Gaining weight during pregnancy...

On the baby board at babycenter.com as well as some people I've observed there's something brewing that makes me very concerned... The odd celebration of not weight during their pregnancy for fear of either loosing their body or not wanting to have a bigger baby. Now. You are naturally cautioned to not gain too much weight for obvious reasons. Yours and the baby's health.

"I'm still in my pre pregnancy jeans and haven't needed to change much by way of clothing!! How amazing, hardly any weight gain!!" 

You can see when a woman's physical shape is built to naturally have that thin structure vs somebody who's got some curves. And there are health conditions that make it difficult for some to gain weight but this isn't what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the mom who has it fixed in her head NOT to gain much weight in the unhealthy sense.

There are many reasons as to why this happens and many of them spiritual based.

No, I'm not going nutty on you I'm stating it in terms of deep wounds that sometimes we don't even know we have... Thus I believe eating disorders, body dysmorphic disorder and other conditions along those lines are all due in part to a lie bought into long ago. It's such a sad and scary thing because in the end it's meant to destroy us. I wrote one of my very first blogs on a girl who's funeral I was at that she died due to an eating disorder...
She was only 20.
It shook me and broke me as I too suffered from one years ago...

My point is that the fear of not gaining weight in pregnancy is more of a fear from something deeper within... Heck it could be due to the fact you grew up with a weight leery mother who harped on you to watch yours and would always have a critical comment if it looked like you gained even an ounce (Not my case by any means, my mom was telling me I need more weight on me). This is damaging to a young girl! I've seen what it does to a woman and it breaks my heart. What a young pregnant mother doesn't see right away are the ramifications this could have on her unborn baby...

Common issues:

Low birth weight on the infant

Premature birth

Malnutrition
Poor heart, lung and brain development

Other issues later down the road can consist of:

Potentially stunted body growth
Poor Bone development

Low immune systems and more...

We don't even know everything that really can happen when it comes down to it.

Thus a health care provider cautions you on your workouts and daily diet.

For 9 mos there's a bigger picture than just yourself and it's your developing baby. 

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/eatingfortwo.html

I was worried I wouldn't gain weight at first due to my morning sickness but soon learned I was. Peanut butter saved my butt, literally ;) In fact so far I've gained 41lbs! My goal was 35lbs like my mom but I've had to take it easier so there's been less physical work and more time with my feet up to rest my back etc... I'm okay with that, esp when my best friend who's small like me stated she gained 50lbs for hers and she looked amazing!

They give you various indexes online and they're a basic guild line to get an idea of what you may or may not need to gain to have a healthy pregnancy. If you're a few lbs over it's usually okay, usually. It's the few under that should concern, esp since every lb helps baby. Esp during the 3rd trimester!

Here's a breakdown for what the weight you're gaining is...
 https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=435977409771046&set=a.363376287031159.75375.135714456464011&type=3&theater

"I've been in maternity clothes for awhile now and have hit my 3rd trimester and am growing out of stuff! This can't be good!"

What I would tell our mommies who came into Motherhood when shopping, "You can buy a steady set of clothes to help you along for now but there's a chance you'll have to change a size up once you hit your 3rd trimester. It's normal! Here let me help you..."

I myself have officially hit that...
I needed new sleeping bras, underwear, some shirts haha
All of a sudden the belly pops even more and the boobs take a flying leap to "Holy Moses!" and you're left with small clothing that fit you not 1 week back... My goodness :)

"But I don't want stretch marks!"

50% Of pregnant ladies get these during their pregnancy and most if it is due to genetics or poor skin care. Yes, a super amount of weight gain might do this, but a skinny chick can get them too! Doesn't mean you're fat. Just remember to hydrate, stay nutritious and take supplements to aid in skin health, lotion and oils etc... Also, yes, it can be genetics! 
http://pregnantaesty.blogspot.com/2012/09/stretch-marks-in-odd-places.html

"What about my pre baby body?!"

That takes time and for some longer than others.
Basically it's about diet and physical activity and NOT skipping meals!
You can't starve yourself and try to breast feed at the same time, you'll be feeding your baby an empty diet if you skimp on meals. You still need extra calories afterwards, just make sure you have a workout plan in place. Talk to friends who have had kids and maybe gain a workout buddy or trainer? Not everybody likes to workout alone.
 Also, investigate placenta encapsulation if you want a faster recovery, I am!

** A side note: For some there may be a confusion of doing everything right and the baby might have a health concern, that's a very different story all together.

I just wanted to touch on the delicate topic of weight gain during pregnancy. There's so much more to say but I only wanted to touch on the topic for fear of writing a book of a blog! (Already guilty of that haha)

What are your thoughts on pregnancy weight gain?

Leave me a comment!
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Have a wonderful day,
Shannon <3