I’m Eating Too Much (And That’s Okay)

I really like my OB.

He’s very detailed-oriented and cautious, just like I am, and he’s pretty good at dealing with my high-anxiety personality.

At my appointment yesterday, I asked him if I need to make any dietary changes since I’m stuck in bed all day.

He looked at my charts, and said, “Well, at this point you’ve gained — can I say it out loud?”

I nodded.

“Well, at this point you’ve gained [x-amount], and that is a little ahead of schedule. That’s to be expected, though, since you’ve been on bed rest for several weeks, but you could look at reducing your caloric intake a little bit.”

He continued, “Really, though, you’re this mask of strength every time I see you. But this is a really hard time, and some women in this situation turn to eating as a way of comforting themselves. I’m not going to take that away from you.”

Wow. Now normally I am all for healthy nutrition and discouraging obesity and all that, but my OB’s statement was pretty much exactly what I needed to hear. His words reminded me that our goal here is a healthy baby and healthy mommy — physically and emotionally — and if my biggest worry at the end of this journey is a few extra pounds to shed, that’s a cause for celebration.

I really needed to hear that perspective. I avoided exercise throughout the crazy heat of the summer, thinking Ian and I would take walks this fall. Even before bed rest I was on track to gain a lot more weight with this baby than I did with Ian, and since I’ve been confined to bed I’ve been worrying about losing all my muscle mass and gaining tons of weight. I appreciated the reminder of why I am doing this in the first place.

I am trying to manage my nutrition a little bit better, remembering that I don’t have to finish every meal someone brings me and occasionally declining a sweet snack. But yes, it is nice to know that a small amount of emotional eating — in this particular case — is doctor-approved.