Has anyone tried to lose weight before first pregnancy to prepare for baby weight gain?

I've been trying to lose 5-10 pounds before my husband and I try for our first pregnancy.  Is this a pointless idea?  We are thinking about trying in 6-8 months and I thought that it might help to lose a few pounds first so that when I gain all of the baby weight, I might be 5-10 pounds ahead (and have that much less to lose after the baby comes).  Does that make any sense?  Has anyone tried this?  

Any feedback would be a huge help because if my idea is pointless I'm not going to worry about it as much.  Thanks! 

Thanks dywags, I never really thought about it like that before.  I will still be in a healthy BMI range once I reach my goal of 128 (but I'll be cutting it close).  Instead of stressing myself out about my goal weight, I'm going to take your advice and just eat really healthy and try to get more exercise.  Those kind of habits will be much more beneficial for me and our future baby in the long run.

Thanks to everyone for the replies!  You have all shed some light on this issue for me and I feel a lot better about things! 

I'll see my doctor once we decide to start trying.  Thanks again!   

Hello everyone,

I just want to give my experience.  I had the same idea you did when I started trying.

I am 5'10 and at the time I weighted 142 pounds; I wanted to drop to 130-135. I worked hard to drop those few pounds. It seems when you have a natural "thinner" build and you already eat well its hard to shed a few pounds.  I had to step up my exercise to drop my weight. The dropped weight did take stress off of me and helped me feel more proud and sexy.

I found out I was preggers on 6/26. The first few weeks (until around 10 weeks) my Dr.’s instructed me not to really over do it until I knew everything was looking good. So my exercise was cut down to my walks with my dogs.

 I am one of those lucky people who did not experience morning sickness (as of yet) so everything I eat stays down (and you feel the need to eat about every two hours).

Needless to say the weight I lost was back on within 3 weeks. My doctor advised me that it normally happens to people who lose weight right before they get preggers. The lost weight reappears very quickly since the exercise is cut down so much in the first trimester.

I will give you this advise.. Losing the weight before made me feel more frisky and stress free .. more happy all the way around. So in the long run I am sure I wouldn’t have gotten preggers so quickly without it. The watching my weight before has also helped me pay attention to my eating habits now.  I am now able to start doing more exercise to help maintain my weight gain and not let it spike out of control. I am now at 150 pounds and climbing lol (hopefully not to fast).

Good Luck! 

Original Post by cassrd05:

I've been trying to lose 5-10 pounds before my husband and I try for our first pregnancy.  Is this a pointless idea?  We are thinking about trying in 6-8 months and I thought that it might help to lose a few pounds first so that when I gain all of the baby weight, I might be 5-10 pounds ahead (and have that much less to lose after the baby comes).  Does that make any sense?  Has anyone tried this?  

Any feedback would be a huge help because if my idea is pointless I'm not going to worry about it as much.  Thanks! 

Getting HEAlTHY before preganancy is a great idea.... it makes for an easier and healthier pregnancy!!! Mainatining physical health during pregnancy make for a much easier delivery.... Go for it!!!

 

I can't speak from experience but if your a healthy weight there is no reason to have to lose weight before getting pregnant as generally speaking you may or may not get morning sickness and to what degree you don't know I lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks! because of morning sickness .....which carried on into my 5th month which is unusual but not unheard of and As long as you don't put on more weight than your doctor recommends (usually around 35-40lbs)from your starting weight , meaning not your lowest weight(like after you have had morning sickness) but the weight your at now...you will probably lose the 35 -40lbs (everyone diff in the amount allowed )in about 2-3 weeks after you have had your baby....I know 35-40lbs sounds like a lot however try to remember between baby , placenta , excess fluid and blood (your body makes more blood to support the fetus) this can all add up to 35-40 lbs .... I was allowed up to 40lbs and I put on 45lbs I lost 36lbs in the first 2 weeks and the rest in the 2weeks after that .....My doctor told me something at the beginning of my pregnancy that I really thought was weird at the time because I didn't understand it (my first pregnancy) however It was good advice and that was to remember that pregnancy is a blessing and not a sickness! .....sounds weird right but after your a few months pregnant I understood what he ment ... anyhow don't worry about a few extra pounds just don't eat for two ...just eat for you ...the baby will take what it needs you get what evers left ....I think that's why pregnant women are all a little spacey (ok a lot) because we are all starving we just don't know it

well good luck to you!