Losing weight while pregnant? [Archive]

rawandama

04-25-2006, 08:36 PM

I hear so much controversy as far as weight-loss during pregnancy goes. The pregnancy books say if I don't gain more than 15 lbs then I'll have a low birth-weight baby or an early labor. Someone else told me it's okay to lose weight as long as I'm not dieting. I lost weight (about 5 lbs or so) and then gained two, and have maintained for a long time. I am 26 weeks pregnant and have been the same weight (an 11 lb weight gain total, so far) since I was 18 weeks pregnant. I'm concerned that by being 100% raw I may lose more weight and make my baby unhealthy. Maybe I'm just paranoid!!

Boysenberry

04-26-2006, 08:57 AM

Hi! I am 20 weeks pregnant... I haven't been keeping track of my actual pounds. I know somewhere between 3 weeks and 8 I had gained 2 pounds, but my clothes all still fit. It is just now that I am wanting maternity to give my growing belly a little more room.

Sigh. I know the whole mainstream thought on gaining and losing weight during pregnancy. It is very annoying. I was heavy to begin with. This is my 11th pregnancy and I am tired of gaining so much weight. Even the "alloted and healthy" 24 pounds doesn't seem to come back off me unless I work my guts out for the next year and a half. It seems ridiculous to me to tell a woman she MUST gain so many pounds. I have stayed in their so called healthy range time and time again and still had major issues with weight and health problems.

I guess what I decided about the weight issue is:

1. If my baby is growing and is the right size for the gestational period I am at and
2. If my belly is the only part of me growing bigger (not my thighs, arms, face, boobs are okay...)

then... I am not going to worry about my weight loss/gain.

I have specifically requested that the doctor not talk to me about weight issues and not inform me of my current weight. I don't have a scale either. Gaining too much weight has given me depression issues in the past. Again, I am just focusing on a healthy baby. I am staying raw, working out 3-5 times a week. I am very busy with 6 other children... so, I think it is okay if you lose a few, if the baby is growing well. This has been my best pregnancy yet. I have had very little morning sickness, no sciatic nerve pain, I am still active, running a few times a week. I have more energy than any previous pregnancies.

I could ramble on forever. The whole gain weight attitude of the mainstream world makes me angry. Take a look at Jingee's before delivery and after pictures at her site.. I have to get out to find it and post here... but she advocates not increasing your calories. It is all intuitive. Is your baby growing? Is he/she where he/she should be for 26 weeks? If so, no problem. Less fat for you to lose later.

Boysenberry

04-26-2006, 09:00 AM

Jingees site is www.thegardendiet.com she also has an ebook out about her pregnancies. She has 4 children, I don't think all of the pregnancies were raw.

faith4u

04-26-2006, 10:10 AM

Oh Sami, you're my hero. I have four children but really hope that the Lord will choose to bless us with more!! Congratulations.

faith4u

04-26-2006, 10:12 AM

I'm not sure I can be a lot of help. When I went raw with my last pregnancy it was at the beginning of my third trimester. I started losing weight but I usually do near the end.

All in all though, my baby was a very healthy normal 7lb 6 oz. baby.

Don't worry just follow your intuition!!

Purl

04-26-2006, 10:22 AM

My healthiest pg and largest baby was with only a 15 lb weight gain and he was 8 lbs. I didn't know about 100% raw, but i was vegetarian, and was 50-75% raw then. As long as the ob/midwife says you are tracking okay in your uterine measurements I wouldn't worry.

ETA: I always lost 5-10 lbs in the begining due to morning sickness. My cousin lost over 20 lbs before the midwives started to worry.

rawandama

04-26-2006, 02:49 PM

Hey thanks all. My baby is growing at a healthy rate and it is only my belly growing so far (oh and boobs- I hate that part!!! :eek: ). My doctor was asked to quit practicing OB because the hospital was running out of money. She was the only doctor that supported my having a home birth. I would have to switch hospitals to have another doctor again, and the other hospital does NOT support home births and does not let a woman choose her own doctor. It's just whoever is on call (for appointments and births). So, I won't be able to check the size of the baby by ultrasound again. (not that I'm a HUGE ultrasound advocate- I don't know enough about them to put my trust in them completely).
So- I guess I could use the prayers and encouragement. Thanks again you all. :)

Boysenberry

04-26-2006, 03:09 PM

The docs I have had always measure my tummy. That always bites having to get a new OB in the middle of your pregnancy. Are there any midwives in your area? Hospital births aren't all that bad. I have done it six times!! :)

By the way, I had my blood pressure measured today, 98/57! I wonder if that is due to raw? The doc was surprised. I guess with me being 40 pounds overweight they expect high blood pressure not low...

rawandama

04-26-2006, 07:42 PM

Yes, my mom is the only midwife on the island. THANKFULLY. But I think she gets more worried because I am her daughter...about the whole weight loss thing.
98/57--WHOA! That is low. I have normally low b.p. too, but that doesn't have to do with raw. In your picture you don't look big, in fact, you look quite small. Do you know what the average blood pressure is?

Boysenberry

04-26-2006, 08:17 PM

I think that "normal" is 120/80. Normal for me is about 105/65.

I can see why your mom would be more worried about your weight. Can you both agree that she measure the baby first, and as long as the baby is measuring fine then no weight check for you?

As for the photo, it was taken before I put on the last 80 pounds... 40 of which I lost when I went raw, then I got pregnant and quit trying to lose weight. But even today I didn't look at the scale when she weighed me and we agreed not to discuss it. ( I just love that picture of me, it reminds me of who I am not what I look like in the mirror... there is a silliness and happiness that I see when I look at it... a healthy strong energetic person full of life... after battling two years on antidepressants it is good to remember who I am and that depression is not me.)

Boysenberry

04-26-2006, 08:20 PM

Wow, I just noticed that you are from Alaska! To me that is amazing! How do you do it there? Where do you get your raw food? Is your mom supportive of your journey? Do you have a circle of support there?

rawandama

04-26-2006, 08:39 PM

Well I think the picture is cute! :p Two years of antidepressants! How did you get off of them?

We get produce here, it's just really expensive and usually doesn't last long as it takes a week to get it here by barge. I usually pay about 7 dollars for a pound and a half of grapes, 4.00 for two oranges...you get the picture!!

My mom isn't unsupportive, but she's not really supportive of the raw foods thing either. I suspect that she might think I'm...what's the word, obsessed? :) (just a little)

She says she isn't worried but I get side comments like, "Oh, I'll make chicken for Sunday dinner. But Sam won't eat anything that I make." Or she'll mention that another raw foodist quit doing 100% when they got pregnant. Little things that add up, y'know? She's not trying to be mean, she's just worried. And of course I can tell!

She does measure my belly every time and she says that she isn't worried about the baby's size. She's worried about my health, I just want to be 100% sure that I'm doing the best thing for this baby!! :eek: :)

Boysenberry

04-26-2006, 09:58 PM

Wait! Your name is Sam? Me too!

I think by being raw you are doing what is best for both of you. Just from my experiences both ways. I have had at least three pregnancies where I was bed ridden to hold on to the baby and this time I am still running! I just think weight gain/loss isn't all it is cracked up to be as an indicator of a healthy pregnancy...

I know what you mean about things adding up. That is why I have requested the doc not even talk to me about my weight.

The antidepressants... I had to get in the sun every day, eat good food, and work out intensely. This was what my doctor perscribed. So I moved to Texas (sun), eat good food (raw), and run. It would be better for me to run daily, but that doesn't always happen. Being raw has helped more than I ever thought it would. Of coarse that is not what my doc was talking about... hee hee. He was thinking a good clean regular cooked food diet... I have been off since Feb. 2005. When I went raw in August I finally felt like I didn't absolutely HAVE to work out for 45 minutes to have a good day. Finally I was just happy. It feels really good.

robertandenith

04-26-2006, 11:21 PM

just make sure you get vitamin b-12 in a pill form at least.

I personally was not on a raw diet but eating lots of raw foods and wasn't gaining a lot of weight. I only gained about 23 lbs in total. I was working out like a maniac though! (lol) After I gave birth, I lost 55 lbs in 3 months!!!! That means that I was actually losing the weight while pregnant. I literally lost 25 lbs within the first week of giving birth! :eek: I am fine and baby is too!!! :D I breastfeed my baby who is 15 mo now, eat raw on and off, but getting back to raw once again, my goal is to go raw 90% at least. I still want to have some fish every now and then just because of the b-12 controversy and breastfeeding issues.

Need support to start doing raw once again, it's so darn hard specially if your family needs some time for the transition! aurgh!!! lol

Ariella

04-27-2006, 10:15 AM

with both babies i only gained 18 to 25 pounds. i was high raw both times. my first baby waas 9 pounds 4 oz and baby 2 was 7 1/2 pounds. they were both very healthy. i think if you are overweight in the first place that losing some (even if on SAD) is considered ok from what i have read. as long as baby is growing right and you are nourishing yourself properly and eating when hungry. sounds to me like baby is doing fine from what you have said.

HTH!

Ariella

www.ethicalcentral.com/main

Sharon in Colorado

04-27-2006, 10:58 AM

From Jinjee's e-book about her pregnancy (www.thegardendiet.com):

I gained 15 lbs. during my pregnancy, going from 135 lbs. before I got pregnant to 150 the day before my labor. The day after my labor I was 140 lbs. (due to having delivered a 7 lb. baby and burning off the other 3 lbs. during labor). A week later I was back to 135 lbs. even though I was now eating more than usual because I was nursing my new baby and my appetite was intense!

I did not ask permission to post this, I hope it is ok.

I highly recommend getting this e-book, she goes over exactly what she ate and did. She was walking and running several miles a day during her first 20 weeks. It is really chock full of great info on what she did. She had 2 cooked vegan and 2 raw vegan preganancies and she goes over each one in detail.

Actually I purchased the whole set of e-books because it was a better deal.

I was on the SAD during all my pregnancies before I found out about raw. My last pregnancy was the worst, I gained over 60 pounds, the admitting nurse though I was having twins. I am normally very thin so people find it hard to believe when I tell them that. After a while I didn't even weigh myself in the OB's office it was so depressing. And I went on a 2 week fast because I couldn't get back under 150 lbs a year after I gave birth.

I think the "eating for two" saying is a huge misnomer. The baby is on average 7 pounds, how does it make sense to eat for another full-weighted person? I had a friend who only gained 10 pounds and had a healthy 6 pound baby, and a successful home birth.

And I totally agree with Boysenberry, I don't see it being "normal" to gain a lot, even the 25 lb. suggested weight doesn't sound right to me. I puffed up all over, and I don't think it is normal. I think it was water retention from the overly processed and spiced foods I was eating. A body holds on to extra water to dilute toxins, and moreso when pregnant to protect the child.

I'm no doctor, but from experience I suggest being really mindful of what you are eating in your second trimester. I refer to that trimester as the "bottomless pit" trimester where I never felt satisfied. And that could possibly well be because I was eating cooked food void of nutrients. If you are eating plenty of nutrient rich fruits and veggies you and your wee one will surely be well nourished and hydrated.

rawandama

04-27-2006, 11:43 AM

To Boysenberry~
You look like a Sam!! Hmm...I think I could use some sunshine too. Sometimes it's cloudy and rainy and muddy for weeks on end here. But we can never seem to get away! That's probably because the summer is so amazingly beautiful (even after being born and raised here the novelty never wears off). Do you live on the coast in Texas? My husband's big dream is to buy a sail boat and sail around the bottom of the United States. We want to visit some friends in Corpus Christi. Of course, it's just a pipe dream!

To Robertanddenith~ I have a 15 month old too, Jimmy. I gained 21 lbs for his pregnancy and lost all but three within the first week. Was still overweight though. I am getting B-12. Funny that you say that because a week after I went raw I became very deficient in my B vitamins and Iron, so I was not feeling well and depressed. I could hardly believe the difference I felt once I started getting those levels back up! Oh, and do you find it hard to be on raw and breastfeeding? Obviously I'll be in the same boat here in about 14 weeks. Last time I really struggled with breastfeeding and TOTALLY resented having to share my body. I couldn't lose weight and had HUGE boobs (yuck, yuck, yuck...). I looked like those gorillas you see on national geographic that have a big belly and floppy boobs that hang down with one little gorilla munchkin hanging off of one or the other. BLECH. I'm hoping I'll feel better about myself doing raw while breastfeeding and therefore feel better about breastfeeding!

WHoa Sharon! 60 pounds!!! My good friend who is normally 125 lbs and very small gained 60 lbs with her last baby. The baby ended up being only 6 lbs and it took her 6 months to lose the weight. But she was a blimp there for awhile (while preggo). And very uncomfortable. I can't imagine how you must have felt. I get depressed if I end up gaining too much in a week or month while pregnant, but I haven't had that problem with raw. Are you done having kids then? Or would you do it again on raw??

Ariella~ A 9 lb baby! What a feat! The second one must have come so much faster than the first. Talk about paving the way. :p I'm pretty sure I was overweight to start with. According to that BMI chart I was 2 lbs above "normal," but that's still high for me. 5'4 and 147 lbs...hmmm, I would like to be less than that just to be comfortable! But I don't know if that qualifies as being overweight or not. It probably does...

rawandama

04-27-2006, 11:44 AM

whoa, that was long.

Sharon in Colorado

04-27-2006, 12:01 PM

WHoa Sharon! 60 pounds!!! My good friend who is normally 125 lbs and very small gained 60 lbs with her last baby. The baby ended up being only 6 lbs and it took her 6 months to lose the weight. But she was a blimp there for awhile (while preggo). And very uncomfortable. I can't imagine how you must have felt. I get depressed if I end up gaining too much in a week or month while pregnant, but I haven't had that problem with raw. Are you done having kids then? Or would you do it again on raw??

My last pregnancy was over 7 years ago and since then equal half has had his plumbing fixed so sadly there won't be any more pregnancies. :o

I think the fact that I am 6'0 may have been somewhat of an advantage as I didn't look obese, but I really felt horrible and swelled up all over and my genetic cholesterol was a huge risk during pregnancy (normally it is high, but during pregnancy it has shot up in the 550's). I also have some permanent stretch marks which I didn't get from the first 2 (my body seemed to snap back quickly with those).

If I had to do it all over again, I'd definately do raw or high raw at the very least. The one thing I did do was avoid dairy because I had a reaction to it and I ate a lot of farmed and canned fish which I was under the impression of being "healthy". I also think taking the prenatal supplements was probably a detriment to my health. If you are truly deficient and need to supplement I think a whole food sup or green type of powder would be a wiser choice.

rawandama

04-27-2006, 01:51 PM

6'0! That's awesome. When I was four the doctors told my parents that I would be about six feet based on my size then. :rolleyes: I'm only 5'4. That's okay though 'cause my husband is 5'9. Tall people usually can pack the pounds on and no one can really tell. You're blessed! I have another friend who is 5'11 and she's about 215 lbs, but looks only about 170. ERRR. I gain an inch per thigh with every lb, so it seems.
Why do you say prenatals aren't good for you?? I'm curious because I hate taking them (anything to get out of it!!!LOL)

Sharon in Colorado

04-27-2006, 02:39 PM

Second-hand supplements are mostly lab created and the body won't recognize them as a first hand nutrient. I believe if you are getting plenty of fruits, greens along with some nuts and seeds you are receiving the best nutrients. If not, you may have to look around for something derived from whole foods, one that your body will recognize and properly utilize. Many lab created nutrients are treated as toxins in a body.

robertandenith

04-27-2006, 04:27 PM

To Robertanddenith~ I have a 15 month old too, Jimmy. I gained 21 lbs for his pregnancy and lost all but three within the first week. Was still overweight though. I am getting B-12. Funny that you say that because a week after I went raw I became very deficient in my B vitamins and Iron, so I was not feeling well and depressed. I could hardly believe the difference I felt once I started getting those levels back up! Oh, and do you find it hard to be on raw and breastfeeding? Obviously I'll be in the same boat here in about 14 weeks. Last time I really struggled with breastfeeding and TOTALLY resented having to share my body. I couldn't lose weight and had HUGE boobs (yuck, yuck, yuck...). I looked like those gorillas you see on national geographic that have a big belly and floppy boobs that hang down with one little gorilla munchkin hanging off of one or the other. BLECH. I'm hoping I'll feel better about myself doing raw while breastfeeding and therefore feel better about breastfeeding!

lmao! sorry for the laugh but you said this quite funny! :D
omg yes!!! I discovered raw diet after I lost all those 55 lbs. then I got stuck! I went raw, and yes it was hard because I was craving all these cooked foods, then eating a lot because I was breastfeeding. Then quit! lol Now I am back thanks to a horrible intoxification I had because I ate something in a restaurant now I am afraid of eating anything out! :eek: Now I bring my cooler and bring my own food everywhere I go even at relatives houses, parties, etc. my excuse... my children are on a special/kid friendly diet, they are so picky they rarely eat other's people food! lol!!! that's my great excuse! Last time I was at a relative house and I brought my own food, I had just a little of what they had and ate my own food. I didn't feel that bad! But now since that incident and since the baby eats solids too, she breastfeed less. Things I eat that are not raw are homemade hummus (made with not raw chic peas but with raw tahini and other raw ingredients), fiber crackers, sprouted tortillas and that's it i guess... I eat fish or turkey once a while, like twice a week.

Do you know that b-12 stores in your body, you don't actually have to eat any meat product everyday to get your necessary b-12 intake? by eating just twice a week any meat product, like chix or ground turkey, or fish, your body can produce the perfect milk for baby... :D

rawandama

04-27-2006, 04:39 PM

Sharon~ I DIDN'T KNOW THAT! So, does that mean the iron and b-vitamins I'm taking too are treated as a toxin in my body??? Oh crum-bucket. WHY did I spend so much money on them? :eek:

Robertandenith~ :) I'm still kind of nervous about eating anything non-raw, but I definetly don't need any more problems with breastfeeding than I had last time! I'll try eating the fish and see if that works. You'd think that I would have all around access to fish seeing as from where I'm sitting now I look right out over the Pacific Ocean, but the stuff is so darn spendy! A LITTLE tiny bit of halibut is 20.00 dollars! Only enough for four people (small pieces). Salmon is worse. *sigh* I guess I'll go get my own fishing boat.
How in the world did you lose 55 lbs before going raw? You lost it after you had the baby?

Sharon in Colorado

04-27-2006, 05:14 PM

Sharon~ I DIDN'T KNOW THAT! So, does that mean the iron and b-vitamins I'm taking too are treated as a toxin in my body??? Oh crum-bucket. WHY did I spend so much money on them? :eek:

This is something you'll probably have to research through the manufacturer, and also by use of your own tests to see if your levels are affected one way or the other by them. There are several threads on here, apparantly B-12 is one exception for most vegans/vegetarians but not everyone is deficient - it depends on your internal environment (how clean your gut is where it is maintained) and your own lifestyle.

There are many food sources for iron as well - dark leafies, seeds, almonds, tahini, blackstrap molasses (non-raw)....

You can find out where your supplements are sourced and see what your levels are - it's always good to be in the know about this stuff if you have concerns. If you have a really clean diet there is probably no reason to be too concerned or alarmed.

Remember that many things taken into the body are treated as toxins everyday from substances in water to substances in the air to pesticides and chemicals that may be in the food we eat on a daily basis - it is our body doing its job which is a GOOD THING, our bodies are wonderfully made and built to last through all the crazy things we do and put into it! :)

Ariella

04-27-2006, 07:43 PM

just as a side note i saw something about eating meat 2x per week and nursing. you can nurse and be raw vegan and also have a healthy baby :) i have been high raw for going on 6 years and 100% raw for 28 days now. i nursed my first baby until he was 16 months and he was HUGE (all on a high raw vegan diet) and my 2nd baby is now about 9 months old. she is also a good sized baby! not lacking nutrition by any means. i only take b-12 supplements every once in awhile. but other than that i dont take any supplements. so just a word of encouragment. i still have plenty of milk, baby is very healthy! and has a very gentle sweet personality.

thats it. nothing against those that choose to eat meat just saying you can do it totally raw vegan also :)

ARiella

JUICE PLUS+
www.juiceplus.com/+dj73561

check out my journal at : www.ethicalcentral.com/main

rawandama

04-28-2006, 06:11 PM

I'm definetly going to look into the vitamin thing. I'm not sure how "clean" my diet is, I still eat raw goat cheese sometimes because of the whole weight-loss thing. In fact, today my mom was REALLY on me about losing more weight and she says that the baby is living off my toxins. Well, I'm not sure if that's true. Anyway, that's another story. My iron levels are DEFINETLY affected by taking a supplement. I can also have my mom order me whole foods supplements since she owns a health food store too. Thank you for all the information, Sharon, it has been SOO helpful! I never even think to look into these things. There's so much that I just take for granted or accept as "normal." *sigh*

Ariella~ I'm kind of considering doing the fish thing while I'm pregnant, just to slow down the weight loss. It's not because I want to, but today my midwife told me that I act like I have an eating disorder and she wonders if I have my babie's best interest at heart or if I have weight loss at heart. So, I feel guilty now for being glad that I was losing weight, even though I'm just trying to be healthy! :( As for breastfeeding, if I have a good supply (which I think I will) then there won't be any reason for me to do that, I guess. This is all so new to me still! I have so much to learn.

cpinokc

04-28-2006, 06:51 PM

I agree with Ariella. :D I am terrible about remembering to take any supplements, so I rarely take anything. I have never been deficient in b-12 or anything else that I know of while on raw. I was a little low in iron during the last few weeks of my last pregnancy. The midwife encouraged me to take Liquid Chlorophyll (I was not raw), and it did wonders! I don't think it's necessary though. You can eat iron-rich raw foods and be just fine. You should check out Ariella's blog when she was pregnant and high raw. :)

Boysenberry

04-28-2006, 08:55 PM

Oh Man! Doc tested me for anemia, and as usual, I am anemic. She prescribed these horse pill! They are huge and have 70mg of iron in each one. I decided to try one since I have been sleeping 10-12 hours a night lately... :o They made my stomach sick and I had uterine cramping, heartburn and that irritability feeling, sort of jittery, reminded me of the cooked food hypoglycemia feeling. yucky. Although I am still awake, I dont think it was worth it. I have been turned off by greens lately, but I think I will start pushing them on myself again so I can stay away from those nasty things!

Boysenberry

04-28-2006, 08:56 PM

Hey, does anyone have the direct web address to the yahoo raw pregnancy group?

dreamrawalwz

04-29-2006, 06:04 AM