During this pregnancy I've gained quite a lot of weight, as I did with my first pregnancy too. I think I've gained around 20kg and am currently almost 38 weeks pregnant. I've gained more than what is considered average/recommended but I've not denied myself foods I've wanted and have certainly over indulged so I'm not surprised.
In the few months before I got pregnant I lost almost 2 stone through eating better and exercise so naturally as soon as I found out I was pregnant I was hoping to try and keep focused on portion control and try not to over eat. The guidelines suggest you only consume an extra 200 calories a day and that's only once you've reached your last trimester so it was my aim to try and stick to that but morning sickness had other ideas. It's all very to say 'eat well for your baby' but that's easier said than done when morning sickness strikes. It's more like 'eat whatever you can as quick as you can before you bring it back up again'. For me, I had constant nausea throughout my first trimester and my appetite was non-existent. It got to the point where I would just eat as much as I could when I was hungry (which wasn't often) and then just force something down to ensure I was eating enough for baby if I went a little too long between meals. Unfortunately once my morning sickness went my appetite came back with a vengeance and I wanted all kinds of unhealthy foods. I've always thought it important to try and eat foods that have good nutritional value to pass onto baby when pregnant so have always tried to add vegetables and greens to my meals which would have been fine had I not been consuming so much rubbish alongside it.
In the first few months I was told I was Anaemic but I was actually prescribed a much lower dosage of Iron tablets than I was supposed to so I was always tired and lacked energy. Thinking my iron levels were fine, I turnt to sugary foods for energy and my weight gain sky rocketed. It wasn't until my doctor rang to tell me about the dosage problem and then a few weeks later I stopped craving sugary foods that my weight gain levelled out a little and slowed down. I'm not saying it's the cause of the weight gain at all, but it's certainly something that contributed to it. Now that I'm in my last trimester I am eating a lot better than in previous months. I've upped my vegetable intake and am not eating nowhere near as many sweets or unhealthy foods as I was. I've stopped gaining weight as rapidly and have started to think about my body and weight post pregnancy.
I think there is so much pressure on mums to 'lose the baby weight' after giving birth that it's easy to feel that weight loss is important once baby is born. For me, I think it's more important to spend time with your baby, bond and settle into your routine. In the first few months especially I think any spare time should be spent resting. At about 6-8 weeks post-partum last time I remember hitting a bit of a wall where I felt very self-conscious and 'bigger' than before and my first thought was to try and lose weight. My stomach was still pretty sore from my C-Section surgery and so exercise wasn't really an option so instead I set out to change my mind-set and treated myself to a few new pieces of clothing which made me feel a little bit better about myself.
This time around I am expecting to eat a little bit better when baby arrives (post-partum last time we relied heavily on convenience food whereas this time we have some healthier freezer meals prepped) and now that we have a toddler in tow I am expecting that I will be alot more active afterwards too. I've also invested in a few bits of clothing that is quite forgiving 'belly wise' and will be comfortable for my C-Section scar. I'm hoping that this time around I will feel a little more comfortable in my own skin and that the pressure to lose weight will be a little less. I'm fully expecting to immerse myself in motherhood and soak up the newborn haze whilst I can, weight loss can wait for another day.
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