Should I be Concerned About This Weight Gain?
QUESTION
Dear Midwife,
I'm 5 feet, 4 inches. I'm not sure what I weighed before I was pregnant, but I was slender (usually a size 4).
-- At my 8-week appointment, 118.5 lbs -- At 21 weeks, 132 lbs -- At 25 weeks -- 146 lbs!
I honestly don't look all-over big. It doesn't look like I've put on much weight in my face, arms or legs. My chest has barely increased a cup size. I look almost the same as I did but with a basketball belly! The nurse and doctor looked at me and couldn't believe the scale. They checked the calibration and it was right. They tried another scale and it said the same thing. The doctor said not to worry about it b/c I don't look like I'm putting on fat, and b/c my blood pressure is perfect.
Some of my friends and family have commented that my belly looks further along than 25 weeks. Could that be indicative of a problem? Could the baby be too big? Could I have to much amniotic fluid? My doctors have not been measuring me (is that odd?), so how would I know? Yes, my belly does look very pregnant, but I'm hardly huge or anything!
ANSWER
If you were my client, the two things I would be doing would be to get an ultrasound and do the diabetes screen early. I would also have you doing a careful diet diary, writing down everything that you eat or drink with the quantities. I think you are right to wonder what is going on.
-- Cynthia, CNM
Cynthia Flynn
Cynthia Flynn, CNM. PhD, is the General Director of the Family Health and Birth Center which provides prenatal, birth, postnatal, gynecological and primary health care to underserved women and their families in Washington, D.C. Recently Cynthia served as Associate Professor of Nursing at Seattle University. There she not only taught, but remained in full scope clinical midwifery practice at Valley Medical Center where she cared for pregnant and birthing women, and practices well-woman gynecology, family planning, and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases.
Cynthia founded Columbia Women's Clinic and Birth Center, where she took care of pregnant women and infants up to two weeks of age and attended both birth center and hospital births. Before Cynthia earned her CNM, she worked as a registered nurse in labor and delivery and postpartum and is a certified Doula and Doula trainer.
