Gaining weight during pregnancy.
It’s inevitable although some, obviously, gain more than others. I am on the “more” side. It may be because I’m simply just programmed to have big babies (my son was 9lbs 11oz), OR it may be because I eat what I want while I’m pregnant.
I’m eating a roasted chicken sub from Wawa right now.
Here’s how I see it: There are so many things you’re not supposed to eat when you’re pregnant. Plus, I am prone to heartburn when pregnant, so tack these onto the list of foods to avoid: chocolate, spicy foods, acidic foods like citrus fruits and tomato-based items, carbonated beverages, and caffeine.
Since there are a plethora of things I’m not supposed to have, guess what? If I want McDonald’s, I’m gonna get it. The ice cream section at the grocery store? I’m all over it. I’ll pop a Pepcid AC or just deal with the heartburn. I refuse to be shamed for eating what I want or for gaining weight.
Oh, the shame!
And if you’re wondering who I’ve been shamed by, someone once ran to catch up to me just to ask if I was carrying triplets. For the record, I was not. Also during my first pregnancy, I had a doctor say to me something like, “If it tastes good, looks good or smells good, you can’t have it.” He’s lucky he can taste, look, or smell at all after he said that to a heavily pregnant woman.
On top of the terrible things people have said to me, I get emails from parenting sites I’ve signed up with like “The Dangers of Gaining Too Much Weight During Pregnancy” and “Doctors Urge Pregnant Women to Exercise.” Yes, I know I should be exercising, but I have a toddler, a messy house, laundry, and a full-time deadline-driven job. As for dangers, I haven’t experienced any and I gained 60 pounds during my first pregnancy.
Now, please don’t take my message the wrong way. I’m not telling you to go to McDonald’s for every meal. I’m just saying if you want something that doesn’t fall under “healthy,” have it! Pasta makes me happy, just like pregnancy massages. To me, it’s all self-care. Make yourself happy because having a baby changes your life. Take the week off before the baby is due—relax, watch TV and eat some carbs!
As for after baby, guess what? (And I’m looking at you Dr. Shamegood) I lost 55 pounds! How did I do it? The boring way—I exercised (Orangetheory Fitness) and ate well. The McDonald’s days, sadly, were over.
In the end …
I do not regret eating what I wanted while I was pregnant. Those months were a “pass.” At least, that’s how I saw it, knowing I would want to start losing the weight as soon as the baby was born. I liked eating what I wanted and I also liked showing those who shamed me that I could lose the weight. So stop commenting on a pregnant woman’s size.
And hey, parenting sites: how ’bout we replace those weight-related emails with advice about how to get toddlers to eat … well, anything?! That’s going to help everyone a lot more.
