Why didn’t anyone tell me that eating whatever I want, whenever I want, might not be such a great idea?
Why didn’t anyone tell me that maintaining a healthy weight in pregnancy is important for both the baby and myself? Oh, and eating for two? Why didn’t anyone tell me that myth?
One thing I hear over and over about pregnancy is that moms wish they would have taken better care of themselves. You know the song that goes like this: “Take good care of yourself, you belong to me.” Well, I don’t know the whole song, either, but that line pops out at me every time I think of maintaining a healthy pregnancy weight.
Pregnancy is not a time to indulge in every craving. It’s not a time to eat whatever you want, whenever you want. You’re taking care of a tiny life, and the only way to do it is to take good care of yourself!
I don’t know all the ins and outs of the real foods diet, or any other pregnancy diet for that matter. I do know, though, that gaining a bunch of weight in pregnancy is overrated. One of my friends wished someone, anyone, would have told her to knock it off with the junk food already! The last thing a new mama needs on top of out-of-control hormones and sleep deprivation is extra weight hanging around.
I’ve had two different doctors with my four pregnancies (currently “breaking in” the second doc 
) and they both are insistent that a 20-30 pound weight gain is plenty. That’s for women who begin pregnancy at a healthy weight, of course. One of my friends said that her doctor went as far as to make this statement: “Twenty pounds is fine. Anything over that is all you, mama.” Well, then!
Another friend began her first pregnancy well over her ideal weight. She did not gain a pound during pregnancy, and her doctor was completely fine with that! No, she did not go on a “diet”; instead, she cut out 3 of 4 daily Dr. Peppers. She ate more baked food and less fried food. She decided that eating a piece of fruit every once in a while wasn’t going to kill her. Her health and her baby’s health were worth making a few changes. I say, good for her!
Each individual mom is unique, of course. I have another friend who claims to have gained 40-50 pounds with each pregnancy (don’t know where that weight was… I certainly didn’t see it on her!), but then she dropped every bit of it by the 6-weeks postpartum mark. Water weight, maybe? I don’t know.
I also know mamas who did everything they could to gain weight during pregnancy. This, I have no personal experience with! I can’t fathom the agony of not being able to keep anything down for months. Cannot imagine not having an appetite at all for weeks on end.
As for me, I strive to follow The Bradley Diet during pregnancy. If you click over to that link and think, “Wow, that’s a lot of food!” it kind of is. I’ll be honest. I don’t eat that much. The focus of the diet, though, is protein. Mamas and babies need quality protein! When I do a good job eating what I’m supposed to, that leaves me very little appetite for the things I shouldn’t be eating anyway.
In addition to The Bradley Diet, I strive to drink at least 60 oz. of water every day. Yes, plain water. The more you drink it, the more you’ll crave it, I promise! Yes, I’m constantly using the bathroom, but that’s a great thing in pregnancy, too. Keep that system moving!
Another pregnancy diet I’ve heard good things about is the Brewer pregnancy diet. Again, the focus is on getting enough protein.
Some of you are reading this post with one eyebrow raised. You are newly pregnant… and sick. And tired. And sick. How in the world are you supposed eat anything, let alone eat well? Be sure to read Mary Jo’s post on Surviving the First Trimester: Eating Healthy.
…When you’re tired, sick and have ever-changing aversions and cravings, eating healthfully can definitely be a challenge. Nevertheless, a nourishing diet during pregnancy is really important and can prevent a lot of complications during later pregnancy and childbirth…
…I’m not willing to fall completely off the real food bandwagon just because I feel yucky (and especially since what I’m eating directly impacts the health of my precious baby!)…
…getting enough protein is one of the most important aspects of a healthy diet during pregnancy. In addition to being so important for the health of the developing baby, a high protein diet can help prevent blood-pressure related problems at the end of pregnancy…
No matter how badly you crave something unhealthy, if you don’t have it, you can’t eat it. Just walk on past the delicious smelling donuts at the grocery store bakery and resist. Often, you can find a healthier option that will satisfy a craving.
Visit Mary Jo to read more about how she strives to eat healthy even when the going gets tough!
Weight gain and healthy eating is a touchy subject, pregnancy related or not. In the end, do what you want to do. Yes, it’s your body. But… it’s also your baby! “Take good care of yourself, you belong to me….”
Do you follow a special diet during pregnancy? I’d love to hear about it!
Amen, amen, amen! I completely agree with everything you’ve said here, Amy. Additionally, not only does a brand new mama not want to worry about losing an extra 20 pounds or so, she also doesn’t need those extra pounds weighing her down as she goes into labor.. labor means (and IS) work. If someone gives you the choice of taking on a challenging physical job with or without forty pounds of extra weight strapped on you, which would you choose?
I’m one of those mamas who gets very sick (ended up hospitalized with hyperemesis for 2 out of 3 pregnancies) and struggles to gain weight even after the morning sickness ceases. I rely on a whole lot of nuts, cheese, and full-fat yogurt to nudge my calorie count up. (And, yes, I do allow myself the occasional late night bowl of ice cream…
) I gained 29, 4, and 21 lbs, respectively, with each of my pregnancies and the weight has always fallen right off. I’m convinced that’s because I stayed in a healthy “gain range”.
Yes! Forgot to mention that, too. Labor is hard work and we need to be in optimal shape! Don’t let me forget that in a future Why? post, okay?
Great post Amy, and THANK YOU for acknowledging the difficulty some women have with gaining weight during pregnancy. I struggle with this, and as you can imagine, it’s really terrifying to worry if your baby is getting all the critical nutrition he/she needs – especially when you are constantly hearing comments on your weight and the size of your bump from family, friends and coworkers. Additionally, when I try to express the concerns I have over not being able to gain weight, I am often met with rolled eyes or even accused of being insensitive towards those who have different kinds of weight difficulties. For some reason, this is not viewed by many as a “real” problem – thank you for not writing us off!
I wish I could have said more about it (but thankful I didn’t have the experience to back it up)! I know it’s a huge struggle for some. I have a cousin who ended up in the hospital much of her pregnancy because she was SO SICK and dehydrated. How miserable.
With my first pregnancy I stuck pretty close to the guidelines in Eating Well When You’re Expecting, one of the What to Expect series. I gained about 26 lbs and lost the extra pretty quickly after. It focuses on healthy, balanced eating and has great recipes for normal food, healified. I still cook with it’s recipes to this day.
Protein is so important while pregnant, and when you are trying to get pregnant.
Great point about the protein! I try to follow the Bradley diet when we’re trying to conceive, too. Protein does so many good things!
I had to chuckle as I read this as I gained all my weight RIGHT IN MY STOMACH, and starting out at 128 and 5’7″, then peaking out at 155-160, I truly looked like I had a swallowed a beach ball. I got SOO many comments when I was out in public, but my favorite of all came from my dear FIL. We sat down to dinner one night and served up our plates and I said, “I think my eyes are bigger than my stomach,” he gave me a funny look and was like, “Nope, no way, that’s impossible!”
This is a fabulous post! I think another huge misconception is that pregnant mommies are eating for 2 so eat as much as you want. I was told that all the time when I was pregnant with my first. It’s just not true!
Eating for 2… that drives me crazy. Especially when “2″ is the size of a lima bean.
I was one of those women who struggled to gain weight in the first trimester, thanks to round-the-clock daily nausea. The best advice I got was to eat frequent “snacky” meals and make sure each one was balanced (containing fruit/veggie, high-quality protein, and whole grain). That got me through the first trimester with only a one-pound weight loss and no nutritional deficiencies. Some foods that worked well for me: bananas, brown rice, dry whole-wheat toast, apples, plain or vanilla yogurt, plain baked chicken breast, walnuts or almonds, whole-wheat pasta with a little olive oil and parmesan cheese, and (on a good day) plain steamed veggies.
Sounds like great advice, Kathryn. I always try to “jump on” that “I can eat something now” feeling, especially in the days when it’s fleeting.
I wish someone had warned me about weight gain with my last pregnancy. I’m STILL carrying around some of the weight I gained with Katie, 12 weeks into growing baby #2.
I’ve been a lot more careful this time and have actually lost weight since I got pregnant…I’ve been eating pretty healthy and consuming HUGE quantities (including close to 100g of protein every day), but I guess with being pregnant and still nursing Katie some (2-3 times/day), my body is using up some of its extra. And, as long as Baby’s growing fine & I’m staying healthy, that’s fine with me.
I’m a HD FS major, and I’ve been learning about healthy pregnancies for years. THIS IS SUCH A KEY PART TO A HEALTHY BABY. Too many mothers-to-be find themselves parked outside of Burger King or McDonalds multiple times a week, scarfing down the biggest burger on the menu (along with fries and chicken nuggets.) Their reasoning? “Well, I’m pregnant! I had a craving!!” Sorry ladies, but having an innocent life inside your womb does not come along with a free pass to unhealthy, fat and sugar laden, calorie filled fried foods.
Great segment, thanks for informing people!
No way would I be able to labor and deliver without intervention and medication if my body wasn’t well taken care of… another good reason to lay off the junk.
Excellent post! Just for clarification…”The Bradley Diet” is The Brewer Pregnancy Diet. I am a childbirth educator affiliated with The Bradley Method, and we teach The Brewer Pregnancy Diet. It’s an excellent way to eat. Unfortunately in our society we think we know what a balanced diet is, but sadly we do not. I gained around 30 pounds with my pregnancy, and 30-35 pounds is average. A pregnant woman’s weight should NEVER be restricted even if they have gestational diabetes (which is a controversial issue). Weight is not the root of the problem. It is the diet (what we choose to eat) that is the root issue. Women who have faithfully followed The Brewer Pregnancy Diet have gained the appropriate amount of weight for THEIR bodies and pregnancy. And every pregnancy is different even for the same woman. Just b/c you gain x amount of weight with one pregnancy does not mean that you will gain the same with the next. And many women who are overweight at the beginning of their pregnancy and follow The Brewer Pregnancy Diet will find that they gain very little or none b/c finally they find themselves eating a healthy, balanced diet.
Thanks for a great post! A healthy, balanced diet is vital for pregnancy, labor/birth, as well as postpartum healing (especially after a Cesarean).
You know… I knew they were similar, but didn’t know they were the same thing! Wonder why they don’t call them the same thing? In my Bradley classes (and materials) it was always referred to as “The Bradley Diet”. Hmmm. I’m with you 100% on the weight vs. diet issue, but I also believe that MOST people don’t know the best diet for our bodies, pregnant or not, so most moms who gain a large amount of weight in pregnancy do so in an unhealthy way.
I loved my Bradley classes. Bet you and I could talk pregnancy and birth all day…
This is such an interesting post for me! I am on my 5th pregnancy in 5 years. So far I have gained exactly 55lbs (give or take a lb or two) every pregnancy – so uncanny! I have a petite build and it is NOT comfy to have all that extra weight on me! I have not particularly eaten carefully or healthily during my previous 4 pregnancies though. I did not gain weight during morning sickness (lost quite a bit actually, each time) but reeeally piled it on after. I read that it can be genetic as to what you gain, and I do know women who don’t watch what they eat one pregnancy and gain 50lbs, and then eat much more carefully the next time and still gain 50lbs. My grandmother (who I am built like) also gained about 50-60lbs during her one and only pregnancy and was very healthy in her diet and exercise throughout, so I guessed it was genetic. I still wonder, but I definitely have been eating whatever I like for the most part. THIS time I am going to exercise more and eat more healthily and I am very interested to see if it makes a difference to my end weight gain. I am (hopefully!) near the end of morning sickness now, so I will really start on my plan in the next week or two.
I do drop the weight off by about 8 or 9 months postpartum (about when I get pregnant again), but I just put that down to breastfeeding. Maybe it’s just how my body does it? I will find out! Thanks for the interesting post!
That is so interesting! Thanks for chiming in.
I would LOVE to know how your pregnancy progresses this time, especially if your habits change. (I’m all nerdy like that with pregnancy research stuff.)
This post hits home as I just found out I am pregnant with our second. My daughter is 16 months old and I am still carrying on some baby weight, despite eating well and exercising. I did gain too much weight during my first pregnancy and now will be carrying some of that into my second. It’s a big bummer for me, but I have to move forward and not make the same mistake twice. For me that means laying off the sweets and carbs and focusing on high quality diary, meats and veggies. During my first pregnancy, I made sure to eat plenty of protein and fruits and veggies, but I also packed in the sweets and carbs. What a mistake! Thanks for the great reminder!
You can do it!
It’s hard going into another pregnancy feeling heavy… take good care of yourself and just remember the miracle that’s happening in your body.
That, in a nutshell, has been my problem. Sigh, I kick myself in the butt everyday over it and my 2nd is 1! I gained 40 pounds with my first, lost 55 (so the full pregnancy weight plus 15) in his first year. With my second, I gained 50 pounds! One year later, I’m at my prepregnancy weight and hoping to lose more! He was a big baby though (both were) and I lost 25-30 pounds in the first 3 weeks, so I know the extra fluid, baby fat, and placenta added to the weight but I did gain a lot of fat. I hope to do better, and follow one of the mentioned diets, for next time, Lord willing!
Hang in there, girl.
It’s hard to take care of your body, your growing baby, AND your family all at the same time!