2Nd Trimester Weight Gain

With my second pregnancy I was gaining about 2lbs a week. Between 15-20 weeks I gained 8lbs. I lost all the weight in 2 years. I'm 34 weeks along with #3 and I've gained only 1lb a week. From 30-33 weeks I've made an 8lb jump, but this week I've stayed the same. Eat when you're hungry, just eat healthy.

Keep eating but make sure that your snacks are filling but not high in calories. If a glass of water or milk and some fruit or vegetables leaves you still really hungry, have some wheat crackers or something. Keep active with walking, which will help if you overdo it a bit. Your body might be playing catch-up. With my first two pregnancies I gained a lot of weight in the first two trimesters and it really tapered off in my last and I only gained 30 to 33 pounds both times. My doctor was a little worried the first time since I had gained so much but with the second pregnancy we remembered that my body seems to just do that--put it on early and taper off in the last month or two. If you are really worried, keep a food and weight journal and just jot down your weight every few days so you can see a gradual increase. That is not helpful for everyone, but it helped me a lot to see a steady and healthy increase in my weight.

I would try to eat things that fill you up for long periods of time. For example, I would eat oatmeal and that was pretty filling. Things high in protein should also help, like hard boiled eggs.

In the end, if you're eating healthier foods and not junk all the time, it should be ok. It's just easy to fall into the trap of eating chips or whatever instead of finding something better.

Hi N.,

Your body and the baby's body is craving nutrition. You may want to up your prenatal or even look into a different one. Prenatals are not all created equally. Absorption of the nutrients is key. Ask your doctor about the nutrition delivery system of the vitamin you are taking. If he doesn't know then you need to research it online. Gluconate and Sulfonate are dangerous in that they cause free radicals. Free radicals cause disease. Chelate is, not always but mostly, better. I can recommend one if you like.

Eat smart at this point. Your food has to be nutritious and it should be low glycemic. If it is, you can eat all day long. Empty calories may satisfy your hunger for an hour or two but they will cause you to be hungrier later. Weight gain is not the most important thing in a pregnancy but it can really make a difference in our mood after the baby is born :)

Congratulations!

M.

Hi there & Congrats on your pregnancy!

I was in the same exact boat: 1st pregnancy was perfect, even weight gain, for a total of 35lbs. But my 2nd pregnancy, I was so ill my first trimester that I lost weight, then really made up for it in my second. I ended up 10lbs over my previous pregnancy gain at the end of my 2nd trimester! I was able to taper it off a bit my the 3rd trimester, but was feeling very overweight. The bummer part of this is that I couldn't fit my old preggers clothes, so I had to buy pants to wear for the last 6 weeks! My blood pressure also rose significantly during that time (I normally have extremely low blood pressure, so it was alarming). I was really fatigued at the end of my pregnancy, too (due to the extra weight, due second time around?!?).

At 6 weeks after birth, I started a low-impact workout program at Lady Circuit (like Curves). So far, I have lost weight 1-2 lbs a week (while breastfeeding). I'm hoping to be back in my work clothes by Aug 2nd (when I return to work).

In retrospect, if I had a "do over", I gave myself the freedom to eat 2nd trimester b/c I hadn't gained at all 1st. I was feeling very low energy, so when I could eat again, I ate with a vengeance. I wish I would have been a little more restrained. But it's hard, as you have discovered, 2nd pregnancies have much stronger hormones.

I drank a lot of 2% milk to ease hunger btw meals, fresh fruit, FF yogurt. Trader Joes has these little packs of almonds that were really helpful to have stashed in my purse for "hunger emergencies".

Best to you!

Frankly.. don't worry so much about the number. Obviously you don't want to gain 100lbs or anything, but going over the "30lb recommentdation" isn't going to hurt you or baby. I gained about 45lbs during my pregnancy and no one seemed the least bit concerned at the number, just that I was eating healthy foods. So make sure that what you're eating has nutritional benefit to it like dairy, whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies. Try to avoid the processed stuff and avoid going nuts on sweets. Things will also even out as you progress in your pregnancy. Also keep in mind that towards the end, some of that weight will be water weight. Its still important to stay hydrated. You'll notice a dramatic drop right after giving birth and breastfeeding will help you shed lbs after birth as well.

The five pounds in one week is probably just because you aren't as sick anymore, so your body is actually holding on to the food you are putting in. I wouldn't be too concerned about eating every couple hours, as long as you are eating healthy foods and not junk food. I am almost to my 3rd trimester and am just getting to the point where I could eat all day if someone let me. Don't stress over it. Eat healthy and if your doctor approves it, walk or do some light exercise. Good luck and Congrats!! :)

When you feel the urge to stuff, reach for fresh, raw fruits and veggies. You'll get lots of great nutrients to pass on to your baby, with only natural sugars and fats. Also, carry some carrot-sticks or something with you in your purse, so that when you're suddenly starving, you have something healthy and ready to grab.

My OB told me that it depends on what you weigh before you get preggers... So, if you start out slim, gaining 40 or even 50 pounds is "fine". If you start out with 10 or 15 pounds of extra weight, then 30 pounds is a good target.

it's normal to get very hungry while pregnant but with both my pregnancies I only gained around 25 pounds with a pre-pregnancy weight of about 115. So I felt I did I pretty good job of controlling myself. A few tips is when you feel hungry eat something but eat it slowly and eat about half of it and then wait about 10 min. If you still feel hungry by then then eat the rest but sometimes you may find you just need a little food to make you feel better in between meals instead of a whole other meal. Also eat foods high is protein that will help to curve your hunger and there are lots of healthy protein rich foods like nuts, hard boiled eggs etc.

Just so you know, that 5 lbs is most likely fluid weight. When you are sickly you need to stay hydrated...now that you are coming out of it, where your body temp isn't running so high, you will retain fluid like you are supposed to .Don't sweat it !

Most women have a month or so during their second trimester where they have a big weight gain. If you have not gained anything til now, then you have some making up to do. BTW, typical recommended weight gain for women starting pregnancy at a normal weight is 25-35 pounds, not 30. Also, it's normal to gain at least half your total pregnancy weight in the 2nd trimester.
You may do better, rather than eating a big meal, to eat small, healthy meals and snacks consistently throughout the day, and make sure that you are getting enough protein (it does not have to be meat products , fatty foods or whole fat dairy)
I gained about 34 pounds with my first pregnancy. My second, I gained 42 pounds and by my 6 week postpartum check up with my midwives, I had lost 39 of it.
Good luck!

your stomach (pregnant or not) works on volume not calories. it reconizes and gets use to the same amount of volume. don't deny yourself food if your hungry just try getting your fill from lower calorie items. things your baby needs anyway. fresh fruits and veggies lean protien etc. and you're not alone in the weight gain! I was very malnurished when I got pregnant that my body was so desperate for food to feed my baby that I gained 70pds in my first trimester alone! and I was eating normally! I gained 125pds total, and had no problem such as diabeites during my pregnancy. and I have lost all but 15 pds of it so far (my son is almost 11mnths) but if you were having trouble keeping food down during your first trimester, maybe your body is trying to catch up on weight gain and is over compensating its normal for someone who hasnt been able to get the nutriants they need, because your body has gone into flight or fight mode, meaning that after not getting enough calories for so long your body is storing more than it would normally just in case its starts not getting those calories again, most likely you will even out. I gained less in my second and third trimester combined than in my first.

i gained way too much during my second pregnancy too. don't deny your hunger, as you wisely point out, the baby is clamoring for it. do be smart about it. keep lots and lots of lovely fresh fruit in arm's reach (yay that it's happening during the summer when so much great fresh food is available!) supplement the produce with whole grain crackers and other healthy carbs. eggs and peanut butter in reason are also great ways to get the protein you crave. if you steer clear of too much sugar, fats and meat you'll be okay. try to avoid big meals, but allow yourself to graze on fruit and veggies throughout the day.
good luck!
khairete
S.