21 Weeks

[sal_amanda]

My normal weekly e-mail with all the foods is done with that now, but I did read in the weekly book I have that the baby is about the length of a large banana. Hee hee.

Michelle that I used to work with was telling me about someone she knew that referred to her baby as her specific craving. I think it was McDonald's cheeseburgers or something. I don't know that I have any major cravings, except maybe bacon. So Baby Bacon?

I got scolded yesterday for my weight gain by one of the midwives. I knew it was coming. I haven't seen this particular midwife since my first appointment and the other one never mentioned it, but I've known that it's been not so great. I thought it had been slowing down a little, but I think the combination of funeral brunch, Thanksgiving, and Julie's visit prompting the availiblity of things like DiCamillo's doughnuts and Pizza Junction pizza this past week was probably a deal breaker. Even John, who has been losing weight lately, gained four pounds this week. If I take out four pounds, then I was actually right on target. The midwife made some suggestions, but I'm doing most of them already. I swear this is like when I was on the pill and no matter how much I worked out or how much better I ate, I still ballooned up. Once I went off it, I dropped ten pounds almost immediately without making any other changes. I do admit to eating some crap, but I have exercised at least some restraint. I mean, I have two boxes of Girl Scout cookies that I've had for a much longer time than I normally would. On average, a box of Tagalongs is lucky if it makes it through a full day.

Comments

[sal_amanda]

She's right, though, and I have been concerned about it because I've already gained what I should for the whole pregnancy and I'm only halfway there. Worrying like crazy is definitely not my cup of tea, but I do have to be careful so I don't run into something like toxemia or gestational diabetes. Plus, selfishly, I'd like to have it come off easier when all is said and done. ;)

[busybusymama.livejournal.com]

As I am sure you know already, there are health reasons to be concerned about excessive weight gain. That said, I don't think that 4 pounds over where you should be is excessive. And, there is also the factor that hormones DO affect some people differently than others. I have a friend who, after trying SO hard in her first pregancy to exercise and eat right, finally came to accept that she WILL gain an absurd amount of weight while pregnant. She did weight watchers after each pregancy. She exercised religiously after each pregnancy to lose the weight. She had three kids in just under five years, and finally, when her son was a year old, she got back to her weight before her first. I don't know anyone who worked like her to lose weight so successfully. But, she knew she wanted kids, and she knew she couldn't stop her body from gaining the weight. The only thing she could control was what she did with her body after she was no longer pregnant.

Midwives need to monitor your weight. Tracking weight gain can help in diagnosing problems. On the other hand, sometimes, some midwives feel the need to give the same lectures to all people, whether they need it or not. One midwife felt the need to provide an educational lecture regarding something or other to do with pregnancy. I was pretty insulted, since the other midwives never would have treated me like that. They knew that I was an intelligent, responsible person, that I had just recently completed 2 maternity rotations in nursing school, and that I was having my second child. I didn't need her to talk down to me. But, she had come from very poor area of some big city, where she was used to dealing with a certain type of patient. She didn't apparently feel the need to adjust her style to meet the level of the patient.

So, maybe next time, don't see that midwife, and see if the one that you see is concerned.

In the meantime, just do your best to eat well and exercise. If you know that you are doing things right, then you have that to stand behind.

[sal_amanda]

Actually, that's the midwife I have usually seen before I was pregnant and I like her the best. She scolded me good-naturedly and I knew I had it coming. She's totally right and I know it.

I'm not four pounds over where I should be. I'm four pounds over what I should have gained this past month. I'm waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay over where I should be total. I'm where I should be at the end of my pregnancy and I'm only halfway. Like I said, I've known this and I knew one of these trips to see them, I was going to get my hand slapped. They have every right to do so because it does put me at risk for a wonderful variety of things. It was a nice boot to the ass so I can lay off the empty calories.

[i-am-solid.livejournal.com]

Well, since I blame you for my weight gain I guess you can blame me for yours.

I'm no doctor, but what the heck is four pounds going to do?

[sal_amanda]

Well, here's the problem with the four pounds. Since four weeks ago when I was last there, I gained a total of eight pounds. Now I'm already way ahead on total weight gain as it is because of the constant hunger I was dealing with the first trimester. But the normal weight gain at this point should be one pound a week, which would have been a four pound gain in the past month. What I did was gain an average of two pounds a week for the past month. Were I to keep up this rate of gain, I will have gained half of my pre-pregnancy weight when all is said and done. That would be bad.