So, when you go to the Dr. for prenatal visits, they monitor your weight. You're supposed to gain 0.5-1 lb. per week, or 25-35 lbs. total, in a pregnancy. If you gain too much too fast, your doctor will gently broach the topic with you. I am lucky enough to have enjoyed a normal weight through my whole life (and a normal pregnancy weight, as it turns out) but one of the biggest sources of stress and upset in my pregnancy has been doctors telling me I gained too much too fast. I think in February I gained 7 lbs. in 3 weeks or so, earning a talking-to from the doc, but then the weight gain slowed so much that it basically hasn't changed at all in the last few months. Now, at the end, I appear to be losing weight. Of course, weight is just a number that means nothing about your overall health or fitness. But we knew that :)
So why the concern over excess gain, medically speaking? Well, mom could be diabetic and/or the baby could get too big, which are valid concerns and cause for altering one's diet and keeping a close eye on one's weight. But if the baby is normal sized despite mom's weight gain, and mom's not diabetic, then she is told that the doctors are basically watching out for her, trying to make her face a smaller post-partum weight loss hurdle. Which I frankly find (a) premature and (b) patronizing. I have never needed anyone to explain to me how to get in shape. "This just in! Eating vegetables, avoiding sweets, and exercising help keep weight under control!" Gee, thanks for the tip! I think few of us really didn't know about the whole diet and exercise thing. So why do I get to hear it now? Why don't I get a chance to lose the weight first, AFTER the baby is born? Why tell me NOW when I can't really exercise or go on a diet? It's hard to have your doctor tell you you're overweight while your hands are tied so you can't do much about it. Add to that the fact that just by being pregnant, you're probably having body image issues anyway, suddenly having to get used to a whole different body. AND the fact that everybody gains weight at different rates while pregnant, and just because you gained quickly for a time, that doesn't mean the trend will continue. AND the fact that when you're pregnant, your body basically sucks up calories like these are the last ones it's going to see for 9 months so it had better hold on to every last drop. Honestly, we pregnant women don't constantly overeat; our bodies just decide what they're gonna do and do it.
I thought it would be fun to go back to the doctor and tell her I really think the Atkins diet is working miracles to keep me slim during my pregnancy. That'll learn 'er.
So why the concern over excess gain, medically speaking? Well, mom could be diabetic and/or the baby could get too big, which are valid concerns and cause for altering one's diet and keeping a close eye on one's weight. But if the baby is normal sized despite mom's weight gain, and mom's not diabetic, then she is told that the doctors are basically watching out for her, trying to make her face a smaller post-partum weight loss hurdle. Which I frankly find (a) premature and (b) patronizing. I have never needed anyone to explain to me how to get in shape. "This just in! Eating vegetables, avoiding sweets, and exercising help keep weight under control!" Gee, thanks for the tip! I think few of us really didn't know about the whole diet and exercise thing. So why do I get to hear it now? Why don't I get a chance to lose the weight first, AFTER the baby is born? Why tell me NOW when I can't really exercise or go on a diet? It's hard to have your doctor tell you you're overweight while your hands are tied so you can't do much about it. Add to that the fact that just by being pregnant, you're probably having body image issues anyway, suddenly having to get used to a whole different body. AND the fact that everybody gains weight at different rates while pregnant, and just because you gained quickly for a time, that doesn't mean the trend will continue. AND the fact that when you're pregnant, your body basically sucks up calories like these are the last ones it's going to see for 9 months so it had better hold on to every last drop. Honestly, we pregnant women don't constantly overeat; our bodies just decide what they're gonna do and do it.
I thought it would be fun to go back to the doctor and tell her I really think the Atkins diet is working miracles to keep me slim during my pregnancy. That'll learn 'er.
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