It seems like every time I turn around, there is another article about Jessica Simpson and her "enormous" pregnancy weight gain. Yes, she is larger than many, but you know what? People need to lay off. Some women just gain more than others.
Hollywood Life is estimating that Simpson has gained 50 pounds, which is, according to their sources, "excessive and could complicate her pregnancy." While Simpson has admitted to eating cheesecake or breakfast and fried chicken for lunch, her weight gain isn't SO insane or outrageous.
I know this because I gained the same during both of my pregnancies. By baby's month 4, I had shed every pound and was back in my size 4s. Take that!
Not once did my midwife mention my "excessive" weight gain even though I went from about 125 pounds (at 5'6") to 175 pounds on the day of delivery.
Here's what I wasn't doing: Eating fried chicken, cheese steaks, ice cream, or bon-bons.
Here's what I was: Working out every day (running until the day before I delivered), taking long walks, and eating healthily, albeit steadily.
Some people, especially those who were underweight for their frame, just gain more weight. Before I got pregnant with my daughter, my doctor had done a body fat analysis and was concerned that mine was very low and that I would have trouble conceiving. I didn't. But I did gain a lot of weight. My body needed every last bit.
My pregnancies were healthy, my babies strong and delivered naturally, and my body bounced back within about four months through breastfeeding, running, and eating well. These people judging Jessica and anyone who gains weight during pregnancy need to clam it up.
It isn't helpful to speculate and if a doctor isn't treating her, he or she shouldn't be commenting on a pregnant woman's weight gain. We are all individual. I gained 50 pounds in two pregnancies and you would never know it to look at me or my babies. I have seen women gain less and have more trouble and women gain more and have none.
"Guidelines" are all fine and good until they become excuses to judge a person. More power to Jessica Simpson for enjoying her pregnancy, and when she looks great in six months, I will happily tell the tabloids, "I told you so."
Do you think 50 pounds is too much to gain?
Image via jvh33/Flickr
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Comments 69
Yes, I think it is too much. Excess pregnancy weight gain is harmful for you and the baby if you are not careful. Doctor's are doctor's for a reason. They generally know what they are talking about. Plus study after study that comes out links obese mothers to problems with their children later on in life. Whether it is difficulty concentrating, or being at risk for heart problems, or slow development. You are caring a life, is it too much to ask to lay off the ice cream for 9 months of your life? Its one thing if you can't help it, another if you are being willfully unhealthy life Jessica. Pop tarts, mac n cheese? Captain Crunch? My arteries ache at the thought! And btw I am 7 months pregnant and have gain only 19 lbs. Has it been easy? No. But is it worth it? Yes!!
My first pregnancy, I gained 60 lbs. Went from 104 to 164. It's a lot of weight but before I left the hospital, I lost about 35 lbs. I think it was a lot of water retention. Lost the rest a few months later. Second pregnancy, gained 40 lbs. but started at a higher weight. But lost that too. I was young, in my 20s and early 30s. Youth does play a large part in how quickly one can lose weight. It must be so hard for her dealing with this so publicly. She might eat more to make herself happy. I know that worked for me (for the moment). Sixty pounds later, not so much.
I know for me personally, my body does NOT like pregnancy. Food did not stay down. I had morning sickness all day long for all 9 months and still managed to gain 60 pounds the first time around. I did not eat junk. Anything sweet made me nauseous! I was living on chicken broth and prescription pre-natals that "supposedly" were less likely to irritate my stomach! I also had an idiot doctor who told me from day one that I WOULD develop GD simply because I started the pregnancy overweight. Well I proved that doctor wrong! never did develop even pre-diabetic sugar levels during either pregnancy. My second time around I was just as sick but I couldn't seem to gain weight at all, I ended up losing 20 pounds during the first trimester going into the second trimester and only gained about 10 pounds total by the end of the pregnancy. I TRIED to eat, but I refused to eat junk simply to pack on weight since I was already overweight. I just made sure that every bite that did stay down was nutrient dense and I always had my prenatals! Both babies were very healthy and a great size. 7lbs11 ounces for my son and my little girl was 7 lbs 7 ounces.