"Poor maternal weight gain"? « Hellobee Boards

I had my 28 week appointment yesterday, and my OB decided to order an extra ultrasound in a couple of weeks because he's concerned about *my* weight gain. This conversation happened before he measured fundal height, so I don't believe that was a factory. It was strictly about my weight on the scale. Anyone else have this come up? Background: before getting pregnant, I think I was pretty normal-size, not overweight, but definitely not underweight. That being said, I did weigh 10 pounds more than I did when I got pregnant with my son. Though my doctor didn't seem to think that mattered.... Also, BFing is what made me gain weight after my first (soooo hungry!) and I only stopped BFing less than three months before getting pregnant. My suspicion is that if I hadn't been expecting number two, I would have lost weight after I was no longer nursing.

Anyway, I'm trying not to worry too much. At 28 weeks, I've gained about 10 pounds. I'm still five pounds over where I was at this same point with my son. And she measured on track at the anatomy scan. So none of that seems too alarming and hopefully this is just being extra cautious....but it's making me a little anxious. I'd love to hear from anyone else who might have dealt with this issue.

MamaBear87
nectarine / 2288 posts

Jan 18, 2019

Does he think you've gained too much or not enough? I'm 24 weeks and have gained about 10 pounds so I can't imagine that's too much off normal
pinkb
pear / 1599 posts

Jan 18, 2019

I am up about 8lbs at 30+3 weeks, but I was over weight to begin with. I think its just to make sure the baby is growing well. As long as you are eating well and not restricting, I think it will all be just fine. They had me go in at 26 weeks for another scan to estimate baby size because DS was over 9lbs. Total waste of time, tech was like its too soon to estimate what the baby will grow to but the Drs insisted I have the scan. She measured completely average.
Corduroy
pomelo / 5258 posts

Jan 18, 2019

I seemed to get alternate "you need to gain more" and "you gained too much" conversations from my doctor at every appointment. It was almost comical. By my second pregnancy I was taking bets with a coworker before each appointment about which lecture I would get.

I did end up with growth scans for both babies late in my pregnancy due to short fundal height. My scan for my first was ridiculously off (she was expected to be >9lbs and was 6lb10oz). DS was more spot on.

It's hard not to stress about it but I understand that growth concerns for mom and baby are very common.
skinnycow
pear / 1728 posts

Jan 18, 2019

That seems within the range of normal to me. I gained 17 lbs by 28 weeks with my daughter but then only gained another 7 lbs over the course of the pregnancy. I totally believe that as long as you're listening to your body you'll put on the weight you need.
MrsSCB
pomelo / 5257 posts

Jan 18, 2019

@MamaBear87: He thinks not enough. FWIW, I gained 23 total with my son and he weighed 8.5 pounds. So I don't think where I'm at now is too far off of that.

@pinkb: Hopefully everything is average for me as well! I guess it will at least be nice to see the baby again, I wasn't expecting to until she's born.

@Corduroy: Yes, at my 24 week appointment, a different doctor in the practice mentioned being concerned that this baby could be big, because my son was on the bigger size and subsequent babies are usually larger. So now I'm just confused! Maybe the US will give us a better estimate on big or small, ha.

@skinnycow: Thank you, I do feel like I'm eating well at least. And he said, "Don't go home and eat a bunch of ice cream or anything, this may just be how your body is doing it this time." So I guess we shall see! My pregnancy with my son was very textbook, so it just makes me nervous to hear anything other than, "Everything is good, see you in four weeks"
QBbride
pomegranate / 3192 posts

Jan 18, 2019

That’s odd, that seems within normal limits to me (a bit on the low side but not concerning low). How is your fundal height measuring? I honestly wouldn’t even think twice about it if your fundal height is where it should be!!
MrsSCB
pomelo / 5257 posts

Jan 18, 2019

@QBbride: I think it's fine? He basically opened the appointment yesterday by saying he wanted the extra US, so he hadn't even measured my belly yet, just had my weight. And when he did measure, he didn't mention that it was small or comment on it. Certainly doesn't feel small....

I have been having some bad reflux that I think can affect my appetite, so he suggested trying Zantac. I've only been using Tums so far, but they're not really cutting it.
Mrs. Toad
persimmon / 1095 posts

Jan 18, 2019

@MrsSCB: Subsequent babies are not always larger. DS came at 40+2 and 8lb15oz. DD came at 41+4 and 7lb6oz.
agold
grapefruit / 4045 posts

Jan 18, 2019

@MrsSCB: I lost weight during the first half of my first pregnancy. I gained maybe close to 20, but still ended up walking out of the hospital weighing less than I did when I got pregnant. I, too, wasn't overweight... well.. maybe a tad. I measured small throughout the pregnancy and got put on extra monitoring because of it. I wasn't worried and there was nothing wrong. Good luck, lady! Never a need to gain too much weight. As long as you are eating normally, I think you are fine.
Mrs. Carrot
blogger / nectarine / 2043 posts

Jan 18, 2019

If they're not concerned about the baby, it's probably OK, but I wanted to add that this happened to me with my kid, and she ultimately had to be born early (36W) because she wasn't growing effectively in utero. All the doctors dismissed the lack of weight gain because I was overweight to begin with, but I ended up having a very small placenta which slowed my daughter's growth as well. Hopefully that's not what's happening here if the baby is on track for growth (mine was measuring 2 weeks behind from the start and they ignored that too, assuming I just miscounted the conception date, which I knew I hadn't but yay doctors), but I wanted to share that just in case you'd want to probe more.
Mrs. Lemon-Lime
wonderful pea / 17279 posts

Jan 18, 2019

For my starting weight I was told not to gain more than 25 lbs. My BMI showed that I was overweight. At 20 weeks, I had gained 10 lbs, so from what you are describing it sounds like maybe he doesn’t think you have gained enough.
MrsSCB
pomelo / 5257 posts

Jan 18, 2019

@Mrs. Carrot: Thank you, that's helpful info. I'm sorry they were dismissive Sounds like it's good to be cautious and check on things in this situation. I believe she measured normally/on track at the 20 week scan (no one said there was anything out of the ordinary going on) but I'm sure it's possible things have changed since then.
LadyDi
persimmon / 1381 posts

Jan 19, 2019

My SIL had poor maternal weight gain, she was not overweight necessarily but I think when she got pregnant she changed her diet (and drinking habits) a lot and ended up losing weight her first trimester. I think she only ended up gaining about 15 lbs the whole pregnancy but there was never any concern about the baby and she was born at a normal weight with no complications.
maddyz
persimmon / 1270 posts

Jan 19, 2019

I gained around 20 pounds with each pregnancy. Both started with weight loss (morning sickness hit me hard). My midwives were not worried. At some point around 28 weeks with my first, they suggested I add a 4th small meal, like a second breakfast but mostly that was because my energy was low. I was around 148 and 5'8" to start with my first and just a little heaveir at the start of my second pregnancy. My first was 9lbs... it was all baby.
maddyz
persimmon / 1270 posts

Jan 19, 2019

@Mrs. Toad: yeah my first was 9lb and the second was 7.4. So surprising how tiny a 7 pound baby looks when your first was HUGE.
Mrs. Champagne
coconut / 8483 posts

Jan 19, 2019

Hmm with all three of mine I gained about 5 in the first 20 weeks then about a pound or so a week until delivery. Seems like you’re on track to me.
pachamama
nectarine / 2436 posts

Jan 19, 2019

@MrsSCB: seems a little bit like they're digging for trouble. my body type sounds a lot like yours and my doctor was really never once concerned when I didn't gain weight. They barely paid attention to it actually bc it doesn't mean much in terms of fetal health as long as you're relatively in the normal range. Pregnant bodies do their own thing! In fact the last 6 weeks of pregnancy I didn't gain 1 lb which I thought was weird but they said was normal and no big deal. Fwiw, my son also didn't grow the last 3 weeks of pregnancy and they thought that was normal too 🤷
periwinklebee
grapefruit / 4466 posts

Jan 19, 2019

My weight gain was also similar.

The doctor did send me in for a couple of growth scans, though based on fundal height. She was explicit that she didn't think anything was wrong but she was sending me in for a scan because it can't hurt to check everything out and insurance would pay for it due to my fundal height increasing a bit slower than average. Everything was fine. LO was just in a weird position with both his hands and his feet shoved up in front of his face