Mayo Clinic Health Manager

Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.

Free

E-Newsletter

Subscribe to receive the latest updates on health topics. About our newsletters

• Housecall
• Alzheimer's caregiving
• Living with cancer

• August 24, 2009 3:31 p.m.

  I am 26 weeks with my second pregnancy and so paranoid about my weight already. I have averaged nearly 4 lbs. per day over the last two months. Sometimes I don't feel in control of my appetite and want to eat all the time. I was 10 lbs overweight when I got pregnant and gained 41 lbs with my son and managed to lose it all. My fear is that I still have three months to go and only room for 10 more pounds if I only want to gain as much as with my son, who is 17 months old. By the way, he was only 6.14 when he was born at full term.

  - Yvette

• August 3, 2009 1:46 p.m.

  To be honest with you ladies...dont worry about it. I feel that stressing about won't do any good. I gained 65 pounds with my first! I lost it all in four months b/c of nursing and excercise. I began this pregnancy and the first one at a normal weight for my height and I am now 20 weeks and gained 20 lbs. I was always active so I knew excersising to lose the weight wouldn't be grueling. If you eat right, nurse if you can, and excercise...it comes right off. So enjoy it now and EAT!

  - Ann

• July 28, 2009 8:37 p.m.

  Expectant mothers (those of you who have contributed here and have already given birth and are still worried about baby weight, and future contributors/those of you still expecting), here's the facts: First off, what other people think of your body is their problem, not yours. Who cares about ill-educated people who will praise you only if the things that change about your body during pregnancy is your belly and your larger breasts? Eeewww. Seriously, forget about them. They have a twisted idea of beauty. Do you really want to impress someone or gain respect from someone who has a twisted view of beauty? Yeah, see, I knew you were smarter than that. On the other hand, though, do take care of yourself with moderate exercise, great nutrition (and by nutrition, I mean food containing actual nutrients), and by really listening to your doctor(s) and your partner/family/friends who love you and your baby. When you're caring for yourself and Baby in this way, there's really no need to worry, because you're doing your best. You're having a baby, for Moses' sake. Now more than ever is the time to claim confidence. Don't mean to sound cheesy, but seriously, your calling is a noble one. And if you're not so much worried about what people think or about comparing yourself with other pregnant women (which is another really pointless thing to do), but you simply want to wear your fav clothes again, don't worry. Just take care of yourself, and it will happen. Enjoy your life!!!

  - GV

• June 16, 2009 9:48 a.m.

  This was useful, thanks.

  - mlr

• January 13, 2009 4:33 p.m.

  I am 28 weeks pregnant and have gained just under 20 pounds. I also lost weight in my first trimester because of morning sickness. When I look in the mirror I am very critical of myself, but on a higher level of consciousness I know that I am at a healthy weight. Pre-pregnancy I had a BMI of 20.6, which is very healthy. I know that I will probably gain around 10 more pounds before I give birth. Gaining weight is hard for probably most women, especially when most of us compare ourselves to models and Hollywood starlets whose main job it is too look good, meaning they have personal trainers and dieticians and are able to prioritize exercise over other, more mundane aspects of life. For the rest of us who do our own cooking, who have to go to work and clean up the house and stay within a grocery budget it seems impossible to be as fit and skinny as Maxim's Hot 100. The point is that I try to have realistic expectations of myself. I absolutely did not, and do not want to "get fat" ever. I want to eat healthy and stay active and look attractive of course. But nothing is more important than my baby's health. I know that I have to surrender to looking a little plump during my pregnancy, even if I don't really, that’s how I feel and its something I need to accept, as opposed to not eating when I feel hungry, not getting enough calories or nutrients and putting my child at risk, because I am afraid of gaining too much weight. Especially when I know I can always lose the it.

  - Alena

• January 7, 2009 6:24 p.m.

  I am 27 weeks pregnant. Before becoming pregnant I was underweight at 5'9" and 125 pounds. Now that I am entering my third trimester I have gained 34 pounds! I feel huge, this is the most I have ever weighed in my life. I have been eating right and exercising, I chart my caloric intake and still my body packs on the pounds. At the rate I am going it looks like I will be gaining a total of about 50 pounds by the time I give birth. My doctor says that my weight is fine, that as long as I am taking care of myself I shouldn't worry, but I do. This is a source of extreme stress and anxiety for me. I do plan to breastfeed and hope that will assist me in losing the weight after I give birth. I feel you shouldn't judge a woman's weight gain during pregnancy and assume she's just eating too much, it's completely false.

  - Courtney

• January 2, 2009 12:36 a.m.

  In response to Stephen's comments, Japan's population is also very petite compared to American women. It would make sense that a 5' Japanese woman giving birth to a 5 pound baby would gain less than a 5'9 woman giving birth to a 8 1/2 pound baby. And, who is Stephen to say Mayo Clinic's standards for weight gain are outdated? When he gives birth or becomes an obstetrician, then I'll take into account his reasoning.

  - Lovetoteach

• November 25, 2008 10:44 p.m.

  I am at 22 weeks. At my last prenatal appointment (last week), my midwife told me that I had gained 7 pounds in the last month and that it was too much. (I have gained 14 pounds overall, but my recommended gain was 15-20 pounds because I was a little overweight when I got pregnant.) Admittedly, I had let my eating habits slip a little bit last month, but in the last week, I've really gotten it back on track. (Recording every food that I eat has helped me curb the unhealthy snacks and boost my vegetable intake.) Anyway, I weighed myself tonight and according to my scale, I had lost weight compared to my pre-natal visit last week. (I don't know the difference between my scale and the doctor's office, but on my scale, I was about 9 pounds less.) Will my fat reserves continue to provide my baby with the calories that she needs? I am not so worried about carbs, protein, and vitamins because I have really improved my diet in terms of those aspects, but I have cut my calories, especially from junk food.

  - Jenn

• October 16, 2008 3:12 p.m.

  It's extremely hard for a weight-obsessed woman to deal with the weight gain of pregnancy. I feel like it's taken over my every thought. I was doing very well with keeping it to a minimum, but after one disasterous month, I know there is no way to stick to my goal of a 25-lb gain. I'm back on track now and praying I can stick to a 30lb gain, but I feel like I'm starving myself in order to keep my weight gain in control... I don't eat junk, I eat well, and I exercise, but I'm still gaining too much for my liking. And I'm always hungry, but I forcibly deprive myself because I'm so terrified of gaining too much... I mean, you have people like Stephen (who presumably has never been pregnant) down there at the bottom telling women that they're already gaining too much, even when health professionals say it's an appropriate amount... the pressure is incredible. I don't know how I'm going to manage the last few months. There's only so much I can cut back on what I'm eating; at what point am I starving my baby?

  - Katie

• July 25, 2008 9:16 a.m.

  Hi! I am 16 weeks pregnant and have gained almost 20 lbs! Before I got pregnant I was actually training for the police physical test ,which I passed, and my body fat was under 16%. It think it was actually around 14.5% if I remember correctly. I am a personal trainer and aerobics instructor and even today still workout between 10 - 14 hours a week. Do you think I've gained this much weight because my body fat was so low? I really can't believe how much I've gained. I feel like I"m starving to death all the time, so I never miss an opportunity to eat. I feel that it's my baby's way of saying "There's not enough down here!". My doctor gave me a thyroid test to help explain the weight gain but everything's fine. I feel like a failure, Everyone kept telling me how it wouldn't even look like I was pregnant when I first found out. I do watch my calories and eat between 1900 - 2300 depending on what day it is (I teach alot of back to back high aerobic classes). Any ideas or comments would be greatly appreciated.

  - Christina

• June 24, 2008 2:47 a.m.

  I am 19 weeks pregnant and have gained about 16 pounds so far. I actually ended up losing a couple of pounds during my first trimester but the story has been quite different since I hit the second trimester. Its just such a fine line that one has to toe - eating right, catering to your fickle taste buds and keeping a calorie count. I so dread fretting over losing all the excess weight after baby is finally here. I am just hoping the weight gain does not prolong my ppd. But the very thought of having to hold a healthy little baby in my arms is completely gratifying and worth all the discomfort and pains of pregnancy.

  - Teena

• May 19, 2008 8:13 a.m.

  I am 16weeks pregnant with my third child. I have a 4 and 2 year old. This was a suprise pregnancy and i struggled with it at first. I had just spent the last few months killing myself to lose 10 pounds (working out 5 days a week for an hour each day and ate alot healthier). So needless to say the thought of gaining the weight again was upsetting, but I decided to try to be as healthy as possible this time around. I continued working out, but reduced it to 3 days a week for 40minutes. I felt alot better about myself. But, at my OB appointment the Nurse Practioner was all over me about the fact that i had not gained enough weight (even though I gained 5 pounds at that point and was 13 weeks) and was questioned about my eating and that I was overdoing it with the exercise. My last pregnancys I gained 40lbs, and 35lbs respectively and towards the end they questioned that I gained too much each week. So I have found myself feeiling guilty and eating more and doing less to try to gain more. But then I dont feel as good about myself. I just feel like I cant win. And so I've decided for myself that I am going to continue eating healthy and staying active.

  - Kate

• March 27, 2008 5:05 p.m.

  Hi there. I am a (pregnant) registered dietitian who has done a lot of prenatal nutrition counseling and have seen weight gain run the gammut from very low to very high. Often times, unfortunately, patients were referred to me only when there was a problem with weight. I'm not saying every pregnant woman needs to see a dietitian, but it can certainly be helpful. At least looking at nutrition guidelines for pregnancy (this is a perfect web site for that) can be helpful. Diet and exercise is SO very important during pregnancy. I feel like exercise is underplayed a bit...I'm forgetting which book I read this in, (probably the outdated "What to Expect When Your Expecting" which I now cannot stand), it claims that you can "take it easy" if you want do during pregnancy and not exercise. I believe that to be a FALSE statement. I think this is a statement that has lead a lot of women to gain excess weight during their pregnancy, along with the "eating for two" mentality. On another note, despite what "recent studies" have claimed, breastfeeding IS a great way to help lose that pregnancy. From my own "studies" on women I've counseled, this is a TRUE statement. The body uses a lot of extra calories while breastfeeding...So if you keep your diet in check and exercise after the 6-week recovery time, the weight will come off and quickly, I might add.

  - Hannah

• March 26, 2008 11:35 a.m.

  As a Personal Trainer who has found her way into specializing in prenatal and postpartum fitness, I have found that the weight gained with pregnancy really worries most of my clients. Like most women, most of my clients have had some sort of food issue and body dysmorphia (not seeing yourself as the size you truly are). As their pregnancies progress, I find I have to literally say to them "this is healthy weight gain". I focus on nutrition with my clients. If they are concentrating on getting enough veggies, fruits, protein, calcium, and iron, the calories follow. The worst thing that happened to one of my clients during her first pregnancy (before we worked together) was to have a nurse and a doctor make rude comments about how much weight she had gained. It wasn't horrible weight gain (40 lbs), but it just devasted her. The focus during your pregnancy should not be about the numbers on the scale, it should be about having as healthy a pregnancy as possible. As long as your doctor says you're ok, exercise all the way through. It will make you feel better. Work with someone who is familiar with the recommendations for exercise during and after pregnancy. Eat as healthy as you can. That doesn't mean you can't have a cookie, but don't let people shove food at you and don't allow yourself to eat mindlessly. Track your food intake. The same client I mentioned just gave birth last Wed. We worked out last Mon. She had a much better 2nd pregnancy. You can do it too!

  - Amy in Indy

• March 24, 2008 1:30 p.m.

  Pregnancy is a beautiful thing, and weight gain can very from person to person. I am in my 35th week, and I have gained 35 pounds so far. This is the same amount I gained in my first pregnancy, and I was able to get back to my "normal" size (120 pounds) with exercise and diet. With this said, please don't judge a woman by the weight she gains during pregnancy, it can be very hurtful, and gaining a higher amount does not mean a woman will be overweight post pregnancy.

  - Charlotte

• March 4, 2008 10:54 a.m.

  Thank you Stephen for your comments. Prior to writing this particular entry I look at the current standards. The current standard is from the Institute of Medicine. The Institute will be looking at the standards for weight gain in pregnancy this year and I imagine there will be changes. I did not give any specific recommendations for weight gain because it can vary from woman to woman. Pregnant women should discuss weight gain expectations with her health care provider. As Pauls put it so well, a healthy diet is the most important factor when considering weight gain in pregnancy.

  - Mary Murry, MayoClinic.com

• March 4, 2008 8:16 a.m.

  Thank you, Stephen!!! I agree that there should be a HEALTHY diet. Not a lettuce diet with no dairy, protien, or carbs and not a diet of 12 oz steaks and baked potatoes loaded with sour cream and butter. I am, as it is, over weight pre preagnancy and am terrified to gain even the reccommended 25 pounds. Some of my girlfriends have trouble losing the 30 and 40 pounds that they have gained, and some them have gained an enormous 80 pounds! That is obsurd!

  - Paula - NNY

• February 29, 2008 11:46 p.m.

  The studies about "low" (by United States standards) pregnancy weight gain contributing to complications are outdated and discredited. I'd expect more from the Mayo Clinic than this dusty conventional wisdom. Current recommendations are way too high and contribute to the almost inevitable gain in weight that we see here in women after they have children. Japan is an example where weight gain is very low and there are few complications and little post pregnancy weight gain.

  - Stephen