Weight gain

[Kereru]

Hello all, I have been reading peoples posts when they have an antenatal
appointment, and each one mentions weight gain.

Now I have never been weighed in pregnancy, I have been warned by my midwife
to look out for a sudden weight gain as an indicator of pre-ecalmpsia, but
that's it. She hasn't mentioned weight gain but talks to me about nutrition
and exersise.

So what is the advantage of keeping track of weight gain? Does anyone know
why they track it? Does anyone else out there not get weighed?

I'm asking out of interest here BTW not to try and criticize what I imagine
is just a different way of doing things :-)

Judy

[Ericka Kammerer]

Kereru wrote:

> Hello all, I have been reading peoples posts when they have an antenatal
> appointment, and each one mentions weight gain.
>
> Now I have never been weighed in pregnancy, I have been warned by my midwife
> to look out for a sudden weight gain as an indicator of pre-ecalmpsia, but
> that's it. She hasn't mentioned weight gain but talks to me about nutrition
> and exersise.
>
> So what is the advantage of keeping track of weight gain? Does anyone know
> why they track it? Does anyone else out there not get weighed?
>
> I'm asking out of interest here BTW not to try and criticize what I imagine
> is just a different way of doing things :-)


There isn't any real advantage to tracking weight gain that
anyone has found. Very low weight gain (indicative of malnutrition)
can be a problem, and sudden rapid weight gain can be an indication
of pre-eclampsia, but there's a pretty wide range of weight gain
that is just fine--and there's a lot of variation from woman
to woman. The real key is nutrition and exercise. Really,
those who check weight in pregnancy are generally checking it as
a *proxy* for nutrition and exercise. One could perhaps make an
argument that doing so is reasonable because women can fib about
nutrition and exercise but the scale doesn't lie. But unless you
presume your clients won't be honest, talking about nutrition and
exercise is probably more valuable than tracking weight.

Best wishes,
Ericka

[Em]

"Kereru" > wrote in message
> Hello all, I have been reading peoples posts when they have an antenatal
> appointment, and each one mentions weight gain.
>
> Now I have never been weighed in pregnancy, I have been warned by my
midwife
> to look out for a sudden weight gain as an indicator of pre-ecalmpsia, but
> that's it. She hasn't mentioned weight gain but talks to me about
nutrition
> and exersise.
>
> So what is the advantage of keeping track of weight gain? Does anyone know
> why they track it? Does anyone else out there not get weighed?

Like Ericka said, I think they track it for "nutritional" reasons for the
most part (& also to look for a sudden jump in your "pattern"). It also
gives them something to do at the appointments ;-)

At the birth center I go to, they never say anything about the weight really
other than to say how good I'm doing at taking care of the baby (which I
think they say to just about everyone). I would bet that they wouldn't
"force" me to check weight if I was disturbed by it. I have actually found
it kind of helpful/interesting to know how my weight is changing--I think it
could be easy to imagine that I was much farther up there on the scale by
now if I wasn't paying attention to it (& be bothered by that).

--
Em
edd 9/23/03

[Astromum]

Kereru wrote:

> So what is the advantage of keeping track of weight gain? Does anyone know
> why they track it? Does anyone else out there not get weighed?

I was never weighed during my pregnancy, but got the same advice as
you did. In the Netherlands the pregnancy is approached more as a
healthy woman, going through a perfectly normal phase of life. So
specific tests are only done if the woman feels it is necessary, or
if the midwife thinks there is reason for concern. If you can weigh
yourself at home, there is no reason to do it at their practice too.

The main reason for measuring weight gain is to have a first order
check of fetal growth. A sudden change in gain *may* be caused by
complications. However, a baby doesn't grow continuously but in
spurts, and the mother can also gain or loose weight, so the method
is very inaccurate. FWIW I lost almost 15lb in my first trimester,
but the baby was fine, and at a later stage I would gain several
lb in one week, but none in the next.

--
-- Ilse
mom to Olaf (07/15/2002)
TTC #2
"What's the use of brains if you are a girl?"
Aletta Jacobs, first Dutch woman to receive a PhD

[Chotii]

"Kereru" > wrote in message
...
> Hello all, I have been reading peoples posts when they have an antenatal
> appointment, and each one mentions weight gain.
>
> Now I have never been weighed in pregnancy, I have been warned by my
midwife
> to look out for a sudden weight gain as an indicator of pre-ecalmpsia, but
> that's it. She hasn't mentioned weight gain but talks to me about
nutrition
> and exersise.
>
> So what is the advantage of keeping track of weight gain? Does anyone know
> why they track it? Does anyone else out there not get weighed?

I see a traditional OB, and they do weigh me every visit. In fact, I haven't
gained any weight in well over a month, and though the nurse comments on it,
she doesn't comment unfavorably. They must not be worried.

--angela (38w 5d with yahoozie #4, mom to Emmaline, almost 6, and Victoria
and Alexandra, 4 years old today.)

[Sidheag McCormack]

I'm not getting weighed, or even asked about my weight - my midwife says
it's not useful information. I am asked every time whether I have any
swelling; this is one sign of pre-eclampsia, which is one reason why it's
been argued that tracking weight is a good idea, but the counter-argument
is that there are lots of reasons for rapid weight gain other than swelling
and asking about swelling directly is more reliable.

It's just as well actually as I have no idea what my weight has been for
the last few weeks - I only get to weigh myself at the gym (don't have
scales in the house, where all my midwife appointments are too), and
haven't been to the gym for a while because of SPD. My clothes are getting
steadily tighter round the bump but I don't seem to be changing anywhere
else, so I take this as a sign that all is normal.

Sidheag
edd Oct 13th

[Linz]

On Fri, 25 Jul 2003 22:55:18 +1200, "Kereru" >
wrote:

>Hello all, I have been reading peoples posts when they have an antenatal
>appointment, and each one mentions weight gain.
>
>Now I have never been weighed in pregnancy, I have been warned by my midwife
>to look out for a sudden weight gain as an indicator of pre-ecalmpsia, but
>that's it. She hasn't mentioned weight gain but talks to me about nutrition
>and exersise.

The hospital weighed me at each appointment, but the community
midwives haven't. Nothing was said about the weight gain by the
hospital midwives - I get the impression they just keep an eye on it
but are more concerned with overall health.

I do weigh myself, but then I also measure the 3 Bs - boobs, bump and
bum - purely because I'm really enjoying all the changes!
--
EDD 1/11/03
26 weeks

[Elly]

Happy belated birthdays to Victoria and Alexandra :-))

Elly
30 weeks today!
EDD October 6th



"Chotii" > ha scritto nel messaggio
...
>
> "Kereru" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hello all, I have been reading peoples posts when they have an antenatal
> > appointment, and each one mentions weight gain.
> >
> > Now I have never been weighed in pregnancy, I have been warned by my
> midwife
> > to look out for a sudden weight gain as an indicator of pre-ecalmpsia,
but
> > that's it. She hasn't mentioned weight gain but talks to me about
> nutrition
> > and exersise.
> >
> > So what is the advantage of keeping track of weight gain? Does anyone
know
> > why they track it? Does anyone else out there not get weighed?
>
> I see a traditional OB, and they do weigh me every visit. In fact, I
haven't
> gained any weight in well over a month, and though the nurse comments on
it,
> she doesn't comment unfavorably. They must not be worried.
>
> --angela (38w 5d with yahoozie #4, mom to Emmaline, almost 6, and
Victoria
> and Alexandra, 4 years old today.)
>
>

[Elly]

"Sidheag McCormack" > ha scritto nel
messaggio ...
> I am asked every time whether I have any
> swelling; this is one sign of pre-eclampsia, which is one reason why it's
> been argued that tracking weight is a good idea, but the counter-argument
> is that there are lots of reasons for rapid weight gain other than
swelling
> and asking about swelling directly is more reliable.

I'm seeing a traditional specialist ob/gyn (who was actually my gyn for 10
years now) and her practice is to keep track both of weight gain and of
swelling.

> My clothes are getting
> steadily tighter round the bump but I don't seem to be changing anywhere
> else, so I take this as a sign that all is normal.

Same here! The bump just keeps *going out* and all the rest of the body is
still the same. I still own only 3 pieces of maternity clothes, if you don't
count in the larger bras and underwear (I like to keep the bump covered).

Elly
30 weeks today!
EDD October 6th