Pregnancy Weight Gain

In general the amount of weight that a woman should gain during pregnancy varies significantly depending on her body type, lifestyle and health factors.  Women who are underweight before getting pregnant generally gain more weight than women who are overweight before getting pregnant.  Many women within a normal weight range for their height (Body Mass Index, BMI) are told that they should gain between 25-30 pounds by the end of their pregnancies, with the majority of the weight being gained in the second half of the pregnancy.

My Weight Gain Timeline:

March 13th:  I had a doctor’s appointment 2 days before I conceived and I weighed in at 130 pounds (I’m 5 feet 5.5 inches tall), this was a little heavier than my normal weight of 125 pounds but my body was still getting back to normal after my first pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage.

April 25th:  At my first prenatal appointment I was 8 weeks pregnant and I weighed 139 pounds, which meant I had already gained 9 pounds, which was slightly unusual.

So things get a little hazy from here, until my 25 week appointment, but in general I was gaining smaller amounts of weight each month, 4 pounds here, 2 pounds there.

August 24th: At my 25 week appointment I weighed 153 pounds!! Meaning a total of 23 pounds gained thus far.  At this point I totally freaked out, because I was only just over half way through my pregnancy and most women gain the most weight during the third trimester.

September 14th:  151 pounds…odd that I lost 2 pounds, but I had been making a conscious effort to eat better and exercise more. Total weight gain = 21 pounds.

September 25th: 153 pounds.  Total weight gain 23 pounds

Fast forward a bit, since my weight pretty much stayed between 153-155 pounds and would just fluctuate back and forth at each appointment I had.

November 14th: 37 weeks pregnant and I weigh 154 pounds…so still staying right around where things have been for the past 12 weeks .  Total weight gain = 24 pounds.

It’s pretty atypical for a woman to gain all her weight during pregnancy during the first half and hardly anything in the second half, but this just goes to show that pregnancy weight gain can look very different on different people.  Some women (like me) gain weight in clusters, while some gain weight gradually over time.

November 20th: 38 weeks pregnant and I weigh 155 pounds. Total weight gain = 25 pounds

November 26th: 39 weeks pregnant and I weigh 159 pounds.  Gained 4 pounds this week, which is not surprising after I gorged myself and was completely sedentary during Thanksgiving. Total weight gain = 29 pounds

December 6th: 40 weeks pregnant and I weigh 157 pounds.  Lost 2 pounds from last week, which is odd, since I haven’t been very active and I’ve had more junk food than normal, but my midwife says the baby is a good size. Total weight gain = 27 pounds

December 11th:  Asher Nathan Anvari is born at 11:36pm, weighing in at 7 pounds 11.5 ounces.

December 24th:  2 weeks postpartum, and weighing 139 pounds. I think the large quantities of water I have been drinking curbed my appetite and I haven’t been consuming as many calories as I need to.  Lost 18 pounds, still have 14 more to go.

January 8th: 4 weeks postpartum and weighing 139 pounds.  I have been making an active effort to eat more to help support my milk supply.

January 22nd: 6 weeks postpartum and weighing 137 pounds.  Lost 20 pounds, still have 12 more to go, but I’m in no rush, the most important thing is that I eat enough to maintain my milk supply and that I start to regain some muscle tone so I don’t feel so weak.

So there you have it.  I could fit into some of my pre-pregnancy pants by 9 days postpartum, even if I did need to squeeze into them, however my maternity pants are too loose, so I’m in an awkward in-between stage, luckily I spend 95% of my time in pajamas or sweatpants.