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Kilos of pregnancy: future mothers more and more vigilant
Leslie is more of a bon vivant. Those who never resist for long in front of a cold meats board or a good glass of wine. She is one of those women who eat whatever they want without putting on weight. However, this sweet tooth went on a diet during her last pregnancy. The fault of a gynecologist not really delicate. ” On my 3rd month visit, my doctor said “Ah but ma’am, it’s not going at all. Be careful. Three kilos in a month is too much, I’m not for this kind of pregnancy””, She recalls. Stunned, the young mother, who usually did not forbid herself anything, was then very careful until the birth. Result: 8,5 kg on the clock, immediately lost again, of course …
Kilos of pregnancy: the guilty speech of some doctors
This unwarranted speech directed at Leslie is far from an exception. Pregnant women are now being asked to control their weight more and more. They must respect a very balanced diet, not to gain more than a certain number of kilos. We shake the specter of gestational diabetes and we warn about the risks for the baby, in case of too much weight gain. In short, far from being reassuring, the surrounding discourse is rather guilty. ” Doctors are very strict, it’s a reality », Notes Laurence Haurat, psychologist-nutritionist. ” You have to be armed to get past it and do as you really feel. And this pressure, which weighs on future mothers, is amplified by society in general. In the media, on social networks, celebrities, on the front line, advocate this cult of thinness, including during pregnancy, by displaying an extremely slim figure until childbirth and regaining their figure in a few weeks.
Kilos of pregnancy: the weight of words …
This is to say how far gone are the days when we said that pregnant, you had to eat for two. The recommendations hardened: today, we advise to take between 9 and 12 kg for a pregnancy. No matter your history, your background, your nature, you have to get into that damn weight gain range, otherwise you will be reprimanded by the gynecologist. The problem is that this moralizing discourse can get very scary: « The doctor’s words during pregnancy, a time when women are particularly fragile, are extremely meaningful », continues Laurence Haurat. Pregnant, our sensitivity is heightened. Being told that you are endangering your health or that of your child because you have abused ice cream is obviously not without consequences. For those who have spent the majority of their life restricting themselves and who see pregnancy as the possibility of finally having fun, the doctor’s words can be particularly violent. And have the opposite effect …
Obstetrician-gynecologist Véronique Cayol recognizes that some of her colleagues go too far. ” I don’t really hunt for pounds, because indeed I don’t want to make mothers feel guilty “, She assures. « It is not normal to restrict yourself when you are expecting a baby. » However, she receives more and more patients who are very anxious at the idea of putting on weight. ” A future mother who is afraid to weigh herself or who is obsessed with her weight, that also makes me wonder. Because it may be a woman who has pre-existing psychological difficulties. And in this case, it is better to solve the problems before the child is born. She adds.
A serene pregnancy
Not all doctors therefore advocate for their patients to gain as little weight as possible. And the future mother is still free to change gynecologist, if hers is too guilty. How to remain ultimately serene in this period of major upheavals? First of all, tell yourself that there is no rule. ” Weight gain is not linear. We can very well stick to a balanced diet and take more than we had imagined. Likewise, having nausea for the first three months does not always prevent you from putting on weight. », Observes Laurence Haurat. In summary, there is no such thing as “normal” weight gain. Each woman reacts differently and ” must get used to the idea that the best person to know what is good for her and for her baby is her », Concludes the psychologist-nutritionist.
Laurence Haurat has published “Ex-fan of regimes” at Editions de la Martinière, with Annabelle Demouron.
She is also the author of the “Family Cook Book”, Béaba.