Still not gaining enough at 23 weeks..

[Lewa]

Hi..
Sorry to ask about this again, but I am now 23 weeks pregnant and have still not "cought up" with my weight gain as my midwife said I would when I asked her about it at my 17 week appointment. I have so far gained 7lbs, about half of what is recommended, and I am not overweight and quite tall at 5'8".
I've gained about 2 lbs the last month..
According to everything I can find online I've gained to little, almost half of what is considered healthy at this stage..
I am very happy about it but also concerned my baby might get a low birth weight.

When did most of you gain the most weight? Is it still possible that I'll gain it all in the 3rd trimester? at this rate I am gaining to little based on how much placenta, amniotic fluid uterus baby etc should weigh at the end... even after subtracting the lbs of fat you're supposed to gain for breastfeeding..

I'm simultanously happy and very concerned..
I'm not sick anymore (only a couple of times the last 5 weeks or so), and not really nauseous either, so can't blame that. Could I simply be eating too little?

 

[BabyBrain]

Try not to worry hun, some women are just blessed. Baby will take whatever it needs from you. My OH's cousin was really skinny before and during pregnancy, she looked like she had a frozen chicken up her jumper lol but baby was still over 7lb.
Everyone is different. I gained a stone in Tri 1 but have only gained 1lb in 4 weeks. I'm not fussed about it, baby is happy and healthy and thats ok with me.
From what I can see the averages and what's considered "normal" in pregnancy tend to be a load of crap xxxxxxxxx

 

[x_larlybelle_x]

I gained loads in the first 20 weeks but have slowed down a lot now. I think I've gained my whole pregnancy weight in the first half so I'll be quite happy if I don't gain anymore. U may be goin the other way. U may get it all at the end.

U don't really wanna up ur food intake if u don't feel like u need it cos it will be wasted calories that u don't use. Pip will let u know of he needs more - ur hunger will take over!

 

[Jaxx01]

Hun honestly dont worry, they will keep an eye on you with measurements etc ... the baby will take what it needs..

If it's any consolation Ive had a massive overhaul of my diet in the last 4 weeks because of being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes and Ive gained a total of 10lb since the start of pregnancy and 6lb(ish) of that is baby! My consultant said its fine as long as scans, measurements etc are ok xxx

 

[Maybe_mummy]

Do you know what? Im classed as 'high risk' as I have a high BMI yet Ive only been weighed once at my booking appointment so I have no idea how much weight I have or havent put on I get asked how Im doing with my eating explained that Im not particularly eating anything else extra or for two and trying to be healthy etc and the docotor asked if I wanted to see a dietcian she said she dosent want me to diet but eat healthy it all confuses me thinking youve not weighed me to know what I have and heavent put on to see if Im gaining too much. The main facotr in all of this is the baby obviously Ive been booked in for extra growth scans so I suppose if they are worried they will do the same for you hunnie so try to not let it worry you too much XXX

 

[Nurse 26]

I am a bit concerned about this too, i have only gained about 3lbs since becoming pregnant, thought it would have been much more by 18 weeks but i'm hoping i will catch up soon. I only started at 7lb10 too so all the charts say i should gain more, midwife weighed me the other day and dint seem bothered though.

I'm sure baby will be getting all its needs as long as you are not leaving yourself hungry. Lewa, your bump looks a good size too from the pics xxx

 

[mustard]

I've just weighed myself out of interest as you have done this thread and I have gained 13llbs so I guess I'm around average (I had a BMI of 23 when it was checked at 12 weeks so I guess I'm around average there as well). I have swtiched fro drinking skimmed milk to whole milk and eating more full fat cheese and stuff than I would have done before I got pregnant, I'm doing it for the extra nutrients rather than the calories but you might find that helps you gain a bit more weight if you are worried. I really wouldn't stress about it, trust your body to give baby everything it needs and eat when you are hungry.

 

[Lewa]

Thanks for the feedback. I'm afraid I don't eat every time I'm hungry though.. Partly because I'm really busy in uni, so I end up going for hours without eating, and partly because I just let myself be hungry.. I think it might be because of a lot of dieting previously, I'm used to not eating despite my belly asking to be fed..

So that is why I worry.. I'm probably eating less than I should and gaining less weight than I should. But whenever I ask a doctor or midwife they seem not to be concerned, but they don't really know what I eat, so how can they know that I'm eating enough?

Yesterday I had 1 tiger roll with ham and cheese for breakfast, then yahoo chocolate milk for snacks/lunch throughout the day while in uni (easy way to at least get some extra calories in w/out spending time eating), another ham and cheese tiger roll around 5-6 pm and sausage and pasta for dinner..
so a normal sized dinner, two tiger rolls and chocolate milk.

Thursday I had 2 tiger rolls w ham and cheese (1 breakfast, 1 lunch), half a potato and fish gratin (dinner), and fresh pineapple w natural greek yogurt w ca 1 tsp sugar. (dessert/evening snack)

How much do you guys usually eat in a day, if you don't mind sharing?

 

[BabyBrain]

I just cannot eat til after 10 and have never done so even as a kid. I'll have toasted oat bread with jam for brunch, something like a ready meal or soup + bread with a milk pudding for lunch, a snack about 3pm, then I'll have dinner around 7-8pm. I eat 6 or 7 oranges or other fruit during the day too
This is a huge amount for me, before I was pregnant I would normally have just one meal a day and no snacks. Hence putting on a stone lol xxxxxxxxx

 

[english rose]

I wouldn't worry. I'm 24 weeks and have only gained about 7 lbs. Remember that your baby's wait will only make up a small section of this at the moment (probably about a lb) so jus because you haven't gained much wait does not mean that your baby isn't the right size.

How were your baby's measurements at your last scan? The midwife will measure your bump to check that things are coming along okay. Just eat healthily and try not too worry too much (though I know this is easier said than done!)

xxx

 

[Laura_C]

I only gained 1lb up to about 20 odd weeks. My midwife wasn't concerned at all, it's because I actually lost about 6lbs in the first Tri then put about 7lb back on gradually. I'm now 39 weeks pregnant and have gained 20lbs in total, it all just started to come on in the last Tri. So roughly about 1st and a half. With my first baby my starting weight was lower and I put on about 2 and a half stone with her. Xxx

 

[Mrs. KM]

I didn't start gaining until about 14 weeks and have now only gained 10 lbs. was only 130 lbs to start (sorry don't know the stone conversion) so not big either. i started eating more because i felt I wasn't getting enough nutrients for the baby. I just bring a huge bag to work and have a snack every few hours - usually fruit, yogourt, granola bars, almonds. I find that has helped. I am sure it is more important to just make sure you are eating decent and eating enough for the baby rather than just how much weight you're gaining. Xx

 

[BevG]

i lost 3kg betweek my 8 week and 16 week appointments, everyone says im getting thinner apart from the bump. ive been sick for most of the time but not pukeing every day or anything that severe.
today i have eaten a blt sandwich for lunch with cherry coke and a bag of wotsits and now ive just attempted fish and special fried rice, i managed the fish but havent even got thru half the rice, so i will have that for supper if im hungry later lol. that will be all for today.

my mw wasnt worried but then again i am quite overweight to begin with and at 5'11 i can carry a fair bit and get away with it. my bmi was 40 i think.

 

[JensBump]

I have gained nearly 20lbs already LOL though I was dieting for a competition (got down to 130lbs) before I got pregnant so blaming some of that on binging after the diet - I eat porridge, almonds and a banana for breakfast, snack before lunch, lunch which today was cheese, bread, tomatoes and banana, snack before dinner, dinner which today is lentil soup and then something before bed - I think everyone is different in appetite and what weight they will put on - someone told me you put on nearly a lb a week in the last Trimester - baby needs roughly 300 calories a day and will take that from what you are eating - you will do without before the baby does - if the MW is not worried I wouldn't be

 

[hellywelly]

I'm now 16 weeks and 2lbs lighter than when I got pregnant! Seeing midwife on Thu but spoke to my cousin who is a nurse today and she said it was no problem (I was also bigger than I should have been when I got pregnant so have some spare!!). I also have a mature student working with me at the moment and she told me that when she came out of hospital after having her first she was a stone lighter than when she got pregnant!! If midwife was concerned she would have let you know. I'd just be pleased at the moment - at least you can still bend over to tie your own shoe laces!!