Needing to Gain Weight

i would normally be the last one to say "take a pill", BUT i had a similar problem when i was first at home with my son - not that i worried about gaining weight mind you, but i was so stressed out about taking care of my son, every time he cried or i thought about eating, i got nauseus. not exactly the same, but after a few days of eating NOTHING, i call the dr. and she did give me a scrip (she called it into the pharmacy so i didn't have to go to her office) to bring my appetite back. worth a shot?? good luck and congrats!

What about scheduling a time for you to eat something healthy yes, but also maybe high in the protein or carbs, since we schedule everything else, this could be one way for you to make it important in the day and not forget.
Also when you pack the diaper bag for an outing or errands, the same way you would pack snack in there for the kids, get some snack bars or something for you and put it in the bag as well, right next to her milk.
I haven't had this problem, mine runds more along the opposite, but these are tirck I hope would help on both sides, it just depends on what you put in there. I hope it helps.

I had the same thing! I came home at my pre-pregnancy weight and then lost 15 on top of it. I had bloodwork done and everything came back fine so they weren't too worried. I was on the smaller side then 114lbs and I'm 5'8". Too bad that didn't happen after my second. Haha! Just make sure you're getting protein (even if it's a microwaved hotdog) so you can keep up your energy to take care of the little one. You'll get the hang of it and unfortunately, you're appetite will come back! ;) (I technically gained 15 my first pregancy- lost 15 then gained it back (so now at my original pre-preg weight) and then 15 more and they weren't worried!)

It's actually normal to drop some weight after coming home from the hospital (at least in my experience), but I agree that 6 lbs. in a week is too much, too fast, especially since you didn't gain much in the first place.
You might try eating whenever you feed your daughter--just a little "snack-sized" meal at each feeding, like a handful of nuts, a few cheese cubes, those little 100-calorie snack packs, or whatever. This way, your blood sugar is more stable, which means you're less likely to feel nauseated after eating, and you're getting more calories throughout the day. It's easier to remember to feed yourself if you connect that idea to feeding your daughter, too.
If you can't do that for some reason, or still forget, try putting out bowls of snacks within sight and easy reach, and grab one as you're walking by.
If you're already drinking plenty of water, replace a few glasses with whole milk and fruit or vegetable juice during the day (if you aren't getting enough to drink, then sip something with your snacks).
Are you still taking your vitamins? If you can keep them down (try taking them before bed or with a meal), it is a good idea so that you are at least getting the vitamins and minerals you need.
Carbohydrates are good for gaining weight, but be careful that you don't sacrifice nutrition for calories, or you could end up replacing one problem with a whole 'nother set of problems. ;-)
If you can get someone to help you with the baby sometimes (a mom, sister, friend...), then you can take a little time to cook something that's appealing to you. If friends are willing to bring a meal to share when they come to see the baby ("Hey, could you grab a pizza on your way over and we can split the cost?"), then you might be more likely to eat.
Above all, sleep when she sleeps if at all possible. It's hard to remember to eat--or do anything--if you're completely exhausted! The housework can wait. ;-)
Good luck and congrats on the new addition to the family!
--A.

You might try Carnation Instant Breakfast. I don't know that it will fatten you up, but it will provide nutrition. It comes in many different flavors. It's quick and easy to make. Before my elderly mother passed, she basically stopped eating all solid foods. I swear the CIB kept her alive for at least 6 months. It was the only form of nutrition I could get in her other than ice cream. (And I occasionally put it in her icecream, also). Another little trick I learned was to keep a few boiled eggs in the fridge. Eggs are a great source of protein. Again, I don't know that it will fatten you up, but it will provide you with nutrition and the energy to keep going. Boiled eggs also travel well and they're not too difficult or messy to eat while traveling (of course it helps if you peel the egg before you leave). Finally, V-8 Fusion. Being a new Mom, I just didn't have time to always prepare the healthy meals I should have. One 8 ounce glass of V-8 Fusion contains a full serving of fruit and a full serving of vegetables. It tastes great (I love fruit) and again, it provides nutrition.
Hope you find some of these ideas helpful.

A.,
I don't know what food specifically to suggest for gaining weight but I would recommend things to REMEMBER to eat. To make sure you are drinking enough, prepare single servings of water & juice to keep in the fridge so you can grab & go. Also prepare yourself or have your husband prepare snack portions of HEALTHY food. Like turkey sandwiches packaged in halves of quarters. Cut up &/or washed fruit & veggies. Peanut butter sandwiches, avacado sandwiches, cheese cubes, fruit juice, cranberry juice mixed with OJ. You get the picture. Just eat a small snack every hour or so but don't got 2-3 hours w/o eating something. It might give you some energy to feel hungry. Oh, another thing to consider.... have you been feeling negative, or down or even a little depressed? A lot of people w/postpardum depression didn't know they had it until is subsided. I'm just suggesting something else to consider. Your poor body is going through enough, it can't help to have a stomach issue on top of that. So again, I am not sure what food to suggestto specifically gain weight, but only to space out some nutritious foods so your stonach is not stuffed w/high calorie items at one time. Good for you for taking care of yourself. A lot of mommys forget to take care of themselves. Oh, congratulations on your beautiful bundle of joy!

One way you might try getting some extra calories, is to add carnation instant breakfast to your milk everyday... it has extra vitamins for you and tastes good too!

Hope this helps! Good luck!

Needing to gain weight well for me being pregnant my 3rd time I haven't gain much so for me I plan to bulk up on Avocado's they are high in the good fat you can make a quick and easy dip or wash them and slice them shake a lil salt and enjoy.I was told to eat alot of protein as well from peanutbutter eggs meat etc but that makes me sick so I tried chocolate milk and it works to get my dairy in to.

You will gain weight by eating calorie dense healthy foods. There is no magic potion. You may like smoothies, make your own bars with things you like. But you do need to eat.
I'm curious if you're breast feeding because that requires more calorie intake as well. If you and your daughter want to remain healthy and happy as a lark, you are going to have to take the time to eat.

Your husband needs to help with this. Have him look after the baby while you eat, you and he should eat together. If you have other family or friends that could help, ask them. Perhaps they could do some of the cooking or watch the baby for awhile.

It has only been a week, so things will settle down, but in the meantime, take the time and eat.

If your are tring to put on weight, protein is not going to do it for you. The body uses what protein it needs and then gets rid of the rest. That is one reason why the protein diets are so popular to LOOSE weight. What you need is more fats and carbs. That doesn't mean you should eat junk food but there are simple things that you can do to add fats and carbs to all the things you normally eat. Drink whole milk instead of skim! Add butter to veggies. Put cream cheese on a bagel (fast and yummy). Eat lots of pasta. You didn't say what stomach issues you have. Depending on the problem, some ideas might not be a good thing for you. Ask the doctor that has treated your stomach condition what they think. Most importantly, EAT!!!! DO NOT skip meals! I know that it is so easy to forget about yourself when you are taking care of a newborn but for you and the baby, you HAVE TO take care of yourself first. Put yourself on a schedule and set an alarm clock for meal times if you have to go that far. Stock your frig with things that you can warm up quick and easy so you don't have to take a lot of time to cook each meal. I found a new respect for leftovers with my first one. It will get easier as the baby gets bigger to just eat when she does but in the mean time, make yourself eat at least three meals a day. If it is easier, eat something small when she eats and then have a bigger meal with your hubby every night. Do whatever works. If you are nursing, there is a good chance that it will be harder to keep weight on in general even without any extra problems.

I had to buy a lot of quick frozen meals by Banquet. I was just too busy for a while, but even eating those is healthier than eating nothing. They only take a couple minutes in the microwave.

While it's not as "healthy" as your other suggestions I do know of a way to put on weight quickly. Eat late at night. Most of what you eat after 9:00 p.m. will get turned into fat thus helping pack on the pounds. So if you've forgotten to eat all day have a big meal right before you go to bed. Good luck to you.

easy and quick for you in your new busy schedule would be a protein drink like boost, ensure, carnation...but they don't taste great...so I added them to ice cream and made a shake...have some healthy snack ready to eat...like set bowls of nuts out so when you walk by you can just grab a handful...or in the frig clean some bite size fruit and veggies up and place them in a open bowl...so when you stick you head in there you can just grab them...I do that alot with grapes & strawberries...breakfast bars are good to have...they are small and quick...I keep those in my purse and when I was driving somewhere I had a moment to eat...bags of crackers and cereal work also...Good Luck

I remember being so busy with the baby & nursing that it seemed like there was no time to eat! I always had lots of HEALTHY snack foods like baby carrots, PB, nuts/seeds, organic cheese, cut up fruit/vegs, etc. When someone asks what they can do to help, tell them to cut & wash your produce. :)
I agree with the person who suggested Shaklee's meal shakes. No offense, but do not waste your money on sugary/ artificial things like carnation/ovaltine. These do not promote health, even though some doctors recommend them (I won't go in to that!).
J. Grimm

Ok, are you breast feeding? Since youre taking medication, it will be transmitted to your baby through breast milk. If you are I would consult a doctor about this. In response to your question though, GNC stores have a powder thats called weight gainer. It has a lot of protein in it and you can just add it to milk or to a smoothie or something. I would really suggest this for your problem. And since you have a wonderful and supportive husband, if he's home just have him take care of things while you eat. Your health is just as important as your child's health!! Even if he's not home, grab a protein bar or carrot or something while youre running around the house. Anything helps. Just remember to take care of yourself, your child depends on a healthy mama!!! Good luck!

I have the same problem when I'm under stress - just forget to eat, or I can't eat because I just don't feel like it, don't have an appetite. This is where your husband can help you. When he is home, before and after work, ask him to take care of the baby for 15 or 20 minutes and give you time to focus on eating. If you're like me, when your mind is swirling with responsibilities, you don't even think to care of yourself. If just twice a day, he spends quality daddy time with the baby while you take in some nourishment, relaxed and undisturbed (they can be with you, but he's in charge of dealing with the baby) then that should help. And when he's at work, find a time during the day, such as during one of the baby's naps, that you schedule to sit down and eat - and don't feel guilty about it. You have to feed yourself in order to take care of your baby and be a good mommy. Oh, and I like the idea another person said about late night snacks. When baby is tucked in for the night, make sure you enjoy some goodies before going to bed.

I know how the routine gets of forgetting to eat because you are so busy iwth your kid. Definately drink ensure...they actually don't taste bad. I recommend the the chocolate. This will keep your nutrition and calories up when you are forgetting and don't have time to prepare food.

Although Im not sure it would make you put on weight, extra-virgin olive oil with whole grain bread for dipping is a great source of the healthy fat that most people don't get enough of. Avocado's are also a great source of the healthy fat. You can slice them on salads or make quacamole with them (you can leave out the spicy ingredients if you are breast feeding).

I eat olive oil all the time and have not noticed a weight gain from it, but it is an essential fat that your body needs anyway and it couldn't hurt in your situation.

Best wishes!

Get a good vitamin suppliment with vitamin "B" in it. (That'll make you hungry) and drink milk with "Ovaltine" added to it. It has extra vitamins and good stuff in it and it tastes sinfully good ! LOL ! It is what moms used to give their kids when I was young to help us put on weight and get a few extra vitamins into us. Kids didn't used to have the sedentary lifestyle that todays children often have. We played hard, worked hard, and getting weight on to a child was a much more common problem than getting weight off of a child.
Also, when you get a few minutes, cut up some fruits and/or veggies and put them in small bowls. (Just enough for the day) Make up some small bowls or plates of whole grain crackers and cheese bites, or crackers or apple slices and peanut butter, or popcorn, or other healthy snacks you like. Put these in places where you normally sit or work during the day. Because these are easy to grab and pop a bite into your mouth no matter what else you may be doing, you can "graze" on them all day.

I am a home economist and realize there are a lot of protein drinks that taste awful!. But they are so healthy and will cause weight gain if you get the right ones. I recommend Shaklee Meal Shake in French Vanilla or Bavarian Cocoa. They are so delicious, you think they came from the ice cream store. In fact, you can add ice cream to them for more calories, which will help you weight gain. You are lucky to be able to eat high calorie foods. Eat dark chocolate and make others envy. Five small meals a day so your stomach is not stressed is advised. Eat healthy and your weight will get better. The best Multi is necessary. If you want to talk, my number if ###-###-####. Another Shaklee product, Pepermint-Ginger is great for the stomach. Happy pounds, Liz

Hi A.,

my first daughter is A. too:)
One thing that I did when I had her, was that every time I had to nurse her, I would get something to drink for me, milk, yogurt, smoothie, etc
I did this not because I wanted to gain weight, but since I am on the light side and was breastfeeding, I wanted to have the energy and nutrients for her. And in my case, I used to get so thirsty when nursing that I needed something handy.
You can do the same so you don't forget to eat, you can take a snack (healthy) or drink with you every time your baby eats.
So you both get the nutrients and you are not left taking care of the baby and forgeting about you.
If your stomach is OK with milk I woudl suggest to go ahead and have milk, cheese, smoothies and yogurt first, also grab a bar or crackers, even cookies or brownies (look for whole grain or organic if possible, unless you can amke them from scratch) chocolate milk is a great source to promote healing of your tired muscles!
Ice cream or frozen yogurt, baked chips, pita bread with ham and cheese, yum!
Anythign you can grab and get ready fast but on the healthy side. Don't forget about the iron, chicken or beef in a sandwich is a fast healthy way to incorporate that too.
And drink plenty of liquids if nursing, it is a great way to remember yourself at the same time you remember to feed your baby.
Have a tray handy with the stuff you like or to toss some of it fast and grab to go when your baby needs feeding.
Hope it helps!
Congratulations:)