How much does your diet affect the size of the baby?

[Curly]

I'm pregnant with Number 3. DS was 3.83kgs, DD was 4.27kgs.

OB has warned me that babies tend to get bigger with each subsequent pregnancy and that I might want to make sure I reach for the carrot sticks rather than the cake during this pregnancy. She said it in a nice way, not having a shot at me at all - from a self preservation perspective I guess!

I ate pretty well with both DS and DD, sure I put away some chocolate but on the whole I was pretty good. And DH is a big guy, rugby player type of build...I'm sure there's a genetic factor going on a bit here.

So...how much does what you eat affect the baby's size? Anyone know? I'm not too worried, I just think DH and I make babies that are on the large side, but at the same time, if I had to choose, I'd pick an 8 pounder over a 10 pounder, if you know what mean....?

[Fruit Tingles]

No, I wouldn't believe that if I were told that. I ate a lot of junk when I was pregnant with DD, and she was 2.8 kilos!
The baby is as big as it is according to its genetics etc, nothing to do with diet.

[Lily Dust]

Different side of the coin here, I had hyperemisis during my pregnancy, lost 10kgs and the day DD was born was still lighter than when I fell pregnant! She weighed 3.44kg or 7lb 9oz. Wishing you all the best.

[Visitor7]

I once read that milk can make babies grow bigger (when in the womb). I craved milk when pg with DD2 and she was born at 39+6 days at 3.65kg. So who knows? DD1 was born at 37+6 days and she was only 2.98kg.

[Unimum]

I remember reading somewhere that the mums diet can effect the size of the baby. It was a newspaper article I think, it was after this massive baby boy was born in Europe somewhere..... He was like 9kg or something crazy and he looked like a 1 year old.

The mother had only eaten carbs and meat during the pregnancy, she herself was huge and the doctors were concerned about how much fat to muscel ratio this baby had been born with.

ANYWAY, so I think it can in extreeme cases. I've heard its down to genetics too, I was a big bubs and so were all my husbands family but my daughter was 7 pound. So our's doesn't really add up to genetics

I can't imagine it being anything else but diet that would effect the size of the child, but honestly I am only going by the fact that what goes in has to go somewhere... I've often wondered if tall people have long babies???

Someone should do a study on this!!! I would be interested!

[Lolli]

I ate nothing but cr*p with both my pg and both mine were 2500 grams. but I'm pretty tiny, so

[Indadhanu]

Honestly, I don't personally think it makes a huge difference. I always thought you're more likely put the weight on, than passing it on to your baby (if that makes sense?). That your body 'distributes' the energy, and any 'excess' goes to you? (Obviously its probably more technically stuff to it than that, but thats basically what I always thought).

Of course, its best to have a good diet, but thats for the nutrient value more than the avoiding 'bad' foods thing... I doubt a balanced diet with the odd piece of chocolate or cake is going to make a 10lb baby!

Unimum, fro mmemory that mum had gestational diabetes, which increases the risk of larger babies, but doesn't have much to do with what she ate, more to do with how her body dealt with what she ate KWIM?

[Early Kids]

I dont think it makes much difference...

I hate lots of crap when pregnant with Brendan, I craved sweets and oily foods and stacked on 20kg... and for his gestation (30+1 weeks) he was 1545 grams which is the 56 %ile.

With Tristan I had ate much better, more fruit and veg. He was born at 34+3 weeks and was 3090 grams... which is probably off the top of the chart for a 34 weeker....

So yeah I dont think so, sorry.

[helle]

I once read that milk can make babies grow bigger (when in the womb). I craved milk when pg with DD2 and she was born at 39+6 days at 3.65kg. So who knows? DD1 was born at 37+6 days and she was only 2.98kg.

Crap.. I craved milk too, and DH is 6'3"... what hope have I got!

[joey123]

I think it makes a difference. If you overeat, even if it's healthy, it's got to go somewhere, and it's not necessarily bad. Imagine if you practically starved yourself, of course your baby would be smaller, so I guess it's the same in reverse. I put on 17.7kg and my baby was 8 10 (3.9kg). I am normally 57-58kg (163cm tall) if that's any help.

[~Gee_Whizzy~]

Unimum, fro mmemory that mum had gestational diabetes, which increases the risk of larger babies, but doesn't have much to do with what she ate, more to do with how her body dealt with what she ate KWIM?

Yep she did Leash i remember that article really well!

[Trillian]

I put on the most weight and had the worst diet with my second bub and she was only 8lb8 and ate the least and ate reasonably better with my last baby who was the biggest (over 10lb) Of course eating as well as you can is always ideal, but what you eat doesn't directly affect bubs I don't think.

[Curly]

Thank you girls for your input. I have recently moved interstate so this is a new obstetrician who hasn't met my DH yet and is not really familiar with my previous pregnancies.

I wasn't too inclined to be concerned...I actually put on less weight with DD and yet she weighed a whole pound more than DS.

I don't think the OB was too concerned either really, like I said in my original post she wasn't implying I gorged myself, I'd say she was just suggesting that watching my diet might help me because she clearly expects another big bub.

Given that I'm actually a bit heavier to start off with this time around with this pregnancy, that's already motivation enough for me to make sure I don't eat too many pizzas and chocolate biscuits. Vanity...

[Trillian]

I think telling you to eat better is more for your sake and how you feel as opposed to being an issue for the baby. Babies will be as big as they are meant to be, otherwise all women who overeat during pg would have whoppers and all women who undereat would have small bubs wouldn't they?

[Curly]

No, no, the diet advice was in direct reference to the baby's size. And like I said, (and emphasised to her) I didn't gorge myself on rubbish the first two times either.

But yes, I do believe eating rubbish makes me feel like rubbish as well as look like rubbish, so I am generally fairly disciplined with my food intake and not overweight, just carrying around 6 extra pregnancy kgs from DD that I never lost before I got pregnant this time.

I was just poking fun at myself that vanity was more of a motivator for me to watch my diet than the prospect of a big baby!