newly pregnant with #5 and lots of anxiety

[shannonsik]

Hi everyone,
I am newly pregnant with our 5th-just found out. This is weird but I have all this anxiety at the moment over weight gain. I had gained about 40+ with my other ones and had taken most of it off after each one. However, after my 4th I took most of it off, got pregnant and miscarried(gained a bit) and then just dropped to my lowest(and healthiest) weight since high school. I just finished a round of P90X and have just got my first set of cathe's videos so I am really excited. I have been exercising sort of fanatically and have a really comfortable routine now. The problem is there is no way I should continue the way I have been(exercise-wise) so I know the weight will come back fairly quickly. I have a healthy diet now thanks to the Abs Diet for Women. Hopefully I will be able to follow the principles in there as the weeks progress. I guess my question/issue is has anyone felt this way? Like you put in all this work and now sort of have to go back again to the "old ways"? It's like I am paranoid that I will just go crazy and eat and eat like I did with my others. Don't get me wrong, I want this baby to healthy more than anything and I think that I now have very healthy eating habits and am very fitness oriented so things could be quite different this time arouns. It is just that I have been through the whole post partum thing before and I get really down about how much I let myself go while pregnant.
Sorry this is long. I just am a bit hormonal now and am hoping someone could relate. Any advice, encouragement or personal experience would really be appreciated. Thanks a bunch,
Shannon

 

[MSJ]

Yes, I stress out about weight gain each time I get pregnant. And 40+ does not seem bad to me, because I've had 6 children and the least I gained was 45. The most was 80 (very stressful pregnancy). After that brush with obesity, I did lose weight and am back in my normal size. With diet and exercise, it can be done.

When I'm pregnant, I always gain a lot during the first trimester because I'm so sick and can only eat what I can eat and usually it's not healthy. Second and third trimesters I can eat healthy if I try, but I just get so HUNGRY. It's like nothing I experience when not pregnant.

I'd say that since you have developed good eating and exercise habits, keep them up as much as you are able and let the pounds fall where they may, so to speak.

You will be able to lose weight post partum, so try not to stress too much. You've done it once already, you can do it again and probably easier this time, because you'll be in better shape to start with.

Children are a blessing--congratulations.

Maggie

 

[jennifersmom]

Shannon,

I agree with Maggie 100%. Eat healthy ( as much as you can with
food aversions, etc) and the weight will come on to support the
pregnancy. You know it will and can come off. I know how you feel
and its probably excaberated now because of the hormones but you
know this feeling too will pass. Once you get past the first few months or not even that long you will feel better. Especially because
you have children to preoccupy you. I remember worrying early on too.
I am 35 weeks pregnant and my daughter is 18 months old. I was
back in shape and learned I was pregnant. You will be just fine!!
Congratulations to you!!
My husband and I were undeicded up until last night
on baby names for a girl. It is so hard for us for some reason probably because we want to make sure she is not picked on or
the name is not continually mispelled/pronounced. We decided on
Shannon Marie. Its funny because I never see it/hear the name
and then read your post. I imagine you like it too? Let us know how
you are doing.

Jennifer Claire 12/24/2005
? 8/10/2007

 

[shannonsik]

Thank you so much to both of you for responding. I definitely can feel the hormones kicking in. I keep reassuring myself that I have done this so many times already so I should expect these sort of anxious thoughts but it was bothering me. I am going to try and stick with my current healthy eating and adjust the exercise as time goes on to what feels right. I failed to mention in my original post that I am also "high risk" due to past early deliveries and a couple of significant post partum hemmorhages so my doctor is not a fan of me exercising very much. I will have to talk to him a little more about it this time around.

Jennifer, my name is actually Shannon Marie as well! You really don't see too many Shannons, I was the only one in all my years of schooling(k-grad school!). My children all have fairly traditional but definitely not "popular names" which I like.

Anyway, thanks so much once again,
Shannon

 

[MSJ]

Shannon--

If you are high risk, I'd definitely listen to your doctor. Just like losing extra pounds post partum, you can start the exercise habit again, by starting slowly. Just keep it in your mind that it is a temporary and needed break, if you have to stop entirely.

I always lose a certain amount of fitness during pregancy due to physical limitations (back pain and shortness of breath mostly), but my body always "remembers" and I regain my former fitness within a few months post partum.

One thing I do while pregnant is a lot of stationary biking, which I normally dislike because of the boredom factor. I'll watch workouts that I can't do at the time to keep me inspired.

One more thought, I think that diet is atleast as important as exercise, if not more so.

take care
Maggie