When i got to my first OB appointment I had happily stepped up on that scale at the receptionist's desk and weigh in. Something i would be doing at every appointment once a month. I knew i had gained a little weight, i was thinking maybe 5 lbs at most. WELL i was wrong i gained a whopping 11 lbs in my first trimester! Holy smokes. I knew very well from reading many articles on "suggested" weight gain i "should" only have gained 1-5 lbs in the first trimester according to the baby center (sometimes you don't gain at all if you have morning sickness) and approximately 1 lbs per week in your 2nd and 3rd trimesters Source. Now this number does change from website to website as well. However it generally says the same.
Prior to pregnancy i was 2 lbs underweight for my height due to just training for and running my first full marathon. So i accounted for that as well to try not to get too stressed about my whopping 11 lbs weight gain. I had also read that because i had been underweight pre-pregnancy i should gain 28-40 lbs according to most websites. I was scared though after gaining so much weight in my first trimester that i would gain too much throughout my pregnancy and it would have negative effects on the baby as well as me. From what i have read it can be bad to gain so much weight at the beginning. Its much better for you and baby if it is steady. However i really hadn't changed much eating wise in the first tri. So it wasn't that i was eating too much (although i was eating more carbs due to being nauseous all the time). It simply was that it appeared that this was my bodies way of preparing for pregnancy. That is exactly what NYC Running Mama's OB had said too so reading that put my mind at ease.
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| Bump pic at 20 weeks. I have gained 15 lbs so far. |
At my last 2 month appointments i have only gained 2 lbs at each on (so now at 20 weeks i am totaling 15lbs weight gain) . So it seems to have slowed down which is a sigh of relief. According to NYC running Mama she gained 10 lbs in her first tri and then it really slowed down weight gain wise. So i was the same as her as well as other runner's who commented on the blog post. Isn't it funny that women runner's tend to gain so much initially? I was sure glad i wasn't alone. Made me feel a lot better about it. It's just me and my bodies way of dealing with being pregnant and gaining according to it. Not according to some "standard" out there. This is something important to remember for all momma's to be and future momma's to be. As long as you are eating clean and working out while pregnant (if you can) then don't worry about that weight gain, your body is doing what it needs to to make a good home for your little bean or as i affectionately call mine; Tater Tot.
Despite gaining so much my first trimester and so little since then my doctor has shown no concerns and hasn't even mentioned it. She knows that i eat well and i am still very active. So that accounts for why i am gaining slowly now. I am making sure i fuel myself and baby enough for the amount of work outs i do. While i have read that you need an extra 300 calories while pregnant if you continue to be very active i haven't been concentrating too much on this as i do not count calories. I simply listen to my body and eat more if i am hungrier. As well i ensure on my long run days that i get an extra big meal in after my long run. Then i ensure that i am well fueled for the rest of the day and i don't get too hungry. My body is always much hungrier on long run days. So now that i am pregnant i am now just extra careful that i eat more than usual on those days.
I have been very lucky thus far with working out and running. My body is still good with the amount of km's i have been running. I run 6km one day a week, 8 km one day of the week and between 12-16km on Saturdays. However if my body is saying less on a particular day i have a certain km's planned i listen. Just last week on Thur i tried to run my 8km but my body was saying no more when i reached 5km so i stopped and listened and decided that was enough for that day. And then i was able to rock out 14.81km on Saturday morning with no issues! So it really truly pays to listen. I don't want to get hurt or hurt the baby in any way so it's so important i listen to what my body says.
For current momma's and momma to be's out there, do you agree with the suggested weight gain during pregnancy? Do you think it is something mom's to be should stress and concern themselves with?
I feel that it is merely a guideline to ensure mom to be's know roughly what they should be gaining however it's not something to be too concerned with. Your doctor will advise you if s/he is concerned with how you are gaining weght and should take in to account your body structure, eating habits and your activity level so it's more personalized to you and not just a general guideline. I think it also works to dispel the myth that you are eating for two. I am not eating for two! I am eating for one plus a little extra:) Basically just an extra snack a day. Right now i am eating every 2-3 hours depending on what my body needs that day. So instead of the pre-pregnancy 5-6 meals a day i now eat 6-7 meals a day and sometimes 8 if i really need it.
