Dealing with Pregnancy Weigh-ins
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When I was pregnant with my first child I was so ecstatic I couldn't believe it was true. In fact, I did pregnancy tests three times just to make sure! It wasn't until I began my regular appointments with my OB/GYN that my anticipation and excitement would often turn to dread. The reason: the "weigh in". From my first appointment to my final appointment, I was required to get on the scale and face that ever increasing number. As a family-fitness therapist and a woman, I know the pseudo power that number can sometimes wield and how it can affect our inner and outer selves.
Nearly all my pregnant clients have echoed the same dread, "I hate getting weighed. I feel so self-conscience when I'm weighed." If a woman weighs a couple pounds extra than she thinks she should, she's afraid she's gaining weight too fast and she'll be overweight and have trouble losing the baby weight. For example, when my client Christine gained a few more pounds than she expected she was concerned that she was going to be huge by the end of her pregnancy, and it would take her forever to get the weight off. She told me "At this rate I'll probably gain 60 pounds and it will take me three years to get the weight off!" When a woman is pregnant it's really confusing because she knows she will (and should) gain weight but there is a lot of fear about gaining too much or not gaining enough.
If a woman weighs
less than she thinks she should, she's afraid she is not
nourishing her baby. For example, my client Jan was very
athletic and small framed prior to pregnancy. She ate healthy
and listened to her body's needs, but as she came close to the
end of her pregnancy she took note that she would probably not
gain the recommended 25-35 lbs. Although she was within 4lbs.
of meeting the "ideal" low recommended weight, she stated, "I
just hope my baby is getting what she needs to be healthy. I'm
not sure what more to do." With either scenario pregnant women
go over everything they have eaten trying to figure out what
they have done "wrong". But here's the thing: the number in
their mind is usually only one or two pounds different from
where they thinks it should be.
Even though I'm a therapist and coached women to ignore
the number, I'm human and a mother, so it wasn't until I became
pregnant with my second child that a solution came to me. And,
it works! At about the fifth month of my pregnancy, I was at my
OB/GYN appointment going over in my head what I wore at prior
appointments so I wasn't wearing something heavier or lighter
than I wore before. After becoming frustrated, I thought "I'm
being ridiculous! Who cares?! What matters is that my baby is
healthy!" So this time when the nurse told me to step on the
scale I said, "I'm not going to look, and don't tell me the
number, just tell me if my weight is ok." From that point on I
felt so much better because I was focused on taking care of my
baby and not worried about a number on the scale. Even though
this may seem obvious, it wasnt until I changed my mindset and
put all my focus and attention on my baby that the number
became meaningless and my dread disappeared!
So, here's what you can do: keep the focus on your baby. Pick foods that will nourish your baby so he or she will grow and develop. Eat sugary and salty foods in moderation. If "weighing in" causes stress for you, ask that the nurse not tell you what your weight is, but instead just let you know how you're doing. Remember that the weight you are gaining is temporary and is needed for the development of your baby. You can lose the weight if you eat healthy and exercise consistently.
Focusing your attention on nourishing your baby and not
feeding your weigh-in dread, will not only help you feel calm
and centered, but help you face every "weigh in!"
Sara Holliday, MFT, CPT, is a licensed marriage-family therapist, life and fitness coach, holistic health practitioner, and mother of two. As an expert in pre- and postnatal health and fitness Sara has appeared on numerous radio and TV shows including Oprah & Friends Radio, Martha Stewart Living Radio, KABC, NBC, and KTLA.
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