Pregnant, Eating Lots, Can't Gain Weight...

[rockymtntapper]

I'm 18 weeks pregnant (19 weeks tomorrow). I've been on a gluten-free diet for nearly 2 years, and last year I found out I was also sensitive to dairy, corn, and several grains (tapioca, teff, millet). I also have Hashimoto's but I'm on medication and my antibodies have gone way down since going off of the foods I'm sensitive to. I'm 5'1" and right now I weigh 103.5 lbs. I weighed 100 before I got pregnant and I gained 3 pounds in the first few weeks of pregnancy, but then had horrible morning sickness for about 3 months straight, causing me to drop down to about 95 lbs. Then I got hit with a stomach virus about a month ago which caused me to drop again down to 92 lbs. 

 

So I'm glad I've finally passed 100 again, but I am just not gaining much weight at all--maybe 1 pound every two weeks. The thing is, I have been eating like CRAZY. According to a calculator I used, I need to be eating at least 2500 calories a day to gain a pound a week. I'm eating over 3000, literally stuffing my face all day, and I hardly notice a difference. The baby is healthy and growing quickly, but I'm not! Any advice for me? 

 

If anyone's wondering, my typical diet consists mostly of meat, fish, seafood, eggs, quinoa, rice, lots of fruit and veggies, nuts (I have to be careful with nuts because they cause sinus congestion if I eat too many--I've already been tested for nut allergies and have none), seeds, smoothies, and occasional snacky foods like chips and chocolate. I've also been adding powdered gelatin to smoothies and soups for extra protein. 

 

My midwife told me I really needed to gain 5 pounds in the next 2 weeks. Help! I've seriously never eaten this much before in my life!

[cyclinglady]

Glad that you are feeling better!

With all my morning sickness I did not gain weight during my first trimester. I was little like you (just an inch shorter). I gain 26 pounds (doctor said to shoot for 25) during my entire pregnancy and delivered a 6 pound , 9 oz. Baby.

Add plenty of fat to your diet. Avocado, olive oil, bacon, salmon, sardines, chicken fat/skin, etc. All these years of telling us that fat is bad and it really is not!

Congratulations! Keep on eating!

[rockymtntapper]

Thanks, cyclinglady! I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who had this issue. I definitely like eating fat, so that should help. I had a lot of trouble digesting fat after the morning sickness and stomach virus went away (I think I had thrown up all my bile...gross, I know) but now I think my stomach has been able to catch up and actually process the food I put into it. Sometimes I take ox bile with meals if I'm eating a lot of meat or a lot of fat, which seems to help. 

 

Thanks for the reminder to eat sardines...I love sardines and a lot of people think I'm crazy for it!