Questions on Weight Gain during twin pregnancy

Hi,

My wife is 16weeks 5 days pregnant and has gained 17 lbs to date in her pregnancy.

Prior to pregnancy she was 125lbs and is 5feet 2inches tall.

Her doc says she should aim at gaining between 25 to 30 lbs.

I have heard that you should gain more than that. Is that true?

 

Hi,

My wife is 16weeks 5 days pregnant and has gained 17 lbs to date in her pregnancy.

Prior to pregnancy she was 125lbs and is 5feet 2inches tall.

Her doc says she should aim at gaining between 25 to 30 lbs.

I have heard that you should gain more than that. Is that true?

 

She sounds right on target. I only gained 45 lbs my whole pregnancy.

 

I'm 5'2" as well and started at 115-120 lbs. (My scale and the docs didn't match). By 37 weeks prego with twins I had gained 35 lbs. I never tried to gorge myself just because I was pregnant. I ate mostly healthy foods frequently with little snacks as needed and lots of water. I worked fulltime until 32 weeks as well. I don't remember what I'd gained by 16 weeks, but I'm sure your wife is doing fine. Small, frequent meals are very helpful, but every woman is different.

GL to you both,

 

I forgot to add that both my girls were 5.8 lbs each so gaining a ton or not doesn't necessarily change the child(ren)'s weight as long as mom is healthy and taking care of herself.

 

i have always heard to aim for a pound a week, she sounds like she is right on target

 

My doctor told me at least 20 and NO MORE (exactly like that) than 40.... sounds about right to me...

 

25-30 sounds low to me...I gained 42 total and I started at 5'1" and 108 lbs. My babies were 5 lb 10z and 5lb 3oz when they were born at 35.2 weeks. I was ALL belly..no added weight anywhere else, and 12 days later I've already lost 30 of those pounds.... Try not to focus too much on the numbers and listen to your body...

 

I am 5 feet 3 inches and I started off at 125lbs. I gained a lot of weight right away because I didn't have bad morning sickness and I was hungry all the time. I am now 164 and I don't look overly heavy. It is mostly my belly. My doctor said I was gaining a little too much but not to worry. My weight gain has slowed down a lot in the last 2 months.

 

Okay I am a little different than all the ladies so far. I have heard a pound a week for the first 18 wks and a pound and a half a week for the last half. I am 5' 5" tall and started at 130lbs... I am only 31 wks and am already at 187 (57 lbs!!!!) my doc is not worried in the least... I only eat when I am hungry and have 3 little ones to look after and stay very active (although I am to rest alot more with my feet up now and I DO) I gained the most was 12lbs in a month and then just at my last apt I had only gained 2 (for the 2 week period) I gained upwards of 45 lbs with my singleton 3 years ago. My doc explained that some women's bodies these days are genetically made to "pack on the pounds" so to speak during pg. He said it is just genes we may have received from ancestors who survived ice ages or the depression (times of starvation) and were still able to have successful pregnancies. Maybe that is a bunch of hoopla. But I can tell you my extra weight came off easily with nursing a singleton. And this go round I really am gaining all in the belly (okay okay a little in the rear too!! ) My babies are estimated to be 3 and 1/2 lbs apiece right now. Remember pregnancy is NOT the time to diet and if it seems you are packing on too much weight and you are really not eating like a hog (but are getting the protein) then talk to Her doc and make sure he feels that she is doing alright! Congrats on the babies.. sorry this is so long!

 

quote:
Originally posted by brianamurnion:
My doc explained that some women's bodies these days are genetically made to "pack on the pounds" so to speak during pg. He said it is just genes we may have received from ancestors who survived ice ages or the depression (times of starvation) and were still able to have successful pregnancies. !


OK, I want YOUR doctor. I gain weight like nobody's business when pregnant. I miscarried once and went on a diet (that works very well for me) when I found out the pg was not viable so I would be at a healthier weight for the next pg. I kept gaining weight until all the pg hormones left my body even though I was on a very healthy diet and was only pg with a blighted ovum. I think big butt girls with smaller waists (like me) tend to gain a lot when pregnant. All my apple shaped friends can lose when pregnant and still have a healthy pregnancy. I did lose all my pregnancy weight from my son, which gives me hope.

I've always heard up to 45 lbs for twins, though

 

LOL I am sure alot of people would love him!! My first doc (with my singleton) also did not find my weight gain alarming. I was heavier when starting with my daughter (150) and gained up to 190 or more.... I never got an actual 9m weight. I think some of us really do gain "uncontrollably" when pg. I am a firm believer that if you nurse you will lose the weight... we have fat reserves for a reason. (I dropped to 120 after birth) Read the book A Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy by Vicki Iovine if you want a humorous outlook on the weight gain and loss (she was a playboy playmate and gained over 50lbs with 4 singleton pg) She is really a comical... not a doc.... and not a pro on multiples but still worth the read!!

 

The general reading talks about 25 - 35 lbs for a singleton pregnancy and 35 - 45 lbs (AVERAGE) for twins.

Have you heard of the book by Dr. Barbara Luke called something like Twins, Triplets and Quads (I forget the exact title but you can go on any of the major online booksellers or google it - i have never found it in stock in a book store.

I think it's the best book around by far regarding twin pregnancies. She can be a bit rigid, but her science seems incredibly sound and well-grounded, and she makes clear that there are significant differences between a singleton pregnancy and a twin pregnancy: it's not 'just one more baby'

She is a huge proponent of gaining a certain amount (I think it's 25 lbs by 20 weeks), with a big emphasis on protein rich foods; citing her evidence that those who gained early tended to have healthier babies.

I take her work with a grain of salt, becuase, for example, there is NO WAY I can manage to consume the level of protein she recommends, especially with morning sickness and other hormonally related aversions. But - i still think it's a great book and well worth the time and money to read. She says a lot about not pushing your body too hard, even if you were very fit and athletic before the twin pregnancy. I was, but i've hardly been able to maintain anything,and she gives good scientific reasons for not doing too much, as it can trigger pre-term labor, long NICU stays, etc.

Congrats on your twin pregnancy!

 

From a nutritionist's standpoint, weight gain for twins (for an average sized woman) should be between 40 and 50 pounds total. Unfortunately, many doctors don't seem to be very concerned with the mother's nutrition. It sounds like your wife is doing just fine. It's good to aim for a weight gain of at least 24 pounds by 24 weeks. A good book on this kind of information is "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads" by Dr. Barbara Luke. I have gained about 33 pounds at 25 weeks, but I don't feel like it's too much. I also started out at about 125 but I'm 5 ft. 5.5 inches. Your wife should eat a healthy diet and not worry too much about her weight gain.

 

Thanks everyone for the response. My wife had her monthly check-up today and the doctor was very happy with her weight gain to date. Unfortunatley I could not make it as I was on the road. According to the doc her uterus has climbed up which is good (i don't know what that means)

She eats the following during the day:

Bran cereal with milk - full bowl
1 to 2 Boiled Eggs
A hearty lunch (my mom makes her a hot lunch)
Cheddar cheese cubes
Almonds or Pistachos
Prune Juice
2 glasses of orange juice with extra calcium added
8 glasses of water
A hearty dinner (2 full helpings)
One protein drink in the afternoon
One glass of milk at night
An occasional banana

Her only bad indulgence is Cheetos which she has if she gets the munchies at night.

She is also taking a prenatal supplement and Iron with Folic Acid.

I guess she does have a good metabolism.

 

Gosh now i feel like a fat cow...well atleast i looked like one when i was pg. I started at 132 and at 35. 6, the day before i had the boys, i was 198. I was large and alot of it was water. It was hot in the summer and my feet and legs had swelled up so big... Good luck to you and your wife!

 

My peri said I should gain between 35-45 pounds and to eat lots of protein. I gained 42.

 

The rule of thumb is 25-35 for a singleton (on the higher end if you start out underweight, and the lower end if you start out overweight)...

For twins its 35-45 with the same overweight/underweight rule applying.

I gained 40, and I ate whenever I was hungry (usually whatever I was craving!) LOL!

HTH!

 

It sounds like your wife is doing fine. I've heard multiple times that 40-50 pounds is great for twins, but like the PP said, some of us are just made to pack on pounds while others tend to gain less. Protein is very important no matter the total weight gain is going to be.

It sounds like your wife is eating well. While I think it is sweet that you are concerned for her, to be honest it would be driving me crazy if my husband was documenting what I ate on a daily basis and noting my "bad" indulgences! She seems fine. My advice is not to focus on it too much.

 

25 and 30 pounds is about right for a singleton but if she's expecting twins, she should gain more. The newer and well-documented guidelines based upon success rates carrying to term are 45-55 pounds and I'm frankly shocked that a doctor would recommend less.

I gained 50 and 45 of that was babies, placentas, extra blood volume, swelling, etc (this weight was gone in the first couple of weeks). 5 pounds was a combination of the milk jugs and the little bit I actually gained myself. So far I've lost that 5 and another 15 with light exercise and breastfeeding.