Stretch Marks and Weight Gain

I had stretch marks by 8 weeks, mostly boobs and hips as they grew very quickly! They're still there

Some people just carry big - I carried lots of fluid so there was no getting away from the weight gain. That said, my food intake in the last trimester was APPALLING - whole big bags of chips, chocolate, all the comfort foods .... If you can have some self control and just keep up a good diet, it won't do any harm!

Swimming is meant to be really good in pregnancy - low impact, lots of buoyancy but you get good muscle workout and cardiovascular workout too. I have a friend who was jogging till 2 weeks before she gave birth, but I don't recommend that!

Bree, try not to worry about it. Even if you go up a size or two post-pregnancy your body may well be better off with "reserves". I was a size 8-10 when I got pg with DD1. I gained 13kg and lost weight after the pregnancy (while bf). In fact I lost too much weight and was definitely a size 8 before she was 1yr old. I have just had DD4 but am expecting to settle into a size 12 with a bit of time - I'm 62kg now. Getting pg will not necessarily set you up to be a big woman so go ahead and eat what you need to. Probably the best thing you can do for your body is try to make healthy choices when you do need to eat, not just eat junk because you're hungry.

yeah, body issues..never ends aye...
as others have said..i can assure you whtaever your body goes through during pregnancy will NOT determine what it will be like post baby!
after the birth of my boys i was the best shape i have ever been. with determination of course, and being an aerobics instructor helped so the body does respond well.
watch the breast feeding though...i loved this so decided to not expect my absolute pre pregnancy body till after the feeding was finished!
your body will remain in 'maternity' mode while feeding ensuring that you have enough stores to keep nutrients up so losing all your weight while breastfeeding can be a bit of a myth!!
i think the exception not the rule applies here...from a ex fitness professional that is!

For the stretch marks I would say use Bio Oil, it is supposed to work a treat. i use it morning and night along with The Body Shop's almond butter cream, its really rich and smells yummy. Cocoa butter is also supposed to be good. Make sure you do your boobs as well as your tum and thighs.
i guess also try not too "eat for 2" and do your excersise after the first trimester is up and you should have a constant but steady weight gain that is considered "normal".
x

I have put on 10.5kg so far and am walking 30min-1hr everyday and eat very very well 95% of the time, I just cannot stop the weight gain - so it must be mother natures way for me. No stretchmarks yet and using palmers stretchmark cream somedays and nature baby body oil too (its really nice)

I put on 15kg my last pregnancy and most of that was put on in the first trimester because of MS And then in the last trimester a lot of my gain was also fluid retention. 7 weeks after birth I am now 13kg off my pre preg weight I read somewhere that 12 - 18kg is the normal range.

If you can keep active and avoid comfort eating (definitely harder for me during the pandemic) you can definitely lose the weight you accumulated during pregnancy.

The recommended 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise (or 75 minutes of more intense exercise) definitely helps. That's a couple of walks or online cardio / Zumba / HIIT classes a week.

Yoga helped me lose my weight a lot faster.

Yoga burns calories when done the right way.

If you are serious about losing weight and getting fit, you might want to implement a 60-minute power yoga and/or vinyasa flow practice at least five to six days per week.

This yoga weight loss program was easy to follow and worked for me during my pregnancy when I started gaining too much weight.

Each class is easy to follow, but is varied and enjoyable. Dynamic Sequencing means you'll always be challenged regardless of your current level.

If you want to follow my example, think about coupling your practice with a whole foods diet for optimal results.

Good luck!

Mandy <3