Friday, February 2nd, 2007
Status Check:
6 weeks 0 days pregnant
148 lbs.
I gained 52 pounds when I was pregnant with Joey. Before you all balk at my lack of self-control, I want to qualify this 52 pound weight gain with the fact that I threw up daily for the entire nine months of my pregnancy and don’t remember eating anything the entire pregnancy. I don’t get it. I still can’t fathom how a few saltine crackers and several pounds of IV fluid equated to 52 lbs. But it did. I was horrified when I went into delivery and tipped the scales at 199 lbs.
My only consolation was that my husband still weighed a few (not many) pounds more than I did. Still, I was upset enough about my weight gain that I kept this nasty little secret to myself for months afterwards. I even lied to my mom and my sister, telling them that I only gained 35 lbs., knowing that neither would dare to comment on the fact that it sure looked like more than 35 measly pounds. In fact, the truth about my incredible weight gain just surfaced a few weeks ago when I finally had the courage to admit that I gained nearly double the recommended weight gain. Even worse, if you count the fact that I lost 15 lbs. in my first trimester, I gained a grand total of 67 pounds. I’m still appalled.
I have all sorts of excuses for my weight gain. Part of me knows (just knows) that this was all water retention. My son must have been swimming (literally swimming) in that amniotic fluid. Additionally, I think there is a chance that the hospital (and doctor’s office) scales are a bit off. I mean, really, they get a lot of use and they’re sure to break down eventually. But, the reality of it is that I just gained a lot of weight. I honestly don’t think there is much I could’ve done to avoid it and to my defense, I did lose it all fairly quickly. I lost 36 lbs. before I left the hospital (which goes to show that my water-retention theory isn’t completely off-base) and lost the rest within months.
The reason that I’m sharing my dirty-little secret with the world is twofold. First, I want all of you pregnant mothers who want to cry every time you get weighed at the doctor’s office to rest assured that you’re not the only one. You’re definitely not the only one who has gained too much weight and you’re definitely not the only one who can’t figure out where those pounds have come from. Second, for those of you pregnant woman who have gained a measly thirty or thirty-five pounds, I’d love to hear your secrets. I’m sure you’re reading this and laughing at all of the poor souls who couldn’t help but gain seven pounds every time they ate a grape, so the least you can do is share your secrets. I’m still puzzled by how you have done it.
So, this time, I’m going to try to be honest about my weight gain. I admit that I’ll probably be tempted to fudge my weight gain a little, but eventually I’ll come clean. So, when you see my weight gain ballooning, rest assured that I’m just letting nature take it’s course this time. I’m sure I’ll gain an exorbitant amount of weight again. I’m sure that I’ll cry and hem and haw about the injustice of it. But, I’m also sure that I’m not the only one struggling and that one day, not too far off, I’ll be wearing my size 6 jeans again. Let’s hope so at least.
Status Check:
6 weeks 0 days pregnant
148 lbs.
I gained 52 pounds when I was pregnant with Joey. Before you all balk at my lack of self-control, I want to qualify this 52 pound weight gain with the fact that I threw up daily for the entire nine months of my pregnancy and don’t remember eating anything the entire pregnancy. I don’t get it. I still can’t fathom how a few saltine crackers and several pounds of IV fluid equated to 52 lbs. But it did. I was horrified when I went into delivery and tipped the scales at 199 lbs.
My only consolation was that my husband still weighed a few (not many) pounds more than I did. Still, I was upset enough about my weight gain that I kept this nasty little secret to myself for months afterwards. I even lied to my mom and my sister, telling them that I only gained 35 lbs., knowing that neither would dare to comment on the fact that it sure looked like more than 35 measly pounds. In fact, the truth about my incredible weight gain just surfaced a few weeks ago when I finally had the courage to admit that I gained nearly double the recommended weight gain. Even worse, if you count the fact that I lost 15 lbs. in my first trimester, I gained a grand total of 67 pounds. I’m still appalled.
I have all sorts of excuses for my weight gain. Part of me knows (just knows) that this was all water retention. My son must have been swimming (literally swimming) in that amniotic fluid. Additionally, I think there is a chance that the hospital (and doctor’s office) scales are a bit off. I mean, really, they get a lot of use and they’re sure to break down eventually. But, the reality of it is that I just gained a lot of weight. I honestly don’t think there is much I could’ve done to avoid it and to my defense, I did lose it all fairly quickly. I lost 36 lbs. before I left the hospital (which goes to show that my water-retention theory isn’t completely off-base) and lost the rest within months.
The reason that I’m sharing my dirty-little secret with the world is twofold. First, I want all of you pregnant mothers who want to cry every time you get weighed at the doctor’s office to rest assured that you’re not the only one. You’re definitely not the only one who has gained too much weight and you’re definitely not the only one who can’t figure out where those pounds have come from. Second, for those of you pregnant woman who have gained a measly thirty or thirty-five pounds, I’d love to hear your secrets. I’m sure you’re reading this and laughing at all of the poor souls who couldn’t help but gain seven pounds every time they ate a grape, so the least you can do is share your secrets. I’m still puzzled by how you have done it.
So, this time, I’m going to try to be honest about my weight gain. I admit that I’ll probably be tempted to fudge my weight gain a little, but eventually I’ll come clean. So, when you see my weight gain ballooning, rest assured that I’m just letting nature take it’s course this time. I’m sure I’ll gain an exorbitant amount of weight again. I’m sure that I’ll cry and hem and haw about the injustice of it. But, I’m also sure that I’m not the only one struggling and that one day, not too far off, I’ll be wearing my size 6 jeans again. Let’s hope so at least.
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