Baby Fat?

Sal - posted on 08/03/2011

who really knows...i lost weight during preg too (not trying it just agrees with me) i didn't eat loads of crap, but i didn;t crave them either which i;m sure helps and my babies were not fat and not skinny all a healthy medium (compared to others i know) 7'11 6'5 and 7'3 i am a pretty chubby chick , no blood pressure and no gestational diabetes, i have put wieght in post preg (in the months after...not the years ) mainly i think due to being so inactive due to sitting all day and all night bf (my babies were not easy content kidies) and like someone else said just not being as careful....also i have been told that sleep deprivation can cause havok on yoour metabolism and make weight loss really hard...

Bridgette - posted on 08/02/2011

The correct answer is going to be "it is different for everyone, since our bodies handle food differently".

That said, I was one of the people who actually LOST weight during pregnancy (from the time I found out I was pregnant to the time I delivered I was down about 10 lbs). Yes, I was overweight to start and kept to a very strict diet since that was the best thing I could do for my baby. Afterwards, I didnt watch my food as closely, and gained back some of that weight.

I personally believe that a small portion of weight gain is changes in the body, but most of it (including mine after the pregnancy) is due to not taking care of yourself. Your body might change and you may need to eat better or excercise a little more to maintain weight, but we all have the choice to do it!

Terin - posted on 08/02/2011

Charlotte. Some women have cravings for crappy food. It just happens I guess. And it's not that they don't take care of themselves sometimes even if you eat healthy it's hard to lose the weight. I know my friend had/has the hardest time losing weight with her pregnancies.

Charlotte - posted on 08/02/2011

I ate healthly mostly during my pregnancy, I only gained 1 stone I think but I didnt reached full term either though a month early my girl was. I myself dont see why need to eat unhealthly because other the fact its putting more preasure on ur own body aswell as the bouncy baby thats trying grow. It like pregnant ladies drinking alcohol and smoking I hate that, I dont see why there having a baby there just asking for problems I think

Maria - posted on 07/31/2011

cant complain about the hips and butt part :p

Christina - posted on 07/31/2011

It depends on the pregnancy. Also, if you can lose the baby weight. I gained 60lbs with my first (I was 17yrs old) because my placenta began to die and I gained 30lbs of water weight in my last 4wks.
I weigh the same today as I did 11.5yrs ago before I conceived my first. I've had 8 pregnancies total, with four live births. I can not wear the same clothing I had before I had my oldest because the hips have expanded, I've got a butt, ect. Pregnancy will re-arrange your body.

Stifler's - posted on 07/28/2011

I can't wait til I get a real job, boob job here I come.

Jenn - posted on 07/28/2011

I didn't do much other than try to survive my first pregnancy's first trimester...I was so sick! I lost 10 lbs. Then when I felt good again, I ate small meals all day. In all, I gained 24 lbs. I lost all of it and then some when breastfeeding. Got pregnant again while still nursing and once again suffered and lost weight the first trimester. Overall, I gained 22 lbs that pregnancy. I breastfed and did weight Watchers for nursing mothers to lose 30 lbs in four months.

My last pregnancy changed my body quite a bit. My hair lost some of it's curl, I have a harder time maintaining weight without exercise, I get headaches and heartburn more often. It has been interesting, to say the least.

One thing I made sure to do was remember not to eat for two! Otherwise I might still be working off the weight!

Sherri - posted on 07/27/2011

Pregnancy certainly changed my entire body. Huge hips,Pouch where I used to have a flat tummy. Yes pregnancy made me heavier and I wasn't able to just dedicate all my time to get it back off like all these famous celebrities.

I gained 45lbs with my first and wasn't able to lose it all before I got pregnant again since I got pregnant again when my son was only 8mo's old. With my second gained only 17lbs and with my 3rd 12lbs.

However, I was finally getting back on track working out like crazy to get rid of all the fat. Had worked my butt off just lost 20lbs and found out I am pregnant with #4. *sigh* guess we start from square one after this one is born.

Maria - posted on 07/27/2011

yea im gonna buy some new boobs

Beautiful - posted on 07/27/2011

My last pregnancy I got kinda ig, but I ate pretty healthy throughout. My hips before kids were already kinda wide (latin / mexican hips) I call them lol but with my last one, my joints and bones started shifting so im pretty sure thats why they are a bit wider now. Its different for every woman though, I dont think any woman should say " you ate too much or you didnt take care of yourself" because they dont know exactly what kind of change it has on YOUR body you know? With my first one though I ate anything and everything! Lol and I gained 80 pounds.. 80 pounds on a 5'6 woman is alot. It took me three years to lose all of it :) Sadly my breasts have gone away.. I use to be a 38 double d before kids now im down to a large c lol. But honestly the wieght doesnt bother me... it the sagging skin that I cant stand, I swear im going to need the skin cut from my stomach to get it flat again :)

Maria - posted on 07/27/2011

Oh yea also genetics plays another big part i think. So thank you momma! ( no stretch marks or changed skin for me whew!) but i did gain 35 lbs in total during my pregnancy and compared to my friends that were also pregnant at the same time that was alot and i was a little concerned if i was over doing it or eating to much but i felt healthy and i was always on my feet and walking constantly i also have a very good metabolism so for me to weigh that much was a first but i do think it was because i was active and also breastfed afterwards that i was able to get to my pre weight so quickly. But i am well aware that it is not like that for everyone so it just comes down to the individuals body but i do think taking care of yourself during pregnancy is really imoportant in deciding the after math

Maria - posted on 07/27/2011

I think its if you dont take care of yourself during pregnancy. obviously being pregnant does change your body wider hips, boobs arent the same and skin isnt the same but as far as weight i think if you take care of yourself during pregnancy then you should have no problem getting back to your pre pregnancy weight. i was back to my regular weight in two weeks after having my baby.

Shannen - posted on 07/27/2011

With in the first 5 months of pregnancy i lost weight with all 3 and by the end of each pregnancy i was only just back to what i was before falling pregnant. Then while breastfeeding i would gain weight, not a lot but enough to be uncomfortable, and i still have not lost the weight gained from each time breastfeeding. I'm working on it especially now my baby is 1.

Laura Zoey - posted on 07/27/2011

But yeah, belly and boobs will never be the same :( I still am heavily lactating so I'll enjoy them while I can but I have a feeling I won't be enjoying my pancake boobs when I'm done nursing. So I figure I'll just keep breastfeeding for a few more years and then say seeyaTo the boobies and hope matt still enjoys them when they're flat and droopy. Belly looks good now, but it was pretty flabby for a few months.

Laura Zoey - posted on 07/27/2011

Haha I eat way healthier during pregnancy then ever and I gained 32 with Eric and 40 ish with Fia, I was back to my pre pregnancy weights within weeks both times.
So gained well both times and ate quite healthily. Then when I'm not pregnant I tend to be a pig! Lol I love sweets and eat lots of cookies chocolate etc and I never gain weight!
Idk why but my body justdoesnt gain weight unless um pregnant.
So essentially I don't think it's because you'd nt take care of yourself. Its because baby needs to grow and gain weight so there's more weight!

Teresa - posted on 07/27/2011

So true, Lisa. I never knew something so small could sag so bad. lol

Rosie - posted on 07/27/2011

well, i ate like crap and didn't exercise with any of my pregnancies and gained at least 60 lbs with each of them. after my first, i was back to normal fairly quickly, everything went back nice and neat except for my boobs they sagged a bit more, not horribly, just more.
after my 2nd child, it took almost 2 years to lose the weight. i most certainly didn't look the same,nor was i the same size. flabby belly, and wider hips made me go from a size 4 to a size 8, even though i weighed one pound less than before i got pregnant.
my third child i still cannot lose the weight 4 years later. i need to lose 25 lbs still. i thoroughly believe that if i had ate better with my pregnancies i wouldn't have such a hard time losing the weight, and obviously wouldn't of gained 70 lbs with my last child.

Lady Heather - posted on 07/27/2011

Belly will definitely never be the same, but I am happy for the extra hippage. I had none before.

Minnie - posted on 07/27/2011

Yeah, I'm bummed about that too, Teresa. And what I do have doesn't have any tone whatsoever.

Teresa - posted on 07/27/2011

I will say that even though I lost weight fast.... my belly will never be the same. It's small... but very, very flabby. Having a twin pregnancy and 2 c-sections though.... it's to be expected.

I am bummed that after 3.25 years of nursing my son.... it's been almost 4 weeks and my boobs are GONE! There wasn't much to start w/, but at least while nursing I had something. Yeah, I know. That has nothing to do w/ weight loss. I was just lying on my back last night and seriously.... there was NOTHING there. lol :(

Becky - posted on 07/27/2011

I ate far more and was way less sick with my second than with my first. But, with my first, I gained 40 lbs. and with my second, I gained 15. I was more active with my second because I had a toddler to chase after, but I don't think that was the whole reason for the low weight gain. I think that with my first, I had lost a lot of weight before getting pregnant, and my body was just trying to get back to what it was used to. With my second, I still had a lot of extra weight from the first (my oldest was only 10 months when I got pregnant again), so I didn't need to gain a lot of weight. This time, we'll see! I still have a lot of excess weight, so hopefully I don't gain too much! I also had a lot of swelling with my first, so some of that weight was just water weight too.

Minnie - posted on 07/27/2011

You have to build fat stores during pregnancy. It's just what our bodies do. We produce milk that is comprised of 51% saturated fat.

Tara - posted on 07/27/2011

Before I had baby #1, almost 18 years ago, I was a little over my comfort weight level, probably about 130 lbs. I gained 70 lbs and was HUGE when he was born. I kept at least 20 of that until my period returned when he was 12 month (thanks to breastfeeding!) Then within three months all the weight and then some dropped off of me without effort. I was down to 120 by the time he was 18 months. Then after each subsequent baby I did the same thing, carried around an extra 10-20 lbs until my period returned (all of them were within a week of their first birthday when it came back) and then it all dropped off within 3-5 months, usually putting me back below 125 by the time they were 18 months.
With babies 1 and 2, this was frustrating because I heard that I would lose the weight faster cause I was nursing. But after baby # 3 I realized this is just my body and the way it handles pregnancy.
Also I always gained more than the recommended amount with every baby I put on at least 45 lbs. Except # 3, I only gained 30 and still carried an extra 10 with me for a year!
Oh and I ate what I wanted when I wanted, I ate healthy food though, just lots of it, plus Chocolate was a food group for all 6 of my pregnancies, it was a daily treat, just a few squares after dinner, but daily all the same!!!
I didn't exercise at all when pregnant either, not beyond normal walking around with the kids etc.

Stifler's - posted on 07/27/2011

I lost weight steadily after Logan but I haven't lost much since Renae, not that I've been eating healthy either. I took drugs to lose weight after I had Logan though and ended up thinner that I have been in a few years not that that was very thin.

Ashley=) - posted on 07/27/2011

I was 7&half stone when i got pregnant first.I was ten stone my due date.I went from being stick thin to being very curve etc.I loved my new body.I lost weight but my hips were still wide and boobs full.:-)
I was told i looked fantastic with the extra weight..i did to be honest.I ate so well on my first two.(its was all baby and baby pregnancy weight)she was a good size for my body size to.Long and very active and healthy.
I got pregnant 4 years after that.I was close to 9 stone when i got pregnant.I was down to 8 at 12weeks pregnant and up to 8-4 at 5mths.My due date i was only 9stone.A week after birth i was 7stone.I had a bump for the last 3 months of that pregnancy even the docs would ask more than once "how far along are you" lol..the bump was i would say 4-5 mth bump for most ladies.I am still that weight now 7 stone..I was talked about awful.I heard neighbours talk about me.I got the looks.For being slim and not when i had a lot of baby weight after the first.
With some you can't win baby fat or not.My bump or lack of it was also the talk of the town..lol..she was 6lbs and short but super healthy.I ate when i could with her.I still ate well enough.I ate junk on her to be honest to.When i could eat i wanted unhealthy food.

Angela - posted on 07/27/2011

Well I had 3 babies The ones I had in my teens and the one I had age 41.

With the my older kids my hips got a little wider, I did not gain but about 15 lbs for each and was back in shape quick. But my boobs changed not as perky and my skin did stretch so not too matter how thin and in shape I was the skin sagged a little. My body was not the same but it still looked good. But I worked as a bartender and went to school so I was very active.

Now with Claire (my last pregnancy) I gained like 25 or 30 lbs can't remember and my skin stretched a lot and it won't go back at all...so I have to get a tummy tuck or live with it, Also I never lost the extra 20 lbs.... but I am trying now... My boobs are very saggy... after breastfeeding 3 kids again they just can only stretch so far and in your 40's your skin and body is different and does not bounce back like when you are younger.

I do think it is wise to eat right if you can, and get some exercise but to promote good health not looking like a super model after you have a kid. It is not proven you will be prone to being overweight after a baby just is not... you need to eat right , burn enough calories or you won't lose weight... As we age we lose muscle so after 30 you need to exercise more to promote muscle mass and stay healthy. Baby or no baby

Erin - posted on 07/27/2011

There's no doubt in my mind that the hormonal shifts in pregnancy change our metabolism. I ate just like I did before pregnancy (when I was skinny). No huge amounts of junk, but pretty much whatever I wanted. I gained 34kg/75lbs. Now I was on restrictions during the second half of the pregnancy, so I was not as active as I normally would be. Plus I had a big baby, big placenta and huge amount of fluid. But that doesn't explain what happened to my ass ;)

The way my metabolism changed after she was born though is what ruined my body. I lost 11kg within the first week, and 15kg within the first 3 weeks. Then it gradually started creeping back on when she was a few months old. I ended up weighing 3kg more at her first birthday than I did the day she was born! It was ridiculous, and I felt like my body was completely out of control.

I went to Weight Watchers and lost 30kg in 6 months after that. I found a big part of my problem was that I wasn't eating regularly enough to kick my metabolism into gear again. And yes, as a single mum to a newborn my food choices weren't always spectacular (I can't count the number of nights I ate toast for dinner in that first year lol).

I know several other mums who have experienced the post-partum weight gain. Always with first babies. It's like our bodies have no idea wtf to do anymore, after such a huge change.

Stifler's - posted on 07/26/2011

I also didn't go for walks like I vowed I would.

Lady Heather - posted on 07/26/2011

My SIL is way less active than me and eats way worse. She is due in a week and a half and has gained 20 lbs. I am due in 13 weeks and I've gained 23 (which I am ECSTATIC about because my total was 52 last time). I think there have got to be a ton of factors at work. Genetics are a big one. Underlying medical issues are another (I had a crappy placenta last time so everything I was taking in for the baby was actually staying with me rather than her so I gained a LOT at the end...and she was only 5lb 3oz). Some women carry a lot of water weight. My sister gained 45 lbs and lost 30 of it pretty immediately for that reason.

My current plan is to stay as active as possible (easy with a toddler and masses of housecleaning and gardening to do), eat as healthy as I can (getting easier now that I can eat veggies again) and forgive myself an indulgence here and there. I figure if you do that, your body will do what's necessary to create a healthy little one.

Stifler's - posted on 07/26/2011

I just didn't take care of myself and ate McDonalds nearly every second day and gained 25kg. 15 if you dont' count the baby.

Rebecca - posted on 07/26/2011

Teresa, I got no problem with women like you. They give us mortal ladies something to dream about....

Teresa - posted on 07/26/2011

I don't wanna post cuz I don't want anyone to shoot me.... lol

I actually don't know what I think for anyone else cuz I'm only me. I didn't 'take care' of myself during pregnancy. I ate what I wanted, when I wanted. Same as I've done my whole life though. I just have an insane metabolism. I can actually gain weight now if I over do it, so I just don't over do it. Of course, if I under do it.... I still lose weight just as easily.

During my twin pregnancy.... I was under doctor's orders to eat anything I wanted and actually got praised for eating McDonald's during some of my OB appointments. lol

Rebecca - posted on 07/26/2011

Yeah, I did not binge or ever over indulge during pregnancy. I really can't, I had bad eating disorders when I was younger and binging has been off the menu for me for ten years. I was underweight, but I still gained 60 pounds. My body gained the weight it needed for my body to have a baby healthily.

Fact is, some women do over do it and have no activity during pregnancy and STILL don't gain as much weight as I did. It all depends on the individual person.

Of course, I have no stretch marks on my stomach and some women gained half the weight I did and have a ton - it again depends on the body.

See, I don't think it matters so much, unless you get to the point of getting GD due to massive weight gain/or being morbidly obese before or something, how much you gain during....it's after that is the hard part, where the hard work comes in for most of us.

I mean, fuck, it took me two years to get back into shape, but I did it. Really, does it matter in the end how huge I got when I was preggers as long as I ate well and took it off in a healthy fashion in the end?

Elfrieda - posted on 07/26/2011

I know I ate a lot more than I needed to during the last few months of pregnancy. Food tasted sooo good, and so I think I'm wider in the hips both because I didn't control myself and also because my hipbones have changed location.