[bethin]

An influential U.S. medical panel is considering changes to the medical guidelines for how much weight a woman should gain during pregnancy. It's acting on the insistence of doctors who say heavy moms are gaining too much weight and the current recommendations do not factor in the country's obesity epidemic.
Carrying too much weight while pregnant increases the risk of complications for mother and baby, including birth defects, labor and delivery problems, fetal death and delivery of large babies, according to the March of Dimes.
A revision is long overdue, said Dr. Raul Artal of the Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/08/14....ap/index.html

[BabyRN2Be]

Sounds like we are about to make another swing in the "how much should a pregnant woman gain" debate. In the 60's, it was something like 10-15lbs for the whole pregnancy. In the later 70's to mid-80's, it was "eat to your heart's content." In the mid-90's to early 2000's, they put a "limit" to the "eat to your heart's content" rule to 35lbs for a singleton to 45-50lbs for twins. However, overweight moms-to-be were told to expect a weight gain of 10-15lbs.

I'm wondering if we are going back towards closer to the guidelines of the 60's in stating that mom shouldn't gain more than 15lbs during pregnancy. If you look at it, babies on average seemed to be a little smaller then, 6-7lbs being the norm. Now it seems the average baby weighs over 8 1/2lbs.

Hmm... just thinking and wondering here.

[oramar]

Do you know anyone whose weight ever matched the guide lines. Everyone I know just puts on what the put on and that is it.

[Kidrn911]

Originally Posted by oramar

Do you know anyone whose weight ever matched the guide lines. Everyone I know just puts on what the put on and that is it.

I would say I did.
Pregnancy #1 in 1995 I was told I could gain 25-30 #. I gained 25.
Pregnancy # 2 1999 I was old weight and was told to gain less then 15#. I gained 11.

Baby #1 6lbs 14 oz delivered at 42 weeks
Baby #2 6lbs 7 oz delivered at 37 weeks
Both healthy.

I seem to gain more weight after the pregnancy then during. I didn't have anyone to baby sit so I could go exericise.

[tiggerforhim]

Mutter mutter grumble growl. My son, if you look at the 'average', would be considered overweight, and would have been considered overweight when he was born. HOWEVER, he's been in the 95th or + percentile ever since he was born. Is he overweight? NO! Sorry, slightly off topic.

Baby 1 - told to shoot for 15lbs as I was overweight. Lost 10 because of nausea and all-day sickness rather than morning sickness, then gained it back plus 15. Still had that on when I got pregnant with Baby 2. Baby 2 there was gestational diabetes. My job being what it is, I could not take the time off to go into the doctor's office twice a week for glucose checks and nutritionist visits. I gained a total of 5 pounds over the pregnancy (meaning I lost quite a bit of weight while pregnant) and when I shed the extra weight and fluid afterwards found I was down about 20lbs from starting weight. Of course, to keep the sugars down I was exercising 20minutes after lunch and supper, and we pared my diet back to the very bone in terms of carbs to get it under control. Since then I've lost almost another 20lbs. What it comes down to is what ever is your priority, I think. Of course that's just my opinion, but I didn't try to watch what I ate during the first one and put on a total of 25lbs. I had to watch what I ate and exercise with the second and lost 20lbs. It's doable while you're pregnant. Sorry, rambling a bit; very tired.

[kstec]

I put on 60+ pounds with both of my boys. My doctor never said anything, probably because I was 110 lbs when I got pregnant. I walked and rode my bike and still put on all the weight. My doctor told me that obviously my body needed it and he had no doubt that I would lose it after the boys, and I did. If I were to be restricted to my weight gain during pregnancy, I would of been in trouble, because weight was attracted to me like I was a magnet. Boys were healthy, I've lost all myt pregnancy weight and the rest is history.

[Cindy1008RN]

I think back in 1991, I was told no more than 25 lbs. I gained 21; the baby boy was 10lb 4 oz. No Gestational Diabetes.

In 1992, while pregnant with twins, I don't remember a # being given, I gained about 24 lbs baby boy 6 lbs 5 oz, girl was 7 lb 7 oz...one week post op, I had lost 46 lbs

1996, with my fourth, I was told 15 lbs because I was overweight....I gained 25 I think boy was 10 lbs 3 oz. I was borderline Gestational diabetic. I lost weight by changing my eating habits.

With my fifth child, the story was pretty much the same as with the fourth.

I too will be curious to see what will come of this. I don't think many will pay much attention, LOL because let's face it when preggo and sick with morning/all day/evening sickness, you eat when and what will stay down. I know I did. I can't stand to be nauseous..........to me that is the WORST feeling on earth. Just my humble opinion from experience.