For each of my 5 pregnancies I have never known my weight. I don’t weigh myself. I have refused the scale and, when pushed, told them to write it down in silence or say it aloud at their own risk. Here’s why…
I have not voluntarily stood on a scale in five years.
Oh sure, sometimes they make me. If they do I close my eyes and tell them they best keep it quiet and write it in light pencil on my chart so it isn’t visible from across the exam room.
My Midwives Never Even Cared, but boy the doctors do!
Did you know how much weight you gain isn’t really an indicator of how well your baby is doing?
You can gain 60 pounds and birth a 5-pound baby. Or gain 20 pounds and birth a 10-pound baby. The scale doesn’t weigh your health.
But what’s even more discouraging than watching the scales go up at the doctor’s office every few weeks is watching them go up every morning in your own bathroom.
It’s like allowing an intruder into your home for 9 months and letting him whisper horrible nothings in your ear like…
Do you forget to sleep, bathe, eat, relax, etc.? NO MORE. This tracker will help you consistently live within your limits so you have more love to give to your family.
“You’re getting huge.”
“That’s not baby fat, that’s fat, baby!”
“You’ll never lose this.”
“I agree, you do look like a blue whale.”
“You won’t even squeeze in your maternity clothes soon.”
What's in this post...
I do not weigh myself during pregnancy & I don’t think you should either.
Here’s 5 reasons why you shouldn’t weigh yourself during pregnancy:
You can’t stop the uphill climb.
It doesn’t matter if you eat only kale chips, tofu, seasonal vegetables cooked lightly in extra virgin olive oil (hold the salt) and apples.
Did you know apples burn more calories to digest than they contain? Great pregnancy food! Eat 10 apples a day! It’s like dieting, really.
You are going to put on weight despite your best efforts.
Week after week. Month after month.
New Bras
after New Panties
after New Flip Flops
(since you’ll probably have to ditch normal shoes). What is the point of logging each pound of fat, fluid, or ounce of blood you amass and comparing it to the weight gain schedule in What to Expect when You’re Expecting? 
Read: When You Feel Like You’ll Be Pregnant Forever
It creates distress for those with body image issues.
If you don’t have weight or body images issues then good for you.
Oh, except even rawboned skinny supermodels get body fat when they’re pregnant. It’s a great leveler among women.
Neglecting your own physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional needs for so long―in an effort to be a selfless mother―leaves you depleted. Being well blesses your family! Learn WIN WIN strategies in my upcoming book!
Learn MoreRead:Â Pregnancy Fitness: Your Ultimate Resource Guide
If you tend to have body image issues, constantly weighing yourself is both unwise and emotionally unhealthy. It will only bring you stress.
Up five pounds in a week! I lost two pounds since yesterday!
It’s the nausea!
It’s the 354 bathroom breaks and the sriracha kale chips!
You can look at yourself in the mirror and tell by the fit of your Maternity Jeans
how much weight you are putting on. You don’t need to torture yourself daily to document it in your future newborn’s baby book.
If you’re doing all you can, you’ve done all you can do.
I try to eat mainly fruits, vegetables, and real food. I do pregnancy exercise videos. Goodness, I even stretch. Not obsessively and not every day, but regularly.
That, and I chase after my 5-year old, 4-year old, 2-year old, and 1-year old.
So you see, there’s little else I can do to prevent myself from gaining weight except to starve myself. Oh wait, even then I’d still gain weight because I’m growing a human being inside my uterus.
It’d still be like standing soaking wet on a scale holding a poodle.
I don’t suggest throwing caution to the wind and hogging out on bacon cheese fries, pepperoni pizza, and tubs of ice cream throughout your entire pregnancy.
I’ve already touched on the big fat lie people insist upon spreading that goes like, “Eat whatever you want, you’ll lose it after the birth.” My point isn’t to ignore health, but to not obsess over a number.
It doesn’t matter medically.
Excessive weight gain is a symptom of some dangerous pregnancy complications.
But those complications are never diagnosed based on your increasingly large fat stores. They are based on blood pressure, blood tests, urine tests, glucose tests, etc.
You will know if you’ve gained weight quickly, swollen beyond the normal amount in your ankles, legs, face and hands, or if you are having breathing issues or have heart palpitations.
If you feel there’s a problem or you’ve put on severe amounts of weight for no reason (oh, except for the fact that you’re pregnant) then by all means get it checked out.  Aside from that, why torture yourself?
It doesn’t define you.
You’re not more of a woman if you weigh less, or less of a woman if you weigh more.Â
I just made that up in my head.
It is so very true. I’m not talking about health or habits. I’m simply saying… you are more than your weight. Your after all, isn’t it?
Do not have constant “how much have you gained?” or “how long did it take you to lose the weight?” conversations. These only result will be comparison, contrast, and cravings for bacon double cheeseburgers with loaded nachos and a side of death-by-brownie to smother your sorrows.
You are a child of God, a woman, a mother, and a human being whose value is not determined by the size of your love handles, muffin tops, or cankles.
The value you bring to your family and community is not directly related to your clothing size. It doesn’t mean forego health or wise treatment of your body. It just means you should release yourself from constant self-criticism.
- pinpoint an issue
- draw out how it’s affecting you
- label what you don’t like about it
- determine areas of responsibility
- figure out how it’s showing up
- say what you’d rather happen
- brainstorm solutions
Pregnancy is a beautiful season.
It can seem interminable, difficult, and scary, but it’s miraculous and a great privilege. Don’t ruin it for yourself by obsessing over your weight gain. And I’m typing that for myself too, ladies.
I’d rather have 100 extra souvenir pounds than life without my babies.
I really agree with putting the scale away. I have never owned a scale since I left home at 18. So basically, I haven’t had a scale in my home in over 12 years! Hard to believe for some. I used to weigh myself at work in the hospital whenever I felt like it. Since I left my job I don’t think I’ve gotten on a scale. So we are going on 9+ months. During pregnancy, the only time I weighed in was at the MD office. You are right, it doesn’t really matter, and I think we obsess too much about it. I always try to encourage other moms not to worry about gaining too much weight during pregnancy so long as they are making good eating choices 80% of the time. I say this especially if you plan on breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is pretty much the golden ticket to losing the weight after the baby, in my opinion.
Totally agree! We have a scale because my husband uses it (to weigh our luggage, ha) but I’ve never stood on it. 80% is pretty much my amount, a good cheat day or two, and then really you have to let it go!!! Breastfeeding really kept the weight off postpartum for me too, but I think part of that is because I made healthy choices throughout pregnancy. Even so, best not to get too “involved” in the day to day of weight gain or it can become an obsession. I say that to myself first!!!
I have never experienced the breastfeeding weight loss thing, I gain weight actually, because in the exhaustion and stress of having a baby I self-medicate with chocolate chip cookies and frosted brownies and Halloween and Christmas and Easter candy… the scale is not a friend in these times, and neither is the mirror or the jeans. :)
;)
I agree, except for one thing… you miss out on such a fun thing after the birth! I love getting on that scale right before and right after… this last time I totally lost twenty pounds in less than a day! :-) Best diet ever, but I guess there was a lot of hard work in those 20 or so hours, too. probably more than a year’s worth of workouts, come to think of it… :-)
Hahaha. Oh you are too right I have robbed myself of such a satisfying weight loss moment. Ha. Thanks for the laugh Elisabeth :)
LOVE, love this!!!! I have had issues each pregnancy with so much weight gain (much of it swelling, water, but yes lots of extra fat too). Thanks for this encouragement!
Anyway, I’m visiting from “Inspired By Me Mondays”; was so nice to have you join us last week!! Please come & stop by this week with some more amazing posts!! http://www.parentingandhomeschoolinginfaith.com
Thank you, Rachael! I am a sweller as well!
(sorry, the comments box isn’t working for me but the reply field is). I have to respectfully disagree on this one, for me personally. My first pregnancy (private OB) I was weighed at every appointment and it helped keep me accountable to myself with food. I put on 13kg. My second pregnancy I went public and didn’t get weighed a single time. I put on 25kg! Waaaay too many sweet treats and doughnuts. LOL. I personally liked having my weight kept track of and I wish they’d done that in my second pregnancy.
Totally respect your opinion and think, if it is helpful to you, have at it. I was more coming from the angle of when it only gets you down and you are already doing all you can. Guarding your heart and all. And doughnuts are hard to say no to ;)
Ha! I love this, thank you!!! I gained exactly 50 lbs. with both pregnancies. It did come off a little easier the first time, I must say. But I was really careful the second time around. I really did try to eat healthy, but both times – it was exactly the same: 5 lbs in the first trimester, 35 lbs. in the second trimester ( and here the doctors and midwives would start screaming), then 10 lbs. in the last trimester. It was like my body had a system and it was going to gain weight when it wanted to. We’ll see what happens the third time around! :)
That is funny that your body did it like clockwork! Sometimes it’s easiest to just be wise and let the chips fall where they may workout obsessing, huh?
Amen and amen! Thank you for this Rachel! It’s great to hear other women having the same thoughts.
I felt like a bit of a ninny when I apologetically told my midwife I didn’t want to weigh myself during pregnancy…but she was totally great about it. I actually haven’t kept track of my weight since I was 19, when I was recovering from some eating issues in high school and trying to improve my outlook on my body. Since then I have (imperfectly) aimed for feeling healthy and looking healthy, and it has removed a lot of the guilt and obsessiveness I used to have about eating and exercise.
Stephanie AMEN AND AMEN back at you. I told a nurse the other day I haven’t weighed myself in over 5 years and I never plan to start. I say, “Do not say that number out loud” and they say “But you’re so thin” and I say, “THAT’S NOT THE POINT.” Thin is always relative and, if you’re worrying about it, you’re always comparing yourself to those who “beat you.” Keep on keeping on, Stephanie.
Thank you so much for posting this! This is my first pregnancy and I’m having a little bit of a difficult time adjusting to the need for maternity clothes and the cravings of things I don’t typically eat too much of. The “weigh in” at the OBGYN always leaves me feeling doomed! And everything you listed as “the horrible whispers” are all thoughts that I have had frequently. But im getting to the point where I am refusing to dwell in the lies of the enemy and choosing to focus on who God says I am and honoring Him by keeping this physical temple as healthy as possible. This post is surely a help! I appreciate you and your ministry! Now…I do think I will go and have that cupcake i’ve been thinking of all morning. Lol! I wont go crazy, I promise.
Tiffany, hahaha, you can treat yourself a cupcake :). But yes, it’s so important to silence the lies of the enemy and, personally, knowing my weight at all times is just an open door to more struggle.
This is very true, but I want to remind momma’s that if you are gestational diabetic or at risk for preclampsia or have high blood pressure or hypertension, you should be weighing yourself and getting your baby belly measured to get an accurate picture if the baby is growing as it should be.
I was gestational diabetic with the added complication of a stitched cervix with bilateral notching which brought my preclampsia risk to 60%…it was not an easy pregnancy and I got weighed every 2 weeks at the diabetic doctors’ office, measured and routine ultra sounds to ensure that my baby was growing and both mommy and baby are healthy- all while on bedrest so I’m the odd high risk case, but not all pregnancies are easy peasey; and if your doctor feels there is a justifiable need to weigh you, don’t argue and get weighed.
I think lbs are given too much importance but if that number helps along with other elements to give your baby and you the best chance, why not :)
So do put that scale away, but only do that if you are doing well with your diet and health :) That’s just my experience.
Lazina, you’re so so right. I don’t mean to diminish the importance of those tests and indicators, but if you’re very low risk and all tests are negative, weight can just mess up your mind! Thanks for sharing, you’re so right.
What a great article! My midwives forced me to weigh in every single appointment and then would spend the entire appointment going over nutrition with me because I gained “too much.” It got to the point that I would “diet” for my appointments and then binge eat on whatever I was craving when the appointment was over. It made for a really bad pregnancy experience. Next time around, I am ditching the scale (and these particular midwives) and just eating healthy.
That’s crazy! I swell like crazy too so my weight definitely won’t be an indicator of health. And my diabetes test is always negative and I don’t have high blood pressure so to me, knowing my weight would only make me obsess.
I’m 22 weeks pregnant (with my first! It’s a girl!). I’m an athlete, I love to workout, and I naturally make good food choices! Yes I eat dessert and pizza (and love it!), but not every day! And when I do indulge, I make sure to add in an extra workout that week. No biggie, it’s always been about balance for me.
I have tried to keep up with working out pregnant…. still trying to make it to my favorite spin class once a week, jog a bit, walk on an incline… push-ups, lunges, squats….. definitely a modified version of my work outs, but still doing my best! I have also been LOVING fruits and veggies!
Last night at the gym I made the mistake of weighing myself. I absolutely fell apart. In 22 weeks I have gained almost 16 lbs. Some stupid online pregnancy weight calculator said that’s 2 lbs over the high end of where I should be. Where I should be? What does this mean? This is my first baby! I had a total pity party, and then felt even WORSE because I’m carrying our first baby, our daughter! And I’m allowing a scale to make me cry about that?
I stumbled across this today and it did make me feel better. I need to embrace my pregnancy…. and every lb that comes with it. I get to carry around our little girl until August. Screw you scale, you don’t get to do that, and shame on you for making me feel like crap!
YES, GIRL. Exactly! The scale lies and is mean. Ha. Plus you have extra blood, weight, an actual baby inside as well. That isn’t 16 pounds of fat. I mean really. Go on girl, I am sure you look great and even if you do pack on a few pounds, if you are eating well and exercising you WILL bounce back. We ignore you, scale. You are not our friend!
Gah! I am obese, not gonna lie there. I HATE getting weighed, I have hated it since I was 8 years old (Ha, I’ve been depressed for a long time!) and ate away my pain. I am now 20 weeks pregnant and I always request NOT to see my weight, that I DO NOT want to know when they make me get on the scale… I literally get on the scale with my back facing those awful numbers. I walk at least 2 miles a day and I try to make good food choices. All of the midwives respect my decision to not know my weight, however, when I went in for my glucose test, a doctor tell me I lost 8 lbs and that set me in to panic mode. ‘Am I not eating enough for my baby?!’ ‘Is she starving?!’ ‘Why aren’t the doctors telling me what to do?’ ‘Oh my! I’m I going to lose her?’ I already have so worry about so much, I don’t need the added stress of my weight to go along with it, I already overthink everything. The scale is of the devil and I banish thee. Thank you for posting this! I needed to hear this!
Banish the scale, girl! And exercise and eating right is the best thing we can do so you are already doing it!
I gained over 70lbs with my first two, didn’t weigh myself with the third and don’t plan to this time around. Haven’t owned a scale in about 8 years. Weight and health may have a correlation but one does not control the other. My husband is super healthy and, accodding to bmi charts, overweight. I am (when not pregnant) struggling with health issues and am on the low end of healthy. I tell everyine I know to stop focusing on the scale and numbers and start focusing on healthy choices and lifestyle.
Totally agree!
I’m 24 weeks pregnant and so upset about my weight… thanks for writing this.
I never look when the nurses insist on weighing me at each appointment, and I make sure they know not to tell me! But my reasons are different than what you have here. My mom had 6 kids, and she can’t remember how much any of us weighed when we were born. But she absolutely remembers and focuses on how much weight she gained with each one! I grew up in a house with her constantly stressing about dieting and losing weight, and it took a lot of years of hard work for me as an adult to get over my body image issues because of that. I’m 36 weeks with baby #4 right now, and I can proudly say I have no idea how much weight I’ve gained with any kid, and that I know how much they weighed at birth :)
I’m 22 weeks today, I’ve gained 33 pounds. I was 123 before pregnancy (I don’t weigh myself so I only know this because I had an appointment the month before I got pregnant) and I’m 5’2″. Is 33 pounds more than I wanted to gain? Yes! But, this is my first child. I stopped smoking cold turkey the second I found out I was pregnant, I went from eating one meal a day to forcing myself to eat three meals a day even when I wasn’t hungry because I thought that’s what I was supposed to do for the health of my growing baby!
My doctor wasn’t concerned about my weight gain last month because everything else is perfect. My BP is always great. I do the GD test next month (praying its negative) but my OB Nurse today made the comment “Well that’s just more to lose after your pregnancy.” Really? Maybe I don’t want to lose it. The nurse made me feel really bad about myself when I’m already at the height of self-consciousness about my weight gain!! I feel like unless there’s a health concern to me or my baby she shouldn’t have mentioned my weight gain. Obviously, I’m aware that the more I gain during my pregnancy the more I’ll have to lose (if I so chose) after my pregnancy.
Thank you Rachel for writing this. You made me feel so much better!!
I’m 23 weeks pregnant up over 20 lbs and it’s causing major anxiety. I gained 28 with my first and 34 with my second and lost it both times. But this pregnancy I’m a bottomless pit (probably partially due to the fact that I’m still nursing) and the anxiety has driven me to weigh daily. I’ve struggled with eating disorders and I know the scale is the worst thing for me. I’m just so terrified, and I know it’s ridiculous. So thanks for this. I’m definitely thinking it’s time to toss my scale. Thankfully my midwife does not weigh.
Thank you for posting this, I really needed to read this! I was severely underweight when I found out I was pregnant so was consistently told to gain weight and eat more but now that I’m in the third trimester (at 33 weeks now) I have rapidly started to gain weight and have now gained 35 kilos through out my pregnancy and am being told the opposite that I’ve now gained too much weight and my bump is too large! I have struggled with body issues my whole life so this constant focus on my weight every appointment has been devastating and completely ruined my experience of my first pregnancy! All my tests always come back super healthy and am a low risk pregnancy so next time I will be taking this on and asking the doctors and midwife’s not to share that tragic number with me! I hope my next pregnancy is not so revolved around my weight and a number on the scales!
I NEVER LET THEM. I mean flip. If you’re moving, eating well, and it’s happening it’s happening. What does you weighing and them shaming you hep?