Overweight and pregnant?

[livannie]

I have 2 kids, one is five, the other three years old, going to be four in June. After I had my last baby, I lost all the baby weight I gained by running and doing weight watchers, I believe breastfeeding helped too. I lost it really quick. But it seemed like when I stopped breastfeeding, probably when she was 1 1/2, I gained all of it back, well a lot of it. I have been trying to lose it, but it's been hard. I really don't think I eat a ton
But I could be more active. I have been thinking about having another baby. I don't want my kids so spread out from each other, my brothers and I are so far apart, people have asked if I am my youngest brother's mom. But I get huge when I am pregnant and have had big babies(I had c-sections with both babies). I retain so much water and get swollen, people don't recognize me lol. So I am nervous to get pregnant. People have told me if you start out big when you get pregnant, you most likely won't gain a lot when pregnant. I have a friend who is bigger and she hardly gains any weight with her pregnancies. I am probably twenty to thirty pounds bigger than I should be right now and although I wish I could lose it before getting pregnant again, what if it never comes off? I think we would be done having kids if we had just one more. Have any of you been overweight with pregnancies? Would you wait to have a baby till you lost weight?

 

[Ally T]

When I found out I was pregnant with my first baby, I was 2 1/2 stone over weight, so that's around 35lbs. During that pregnancy everything went well, my BP stayed low & I only gained 23lbs. Three weeks after I had my daughter (by section) I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I breastfed for 11 months, started to run again (after 5 years break) when she was 3 months old, and by the time I got pregnant with number 2 (this was 12 months after delivering the first) I had lost all of my excess weight & was a slim, healthy size. I exercised all through pregnancy number 2 & only gained 25lbs, which again was all bump & was completely gone 4 wks after my 2nd section. My youngest has just turned 3 & I am slimmer & fitter than ever.

We are all different. I think as long as you are healthy & can carry a pregnancy well, it shouldn't matter if people recognize you at all. Have your family - that is your priority. You can worry about your weight when you're done

 

[Maisie]

I was about 28lbs overweight when I had my youngest. I ended up gaining 70 lbs during the pregnancy

I was exhausted at the end. Couldn't walk far. Was super uncomfortable during labour and couldn't move around much or get comfortable. I know I gained a huge amount of weight so I'm probably the exception but I would try not to gain too much if you are already overweight.

 

[luvsdmb]

I was way over weight when I had my third child, when I went for my c-section (3rd one) I had gained a total of 30 lbs during my entire pregnancy.

 

[random_thought]

I was overweight with my son and ended up developing pre-eclampsia. As a result or not, I don't know, but it sucked. I gained about 40 lbs in water weight.

With that being said, I'm 3 lbs from pre-pregnancy weight and I've been trying to get pregnant for 2 years now. I hope you can get pregnant right away but something to be aware of is that it may cause it to take longer for you.

 

[livannie]

Thanks AlexT, Maisie and Lvusdmb for responding. My oldest daughter is going to kindergarten this year and my youngest will go next year. I just feel like if I don't have a baby soon, I will never have one because I will get used to just my two. My grandparents only had 2 kids, my Dad and my aunt. My Dad travels everywhere and my aunt has problems, like psychologically and my grandparents have no one to visit them, just me and I don't want that when I get old. My mom's parents had 7 kids and their house is always full of people and seems so alive. I don't think I'd ever have seven but I want more than two. I think I just don't like being pregnant because of how big I get. A friend told me I shouldn't have anymore because of the way I look when I get pregnant But I just don't feel like my family is complete yet.

 

[livannie]

Random_thought, I have heard if you are heavier sometimes it is hard to get pregnant, maybe I will have a hard time. My sister in law has been trying to get pregnant for like 5 years now and has taken fertility pills and nothing has worked. She has 2 boys but wanted a lot of kids. I hope it will happen for you.

 

[diamondringlover]

I was about 40-45 lbs overweight when I got pregnant with my youngest son...I only gained like 2 lbs while pregnant and ended up thinner after I had him, I was concerned the doctor wasnt...what actually happened was I was eating much healthier and I was no longer drinking any alcohol...at that time I drank a few beers every night...so I essentially lost "regular" weight while gaining baby weight.

 

[livannie]

That is exactly like one of my friends diamondrnglover, she didn't gain hardly any weight. I just wish I could be like those cute pregnant ladies who just have a little basketball and don't blow up everywhere else like I do. But with each baby, it was totally worth it. I hate to brag but my two girls are gorgeous That's why I gotta have more. I am sure every mom thinks that about their babies.

 

[lambskin]

I was about 30 pounds heavier than my normal weight when I got pregnant. I had little to no morning sickness but I had an aversion to bad odors. I also had lost my appetite. I forced myself to drink a lot of milk (the flavored kind-cafe mocha) and ate either oatmeal or scrambled egg sandwiches on toast for breakfast. I craved watermelon. I ate a lot of Polish food for dinner (I am Irish-go figure). I was not gaining a lot of weight-16 pounds for the whole pregnancy and the 'bitch nurse' would scold me thinking I had some kind of eating disorder. (Stupid of her since I was already over 30 pounds off my usual weight). My OB/GYN told me not to worry that the baby is a parasite and would feed off of me. I was never anemic or vitamin deficient. We all guessed the baby would be around 6.5 pounds. She arrived 8.5 pounds. Bitch Nurse could not look at me upon my post- natal return. Same thing happened with baby #2-18 pound weight gain and she was 8 pounds. Just eat right and avoid empty calories.

 

[Polished]

I found going for a third child difficult. I put on alot of weight, I was older and in addition both my parents had recently died. I took the view though that there was plenty of time to lose the weight afterwards and that the short term pain was worth the long term gain. I was right. Our daughter has brought us so much happiness; she shares a very close bond with her sister and generally seems to bring joy to others wherever she takes herself. Empower yourself with the knowledge of how to eat healthy, with eating and exercise habits that help you to lose weight and it might make the decision of whether to expand your family easier.

 

[momhappy]

Comparing pregnancy stories with other women simply doesn't work (in terms of trying to "predict" what might happen with your own pregnancy). Everyone is different, and every pregnancy is different, so there's really no way to know how your body would react to a third pregnancy. If it was me, I would lose weight before getting pregnant again - you will feel better physically and mentally.

 

[TooPatient]

Livannie,

I lurk over in the TTC and pregnancy threads. I've not had a baby myself (yet), but I've learned lots as I silently send support the other ladies.

Not every woman gets pregnant right away.
If you have a (moderate) exercise routine going before you get pregnant it is (generally) safe to keep going with it while pregnant.

Given those two things, I would think that you should talk to your doctor for more specific advice but consider starting a moderate exercise routine and improving your diet a bit (if applicable) then start trying. Even if you do get pregnant right away you could still keep exercising and eating healthy while pregnant. (but do talk to your doctor as he/she knows you and your overall health better than any of us on an anonymous forum ever could!)


Good luck to you!

 

[Asscherhalo_lover]

I know that I personally am getting as fit and strong as I can in anticipation of getting pregnant. I'm not as worried about my weight as I am my fitness and stamina. Believe me, I am plenty well overweight, but I am still strong with good stamina which matters more as far as I'm concerned. I plan on continuing my exercise within reason throughout pregnancy when I get there as long as I am able. I know I'm also going to take the Bradley Method classes and exercise and stamina play a big part in a successful labor. Best of luck!

 

[Hospatogi]

I strongly encourage you to discuss your concerns with your doctor. Being overweight does increase certain risk factors but your current overall health and genetics do play a vital role too.