April 08, 2014

Thoughts on Pregnancy Weight Gain

15 weeks pregnant
Since finding out that I was pregnant, I have had a lot of thoughts on pregnancy weight gain. Mostly random ramblings but I thought that they would be interesting to share with you.

First of all, everyone thinks it is more than okay to comment on your changing body. This was a huge eye opener to me as I am not used to this at all. This has mostly been happening at work. On one particular day, I counted 11 times where co-workers mentioned my weight. They are not nice comments either. I would not mind hearing "the baby is starting to grow", "your bump is showing more", etc.

What I do mind is co-workers telling me that I am getting "thick", "my butt has grown so much", "I am going to get huge", "the baby is going to be huge", etc. I'm sure that they mean well but hearing it so many times a day about my weight can be a bit shocking and honestly made me feel bad. And this is all by 16 weeks pregnant. I can't imagine what people are going to say once I am actually bigger.

Just because a woman is pregnant does not mean it is okay to tell her how huge she is. I read so many blog articles about this topic before I was pregnant and I could not imagine people constantly commenting on anyone's weight, especially someone they don't know well. Well, now I can imagine it. For those of you who know someone who is pregnant, tell her she looks great. Tell her she is glowing. Tell her that her baby bump looks great. Do not comment on her butt, thighs, weight, etc.

The next topic that I wanted to mention about pregnancy weight gain is body confidence. I have always loved pregnant bellies. I think that they are beautiful and could not help but to glance at someone who I see that is pregnant. I was not sure how I would feel once I found out I was pregnant and my shape started to change though.

At about 10-12 weeks, I did have some confidence issues. People at work were telling me that I was getting too big, too soon and it made me feel bad.  I felt like I was showing too much at that point. One Sunday, I talked to my husband about the way I was feeling. He was a great person to talk to and told me that he does not care how much weight I gain and that even if I gain 10 lbs more than the recommended amount, he thought it would be fine.
6 Weeks vs. 15 Weeks

After thinking about the things that we had talked about for a couple of days, I decided to fully embrace being pregnant and any weight gain that goes along with it. I am eating fairly healthy. Yes, I am eating more than usual but that is what I am supposed to do. I feel that my body will gain the right amount of weight that it needs to support my growing baby. The recommended amount of weight gain is 25-35 lbs. I expect to gain the upper end of that considering that I started out at a fairly low weight.

I honestly feel very confident about my body now. I do not feel worried about weight gain. I exercise often, I get in my nutrients and the rest is up to my body. I do not want to spend my pregnancy looking in the mirror feeling badly. I have read blogs that the women hate being pregnant and hate gaining weight. I decided that I do not want to be one of those people. In fact, I really want to enjoy my pregnancy (and I am!!). After those couple of weeks of having times of feeling bad, I feel great. In the past, I have dealt with some body confidence issues when I was 15 and to feel okay about gaining weight is a great feeling.

At 16 weeks, I am up 6-10 lbs depending on the day. I feel like this is a good amount. I am happy with the way that my body is changing. I cannot wait to feel our baby move and to have a big 'ol pregnant belly. For those of you who are pregnant, I hope that you can feel confident in your bodies. Growing a baby is a miraculous thing and something that I am so thankful to be able to do.

Those are my thoughts on pregnancy weight gain for now. 

I'd love to hear, what are your thoughts on pregnancy weight gain?

Share this post:

Comments

  1. I can't believe people are saying those things to you!! You look GREAT!!! Don't listen to the negative Nancy's! You are BEAUTIFUL and just keep on doing what you're doing! So glad you have a supportive husband!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Kelsey! Yeah, it shocked me what people felt like they could say.

      Delete
  2. I also am shocked that people would say such things! I NEVER heard that! You look awesome! People can be so nasty so ignore them and know you are perfect the way you are.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you! I know, I can't believe people say these things on a daily basis. Luckily, I am proud of my growing body and it doesn't bother me anymore.

      Delete
  3. You look beautiful and glowing.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You look wonderful! No jury would convict you if you slapped those idiots making comments. ;-) I am 5' tall and started out around 100 lbs. I gained about 40-45 lbs with my pregnancies and got PLENTY huge. My thighs, butt, arms, face etc. etc. get mighty pregnant too. :-D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha love the slapping comment! As long as you are eating decent and getting some movement, I think that your body gains exactly what it needs to- whether that be less or more than recommended. A one-size fits all recommendation does not work for everyone. : )

      Delete
  5. Oh my - what are those co-workers smoking?! They are just jealous. I have a friend who is pregnant with twins and is now 20 weeks and she is showing a lot. Like you, she is very thin to start with so of course her "bump" is noticeable. You eat well and are super healthy, your body will do what it needs to do and you'll lose it quickly when the baby comes. Everyone is different. Be happy and healthy!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I can never understand why people make dumb comments to pregnant women. Obviously all of our bodies have to change while carrying a baby and it is a wonderful and beautiful time for us. It is a miracle and please don't let these comments bother you. Keep thinking of the adorable baby that will arrive!
    twinkle at optonline dot net

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow. I am also shocked that people would feel they are at liberty to say those things. Maybe you should tell them *their* butt is getting bigger, too! Weird how your body becomes public domain, innit? Take heart, though; I suspect that you are hearing the comments because you are naturally thin. There may have been a bit of envy there, and some delight to see you gaining now. And, of course, it might just be more noticeable than for somebody heavier. In any case, forget them. Enjoy your changing body because you DO look great! Before I even read this post I saw the photo at the top and thought, "Wow...look at her glow!" :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Haha, I know! I would never say any of these things to people. And thank you for the glow comment! A few people have told me that. I don't see it yet but love the compliment : )

      Delete
  8. I saw you the other day and I thought you looked great!! I actually didn't even know you were pregnant until Amber mentioned it, haha. Don't listen to what your co-workers say, they are very rude. When I was pregnant, I was very small the first 7 months and then Zach decided to have 3 huge growth spurts and I ended up gaining a lot of weight out of nowhere! Your baby is growing and that means you are growing too. It's natural! Never feel bad about that. You are carrying a human inside of you, that is a beautiful thing. Never forget how beautiful you are, and enjoy your pregnancy! You will miss being pregnant after you have your baby, trust me haha

    ReplyDelete
  9. Wow! I cannot believe your co-workers! That is awful! I think it is a beautiful thing, and yes, it does not matter if you gain a few more than the recommended, do what is right for you! I think you look great, and I am looking forward to following your journey with you :)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Sorry you are experiencing that! I actually felt opposite with my first two girls...People constantly said how small I was (I was overweight when I started, so maybe that was the difference)? Regardless, I fooled all of them when I pushed out 9-pound babies both times! Don't let people's comments get to you...Unless they have been there, they have NO idea! I am LOVING being pregnant this time around. I am eating whatever the heck I want (within reason) because I am HUNGRY all.the.time. and I need the food to chase around my girls. The weight will come off eventually with some work -- just ignore the scale and do what feels best for you (because I'm confident it's baby saying what he/she wants!). Enjoy the ride -- being pregnant is such a blessing!

    ReplyDelete
  11. This is such an awesome asset, to the point that you are giving and you give it away for nothing. I cherish seeing blog that comprehend the worth. Im happy to have discovered this post as its such a fascinating one! I am dependably watchful for quality posts and articles so i assume im fortunate to have discovered this! I trust you will be including more later on... belly fat

    ReplyDelete

Please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of this post! I read and appreciate all comments.