'm most afraid of. I ended up on insulin every night because of it. I do not want to have to go through that again if I can help it.

So far I have lost a few pounds (constant nausea will do that). I just try and watch what I eat and add more protein and limit the carbs as much as I can.

skiingstark · August 2016

I am feeling pretty tried all the time. I am the in 2nd trimester hoping my energy would come back, but it has not yet. I have only gained one pound so far. So yeah, but I have been slacking on my exercise, it is just too hot! I have a 10k race labor day weekend, so I need to do more. Blah... I wish I lost more weight before I became pregnant but I never lost the weight after my mc, even though I was working out and dieting.

This may sound superficial but I am soo afraid of going into the 200s. I am 5'1 soo that is a lot of weight on my small frame and I am at 191, the most of I have ever weighed. Normally I am in between 170s to 180s.

srscott3 · August 2016

@skiingstark I'm 5'2" and I'm at 189 right now. Going into the 200s will be devastating for me (mentally and emotionally), so I talked to me OB and she suggested doing a weekly weigh in. That way I'm not waiting 4 weeks in between weigh ins with her office. I usually avoid the scale, but so far this has helped me mentally. It just helps diffuse the shock of finding out my weight at the doctor's office

LaurenAshley04 · August 2016

@skiingstark I can definitly relate - my last pregnancy I hit just over 200 the day I was induced and I was crying when I found out. I did end up loosing a lot of what I gained but never got down to pre pregnancy.

I put lots of love its out there! Hopefully they all stick this app is so glitchy!! Thank you so much for sharing this helps me so much!

Feeling
Im feeling really good in comparison to my first pregnancy (Ill all the time). Very tired and achy. But So far it's already smoother. I had a lot of little scares and potential issues. Most of them cleared up but caused a lot of extra precautions and anxiety. I also think I had some depression last pregnancy, which is not present this time. I'm feeling happy and confident in this next change of our life.

Concerns
Weight gain is a huge concern for me. I'm 5'3" and hovering at 196. My midwife has set a goal of no more the 15lbs total gained. I am keeping a much closer check in my thyroid levels this pregnancy and we are already monitoring my blood sugar.
So far it's downright low end of normal so I think that's good. I have a call in them this morning. It's so different in comparison to my checks last time.

Really trying to eat healthy!!

Biggest issue is aches/pains and what I think are very very mild Braxton hicks (when I over do it). I've had like 4 episodes all of which after I have been cleaning my house. So just walking for me, no real added exercise. I'm in 2nd trimester but it's still to early for this!

I do do feel bad though my poor toddler is constantly being told that she's hurting mommy or Fred (Fred the fetus). She's sleays trying to bounce on my belly or swing from me. And it just freaking hurttttssss.

fourPsinapod · August 2016

Hello! I hope it is ok if I join in here. I've struggled with weight for many years - ping ponging from one extreme to the next. During my pregnancy with DD, I gained 75 lbs and maxed out at 215 at delivery. I passed the GD test by ONE point so I'm pretty convinced I probably should not have been eating ice cream every night. It took 2 years for me to lose the majority of the weight but I still was not happy with where I was. I found most of my success came from doing WW or whole30.

After my MC, I gained weight very quickly. Then I also got pregnant right after so I started this pregnancy heavier than I wanted to be. With my nausea, I was just maintaining my weight but now that I'm feeling better, I'm watching the scale creep up and I am very scared I will end up in the same situation as last time. I'm just trying to not obsess over my weight but it's really challenging.

jstringfellow19 · August 2016

@skiingstark @LaurenAshley04 @srscott3 I was the same way last pregnancy. I only gained a total of 11lbs but that pushed me right over 200 and I hated it! I was over 200 when I was in high school and worked really hard to lose weight and I usually maintain 180-185. I am 5'7 and carry my weight different so even at 180 I don't look it, but I've always been so self conscious about the number.

Aside from that though, so far this pregnancy I'm feeling pretty good. I started out 10lbs light than with my first. I seem to lose weight for the most part during pregnancy because I can only eat such little portions of food. My dr hasn't really said anything about what I should gain so I'm just going with it and monitoring my weight. My only concerns this pregnancy is my blood pressure. I take medicine daily but being overweight doesn't help. I check it regularly and it isn't terrible, but I'm sure my dr will up my dosage soon to help keep it down.

Eveinshock · August 2016

I'm in second trimester now and also not feeling well. Still have the major nausea but now I have headaches too. I bought a body pillow yesterday bc my hips also started hurting when I sleep (it helped FYI).

My concerns...well I'm going to focus on the weight related ones bc honestly I'm sure everyone has all the general "I hope the baby is ok" concerns. First I hate that I'm not going to look pregnant until probably well into third trimester. That makes me feel so sad, I hate to admit it bc it just seems so unimportant. But it's not for other people to see me pregnant, I'm upset bc I want to see me pregnant! its my first baby and it still doesn't feel real enough.
Second I'm sad that I, and my husband, won't be able to feel the movement until much later.

And third, the biggest one, is im terrified of labor! I'm scared I'm too weak and out of shape to push this kid out! It's bad. I don't want to think about it I'm gonna stress from now.....

jstringfellow19 · August 2016

Eveinshock said:

My concerns...well I'm going to focus on the weight related ones bc honestly I'm sure everyone has all the general "I hope the baby is ok" concerns. First I hate that I'm not going to look pregnant until probably well into third trimester. That makes me feel so sad, I hate to admit it bc it just seems so unimportant. But it's not for other people to see me pregnant, I'm upset bc I want to see me pregnant! its my first baby and it still doesn't feel real enough.
Second I'm sad that I, and my husband, won't be able to feel the movement until much later.

This is my second and even though it seems unimportant to some it is hard to handle mentally. I didn't show until I was about 30 weeks with my first. No one knew I was pregnant unless I told them. They say with the 2nd you show sooner so I'm hoping for a little more. As far as kicks go my husband could feel them at right around 20 weeks and I was feeling them inside at about 15. I hope that you feel kicks soon. It is a wonderful feeling!

Partyof6? · August 2016

Hi ladies. Big hugs to everyone. With my twins, I was encouraged to gain as much as I could and the day the scale hit 200 I started closing my eyes on the scale. With my second, I started a bit heavier, but didn't gain until like 16 weeks. With this baby, I started out above 200. I have been struggling with my thyroid and my weight the past couple years and weigh more not pregnant than I ever had. I carry all my weight between my boobs and my knees. I am 12 weeks now and have not gained yet, but look like I am much farther along than I am. I guess in that way I am lucky.

I am like 5 years older and 40 pounds heavier than I started last pregnancy. I saw an RE for early pregnancy who never mentioned weight and I will see my MFM Doctor after my next appointment. I don't honestly remember him ever being concerned about weight gain. I hate when doctors give guidelines as if you have complete control over it. Eat healthy, eat what you can and keep moving.

expandcontract · August 2016

@Partyof6? I'm sorry you have thyroid issues. But I completely agree with you about eating healthy, eating what you can. Before I got pregnant, I lost a bunch of weight by eating healthy. I actually ended up enjoying salads a lot. But since the pregnancy, I can't stand salads or avocados or hummus. I told my concerns to my doctor's PA and she told me not to worry about it and with the nausea to just eat what I won't throw up. She didn't seem very concerned about my weight at all and that made me feel better. I think some doctors just get the whole weight issue while others are clueless. Btw, I just saw your baby bump post you made earlier. You look fabulous!!

Edit: Oops! I just realized I repeated a lot of what I just said yesterday!! Sorry about that everyone! I'll blame pregnancy brain for that one!

LaurenAshley04 · August 2016

@Partyof6? Thyroid issues as well. I've noticed pregnancy has been a lot smoother this time as we're keeping my levels far more under control. I have Hashimotos and I've been diagnosed nearly a decade but only needed medication consistently since the birth of my daughter (although I should have had it while I was pregnant but my doctor was uneducated on Thyroids as was I).

Im currently testing my blood sugar 4x a day (Per the OB) and it's currently normal with 1-2 spikes. Apparently sugar issues are very common with Hashimotos/Thyroid issues and is something I will closely monitor pp to aid with weight loss.

lct2008 · August 2016

12w2d haven't gained any weight yet, which is nice. But for some reason this time(3rd pregnancy) I'm like really concerned about it. And then today at my ultrasound they told me when exactly I'd be coming in for more ultrasounds and by the end it's a lot and it's because of my bmi. So I am trying to find the bright side(of having peeks in at the baby) but it definitely kind of made me feel bad almost like a bummer.

Gretchypoo · August 2016

12w 4d here. I've always been really healthy, just bigger. At a size 12 I look great and have a flat stomach. I'm all butt/thighs. But I gained about 60 lbs though when I met my husband due to stress and birth control.

I'm concerned about GD and complications so I'm trying to eat lots of veggies, fruits and lean meats. I feel really lucky though. I have actually lost 5 lbs while pregnant (not puking, just no alcohol and eating healthy) and my blood pressure was 110/70 at my last appointment. My midwives are not concerned about my ability to have a normal, complication free pregnancy and a med-free birth. I want to be more active now that my MS is subsiding so I'm going to walk my dog again and try some prenatal yoga.

Anyone have advice for where to get plus sized maternity clothes? or good exercise videos?

expandcontract · August 2016

@Gretchypoo you're doing great!! Good for you! I'm sorry I don't have any advice on plus size maternity clothes though.

Gretchypoo · August 2016

AfKash said:

@Gretchypoo you're doing great!! Good for you! I'm sorry I don't have any advice on plus size maternity clothes though.

Thanks @AfKash! You are too! I hope you get to eat hummus again soon-- that sh*t is awesome. but I can't stomach it either rn.

Partyof6? · August 2016

The Thyroid issue is newer, my GP had just been treating that for about a year before I got pregnant. I had been planning to go to an endocrinologist because I still was feeling like there was an issue there. My RE has been closely monitoring mine. My levels are normal now on a low dose of Synthroid.

My blood sugar has always been more to the side of low, so I am hoping that this new weight and thyroid thing doesn't mean that I might now be more prone to GD.

If you have a consignment shop that carries maternity, start there. Or post on a local mommy swap board. I am just starting to look and don't look forward to it.

jstringfellow19 · August 2016

@Gretchypoo Old Navy and Target both have plus size maternity. I find Old Navy run rather large in bottoms though. Thredup could be a good place to look too. It's an online thrift store.

alemarie1 · August 2016

@gretchypoo I found a couple things today at Motherhood Maternity but they had a small plus size section. They still had mostly summer clothes and I can't wait for all the fall stuff to come out...

I also ordered a couple things from Pink Blush and I wasn't impressed with the material; they were that slinky material that hugs all the wrong curves lol so I'll be returning them.

expandcontract · August 2016

I am NOT at all looking forward to buying a maternity coat for the winter. This is not going to be easy, I know it.

Gretchypoo · August 2016

Thanks @jstringfellow19 and @alemarie1. I'm still in regular clothes bc I tend to buy "comfy" but I know I'm going to want some jeans soon!

sunshine2417 · August 2016

Oh goodness, I was debating whether joining this group or not because I've always 'hovered' on the overweight/obese line (according to BMI) and unfortunately focus on weight can be a huge trigger for me sometimes as it's tied with anxiety and a lot of family stress (long story short: Dad is Italian and force feeds you 24/7 while mom attempted putting me on a diet when I was 9 and wasn't even fat, and I also feel self conscious around her) So the relationship with food is tied to love and hate. I just got on the scale after two weeks of trying to avoid it and just 'feel good' annnnnd at 14 weeks 3 days I've gained 12 pounds... which means I've officially pushed over that 200 pound mark that has always been 'the line' for me.

When I got pregnant I was already at one of my heaviest weights, and now I've surpassed that. I'm thinking of starting with 4-5 workouts per week and maybe a food journal. I'm SO excited to be pregnant and SO nervous about GD or any miscarriage or form of complications. I just wanna be the best mama possible for this little one, grow a cute bump, and be happy and always project a healthy relationship with food to my child so they don't have to go through these issues too in life :-(

Im sorry for the rant, I'm usually super optimistic and promise to be more so in the future--I think the number not the scale just literally threw me for a loop today. I knew it was coming but was hoping not for a while longer! :-(

Gretchypoo · August 2016

TeacherMom2517 said:

Oh goodness, I was debating whether joining this group or not because I've always 'hovered' on the overweight/obese line (according to BMI) and unfortunately focus on weight can be a huge trigger for me sometimes as it's tied with anxiety and a lot of family stress (long story short: Dad is Italian and force feeds you 24/7 while mom attempted putting me on a diet when I was 9 and wasn't even fat, and I also feel self conscious around her) So the relationship with food is tied to love and hate. I just got on the scale after two weeks of trying to avoid it and just 'feel good' annnnnd at 14 weeks 3 days I've gained 12 pounds... which means I've officially pushed over that 200 pound mark that has always been 'the line' for me.

When I got pregnant I was already at one of my heaviest weights, and now I've surpassed that. I'm thinking of starting with 4-5 workouts per week and maybe a food journal. I'm SO excited to be pregnant and SO nervous about GD or any miscarriage or form of complications. I just wanna be the best mama possible for this little one, grow a cute bump, and be happy and always project a healthy relationship with food to my child so they don't have to go through these issues too in life :-(

Im sorry for the rant, I'm usually super optimistic and promise to be more so in the future--I think the number not the scale just literally threw me for a loop today. I knew it was coming but was hoping not for a while longer! :-(

200 was my line too and I crossed it a long time ago! I remember the feeling and it wasn't good. Just remember that you want to nourish this baby so don't worry about the numbers-- put the scale in the closet and focus on being healthy. I think exercise is a great idea-- just don't push yourself too hard.

Also, if you find yourself with some food/weight triggers that is TOTALLY normal. But if you start to obsess or it controls your day, talk to someone.

I hope this makes you smile ;-)

sunshine2417 · August 2016

Hahahaha thank you @Gretchypoo!!! That meme is hilarious--I love it! So true! Gotta just focus on the positives! I'm happy we have an open group here to chat about things with where people understand the feeling and hopefully we can all help each other out with struggles or setbacks!!

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