Weight gain

[Siskin]

I am really happy to be pregnant and know that I am very lucky that it happened for us quickly after starting to TTC. So I appreciate I am very fortunate, and the health of me and my baby is the most important thing, but that said I really just want a moan. My weight gain and flabbiness is really getting me down. I was a size 10-12 before pregnancy and 5'8 so reasonably slim. Before I fell pregnant I had visions of me disguising my pregnancy until I was... oh, I don't know, 20 weeks or something and remaining svelte and toned. HAHAHAHAHA!

The reality is that I have felt too ill to exercise since about 6 weeks pregnant, I've been mainlining crisps and fizzy sweets, and I am now utterly shapeless and flabby. I have a really obvious bump, which the internet tells me I shouldn't have at this stage as I'm a first-time mother. This makes me feel like I've failed somehow - as though I should have had the self control to stay slimmer. I now have no waist to speak of and none of my clothes fit. Everyone in work is staring at my belly and it's only a matter of time before someone asks me outright. I almost feel embarrassed that I'm so big already. I was prepared for putting on weight of course, but I honestly didn't think it'd happen until later and I'm worrying if I'm this big already, how big am I going to get?!

I know this sounds totally shallow, but I am kind of beating myself up a bit for having not done this "better"... I know that is ridiculous but I am a perfectionist and have always been hard on myself. Has anyone else felt like this?

 

[Blueclass]

I have a bump though it's a bloated one not a baby one as this is my first also. I'm a size 14 but did not have a flabby tummy as such. I feel fat and horrible at the moment as it's not a proper bump. Once you get a proper bump you will feel better I'm sure. Obviously being pregnant we are going to put weight on and you should feel better after first tri. Hopefully then you can start exercising again. Or try swimming but take it easy. I think we will worry about these things it's part of being pregnant xx

 

[andreatav]

Oh don't be like that! How far are you? Most people have a lot of bloating to start with. I've started to show more of a bump now (I'm 17+2) but up until about 16 weeks i just felt fat! You probably haven't put much on, since MW weighed me at 8weeks I've only put on 1lb! But every pregnancy is different! And stop googling! It's your worst enemy!xx

 

[sammielou]

I started showing at about 12 weeks. I haven't been throwing up and my eating has been mostly ok. However I haven't had the energy to exercise most of the time. I was a size 12. For about a month now I've used a hair tie to extend the button on my jeans so I could keep wearing them. Have to face facts now and accept that next week I need bigger jeans or else stretchy trousers. I'm not quite 15 weeks yet.

You are soon to enter the second trimester. You should start to feel better (I haven't really, sigh). Perhaps if you feel better you will get better control over the eating and hopefully feel like exercising again. You do need a certain level of weight gain beyond the amnio fluid and actual baby in order to support the pregnancy. Perhaps you've put more of that on early in the game and things will even out going forward.

 

[Siskin]

Thanks guys. I had a look at the bump pictures on the second trimester thread and they actually made me feel a bit better - seems there's a huge variation in what size people are at what stage. I do think a significant amount of mine is bloat as well as flab, and if I didn't feel so puffed out and full of gas all the time I would probably be feeling better! I really hope I start to feel well enough to do some exercise soon though, I am usually quite active and I just feel wrong not doing even any walking. Hopefully the second trimester will bring an improvement...

 

[Phoenix85]

I'm the same.

The other night I weighed myself and was 5lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight already, thankfully the next morning I was only 3lb over my pre-preg weight so 2lb lighter than the night before lol

I've also not felt up to exercising recently and I've been eating junk and drinking cola and orange juice because the nausea and nasty bitter taste in my mouth is sooo bad I've been sucking lollies and drinking fizzy drinks and eating biscuits etc just to try to take the nasty taste away.

I normally eat extremely healthy, only drink water, eat lots of fruit and veg etc, since week 6 that's gone out of the window, the better I eat, the sicker I feel afterwards so have been eating a lot of crisps, pizza, chips & stuff, and feeling guilty about it.

 

[YorksLass]

Siskin, don't worry, you're not alone... I've felt my body has changed radically in the last 2 weeks, so much so that three people have independently just come out and asked me if I'm pregnant :S
I really can't hide it now, it's so obvious, and I've been in maternity jeans for a couple of weeks too!
Hopefully, we will both feel better when it looks more like an obvious pregnancy and the first trimester crappola subsides
I just keep walking the dog to ensure I'm at least getting a bit of exercise and fresh air and doing some gentle yoga at the weekend. Might sign up for pregnancy yoga soon too. xx

 

[umbongo]

You're not the only one. The nausea makes me want carbs and crap and the smell of fruit makes me retch!
I've filled out in the middle (I'm a size 8/10) and look awful. No bump just an extra roll!