3rd trimester weight gain!

[punky]

This was in my "monday" link that I look at at About.com...I thought you might be interested:

Welcome to the third trimester! The home stretch! Around this time you will begin to really put on the weight, this will last until about week thirty-six. Although some cultures dictate otherwise, weight gained during pregnancy is not fat or unhealthy, but rather, necessary for a healthy pregnancy and baby.

The weight that you gain will be distributed in several places. In the beginning of pregnancy you may have noticed that your breasts got larger. The average breast before pregnancy weighs about 7 ounces and during pregnancy each breast can weigh up to an average of 28 ounces! Some of the weight will go to body fluids (amniotic fluid, blood volume, etc.). Remember that your blood volume increase by 30-50% during pregnancy. And let's not forget the baby and the placenta! Add this to a few measly pounds put on as maternal fat stores, and you average about 25-30 pounds.

The most important thing to remember is that a healthy diet is more important than what you gain. Some women will gain more, as in the case of women who were underweight to begin with, and those carrying multiple babies. While others will gain less. Pregnancy is not the time to go on a reducing diet. Even if you are overweight, reducing can actually harm the baby by burning your maternal fat stores sometimes toxins can be released that are harmful to the baby.

[LynnUS]

Very interesting--and reassuring to those of us who are really packing the weight on!

Thanks for sharing!

Lynn

[fairymommy]

Man I need to get workin' on packin' on more weight! I keep fluxuating between 16 and 18 measly pounds. No I wasnt skinny before but I was supposed to gain 50lbs!!! **** morning sickness!
Tammie

[mcavy]

The GD and hypothyroidism caught me up quick in the weight gain department! I'm up about 20 pounds, official weigh-in tomorrow morning at the OB. I'm afraid to eat much other than salad at this point not knowing what my sugars are doing yet. I just called the OB again to see what the hold up is with my dietician/peri appointment being scheduled. It's the specialist's office, they are SO short staffed they can't fit everyone in!! The secretary at my OB's said she's been trying for 2 WEEKS to get another patient in besides me. I did ask about getting my blood glucose monitor now rather than waiting for this appointment that may never happen and I should get that tomorrow-at least then I won't be so afraid to eat if I can see for myself what my sugars are doing-UGH!
Michele

[BethB]

Ok that scares me! I have only gained 3 lbs I just keep thinking it is going to start any day now! I haven't even been throwing up that much anymore. Some days, not at all! I am certainly not "watching what I eat" so I don't know what is going on! Hopefully she is gaining even though I am not

[lotus]

Tammie- Dont worry about your weight. On my 28 week checkup I gained a total of 12 lbs. I actually LOST 3 more pounds between week 27 and 28, go figure. I asked again about this. They said they are not concerned. Like you I was slightly overweight (15 lbs or so), which compensated for this. Plus they said it is now (in the 3rd trimester) that I should be packing in the lbs. If in subsequent visits I dont gain and continue to lose, then its time to worry.

Michele-I cant believe you still have problems scheduling. My appointment is on Thursday. Even so I was given *general* eating guidelines and a blood sugar monitor. I've been reading the diet brochure and my blood sugar has been good so far. So let me recap a little. I cannot imagine going 2 weeks in the dark. When I was at the appointment thats the question I kept asking, what am I suppose to eat?? So here goes:

You should be eating regularly scheduled meals. Eat small breakfast, lunch, and dinner and 3 snacks in between. Snacks are after each meal. Since you should be eating every 2-4 hours. I eat the main meals in 4 hour increments and snacks in between, so I'm eating something every two hours. Each meal should contain items from the protein, carbohydrate, and fat categories. They said to ignore the fat because it usually comes with the rest. In addition to that you should strive for 3 servings of vegetables a day. Each serving is 1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw. The brochure did not specify how much protein but it says 1 serving is 3oz. In my opinion, I eat as much protein as I can in order to grow these babies and take in enough calories without the sugar/carb. The last and tricky part is carbohydrates. Here is where you go on the point system. They said an average meal plan has 3-4 points for meals and 0-2 points for snacks. I use 3 points per meal and 1 point for snacks unless they say otherwise. This is how the point system works: 11-20 carbohydrates is 1 point, 26-35 is 2 points, and 41-50 is 3 points. You can extrapolate everything in between Use the nutrition label to find out how much and it says to ignore the sugar amount, just look at the carbohydrate part. Also, it says if it has more then 5 grams of fiber than you can subtract this from the carbs. My problem right now are the snacks. I just munch on carrots and string cheese for right now. Just trying to figure out what other items would be a good idea.

Overall, each meal should ideally contain 1) vegetable, 2) protein, and 3) carbohydrates. Do not eat juices, fruits, or anything with sugar (ie candy, desserts etc). They also mentioned a couple freebie items (things that you can eat/drink as much as you want). These include tea, club soda, and anything with a sugar substitute (like sugar free jello, diet soda etc). I have stayed away from the artifical sugars though. I just drink decaf tea to add a little spice into the plain old water routine. They also said these are freebies if spread out and only 3 servings per day. Ketsup 1Tbs, Mustard 2Tbs, Salsa 1/4 cup. I havent done it yet, but I'm going to get DH to get me some Salsa--yum!

Here are points on common items:
Beans, cooked 1/2 cup - 1pt
Bread, 1 slice (white or wheat) - 1pt
Unsweetened cereal 3/4 cup - 1pt
English muffin - 2pts
Potato 4" long, 6oz - 2pts
Plain mashed potato 1/2 cup - 1pt
Rice 1/3 cup - 1pt
8" Tortilla - 1.5pts
Medium banana - 2pts
Melon 1 cup - 1pt
Small orange, peach, pear, apple - 1pt
Milk 1 cup - 1pt

If you want me to look up anything for you just let me know

Hope that helps. This info helped me from being food paranoid until my appointment on Thursday. And it has helped my blood sugar remain normal. Good luck. I do hope they get you in soon.

[mcavy]

Jen,
THANK YOU! You are wonderful for typing all that info in I got my meter today (OB wrote for it, rather than waiting any longer) and at the end of my appointment I found out I see the peri tomorrow at 8:30am. So, I'm getting on track. I just have to get used to eating every 2 hours, and not 3 bigger meals a day, and I think my sugars will level out. Sometimes I am just so darn hungry and I am looking for something to eat that won't hurt the balance...I hope she has good snack ideas for me tomorrow at my appointment.
I'm printing off what you wrote!
Michele

[punky]

yay Michele!! You finally got your meter!!