Pregnant again, still haven't lost the first baby weight

[Anonymous]

The title pretty much says it all. I'm feeling optimistic that I will take better care of myself this pregnancy- eating well, working out regularly, etc. Last pregnancy, I was in survival mode. Significant food aversions and exhaustion made it hard to eat well and exercise. I gained about 40 lbs and have only lost 20. I'm terrified I will gain another 40 and be unable to lose it. What can I do to prevent this?

[Anonymous]

Probably not much. Sounds like your body is inclined to hold onto the weight.

[Anonymous]

Eat well and exercise, you just have to try harder if it's important to you

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eat well and exercise, you just have to try harder if it's important to you

pretty much this.

[Anonymous]

A positive story: after weaning baby #2, I dropped to (and even a little below!) my pre-pregnancies weight. I was walking a ton, pushing one or both kids in a stroller, and eating moderately.

If you're mindful of your weight gain in this pregnancy, and then are conscious of the need for exercise once you've recovered from the birth (and breastfeeding, if relevant), you can be OK. Prioritize yourself and your heath--no need to eat all your kids' bread crusts!

[Anonymous]

I was in your shoes. I didnt gain much with my 2nd pregnancy. With my first I gained SO much...but I ate a lot of tacos. With the second I was too busy to eat!

[Anonymous]

Happened to me too. I lose weight in the first trimester due to nausea but make up for it later. Then hard to take the remaining weight off when you're sleep deprived for many months plus breastfeeding (if you have a not good sleeper as I did). Do your best to eat well and exercise but at the end of the day, growing a healthy baby/caring for a newborn often trumps self-care/gym-time so try to look at it as a temporary sacrifice. Lots of walking with the stroller was my go to.

[Anonymous]

Aaaaaah I so relate! Except, I basically lost the first baby weight (very recently -- kid is 2) through 4 months of hard-core exercising and limiting my alcohol and dessert. It sucked. Now, I'm pregnant and am mad that I'm going to have to do it all again after baby 2 is born.

My strategies this time: don't change my (healthy) diet at all until I really need those extra calories, and then once I do need them switch to things like full fat yogurt, add almonds as a snack, that kind of thing. Last time, I went full-on stereotype at the end and lived on pints of ice cream and donuts. Not again!

Then, the big thing for me was that as we introduced solids, I still ate like I was full-time breastfeeding, and continued to do so for about half a year. Those pounds that I had lost came back. I definitely will NOT do that again.

Live and learn.

[Anonymous]

OP, I was you. Same numbers, same optimism about gaining less the second time, etc. With my second, I also gained 40 and lost only 20. She is 5 years old and I am 40 lbs above my pre-pregnancy weight. Still. Sorry, not what you want to hear, but I feel like I am the outlier so hopefully it will be better for you. How much time was there between your pregnancies?

[Anonymous]

The babies will be born a little less than 20 months apart. I was in the stage of PP where I was starting to hardcore work out and diet again. Surprise!

[Anonymous]

I gained nearly 50 lbs with my 1st. I lost almost nothing while breastfeeding (some of us just don't), but was just 10 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight when the 1st was 15 months and I got pregnant again. For the 2nd, I decided to exercise more, eat better, etc. I still gained 40 lbs, up to the weight I was with my 1st. Also, although the 1st was right on time and the 2nd was 2 weeks early, both were born at the exact same weight. It's just what my body and my babies needed. With the 2nd, I still lost no weight until I weaned at a year. It took a very long time, but I was down to my pre #2 pregnancy weight when the 2nd was 2, and now I'm at pre #1 pregnancy weight almost 3 years out, although my body doesn't look the same (boobs still huge!).

[Anonymous]

Ugh, OP....I am also worried about the same thing. I'm not even 5wks preggo yet, and I'm already hungry ALL THE TIME. (Up at this awful hour because I'm starving.) I'm trying to make good choices with my food, but already the scale has gone up. Nothing scary, but I can't gain weight at this rate the whole time or I'll be the size of a house!

I'm really kicking myself for adopting a "meh, I'm pregnant - I can eat anything!" attitude during the 3rd trimester and eating all those high caloric (but still organic :roll foods. I gained about 35 pounds, and then my in-laws just keep bringing sweets into the house after the baby was born and I put on an additional 10 pounds after that. (And also medical issues with my baby, so constantly on the run to doctor's appointments, which meant crappy on-the-go food choices for me and DH.)

I'm 20 pounds above my pre-pregnancy weight, but I'm 5'3", so that's a pretty hefty amount. REALLY trying to limit my weight gain to 15 pounds this pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I gained nearly 50 lbs with my 1st. I lost almost nothing while breastfeeding (some of us just don't), but was just 10 lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight when the 1st was 15 months and I got pregnant again. For the 2nd, I decided to exercise more, eat better, etc. I still gained 40 lbs, up to the weight I was with my 1st. Also, although the 1st was right on time and the 2nd was 2 weeks early, both were born at the exact same weight. It's just what my body and my babies needed. With the 2nd, I still lost no weight until I weaned at a year. It took a very long time, but I was down to my pre #2 pregnancy weight when the 2nd was 2, and now I'm at pre #1 pregnancy weight almost 3 years out, although my body doesn't look the same (boobs still huge!).

This was my pregnancy experience, exactly! Youngest is now 7. I've been within 10 lbs of pre pregnancy weight for 5 years now. Pregnancy changes your body and it's ok!

Op, enjoy this phase of your life and deal with whatever happens with your weight when you are done having kids (and breast feeding if it applies). Congratulations!

[Anonymous]

I topped out at the exact same weight both times, even though the starting weight varied by 10 lbs. maybe your body will do the same!

[Anonymous]

It kind of irritates me someone at the top wrote eat less. Infuriates me. Everyone has different metabolisms, body types, and hormone levels. Oh and LIVES.

Like some other women I read on here I gained weight after my baby! 10 extra pounds. My baby was in the NICU for 3 weeks. She was 41 weeks she wasn't premature. But I ate horribly practically living at the hospital. I gained 30lbs and was walking 6-10miles a day! For real no exaggeration. Until 8 1/2 months. Everyone said I would lose it quick. Lost nothing in breast feeding.

I exercised an hour a day after my baby came home. I could not lose the weight. Then a little after my baby's first birthday I am pregnant again. My serious morning sickness made me drop the last 20 of my excess weight. And I fear I'll lose more because I've only had morning sickness 3 weeks. Last time it lasted 6!

Women's bodies are insane. When I should lose weight I gain. When I should gain I lose.