18 Weeks and I've Already Gained 15Lbs!

Didn't realize how old the posting was till I was done. Oh, well. Maybe this will help some other new mom.

Some people are just gainers no matter what they do. I have three children and I gained 50 or more pounds with each. I had a different lifestyle and job for each. I am a middle school teacher which doesn't leave much room for snacking "whenever." I ate pretty healthy meals, but did not skimp if I was really hungry. I still gained about 53 pounds.
Don't worry about it. Just don't be too lazy after the baby is born. My baby is about 5 1/2 months now and I am doing poorly on losing the weight. Age is also a factor. The older you are, the harder it will be to lose the weight.

I had trouble, too. I gained a lot. Only one of my doctors said a word about it. I just tried to be more careful, and watch what I ate. You'll be fine, just enjoy this time.

I gained most of my weight in the beginning of the pregnancy and lost weight towards the end. I wouldnt worry about it too much. Just eat what you are actually hungry for. Eat more small meals not just 3 big meals a day. Good luck.

Debbie, 25 yrs old, stay at home mama, mother to 3 yr old son, married 5 yrs

They can recomend whatever weight they want, but EVERYONE is different. As long as you are eating right, and you are doing ok medically, don't worry about it. With my first pregnancy I gained 51 lbs, with the second I gained 68 lbs, and with my third I gained 78 lbs. My blood pressure started to go up at the VERY end of my third pregnancy (the last 7 days), but diabetes or anything. With the first two, the weight just fell off afterwards though I am having a problem getting rid of the weight after the third. I cannot diet until I am finished breast feeding, so I'm trying not to stress about it until then.

As long as you are healthy and your baby is healthy, DON'T WORRY! You are going to stress about a million other things, so take this off your list.

I think the size of your baby can have a lot to do with it too. Mine were #1: 8lbs 12.5oz, #2: 8lbs 9.4oz, #3: 10lbs 11.4 oz.

I gained alot of weight with both kids. I gained 95 lbs with my first and 70 with my second. I had a nurse practioner tell me I was gross and to make a meal chart. I was sooo upset but I did it when I went back I showed my Doctor who said I was eating fine and that the nurse was wrong to speak that way. My doctor told me that sometimes your body changes and keeps all the food that is taken in. Unlike when you aren't prego and it is burned off or released. Don't worry your self over weight enjoy yourself and look forward to a healthy baby.

J.,

i gained 12 pounds in the first 12 weeks with my oldest son. I only gained 21 punds total. don't obsess about how much weight you do or do not gain during your pregnancy. Especially your first one. Every woman's body is different and so is each pregnancy. If you are still worried at your next appointment, ask your doctor about it. They may be able to give you some advise.

Just remember, pregnancy is the only time in your life that you are able to help in the creation of a miracle. Treasure it.

J.,
Hopefully your doctor sat you down when you first became pregnant and laid out a recommendation on how much weight you should gain. Of course it depends on your starting weight. When I got pregnant, I weighed 122. My doctor considered me "underweight" for my height and recommended I gain 45 pounds. I ended up gaining 50. It sounds like a lot, but some women need to gain that weight. If you're watching what you eat and you're still gaining more weight than you expected, your body probably needs it. 18 weeks...that means you are halfway through your pregnancy...15 pounds doesn't sound bad at all.
If you're still worried though, maybe try some yoga. I bought a yoga video designed for pregnant women and did that each evening before bed. It's good for your current health and good for making your body strong for labor.
Just enjoy your pregnancy and eat all of the things that are good for your baby, and an occasional treat that's good for YOU! This is an exciting time...I remember how it feels.
Congratulations!

Don't worry!! I never gained any less than 50lbs. with any of my children. I just had a baby girl 4 months ago and when i was 12wks along i had already gained 14lbs. If you are feeling a little yucky (morning sickness or tired) you might not be as physical as usual. When you get to be 5 or 6 months along you will know the sex of the baby and you will feel better and be out shopping and picking out stuff for your baby shower. That will slow down your weight gain and get you in good shape. Have fun and congrats!!

During my pregnancy, I gained 55 lbs but then 2 days after I came home from the hospital - I was wearing the jeans I wore before my pregnancy - not sure how that happened! I continued to lose the baby weight and I'm not a very active person. I have a desk job a long commute so I don't have a lot of time to exercise. A friend of mine gained 80 with her pregnancy. She lost hers within a year after the baby. Everybody's different. I thought I was gaining too much but the doctor said it was normal. I wouoldn't stress too much over it. That was my first pregnancy too.

hi J.,
when i was pregant i was gaining 15ib a week. hey didnt catch on to the fact that mnaybe i was putting on the weight so rapidily for a reason, they tested me for diebetes at 26 weeks and my sugar level was crazy i got put in the hospital, becasu ethe dibetes caused me to get a infection and i went in to premature labor. they were able to stop the baby from coming but i was put on insolin and watch three times a week. the day i gave birth i had gained a total of one hundred pounds. so maybe you should ask your doctor to do the test early?

Everyone gains differently.I have had 3 kids and with each there was always 1 trimester that I really packed it on.But the other trimesters were either within a normal range or under the normal range(morning sickness).Also if you started out overweight then you won't put on as much and vice verse if you were underweight before pg you will gain more.Don't worry.As long as you're eating properly everything will be fine.You will have plenty of time after the baby to get into the shape you want to be in.

I gained about 45 lbs with my first,I think its normal. Congratulations!

Hi J.,

I'm 35 and just had my first baby on Aug. 21. She is amazing! as was the whole experience. I understand how disconcerting it is to gain so much weight so quickly. Before I got pregnant I was consistently between 155 and 163 depending on the season, time of month, etc. (I'm 5'10"). My first mo. I gained 10 pounds, my second month I gained 10 pounds and my third month I gained 12 pounds. I could not believe it was happening as I was sick and throwing up the entire first trimester! At each appointment my doctor would give me warnings and words of concern for how quickly I was gaining weight. All in all at the end of 9 months I had gained 47 pounds. It started slowing down my second trimester even though I was eating much more food--I gained 10 lbs during the second trimester and the same during the third.

Try not to focus on your weight, but more on your nutritional needs. There is so much research that says a pregnant woman needs 70-100 grams of protein a day. I thought it would be hard to eat that much, but it is not. Stay away from junk food, fruit juice, and eat lots of veggies, fruits, meat, whole grains and you'll be fine. Your body will handle labor much better and your baby will develop well. Ignore your doctors frowns! Ignore your friends encouragement to eat "whatever you want" and just eat as much healthy food as you want. My weight is coming off quickly (breast feeding helps!). It has taken about 5 weeks to get out of my first trimester maturnity clothes and I'm now into the larger sizes I wore before I really started showing. I'll be able to exercise after my 6 week postpartem visit and think I'll drop the 2 clothes sizes I gained pretty quickly.

For me part of having a baby is trying to accept the fact that my body will not be exactly like it was before, but having Meg more than makes up for it!!!

It helped to make a joke out of the weight gain with my husband. We kept trying to guess when I'd break 200 on the doctor's scale :). Hang in there and don't starve yourself. Your body needs to change so your baby can grow and be healthy.

Best of Everything!
D. B.

Hi J.!

With my first son I gained 75 lbs... with my second, 65 lbs and with my third 40! So, I guess I learned a little along the way. Within a year of having my first I lost 80 lbs (I was only 23)... with my second I held onto the last five and this time around I've lost all the baby weight plus the 5 I had been carrying... It's a lot harder at 35 :)

Anyway, don't worry about it... I think worrying only makes you focus on it more and that's not going to do you any good... if you don't already walk a little bit. Also, babyfit.com is a great website that helps with nutrition and exercise during pregnancy.

Good luck... and remember the only important thing is a healthy baby... the weight will come off :)

When I walked into my doctor's office for the first time, I weighed 100 lbs, and I looked like like a little girl, apparently. The doctor said, "Now, I don't want you to go splurging. Just cause you're pregnant doesn't mean you have the freedom to gain 50lbs...I know how you teenagers are!" Someone hadn't told her I was 20 years old, common-married for three years, and owned my own business..lol.

I gained 88 lbs, and my body did not start returning to its normal state until I stopped breastfeeding ten months after my daughter was born.

I did eat whatever I wanted whenver I wanted- a quart of ben and jerry's ice cream once a day, a half gallon of chocolate soy milk at a time, salads with shrimp and artichokes smothered in creamy dressings, lots of chocolate and LOTS of cheerios for my nausea...

What I'm saying is that your body has its own idea of what's going on, and you have enough on your proverbial plate to be stressed over weight gain. When you're holding that healthy baby, you are not going to thinking about the pounds that came with her/him.

One piece of advice about handling the heaviness that you're about to be carrying around- Walk it Off. When you feel uneasy- especially when that kid gets up under your ribcage (oof!)- take a walk. It will increase your oxygen all over, make you feel calmer, and increase your endurance for the big day: ) Also, when anyone bugs you about having too much weight, you will know that if it wasn't coming off with moderate exercise, it wasn't SUPPOSED to: )

congratulations and good luck!!

i found after 4 pregnancy i found if i was hungry eat...not the time to worry..give your self a break...later in the pregnancy it will slow down...the only way to enjoy it is only stress if it a major thing...relax and enjoy!

I had the same problem. I ended up gaining 40lbs with my first pregnancy! The doctors kept trying to get me in to nutrition specialist and all kinds of stuff. I was embarrased, plus I kept feeling all kinds of emotions probably 90% hormonal lol. Turns out I just had a big baby. She was 9lbs 10oz at birth. I ended up loosing like 15lbs just giving birth from her wieght plus all the other stuff you loose then lol. Which put me from gaining 40lbs to gaining 25 which is normal. Dont know why they couldnt figure that out before making me nutty.

I think everyone gains differently. They give you suggestions on the websites and in books about patterns for gaining at different points in your pregnancy. I have 2 kids and am pregnant again. With all 3 I had gained at least 6 pounds BEFORE my first visit - the time when you aren't "supposed" to really gain much. In fact many complain about losing from throwing up. In my case, I can only keep from throwing up by eating nearly constantly. Now, I have been lucky in mostly wanting healthy foods - fruits, veggies, veggie soups, ice water, cheese. But it always looks like I'm starting on track to gain a ton. By the time I break into my second trimester, I start slowing down though and would go many weeks losing a pound (not because of dieting!) or just holding stable for several weeks. Periodically I'd have a little spurt and gain a couple pounds and then I'd hold again. I never had huge gains in my 3rd either - by that point you've got more frequent visits, but I never really gained more than about 1 or 2 pounds between any 2 visits and some I'd gain none. In total, I gained 28 with my first and 23 with my second (but they are only 17 months apart and I never lost the last 5 pounds before getting prego again so I figure I gained basically the same both times). Try not to worry too much. Ask your doctor about his/her thoughts and just make sure you are eating foods that have plenty of good things for you and baby. As long as you aren't eating all junk food, it shouldn't be a problem. If you are still concerned, maybe you can find a way to add a little walk into your routine or some yoga to help burn a few calories before you gain them. A short after dinner walk with your husband might be a nice way to help your body feel good and spend time visiting with your husband. Plus, it might help you sleep extra good at night.

With both of my kids I gained tons of wieght through out the pregnancy. I was definatly 20 lbs by 20 weeks. My midwife did not seem to have a problem with it. I always said that I would rather have to lose a few extra pounds than barf the whole first trimester. Now I am 10 weeks post partum. I ended up gaining 50 lbs over my pregnancy and now I have 20 to go. I feel pretty good about that since am nursing and have nopt really started dieting. Don't worry unless the doctor does and tell anyone who says "wow you're big" to go to h-e- double hockey sticks ;) that is what I did..

good luck you are not alone!!!

Ok...This is so normal....When I was at my first appt at 11 weeks, I had gained 3 lbs since pre preg...At my next app which was at 16weeks, I had gained 9 more..that is 12 lbs in a alittle over a month....Total, I had gained 57lbs....And I still felt good..I showed in the belly only. within a few weeks after giving birth...I had lost all but 15 of those lbs.....I am def still working that off, but every woman is different..You could gain your weight now, and not gain in some months, or you could gain or lose in the next following months.......You are eating for two, but dont worry about it....You Dr. will let you know if he is concerned about it....And also dont let people tell you that you prob have gestational diabetes....Cause EVERYONE told me i did including the doctor, until I was tested I was fine......

J.,
Quit worrying! Your body is going through some pretty major changes right now. They say you should gain about 30 lbs over 9 months. You're halfway through so I wouldn't worry too much unless the doc starts worrying.

With my first son, I was 100 lbs when I got pregnant. I was 168 when I checked into the hospital LOL. When I checked out I was already down to 135. I never lost all 68 lbs, but I was rail thin to begin with so I really needed the extra 15 I kept. (Mostly in my breasts and butt, they were non-existant before pregnancy)

With my second son, I only gained about 20 lbs. The doc kept telling me I was going to have a tiny baby if I didn't pack on the weight. My son was born just 3 days past my due date, at 8lbs 8oz.

Don't worry too much about weight gain. There really is no magic number and genetics has a lot to do with it. Ask your sisters, mom, grandma, etc about their pregnancies. I'd bet you're right in line with at least one of them!

Good luck and just let yourself enjoy this awesome time!

T.

Watch your fruits and white bread. I ate a lot of oranges, and white bread with peanut butter due to morning sickness. Once I cut back my weight gain got better.

Not to be funny, but this is the ONLY time in a woman's life where gaining weight is OK. I did the same thing with my daughter and they sent me for different tests because they thought something was wrong. It ended up that my daughter was 8lbs 6 oz. at almost 1 month early. You may just be carrying a big baby.

I am sure it will all work out. There are months that you seem to gain more than others.

Congrats and Good luck!

I wouldn't worry about weight gain. For my first pregnancy I started at 118, by the end I gained nearly 50 pounds. I had a single child, who weighed 8 pounds 11 oz. Every person is different, and every pregnancy is different. Unless your doctor becomes alarmed, I would not be concerned.

Here's to a healthy pregnancy! :-)

hey that's fine!!
if you feel like you aren't overdoing it, you're probably right!
i gained about 50 pounds and still felt and looked great.

don't worry about it, the extra stress won't help!!
it's more important that you & baby are healthy!

J.,

I just had my first son 4 months ago. I gained 5 pounds within the first 9 weeks and consistently gained about a pound a week until it just tapered off towards the end. Total, I gained 23 pounds. So, I was right around where you are now at 18 weeks. It sounds to me like you are right on track. I didn't go really crazy with the eating either. I just made sure that I did eat and didn't skip meals...ok, maybe I had a lot more dessert than prior to pregnancy but it was the holidays:) I wouldn't worry. They say that 30 pounds is the average weight gain and that's pretty good. Your about halfway thru your pregnancy and half of 30, so you're doing awesome. Enjoy this time!!!
N. W

Enjoy your pregnancy - don't get overly anxious about statistics & numbers. Eat healty, exercise, indulge your cravings - I think cravings are a true sign of what a baby needs. :) Have fun... let the life inside you grow & don't worry about the rest! :)

J.,

I think it's normal - especially with your first pregnancy. I gained 30 pounds total throughout my pregnancy, and everything was fine. As long as your doctor doesn't seem concerned, don't worry too much about it. It is always best to focus on what you eat (protein, not too many sweets, etc.) when pregnant but it is also okay to indulge a little. I have a 5 month old and I have to say, like every other mother generally does, it is all worth it and such a blessing. Becoming a mother is such an exciting time.

Keep calm and take care!

T.

i would not worry. with all 4 of my children i gained at least 40 pounds! 15 pounds at this point is nothing. try not to think about how much weight you're putting on but rather about how healthy and happy that little baby is and will be from having such a healthy mom! good luck.

I gained 55 lbs my first time and it took FOREVER to get it off. I still had 10lbs that never left. I thought I learned the first time but I didn't and 10 years later I gained 40 the 2nd time. It has taken forever to lose it. Thanks to a qiuck 12 lbs that left because I had my tonsils removed. I still have that same 10lbs to go. I am not into working out.
I always went by the old saying "You are eating for two". I might be a little harsh now but really REALLY watch what you are eating now. Eat healthy with small meals. You are NOT eating for two. You are eating for you and a tiny little person who doesn't require alot of food, just healthy food. Trust me, unless you are a fitness freak it is going to be so hard to lose the weight which will only make you more depressed 4 months ater giving birth. I have lots of friends who put on weight and never took it off. Then they get so depressed about being overweight they eat more!!
Your friends and family aren't going to tell you to put down the 2nd slice of cake you have to do it by yourself. And remember, you gain ALOT your last trimester.
Now put down the bag of Doritos and go for a walk with your husband,dog,friend,ipod,whatever......just walk!!

Good Luck!

i'm currently 30weeks and i gained alot of weight during my pregnecy. And my doctor hasnt complained or said that it is un normal. But i have a daughter too adn it was the same with her. Its gonna happen when your feeding for two. Just watch what u eat and dont worry do some exercise or walking and you will be all right it just might be water weight.