i am 31 weeks, and gained 23 lbs already. OB/GYN says it is too much?

Question

I gained a total of 5lbs last month, and before that i gained 7lbs..i have been gaing 4-5 lbs per month in general. But weight gain started only after 3rd month. should i be worried. I also found that i am seriously anaemic. my Doctor says i probably eat alot of junk..which i am pretty sure i don't. I just crave hotcakes alot..once a week i do drink McDonalds...sml choc shake..otherwise all i eat is very home cooked vegetables and some meat...oh and i love home made fries as well...i love dairy products at this time..and also eat alot of fruits. So it is like a mixture of every kind of food...What should i do to watch my weight...

Answer 1

Just use your common sense while eating- low fat foods, dairy, lots of water, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean meats.



I gained a total of 34 lbs by 40 weeks. If you were at a normal weight when you got pregnant, 23 pounds by 31 weeks is most certainly not too much.

Answer 2

During the 3rd trimester you gain about a pound a week - seeing how you only have 9 more weeks (provided you go to 40 weeks) that's only 9 more pounds, putting your total weight gain at 32 pounds. Still within the recommended 25-35lbs. As long as you're eating a variety of food and avoid lots of processed foods (which home cooked veggies and meat definitely are not) you should be fine. I've found that chasing after my 2year old has helped me some, but if you don't have a toddler to keep you on your toes, just do some simple exercises. Nothing to strenuous - just walking and some stretching, maybe use an exercise ball - aka a birthing ball. See what your doctor suggests, but unless your blood pressure is through the roof, or you were extremely overweight going into this pregnancy, you really shouldn't have too much to worry about. Best of luck!

Answer 3

Your dr. is mental. Start eating red meat. And take an iron supplement - liquid form is better, also a stool softener if you have a hard time going once the iron kicks in. 23 pounds, huh, well you figure the baby is going to weigh 7 lbs when born and the water and all that other stuff is going to be 7-10 pounds, plus you are a smaller person. You should be putting on 1-2 pounds a week because the baby will be putting on 1-2 a week til its born. My 1st son came 15 days early and he was almost 7 lbs. He would have been almost 9 lbs if he went full term. My 2nd son was full term and he was almost 9 lbs., just try not to gain any more than 2 lbs per week til the baby comes, otherwise you are putting on the weight not the baby and it'll take time for you to lose it. I had 9lbs to lose from #1 when I got pregnant with #2, that was 9 months between pregnancies. By the time #2 came I was 180 and I'm 5'3. I was huge with baby. I'm still losing the weight, but it takes time to take it off and keep it off. I was eating chicken (baked or grilled) and fish (alot of tuna salad) veggies and decaf coffee, herbal tea, etc, not alot of sweet stuff, but I kept eating red meat and taking a prenatal vitamin, so I was not anemic. Just try to walk more, keep eating, but walk more, this will help when it comes time to deliver. Good luck and congrats.

Answer 4

As long as your blood pressure is fine and you feel relatively fine you will be ok. I have to laugh because you are worrying about 23 lb weight gain already at 31 weeks. I think that I reached that when I was just 4 months if not sooner. Prior to pregnancy my weight was 105 and I'm 5'4. Underweight yes so I expected to gain more then the recommended 25-35 lbs. I gained 51 lbs, gave birth to a healthy 8.3 lb boy and now 14 months later I'm at a lower weight then before! It didnt take long to loose the weight, by 6 months I was 5 lbs from my start weight. Everyone is different and that's important to remember. And by no means is 121 lbs overweight, contrary to what someone else has written you. My goodness!

Answer 5

You know what? Don't worry about it. What no one told me is that some women gain weight AFTER the baby is born. I'm one of them.



I gained only 15 lbs. during my pregnancy. I started out at 5'9" and 135 lbs. About two weeks after my daughter was born, I was back in my pre-pregnancy jeans and feeling totally normal. Well, my daughter is 8 months old, and I weigh 156! I couldn't believe it although it's been several months since the jeans fit.



I think that my lifestyle changes since the birth of my daughter account for the weight gain. Before I got pregnant with her, I was an avid weightlifter, working out at the gym (both weights and cardio) about 4-5 days per week. Since the birth of my daughter, I can NEVER make it to the gym. Even though they have daycare, the hours never work out with her naps/feedings. I may not be overweight, but I'm pretty miserable about it.



If you were 121 lbs. without doing much to keep yourself fit, you will probably go right back down and stay there. However, if, like me, you worked hard to keep your body fit, you need to make sure that your lifestyle doesn't change after the baby's born. WAY easier said than done.



BTW, I'm 10 weeks pregnant now, so I'm wondering how much I'll gain this time. Grr...



Good luck. It doesn't sound like you've gained too much, either. It will come off after the baby's born. Just be aware of keeping it off afterward.

Answer 6

Please be extra alert to your body. Excessive weight gain can mean so much more than improper eating. Has your OB talked with you about preeclampsia? I gave birth at 31 weeks because of it, and my OB's first clue was my weight gain. You can do research on other symptoms (I had incredible swelling starting at about 27 weeks), and even though I was eating what I thought was normal, my weight continued to gain dramatically. At start of pregnancy I was 140, by the time they took my daughter out I was 190. Half of that was water weight from the preeclampsia, and was gained in 3 weeks. The scariest part about this condition is you can feel totally normal... no obvious symptoms to you, but it is something your doctor should be checking for if things seem to be a little off. Don't be afraid to challenge their diagnosis, and if you feel uncomfortable with your OB/GYN, see someone else! It's your body and your baby... take care of both of you! Good luck!



http://www.preeclampsia.org/about.asp

Answer 7

I think some OB/GYN's are too strict with the weight limits. I gained almost 60 lbs with my pregnancy and although that was a lot and I felt like a blimp... it really helped the baby to grow healthy and it helped me afterwards when I was nursing. 5 months later and I had lost a majority of the weight and now I'm just working on my figure... (ha)

As long as you know you're not sitting around eating donuts and cupcakes, I wouldn't worry. Make sure you are eating healthy because the baby gets what you eat... same when you breastfeed!

Answer 8

Were you overweight before you got pregnant? That might be why your doctor is worried. I am very petite and gained 30 lbs even by the time my son was born 2 days before his EDD. Even though I tried to eat healthy, I still remained anemic and had to take iron pills. I've often had issues with anemia, so I wasn't surprised. However, my son was born totally healthy, at 7.5 lbs. Ask your doctor what you should do if he's concerned about your weight. I honestly think that if you weren't overweight to begin with, you're doing fine. It's recommended that you gain between 25-30 lbs if you were a normal weight for your size before pregnancy.

Answer 9

Well, I started out the same height and weight as you (122 lbs) and I did't start gaining until the 5th mo. I gained a total of 35 lbs. (delivered in the 39th week). My son is 5 mo. and I have lost all but 4 lbs. I think you are fine. You do need to eat healthy for you and your baby. However, I think you are fine.

Answer 10

Go to the bookstore and buy "What to Expect When You're Expecting". I forget who the author is, but it's like a pregnancy bible! There is a chapter dedicated to nutrition during pregnancy and even some menu planning. It also tells you where you can go when you eat out and what the best options on the menu will be for the specific type of restaurant you go to. There are recipes and advice for expectant mothers. If anything else, you can look online for sites that will be able to guide you to better nutrition during pregnancy. Don't go on a diet though, that's the worst thing you could do for your baby! I hope you have luck with this and don't worry too much! I gained a ton of weight with my first (82 pounds). I am shame-faced, but she is healthy and I am as well...it just took me two years to lose the weight...lol.

Answer 11

I had the same problem while prego. I gained a total of 50 lbs. because I was sooo small before getting pregnant.

I ended up gaining alot of weight my 8th month and after sending me to a nutritionist, dietician, and diabetic specialist they concluded I had Preeclampsia (very dangerous). I did have other symptoms besides weight gain (swelling, anemia, spot in front of my eyes, H. blood pressure, etc.) But, becasue it was caught too late they couldn't do anything but take my son early.

Just got ot your dr. and voice your concerns.

As far as foos goes try to eat alot of small meals verses 3 big meals. Not too much sodium, and juice (alot of sugar)...no soda (caffeine), tea or anything with caffeine



you don't have too much longer, and actually 23 lbs. is not all that bad

Answer 12

I was told that 25-30 lbs was an ideal weight gain durring pregnancy. So I think 23 lbs is not a big deal. My mother gained 70 lbs when she was pregnant with me, and was a healthy baby. I think you will be fine.

Answer 13

your doctor told you that was too much!?! i gained 40 lbs with my first! that is normal, unless you are already over weight that is. thats the only reason i would see a concern. just eat as healthy as you possibly can, and when you do have a craving for junk, ice cream, mcdonalds...try to get the smallest portion possible, i think you are fine and your doctor seems like an ***!

Answer 14

I think as long as you gain what the reccommended weight gain is then you have no problems. My friend gains weight all at once at different periods in her pregnancy but she looks and is healthy so I wouldn't worry.

My doc told me to gain more weight. I gained 12 lbs. and he wanted me to gain more..told me to add milkshakes to my diet to help. I have gained 3 lbs. in 5 weeks since I saw him. The thing is every women gains differently. With my first pregnancy I only gained 12 lbs. the entire time. I eat allllll the time and eat bunches but it's just how my body works.

Answer 15

That's stupid.

It would only be a lot if you were over weight to begin with. The average weight gain during pregnancy for a normal weight person is 25-30lbs. Your Dr. sounds like a NUT JOB!

My OB GYN joked that she gained 70lbs when she was prego. She knew it was not to healthy but she just ate like crazy.



I gained 30lbs and had my son 1 week early.

I was 4'11 and 106lbs b4 pregnant and 136lbs when he was born.

Answer 16

Honestly, dont worry about it. Continue to use your common sense and be reasonable, but plenty of people gain 40-60 lbs. Its common to gain 2lbs per week in the last month/trimester, so your weight gain willprobably incrase, especially if you have swelling/water retention.



Eat healthy as much as possible but don't stress it.

Answer 17

You OB sounds like a moron. Weight gain often slows during the last months of pregnancy due to reduces stomach size/appetite. 25-35lbs is considered a normal weight gain for a women who starts pregnancy at an average weight for her size.



I also suspect that your OB is not up on the latest research which clearly shows that LOWER iron levels are normal and are in fact healthier for mom and baby. Excess iron during pregnancy negatively effects mom's immune system and can retard fetal growth. In the case of true, non-preexisting anemia often the cause is either a) too little vitamin c or b) too little protein. However of real concern is that elevated lead levels can cause anemia and lead levels should ALWAYS be checked when anemia is found. It is too simple and cheap a test, and too serious a problem to be ignored. Also excessive quantities of dairy can lower iron levels.



http://www.gentlebirth.org/archives/nutrition.html#Anemia

“One of the great unresolved issues of pregnancy is the significance of a low hematocrit/hemoglobin.

Actually, the studies are clear that lower levels are better, and the unresolved issue is why practitioners continue to encourage iron supplementation and chide women for low levels.

"Normal" values of hematocrit/hemoglobin are determined by studying non-pregnant people. However, a pregnant woman's blood volume expands around 40-60%; this blood volume expansion reduces the concentration of red blood cells and iron in her blood, which is what's measured by hematocrit and hemoglobin.

The best pregnancy outcomes are associated with the lowest hematocrit/hemoglobin. It turns out that 9.5 is optimal. This isn't because pregnant women don't need iron; it's because healthy pregnant women have large increases in blood volume that lower the hematocrit/hemoglobin.

So, in fact, a woman who's having problems with her pregnancy and doesn't have an increasing blood volume will have higher h/h levels than a healthy woman.

There are better ways of assessing anemia in pregnancy; fatigue is a clue, but the best way to assess how well your blood is carrying oxygen is to look for pallor in the gums and under eyelids and to assess capillary refill when you apply pressure to the nailbed. .





http://www.hindawi.com/GetArticle.aspx?doi=10.1155/S156536330300013X

“Despite significantly elevated hepatic iron stores after iron supplementation in pregnant rats this had no significant effect upon blood haemoglobin or transferring saturation levels. However the mean weight of the foetuses at Day 20-21 was significantly lower than that of the non-supplemented pregnant rats. Iron supplements significantly increased the activity of NADPH oxidase in the maternal alveolar macrophages, the primary event in the formation of the phagolysosome to combat invading organisms. However inducible nitric oxide synthase activity was significantly reduced in these macrophages as shown by decreases in LPSinduced and LPS+IFN,-induced NOS activation. Iron supplementation to rats of normal iron status at the commencement of pregnancy did not show any beneficial effects to either the foetus or the mother.”



Iron suppleme.ntation of pregnant individuals with adequate iron status may aggravate oxidative stress [Lachili et al., 2001], with the potential for oxidation of lipids and DNA [Schill and Reilly

2000], a factor which could contribute to preterm delivery,



Iron supplements to rats which have normal iron status at the commencement of pregnancy appear to induce toxicity in both the mother- a reduced immune function as well as to the offspring- reduced birth weight.

Answer 18

ease up on the home fries, the shake isnt bad, add some protein powder to it, your doctor is just thinking of your weight because someday you will deliver your baby and want to lose your weight, the more you gain the harder to lose it,



watch what you are eating, lots of fruits and veggies are great, but junk food, homefries, french fries, fast food, are not good,

Answer 19

i gained almost 50 lbs with my pregnancy

and just had my baby two weeks ago

im almost down to my prepregnancy weight

i think i have 5-10 more lbs to lose

so if you go over the 25-30lb mark

it doesnt mean you wont lose those extra lbs

i got scared too!

Answer 20

try eating healthier and only eat 3 to 4 times a day but carry like hundred calorie packs with you in case you get hungry

Answer 21

I was a size 5 when I got pregnant....size 2 when I left the hospital, and my baby was 9 pounds. You should have been eating the same amount you did BEFORE you were pregnant. The baby takes what nutrients it needs. The baby should be gaining weight...you should really max out at 20 pounds when you deliver.



121 pounds @ 5'4" IS overweight.