Not Gaining Weight During Pregnancy But Belly Getting Bigger?

Becoming pregnant you expect to leave your trimmed waistline in the past, for many expectant moms this is a reality yet what happens if the opposite happens? Not gaining weight during pregnancy but belly getting bigger can be worrying, your growing baby needs nutrition and your body needs more energy to support your baby so is your pregnancy at risk?

Reasons Behind Not Gaining Weight During Pregnancy But Belly Getting Bigger

Having a big belly but no weight gain during pregnancy is a normal scenario during pregnancy and it’s nothing to be worried about.

It also doesn’t mean you’re doing anything wrong. The lack of weight gain can be from a number of factors from morning sickness to having a fast metabolism. Doctors won’t show concern until your second trimester when your body needs the extra weight to support your developing baby.

Pregnancy and Weight Gain

Weight gain is a topic that we all live by. Checking out how much pregnancy weight the next big celeb has gained or lost in pregnancy can rule the media and our lives. We get swept up in what the media portrays us women need to look like during pregnancy.

Whilst for most of us gaining weight during pregnancy can come pretty easy yet others may find it harder to gain the weight that is deemed essential for a healthy pregnancy.

Being pregnant, not gaining weight but getting bigger can signal many worries for the health of you and your baby so why is it harder to pile on the pounds? How can you ensure you are gaining enough weight to support your pregnancy?

Why Am I Not Gaining Weight During My Pregnancy?

Not gaining weight whilst pregnant can have quite an honest explanation. Some women are known to actually lose weight in the first instance and that is thanks to pregnancy sickness.

It can strike at any moment, without warning. With sickness, you may find that keeping meals down is harder, therefore, vomiting more calories than your digesting.

This coincides with nausea, I was a true warrior of nausea in my first pregnancy and I must admit the sickness in my second pregnancy was easier to handle. Feeling nauseous can make food and drinks the most off-putting thing in the world. There is nothing like fancying a certain meal yet the smell of it cooking is enough to throw you. Nausea during pregnancy can control your calorie intake without you even noticing.

Another reason for the lack of pregnancy weight is having a fast metabolism. If your metabolic rate was fast prior to being pregnant then this speed is hiked even more so as your baby, uterus, and placenta are all competing with each other for energy.

We allow the media to portray how we should look whilst being pregnant. From Beyonce to Rihanna they all rock the perfect bump look. With our heads buried in the news, we can get obsessed with how our bodies look. Pregnancy changes your body in the most dramatic way and feeling worried about keeping your weight low can subconsciously hinder what you eat and how much you consume.

The Truth Behind Pregnancy Pounds

Gaining weight is essential in pregnancy. Not only is your baby gaining weight but your body has an increased volume of blood and fluids. It has also created an extra organ, namely, the placenta.

Your breasts are growing and you are storing fat to produce breast milk after delivery. Your weight gain will be closely monitored as not gaining enough weight can present risks for your baby.

What Is Considered Good Weight Gain?

Weight gain during pregnancy will fluctuate over the three trimesters, because of this we have highlighted what is expected as normal in each trimester.

First Trimester

In your first trimester, you can expect little to no weight gain. Your baby is still tiny and as your body is working overdrive to create your placenta you may not see a change on the scales early on.

In my pregnancy I actually lost weight, thank you pregnancy sickness. Losing weight in this trimester is deemed safe providing you make up for it in later pregnancy.

Second/Third Trimester

You have now entered the middle ground of your pregnancy and as you head toward the finishing line your bump will be growing rapidly. Your baby is gaining weight and growing at speed. Your weight gain is personal to you and depends on what your Body Mass Index was prior to your pregnancy.

If your BMI was under 18.5 then you should be roughly gaining 1 pound per week which works out to be a total of 28 to 40 pounds in total until delivery.

Normal BMI is classed anywhere between 18.5 to 24.9. If you fall into this category then you should gain less than 1 pound per week, 25 to 35 pounds in total.

Anyone with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is classed as overweight. You would be expected to gain around 0.6 per week, 15 to 25 pounds in total.

If you were on the larger end of the scale with a BMI of over 30 then you are medically classed as obese therefore a weight gain of 0.5 a week is thought to be within the healthy range, 11 to 20 pounds in total.

Looking at the figures for BMI seem to be unfair. The system is used by medical professionals but it is flawed. If you follow a healthy diet and have more muscle mass, then your BMI will show higher but this doesn’t mean that you are overweight at all. To be fair it works both ways, to have a fast paced metabolism can put you in the normal or underweight category yet your diet may be rather unhealthy.

It’s important not to get bogged down by these figures as they can be declared by your genetics rather than what you eat or how much you work out.

Should I Be Concerned If I’m Not Gaining Weight During Pregnancy?

Not gaining enough weight during your pregnancy will be highlighted by your doctor. At each appointment, they will weigh you and assure you whether it’s within the normal guidelines.

If you aren’t gaining enough then your baby is at risk from:

Premature birth
Low birth weight
Development restriction

Smaller babies (not all) are known to suffer from:

Feeding issues, be it bottle or breast.
Greater risk of illness due to their small size.
Miss essential milestones as they develop.

It is for these reasons that medics follow your weight during pregnancy. Ensuring a steady weight gain is important for each mom and baby although the amount gained is completely personal so try not to dwell too much on the figures mentioned above.

Problems Piling The Pounds

Not gaining weight during pregnancy but belly getting bigger can indicate that you’re not eating enough calories. The rule of thumb would be to add in more calorie dense foods to help with weight gain.

Wrapping Up

Not gaining weight during pregnancy but belly getting bigger, it’s so important you don’t turn to junk foods. Even though this will make you gain weight it is not adding to your nutrition which is what your baby needs right now.

Your weight is expected to fluctuate over the course of your pregnancy but providing a healthy balanced diet will ensure your baby is getting everything it needs to thrive.