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One unavoidable fact about being pregnant is you will gain weight. First of all, you’ll be carrying around up to ten pounds of baby. Secondly, your body will be producing amniotic fluid and the placenta to help nourish your little one – but the bulk of that ‘water weight’ will disappear once you give birth. Beyond that, weight gain is natural and important, and shouldn’t be considered a pregnancy problem. Of course, you may have plenty of questions, about what’s considered ‘normal’ in terms of gaining a few pounds. Although every woman’s experience is different, there are some general patterns to pregnancy weight gain.
How Much Weight Will I Gain During Pregnancy?
In total, you’re looking at anywhere from 15 to 40 pounds. How much you’re recommended to gain is really based on how much you weight going into pregnancy. A woman that is considered underweight will actually be encouraged to pack on more pounds – that upper end of the threshold (40 lbs) is a safe number for you to gain. Conversely, if you’re overweight, your doctor will likely stick to the lower end of the scale. Remember that about 15 lbs of whatever weight you gain is made up of your baby and the extra tissue and fluids designed to help him or her grow. In addition, your breasts are going to be filling with milk and your uterus will be expanding and getting heavier, both which will tip the scales. It’s also likely you will be gaining some extra fat based on the extra calories you should be consuming to nourish you and your baby.
When Will I Gain Weight?
There’s a pretty typical pattern to pregnancy weight gain – although the first trimester offers the most varied results. During your first trimester, you should aim to gain between 2 and 4 pounds, although some women will actually lose weight thanks to morning sickness. Don’t worry – it’s nothing to be too concerned about as long as you steadily gain over the second and third trimesters. The second trimester is where you’ll really notice a change in your body; most women gain about a pound a week, or 3 to 4 pounds per month. Weight gain will steadily taper off in the final trimester, although you can still expect to pile on up to 10 additional pounds.
How Long Will It Take To Lose The Weight?
You’ll quite literally instantly feel lighter and weigh less once you give birth. Between delivering your newborn and the afterbirth (the placenta, amniotic fluid, tissues and blood your body has been piling on for baby), about half of a typical woman’s weight gain will vanish. But just because you’ve shed numbers on the scale, doesn’t mean your body will snap back into shape. Your mid-section will still be stretched out and the fat you’ve gained won’t disappear overnight. Keep this in mind: you’ve been steadily adding weight for nine months, so give it at least nine months to shed those extra baby pounds. As a bonus, if you choose to breastfeed, it’s a huge aerobic workout for your body – expect to burn off tons of calories while your baby gets stronger.
A major question many moms have while pregnant is whether there is anything they can do to keep from gaining unnecessary weight during pregnancy. The answer isn’t quite as simple as ‘yes’ or ‘no’ – there are definitely ways to regulate how you gain weight, but avoiding it altogether is simply impossible.
Here are some ideas for how to manage those extra pounds:
Practice Prenatal Exercise
As long as you get the OK from your doctor, you should be okay with some light-to-moderate exercise throughout your pregnancy. There are plenty of options and classes designed for pregnant women, including water aerobics, prenatal yoga, and walking groups. Establishing an exercise routine early in your pregnancy makes it easier to commit to it and minimize excessive weight gain. Just remember to avoid strenuous activity, and keep in mind that the activities you’re used to performing when not pregnant may feel awkward with a ‘bloated’ belly. An off-kilter center of gravity can also increase the risk of tumbles and falls, so tread carefully.
Eat A Healthy, Balanced Diet
Your body needs extra calories during pregnancy to help feed your little temporary tenant. One trick to controlling your weight gain is to get those calories from healthy, whole foods like vegetables or fruits. Just because you’re pregnant and weight gain is considered ‘normal’, doesn’t mean you should gorge yourself on chocolate cake and chips. Avoiding junk will ensure your body is gaining the right kind of calories (and the kind that are easier to take off after you give birth). That being said, it’s still okay to indulge those cravings every now and again.
Count Calories
Any doctor will tell you that starting a true diet during pregnancy is a bad idea. You should be consuming an additional 100 to 300 calories per day to help your baby grow healthy and strong. But if you’ve never counted how many calories you’re eating, now might be the time to start. First, speak with your doctor about the amount of calories you should be consuming – whether or not you were pregnant. Give yourself a buffer of up to 300 calories, and make a point at looking at what you’re munching on and jotting down your daily calorie counts. There are plenty of apps both online and on your smartphone that can help you keep tabs on what you eat – just don’t get obsessed over every last morsel of food or start cutting back! Remember, just about anything in moderation is okay.
Pregnancy Must-Do’s
Pregnancy health is all about researching what’s right for you and your body. Here are some ideas to help you build a plan to manage healthy weight gain during pregnancy:
Start by having a conversation with your doctor about what’s realistic or ideal for your body. Discuss recommended weight gain, calorie counts, and what physical activities are safe while pregnant.
From there, get into research mode. Take a look at what’s in your cupboards or think about your favourite snack foods, and see what healthier alternatives exist. If you love munching on chips, protein-rich nuts may be a more nutritious option that still packs a satisfying crunch and salty taste, for example. Give your local community centre a call and see what prenatal fitness classes exist. If you wanting to keep a close eye on calories, find an app or buy a notebook to help you keep track.
Finally, create a nutrition and health plan for yourself. Eating healthy, wholesome foods is essential to your baby’s development – starting each week by making a meal plan can help you shop more efficiently instead of acting on snack cravings or impulses. Signing up for a fitness class or making a point to walk for specific errands or visits can also help you incorporate exercise into your daily life.
We all know that doing the deed is what leads to pregnancy – but just because you’re knocked up, doesn’t mean you won’t want to keep on getting some ‘practice’ in while your baby is growing. With that healthy and attractive pregnancy glow, being more in tune than ever with your body, and hormones ramping up your sex drive, don’t be surprised if you seek a little company between the sheets.
That being said, many women have fears whether it’s safe to have sexual intercourse during pregnancy, or simply don’t feel up to the task when they’re already inundated with the side effects of carrying a child. But remember – it takes two to tango both in making that baby, and keeping your family happy and strong going forward.
What are the realities of intimacy during pregnancy?
Without being too much of a downer, the honest truth is (particularly for first-time parents): enjoy your alone time while it lasts. Once baby enters the picture, the fatigue and overwhelming changes in your life will have a ripple effect that likely won’t have you planning to make another little one in the immediate future. In other words, don’t be shy about your sex drive while you’re still (somewhat) easily able to act on it.
Of course, there are some upsides and downsides to sexuality during pregnancy. Although many men find their pregnant partners exceptionally attractive, you might not be feeling the same. With pregnancy hormones wreaking havoc on your inside systems and outside appearance, it can be hard to see past all of the changes you’re feeling or seeing, and recognize thatyou’re still the sexy woman that your partner wanted to have a baby with in the first place.
Those same pregnancy hormones will also cause dramatic swings in your libido during different points in your term. You may alternate between going through periods where you’re too exhausted or nauseous to even begin to contemplate having sex, while at other times you’ll be raring to go. The tricky part is balancing your wildly vacillating sex drive with your partner’s – who, let’s be frank, is typically open to sex whenever. After all, they don’t have hormones and rapid body changes to contend with.
Whether you’re feeling frisky or frosty, many women question, ‘Can I have sex while pregnant?’ because they’re unsure whether having sex will hurt their baby. The short answer is no, at least not if you’re having a ‘normal’ pregnancy. If you’re considered high risk for a miscarriage or delivering pre-term, your doctor may advise against any kind of vigorous activity, including sex. In addition, you’ll also want to steer clear of sex with anyone who carries or is at risk for carrying a sexually transmitted disease – it can potentially be transmitted through intercourse onto your baby, with serious health risks. But beyond those situations, sex can be a great stress reliever through any stage of pregnancy, and can even help stimulate labor once you’re close to your due date.
Staying intimate with your partner is an important part of any relationship, particularly during times of high stress and change. Think of your alone time as an opportunity to reconnect and stay close as you weather these dramatic shifts in your life, together.
Here are some ideas for how to get intimate:
Continue to Have Sex on a Regular Basis
It sounds simple, but as you get further along in your pregnancy, you might find it a little uncomfortable to have intercourse with your partner. Instead of dwelling on how things aren’t like how they used to be, have fun with it – invest in a cute pair of belly-accommodating pajamas or experiment with different positions you might not otherwise try. Don’t think of sex as an obligation, but simply enjoy the intimate time you get to spend together when the mood strikes.
Set Up Romantic Rendezvous
If the idea of having everyday sporadic sex just isn’t turning you on, consider adding a little spice to the mix. Schedule specific date nights so you can really anticipate and build up excitement for doing the deed, and consider pampering or prepping yourself for a fun evening together. A word of caution? Don’t hinge all of your money or energy into a single evening. The changes you go through during pregnancy may derail your plans on occasion, so it’s best to schedule dates and nights alone with a little bit of flexibility built in.
Talk It Out
You’re feeling unsexy; he’s feeling frisky. You’re ready to go; he’s exhausted after a day of work. You’re dealing with a pregnancy symptom; he’s turned on by your pregnancy glow. It can be hard to find compatibility between your sex drives when you’re pregnant, but a good talk (instead of snapping at one another) can clear the air. Consider exploring other options – like massage or kissing – while you’re pregnant, and help set realistic expectations for your sex life after the baby is born. The main thing to keep in mind here is compromise – both you and your partner need to be respectful of what the other one is going through. Unless health risks call for it, not having sex isn’t the best option for either of you.
Pregnancy Must-Do’s
If you’re ready to keep the fires burning while your little one is blossoming in your belly, here’s some ‘home’ work for you to get cracking on:
Spend some time in front of the mirror and write down three things you love about your appearance right now. If you must, jot down one pregnancy side effect you’re not super happy about. Then, spend some time primping to help enhance those things you adore and maybe conceal what you wish you could change. Getting a blowout at the salon, buying some new makeup, or investing in a sexy outfit or lingerie can be a great pick-me-up.
Pick something that you and your partner both genuinely love to do that also doesn’t have a huge financial or time commitment attached to it. A trip outside of the city or having to put money down on an activity probably isn’t the best bet right now.
Surprise! Kidnap your partner on a night when you’re feeling physically comfortable and take them out for a special evening alone, complete with some intimate time for the two of you. If you’re still feeling shy about sex while pregnant, consider buying some bedroom aids for a little lighthearted fun – some chocolate body paint or massage oils can be a nice way to ease into things.
We all know that doing the deed is what leads to pregnancy – but just because you’re knocked up, doesn’t mean you won’t want to keep on getting some ‘practice’ in while your baby is growing. With that healthy and attractive pregnancy glow, being more in tune than ever with your body, and hormones ramping up your sex drive, don’t be surprised if you seek a little company between the sheets.
