I told you that some of these posts would be me getting up on my soap box, right? Well ~ here it is ladies.
Early on in this pregnancy when I was spending a lot of time wrapped around my toilet bowl, I was also spending a lot of time on the Baby Center (BBC) forums to make myself feel a bit more normal. The farther I get along in this pregnancy, the more I have stepped away from it. Yesterday I think I realized exactly why this is.
I’m going to give you a fair warning ladies, you really may not like where this post is going.
Pregnancy weight gain… It’s a pretty hot topic. A license to eat, cravings, how much is too much and so on and so forth.
Yesterday after a woman came home from her 23 week prenatal visit, she posted a complete RANT about how ANGRY she was at her doctor for shaming her based on the fact that she has already gained over 30 lbs! She felt that the doctor had absolutely no right to make her feel this way…
What did the rest of the women, also due in August tell her? That it was COMPLETELY NORMAL and they were in the SAME BOAT and not to listen to her doctor… Umm, excuse me? When did you spend 12 years trapped in college hell to give that kind of advice?
By the end she felt 100% better and now thanks to some real idiots clearly has no intention of changing her habits. Wow.
Here’s the thing… I eat all the time. I occasionally even snack out on ice cream and brownies and if you know me at all, well… then you know I’ve eaten my fair share of potato chips and french onion dip. So I’m BAFFLED to know what these girls have been eating to gain almost 3x the amount of lbs. that I have put on so far.
GET OFF YOUR ASS.
Yes, I know. You go to work all day and sit in a cubicle and I don’t. What is your point? Get up and go for a walk on your lunch break instead of consuming everything you can fit on a tray at Arby’s. Use those nesting feelings to your advantage. Clean something. Dear God women, are you serious?
I’ll get into the facts in a minute but I’m going to throw this out there one more time. The fact that your mom gained 50 lbs with all four of her pregnancies and lost it within the year ~ IT’S NOT SOUND MEDICAL ADVICE. Morons.
So, now let’s get into the actual reasons doctors recommend a weight gain over the whole 40 weeks that you’ve managed to successfully accomplish in half the time… Congratulations to you. Sensing the sarcasm? Good!
By gaining too much weight during pregnancy, here are the complications for you and/or your baby:
Discomfort ~ Yes, even more than you were expecting. As you continue to pack on the lbs. and not give you and your baby the nutrients you need you’re going to experience back pain, swollen ankles, leg pains, vericose veins, exhaustion, heartburn, hemorrhoids (my personal favorite) and all over aches and pains. Sounds like a blast, doesn’t it?
Complications ~ Oy! Here’s a thought. Have you ever heard of gestational diabetes? Guess what it’s treated with? Diet and exercise. Why don’t you get started? Oh and guess what? You’ve just doubled the risk that your child is going to be heavy. Not only is this bad for obvious reasons later on, but with you and your child larger than necessary, if you can deliver vaginally at all? Plan on your LO being removed with a vacuum.
On-going Health Issues ~ Hello. Are you getting my point yet? No? That’s fine. There’s more. Just because your mom lost that 50 lbs? You’ve just doubled the amount you’re likely to retain after baby is born. “Women who gain excessively and don't lose the extra weight within six months after the birth are at a much higher risk of being obese ten years later. Obesity often leads to significant health issues, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease.”
~http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/eating-well/week-22/too-much-weight.aspx
~http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/eatingfortwo.html
Alright… I’m going to come down from my soap box now but let’s get serious ladies. This is a big deal. I’m already going to be at my heaviest and miserable in the dead heat of a Carolina summer. Let’s not make things worse on ourselves. Hydrate, eat right, give into the cravings occasionally and make sure you’re getting active.
Sincerely,
~Nikki
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