I've only gained 4lbs. through my whole pregnancy?

Question

I'm 33 weeks now and I was just at the doctor's yesterday. I've only gained 4 and a half pounds through the whole thing! Now this is my second pregnancy and I gained about 35-40 lbs with my first. When I started with this one I still had all my "baby weight" on because my daughter is only 16 months now...never really got a chance to lose it. My doctor said the baby felt about average in size and had a normal heartbeat and everything. But she also said that I NEED to put on more weight because I only have about 7 weeks left. But I don't understand how I haven't been gaining because I eat until I'm full-almost stuffed!-every meal....I've actually been kinda piging-out lately.

Anyone else experience this? I just think it is strange for anyone (overweight or not) to not gain basically any weight through a pregnancy....

Answer 1

If you start a pregnancy overweight sometimes the body regulates itself and only gains what it needs. If you have been eating healthily, your baby is probably quite fine. Just keep eating when you're hungry. If you've been tested for anemia, and you keep your fluid intake up to what it should- don't worry. Doctors like to make big stinks about anything that doesn't conform to the norm.

My friend's mother LOST 60 lbs when pregnant with her 3rd and had a perfectly healthy 9 lb baby boy. She just couldn't keep anything down. You just watch- come delivery, I bet you will be 30 lbs lighter after losing all of the fluids and baby. You'll be back to your pre-pregnancy weight 2 babies ago!

Answer 2

My first pregnancy I lost 30lbs and regained only 10 by the end; my son was 8lbs 2oz and I was as skinny as I had been in grade 9 *lol*. This pregnancy I have been within 10lbs of my starting weight the whole time. Some weeks I am up 5, some weeks I am down. I spent most of the first trimester down 10, I was up 10 very briefly around 4 months.

I'm now almost 7 months and at last check I am back where I started *lol*. As long as you eat well the baby will gan the right amount of weight. You may loose some weight due to changes in metabolism and whatnot. This is NOT a concern unless you were underweight to start with. The midwife I am using this time doesn't even do weight checks.

Sadly though most OBs and Doctors know nothing about nutrition so the only thing they can go by is weight. Most midwives would have you keep a food diary instead. That is something you can do, keep a food diary and make sure you are getting enough fruit, veg, and protein. Eating unhealthy foods just to gain weight, particularly at the end of pregnancy when you tend to be able to eat only limited amounts of food is not good for you or the baby. Make everything you do eat as nutritious as possible, add a small amount of healthy fat (like olive, flax or fish oil), and you and the baby will be healthy.

Then you just have to argue with the OB who probably will want to induce for a "small baby" due to "low weight gain".

Answer 3

I haven't experience this, but I had a friend who ended up losing weight during her pregnancy and her baby was fine and normal weight. Of course, she was overweight, so maybe that was a factor. I am also 33 weeks now, and have already gained close to 35 lbs...eeek. I was thin starting out, so maybe that was a factor. As long as your doc says everything is ok, I would not worry, though. I seem to have no problem at all gaining weight..even when I have been exercising and trying to eat healthy, so maybe I am not the best one to tell you how to gain weight. Perhaps, eating more meals or snacks throughout the day will help. Good luck to you and your little one! =)

Answer 4

Actually it is very normal to not gain as much weight if you are over weight.

Stop pigging out - you don't need to pack on a lot of pounds (your doctor is crazy for saying you do)

If you are really concerned about your weight keep a food diary and an activity diary - I bet running around after you 16 month old helps you burn lots of calories - your baby can be gaining weight while you are losing it

That's what I am going through at the moment - my baby is getting bigger - i get weekly ultrasounds - but I'm losing 2-4 lbs a week because of a change in my diet and an increase in my activity cause I am over weight and have gestational diabetes


Good luck and try not to worry

Answer 5

You lost weight on your body as you gained weight for the baby. That is usually why some woman gain little to no weight during pregnancy. Thats what happened to my cousin. She was a little heavier then normal when she got pregnant and when she had the baby hadn't gained any actual weight. It all went to the baby and she had a normal 7 lb 9 oz baby girl. Don't worry to much. Eat what you can and make sure its healthy for you both and that should be good enough.

Answer 6

Im 20 weeks and am still negative 6 lbs from when I first became pregnant....I lost 10 and gained 4. The doctor said that my babys healthy and the pregnancy is going well aside from the low lying previa and the placenta attaching upfront instead of in the back or side. If you dont gain weight then you dont gain weight! As long as you're eating healthy and feeding that little one!! :)

Answer 7

I don't want to alarm you but that same thing happened to me. They kept telling me that the baby had a good heartbeat and was growing but I had only gained 6 pounds and I was in my 8th month. I kept telling the doctor that I was concerned but he said the baby was fine yet I didn't even look 5 to 6 months pregnant. The more I worried about it the more adamant he got that the baby was ok. On the due date of my baby, it died in the womb. I carried it full term and it died. They don't do inducing for a dead fetus since if you don't go into labor they have to take it c section then so I had to wait for my body to go into labor on its own. That took 21 days which is the usual time a body will go before it decided that the pregnancy is bad and will abort it. The xrays that they did while I was waiting for the documented proof of a dead baby showed that all the bones were in place and fine. The 24 hour urine even showed that there was the proper increase from one week to the next so they did the proceedure that takes the fluid out of the belly into the womb and it showed a bloddy substance which proved that the baby was already decaying in the womb. The autopsy's report stated this: "The fetus starved to death due to improper connection of the feed line to the placenta. As long as the fetus didn't need a whole lot of nutrients as in the beginning stages of pregnancy, it survived ok but when it needed those extra nutrients to gain weight with, it couldn't get them so it starved. If this fetus had been taken in the 7th or 8th month, then the baby could have had the chance of survival." All my worry was justified but the doctor didn't want to be told that the patient was smarter than he was. Therefore, he killed my baby by not making sure it was really ok. I truly hope that is not the case with you, but I strongly suggest that if you have any concern at all that you seek a different OB's advise. A second opinion is perfectly fine in the concern of the baby's life. My son was delivered only weighing 2 lbs 11 oz and yet he was a full 21 inches long. That is why I didn't gain weight but my tummy still grew. It couldn't grow out farther since the baby didn't gain any fat on its bones to allow it to take up more space in the womb. I never had another son. Good luck and use your woman's intuition and motherly instincts too. That is why God gave them to us.

Answer 8

I started out a little overweight as well. My doctor told me I should gain no more than 15-20lbs. max. That's pretty much the weight of the pregnancy itself when you count the extra fluids and everything, and not a lot of room for lots of extra weight. In my first trimester I lost 15lbs. at the drop of a hat - I was severely sick and had a lot of trouble keeping anything down. Now I'm back to about where I started, and I don't expect to gain a gigantic amount of weight. It's unusual, I think, for a doctor to demand that you gain a lot of weight so suddenly. Seven weeks isn't a very long time to gain it in anyway.

Answer 9

I would not worry at all. I am 36 wks and still 14 lbs below my pre-preggers weight. My dr says that as long as she is growing normally, there is no significant risk, but you should try not to "loose" weight. When your body breaks down fat, it release the toxins held therein. That is not good for baby.

This is our 4th little girl, and I have lost weight with each pregnancy but the first (gain almost 60 lbs...lol). My babies have all been over 9 lbs and very healthy.

Lots of luck!!

Answer 10

you're so fortunate you could fret in any respect!! i understand some women purely benefit 10-15 pounds during the full being pregnant! I desire i improve into such as you, does not count what I eat or how a lot I constantly benefit a lot for the duration of being pregnant, however the best factor is I lose acceptable when I even have the toddler! good success to you and don't be concerned approximately it in the adventure that your wellbeing care expert isn't. My sister is nineteen weeks and he or she remains at 115pounds i think of she gained a pound or 2. :)