Put on way too much weight

B

brigitte_d

Member
Hi everyone,

Thanks for your suggestions regarding postpartum exercise. I really appreciate your help.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll be 39 weeks! I've put on 43 pounds--way too much. WAY. Everything is fine with baby, however: no polyhydramnios or anything like that.

I come from a long line of teeny-tiny ladies, and even my mother-in-law is a tiny, tiny lady (size 1). I was a teeny-tiny lady myself before I got pregnant. Nobody on either side of the family (immediate family, anyway) has ever put on this much gestational weight--and no one before me has ever been particularly exercise- or diet-conscious during pregnancy. AND my mom's and mother-in-law's kids were bigger than mine is estimated to be. So I'm feeling a little distraught over this excessive weight gain, because I've done everything right and don't have a huge baby (per ultrasound estimates).

I guess I just need a little support because I've never been this huge and unwieldy. At least I can still do Cross Train Express (very modified, obviously), which is about the only thing that keeps me feeling really, really good these days.

Shouldn't my doctors be worried about all this weight? It's like they totally don't care if you turn out as a total cow afterwards. Anyone else out there concerned? I'm very concerned.

Thanks again to everyone who posted postpartum exercise advice.

Brigitte.
 
Hi Brigette. Nice to meet you.:)

Every doc kinda has their own ways of looking at things and some things concern them more than others.

I'm 21 weeks pregnant and my doc is monitoring my weight constantly. He recently told me I'm within reason but to be a little careful as to not get out of control. I have gained approx. 17-18 pounds so far and he had told me based on my body type that he wants me to gain 20-25 pounds total. I know that I will go over that now...just hopefully not by too much.

Don't make yourself too crazy over your weight. If you are exercising and trying to keep your diet in check then your body must just be doing what it needs to do. Hopefully it will come off easy after you have the baby!

Your time is coming soon! Best of luck and keep us posted!:7

~Wendy~


http://www.bullmarketer.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/Sports/exercise/thumb_exercise15.gif

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
 
Brigitte,

Ahhh, you've hit a nerve with me (as Wendy knows!). Weight gain during pregnancy is an individual thing for every single woman. Guidelines are whooey, and should be trashed. For one thing, once the weight has been gained, even if it is in excess of what is "considered necessary" for a healthy gestation, there is absolutely nothing a woman can do about it while pregnant! So, making it an issue serves no purpose except to make the woman feel like she's somehow been a "bad" pregnant person; as though we all get graded on how well we conformed to the textbook version of a classic pregnancy! If your doctor is comfortable with the baby's health, than you need to put your weight gain out of your mind, and consider it something to worry about in the post-partum period, once you're feeling energetic again.

If you're concerned that you're never going to be near your pre-pregnancy size again, just because you gained a bit more weight during the pregnancy than you thought you would, well, the logic really doesn't make sense. What your body does while it's pregnant has no bearing on what it does when you're not pregnant. Don't assume that because your body went into weight-gain mode during pregnancy that it will never go back to it's normal weight-control mode. You did not gain 43 pounds of fat!!!!!!!! You may have gained a bit of fat, but it's your body's way of making a soft nest for your baby to incubate in, and once it no longer needs to do that, it will go back to it's normal metabolic mode.

I gained 43 pounds during my first pregnancy, and delivered 2 weeks early. Obviously right after the birth my weight dropped dramatically, but due to my own neglect of proper eating and exercise, I gained a lot of weight back. So, I did become one of those women who never regained their prepregnancy figure, but it was because of my terrible eating habits, and complete lack of exercise. When the child was 2 years old, I took control of my behaviour, joined WW and began exercising again. In 9 months I lost 72 pounds, became thinner than before my pregnancy, and in the best shape of my entire life.

Cathe herself gained 42 pounds (if I remember correctly) during her second pregnancy!!!! Now, if that doesn't make you question appropriate weight guidelines for pregnant woman, I don't know what will! There is a really, really great photo of Cathe taken a few days before she delivered, a few months after, and her description of how she regained her fabulous figure: http://www.cathe.com/2002_After_Baby2.htm

Check out the link, read her story, and let me know if you feel any better about things.

By the way, I wish you the very best during your delivery. It is a life-changing experience. If you are still able to do the CTX series at this stage, then you are in fabulous shape!! It will serve you well for your delivery, and Grand Kudos for you for staying with it during such a challenging time.

edited to say: I just reviewed her story, and she actually gained 39 pounds.

All the best,
Sandra
 
BTW Brigitte,

The thinner you are, the more weight you are advised to gain during pregnancy.

I am 5' 3", was 125 pounds and floated around a size 7 when I got pregnant and was advised to gain 20-25 pounds.

My sil is about 5' and was under 100 pounds when she got pregnant and was advised to gain about 40 pounds.

Keep that in mind too before you go beating yourself up over your weight. :)

~Wendy~

http://www.bullmarketer.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/Sports/exercise/thumb_exercise15.gif

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
 
FiddleFit has great advice for you! Please don't beat yourself up. I gained 42 pounds with my first pregnancy and lost all but 5 pounds in 5-6 months thanks to exercise and breastfeeding. By the way, breastfeeding really helped take a lot of it off. I know because I didn't start exercising right away either. (You need to rest and recover after childbirth!)

I agree, also, if you start out on the smaller side of your weight recommendations for height and body type, you may gain more than recommended. That definitely was true for me. I found that towards the end, I was gaining 1-2 pounds per week!

Don't worry, you will be fine!
 
Hi Wendy,

Thanks for the advice! It makes me feel a lot better. Also, congratulations on your baby! This is an exciting time. If you are a regular exerciser, you should feel pretty good till almost the end--barring anything really dramatic. I'm at work, 7 days before my due date, and I plan on being here till I deliver. I attribute my energy (despite my swelling, foot pain, etc.) to exercise. It has really helped.

Congratulations again and good luck!!!!

Brigitte
 
Sandra,

Thanks for the information. Everyone here has really boosted my spirits. It really means a lot that you would be helpful toward a total stranger.

By the way, congratulations on losing all that weight and getting into shape. That is quite an accomplishment. It really takes a lot of effort to pick up like that, and it feels wonderful when you've reached your goal. That is so great for you, and I'm always happy to hear a story of personal victory like that.

Also, I've modified CTX so much, you would not recognize it as CTX if you saw me doing it. I look like a comedy act. Remember the Weebles? I look like a Weeble doing step aerobics. (Weebles never wobble!) I've REALLY, really modified just about everything on the DVD.

Thanks again. You've really helped.

Brigitte
 
Thank you so much for the advice. It really helps a lot. I need the support these days, being so unwieldy and all.

I did find out today at my 39-week check that if Mother Nature doesn't get things started, I'll be induced next Monday night! What a relief!

Do you think I'll be able to go to Disney World 3 weeks after delivery? My husband wants to take me on a mini-vacation during our Mardi Gras break (everyone in southern Louisiana leaves town for M.G.). We won't do any rides--just touring. Think I'll be up to it? Advice? Will I be able to walk? Water park fun?

Thanks again for the info. It really helps me feel much, much better.

Brigitte.
 
Wow, Brigitte...still at work!?

I am glad that you brought that up, actually, because I was wondering about that. I don't think I'll be at work till the very end but I was wondering if I was going to be told to leave work from a month prior to my due date!? (several women who have gone out on maternity leave recently at my job have left this early) Seemed like an awful long time to sit at home and wait for a contraction! lol I'm thinking 2 weeks before is plenty...I won't have the nerve to stay as long as you!;-) Is this your first? Coz you sound like you have done this before!

I am a regular exerciser...have been for a couple of years prior to getting pregnant. I usually exercise 5 or 6 days per week...I'm constantly on the cardio and do light weight training a couple times per week as well. I feel the exercise is doing wonders for me in all sorts of ways so far! I thank goodness for it! I really do and don't want to be told to stop!!

Have you been instructed to stop exercising yet? I thought everyone was told to stop for the last month. I could be wrong...it's just what I thought.

Take Care of yourself and congrats to you as well!:)

~Wendy~

http://www.bullmarketer.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/Sports/exercise/thumb_exercise15.gif

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
 
Wow, Brigitte...still at work!?

I am glad that you brought that up, actually, because I was wondering about that. I don't think I'll be at work till the very end but I was wondering if I was going to be told to leave work from a month prior to my due date!? (several women who have gone out on maternity leave recently at my job have left this early) Seemed like an awful long time to sit at home and wait for a contraction! lol I'm thinking 2 weeks before is plenty...I won't have the nerve to stay as long as you!;-) Is this your first? Coz you sound like you have done this before!

I am a regular exerciser...have been for a couple of years prior to getting pregnant. I usually exercise 5 or 6 days per week...I'm constantly on the cardio and do light weight training a couple times per week as well. I feel the exercise is doing wonders for me in all sorts of ways so far! I thank goodness for it! I really do and don't want to be told to stop!!

Have you been instructed to stop exercising yet? I thought everyone was told to stop for the last month. I could be wrong...it's just what I thought.

Take Care of yourself and congrats to you as well!:)

~Wendy~

http://www.bullmarketer.com/modules/coppermine/albums/userpics/Sports/exercise/thumb_exercise15.gif

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?WENDYMIN
 
Hi Brigitte,

Just wanted to add my "two cents" to this post. I take it that you were a very petite person prior to pregnancy. During the past 18 years that I have been in the pre and postnatal fitness business, I have had many "tiny" clients put on 40 -50 pounds while "doing everything right." In those cases, the weight that those moms gained is what their body needed to grow their babies. It did come off with proper diet and exercise postpartum, which I am sure that you will do. I wouldn't worry quite so much. It is not as if you were sitting on a couch day after date with no exercise and eating a half a gallon of ice cream a day!

In my experience, you will lose this weight. Don't be so hard don't be so hard on yourself.

Your support is here. We are here to help. Hang in there. You are definitely doing everything right. After all, you could have just quit exercising in your "new body," but you chose to keep going.
 
It's just my opinion, but I wouldn't go on vacation 3 weeks after having a baby. Especially doing anything where you have to walk a lot like disney world. Maybe if you could ride in a little golf cart the whole time, but that's probably not possible. Is this your first baby? Walking a lot may increase your bleeding which would make you really uncomfortable and could even hurt. Plus, you will be so tired! Your baby will be waking up every few hours to eat, including in the middle of the night. Just some things to consider, since you asked.
 
Brigitte -

My family members are teeny-tiny as well and they put on 40-50 pounds each pregnancy. (I guess I am expecting that!) My mom had four girls - she is just under 5 feet and weighs 95 pounds. I say that because all of my tiny sister - are smaller than ever before their pregnancies. They got HUGE - then, after the babies, even smaller than before! They just lost the weight without even trying!? (I am hoping for that gene, too!)
One of my sister who is 5'3 and about 105 pounds before pregnancy is even smaller now!

Their theory: Smaller people need to gain more weight and when they do, they look soooo much bigger than people who were larger to begin with. It does make sense.

Just hang in there - not much longer!

Hope that helps!
 
Brigitte,
I gained MORE than 40 # with my 1st (I'm not telling how much!;) ) and ~ 40 # with my 2nd. I lost the weight both times (except maybe 5#). I'm small too... size 4 when not PG. This time around, I seem to be gaining at the same rate... I won't lie and say that it doesn't bug me... it does. I hate feeling like this!
But, I can tell you from MY past experience, MOST of the weight came come off without too much effort (I nursed) and the last 15 # came come off with hard work.
Try to just accept your body for what it is right now (and I'll *try* to do the same!;-) ).
Michele
28 weeks
 
Well...I'll tell you, Wendy: I'm a doctor. I work at the hospital where my OB is, so I'm probably better off being at work right up till I deliver than I am being at home, which is about 30 minutes away. So maybe not everyone will work right up till--but in my case, it's ideal. It really depends on the physical demands of your job, too, whether you stay or take extra time off. Also, are there any exposures to sick people (esp. kids) at your work? There's something to consider.

This is my first. Actually, I got inspiration from my mom, who's also a doctor, who worked right up till she felt something, too. The other person I looked to for advice was my grandmother, who was pregnant, in the Philippines, during WWII, running into the mountains from the Japanese and meeting my grandfather secretly in the dark to evade the enemy. I figure if she could deliver a healthy girl with all that stress, then my pregnancy is no biggie!

I have not been instructed to stop exercising. Most docs will tell you to maintain a good level of fitness if you are already exercising...right up till you feel you can't do it, if everything seems to be going fine. Also, when you get closer and start to show signs of impending labor, they'll encourage you to WALK if you want to speed things along. So just keep exercising, as long as everything progresses well. It really helps relieve pain and swelling, and keeps you on an even keel mood-wise.

BEST OF LUCK!!! Thanks for the encouragement.

Brigitte.
 
Brigitte:

I "feel your pain". I'm in my 38 week, 2 weeks away from giving birth. I am 5'5", I was 130-135 # but because of the weight trainning, able to fit comfortable in size 5.
Now I am 190, can barely fit in my maternity clothes. I'm a walking watter bottle, I have soooooo much watter retention... wherever you touch me, I turns yellow and then redish. I don't know if this was a way of my body gets protection because I have a joint inflamatory disease. Maybe the cushioning was needed.... but there's fat also. I got friked out when my collar bone disapeared when I had 5 months. I can barely excercise bec. I have pain, problem walking or premature contractions afterwards.
Like you, I'm still working. I work in a hospital; a psychiatric inpatient unit. I'm glad that non of the patients had hit me yet. That's common here. I will stop working at the end of this week, 2 weeks before the due date.
It really helped me to see Cathe pregnant and her story. Because we are going to give birth in a very close timeframe, we should check on each other with the added support of everybody in this site. Please, stay in touch, we can make it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top