I haven't said much about pregnancy weight gain in past posts, but it has been a recurring topic when I go to see my midwife (I see a group of midwives and not just one). The first time concern was brought up was right after Christmas (which made me laugh because I am pretty sure that much of the American population puts on a few extra pounds over the holidays... so I was like "No duh I have gained extra weight, I have been eating cookies and fudge for like a week straight") This particular midwife talked about my Excess weight gain like I had committed the unpardonable sin and then started listing off things that I shouldn't eat and drilling me about cold cereal, sugar and juice.As someone who has been going to school to give nutritional advice to other people I was appalled at this woman's tone and method of "Helping me" and in fact I left the office in tears. Chuck was not happy about it and filled a formal complaint.
For those of you who are unfamiliar the **numbers they recommend that pregnancy weight gain should be 25-35 pounds for a women who has a "Normal" BMI (don't even get me started about the BMI either...here is an article though) before pregnancy. Well I have gained about 45 pounds thus far and it is brought up at each one of my visits! I really cringe at the thought of my weigh in. Not because I am overly concerned with my weight gain, but I wonder if they will say something about it to me.
The last midwife I saw actually gave me some really great advice about maintaining, cutting back on carbs and making sure to get lots of exercise. She was a great example of nutrition counseling that works. I felt her suggestions would work well for me... and believe me I don't WANT to get any bigger, I have a hard enough time getting out of bed and off the couch as it is. Plus I have studied the risks behind large weight gain during pregnancy and I am trying my best to stay healthy and strong for me and baby. But I don't have any of these problems... no gestational diabetes, my blood pressure is great, the baby is right on track with growth.... so why all the concern about my expansion? It just seems to me that in pregnancy your body does what it wants to... not to mention the water that I am retaining right now.
So yesterday was my 35 week check up. I felt like a high school boy before a weigh in at a wrestling match. I stepped on the scale and took a sigh of relief to find that I only gained one pound over two weeks. The midwife gave me positive feedback about following the advice from last visit. Consequently like any high school boy who has needed to cut or watch weight before a big match I left the doctors office with one thing in mind... my reward.
I wanted a cupcake with a nice dollop of frosting. Chuck felt that cupcakes were kind of well... wimpy. "Why not just at a piece of cake?" he wondered. Well my reasoning is not just because cupcakes are cute and in perfect little single servings... but I saw a little girl eating one the other day and I contemplated stealing it from her (don't worry I held back). Chuck wondered where are we going to get A cupcake. Well... low and behold there is a diner near our apartment called Cupcake and it is their specialty.
Here is the website if you want to check out the goods.
I couldn't decide between all the different flavors, so naturally my husband encouraged me to get two. Key lime pie on the left and mint chocolate chip on the right.Just as a side note I felt absolutely sick after eating them... sugar overload (LOL.. that'll teach me!!)
I really believe that eating a well balanced healthy diet allows room for the occasional treat...
Moderation and active lifestyle are KEY.
**(the medical profession loves numbers, averages, measurements and statistics... they have a hard time accepting the idea of complex variations in the human race and want to be able to categorize everyone)
4 comments:
I think those numbers can be useful to help with general guidelines but I think sometimes people forget they aren't dealing with a general number, they are dealing with a specific unique human being. I think you look normal whenever I see you and your belly looks awesome.
Anyhow, two friends of mine gain about 60lbs each time, despite all the exercise and salads they can eat. They seem to gain lots of water weight. It just reminds me we are all different, and pregnancy does all kind of weird things to us. :)
Sorry it has been kind of stressful. I get all sorts of nervous before they check my blood pressure because I'm nervous I'll get chastised, which of course doesn't help my blood pressure reading. :) I've had to try so hard to stay calm. My current doctor however was so calm about it that it has helped this time around.
You are smart. You know everyone is different so don't worry about what they say. I gained almost 45 pounds and about 10 pounds was water weight because I had preeclampsia. Anyways, just tell them that you aren't average and you are glad about that and then to shut the hell up.
You are perfect and beautiful! Pish posh!
Ok, I promise not to make 800 comments today, because I am going to read your blog every week...
Ok, on weight gain in pregnancy....sounds like your midwife came from the old school. My mom told me when she was in the last month with me all she ate was lemonade and tomatoes because she was parinoid about weight gain. Not that's not very healthy is it? No it is not. It also reminds me of the midwife at LA Women's Clinc, who is the human version of the Goodyear Blimp chiding ladies for "being too fat in pregnancy". Sister Nye from our ward actually had the courage to call her out on the irony of her "advice". I'm sure it was classic.
My OBGYN (who is super cool, my same age and would be totally my BFF if she were not looking up my looky-loo regularly and I love her and wish she could be your doctor too, and you could be at St Vincent's in SF so I could visit you :) says that you should not be worried about weight gain at all.......as long as your blood pressure and vitals are good, it does not matter how fat you get. With that said, you should not be parking it at the Sonic and snarfing down the tots, but you can gain weight. I gained 45 #s over the course of my pregnancy with James....oh and looky looky, I'm still alive and James is healthy. My butt is still large as a small European city state, but we're working on it!
And the truth is this, you are going to lose much of that weight as your deliver THE BABY! the water, the placenta, and then as you lose the water you're retianing. And here is the other truth...you will wear your maternity pants home from the hospital and for a few weeks after, that is if you are even wearing pants (now that's a nice image?? eeeewwww!) Then you will have to wear fat pants for a while and then you will get back to your old self, and jeans and it will all be good. The End.
So my dear Tacy, if you feel like eating a cheese burger then do it. :)
From your pictures I think you look GREAT! No worries.
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