What Does Weight Loss During Last Trimester Of Pregnancy Indicate?

Posted on Tue, 25 Aug 2015

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 25 Aug 2015 Answered on

Tue, 15 Sep 2015 Last reviewed on

Question : My girl is due Sept1 1. No contractions yet... they have scheduled to induce 93, if not labor before. question.. she also has gained very little weight in the pregnancy... 12 pounds total... and, in last 10 days, since her last visit...she lost 10 pounds? is that normal? assuming baby is growing, where does that come from? how can she lose weight here at the end?

Answered by Dr. Jacqueline Brown (53 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Weight loss of 10 lbs is unusual, but if the baby gains weight it's OK

Detailed Answer:
Hello, and I hope I can help you today. I have reviewed your previous questions from earlier in the pregnancy. It seems like your girlfriend's weight gain has been low for a long time, but as long as the ultrasounds show the baby growing there are no problems with that, especially if she herself is overweight to start. There are tests that usually are done along with the ultrasounds, such as doppler studies, and a biopysical profile which monitors the baby's activity level. I am positive if you are receiving prenatal care in the US these tests are being done with her prenatal care providers, especially because she is 47 years old and had IVF. It is unusual to lose that much weight in a short time, but there can be error on the scale or if she wore heavier clothes to her last appointment that too can mean that amount of weight loss is inaccurate.

The plan to induce her a week before the baby is due is probably because of her age and poor weight gain. Doctors generally recommend induction at 39 weeks because the baby is all grown up by then and is safer outside the womb.

In the meantime, I would encourage your wife to eat a well-balanced diet drink lots of fluids and rest often on her left side- which increases blood flow to the uterus.

I hope I adequately answered your question and that my advice was helpful. Please feel free to contact me if you need further clarification or have more questions.

Best of luck to both of you with the delivery!

Take care, Dr. Brown

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Jacqueline Brown (1 hour later)

thank u and I made a typo... she only lost 2 pounds,...but she was in good shape prior to pregnancy However,, some the IVF process did have her gain 10 lbs prior to this pregnancy. could that be what she is losing?

Answered by Dr. Jacqueline Brown (8 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
It is unlikely that the weight loss now is from IVF

Detailed Answer:
It is true that many women gain weight from the hormones used for IVF but hormone levels from the pregnancy are much higher so I doubt that is the issue.

If your girlfriend ate a big meal before being weighed at her previous visit and ate less this time, or wore different clothes, that alone can account for a two pound weight difference.

So I would not be concerned about the weight loss, again, if the baby is being monitored and it is Ok, that is the most important factor at this point.

Best wishes, Dr. Brown

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Jacqueline Brown (12 hours later)

thank u Dr, after the baby is born, when is it ok to have sex? if XXXXXXX birth>? and if C section>?

Answered by Dr. Jacqueline Brown (3 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
The woman needs 6-8 weeks to heal from childbirth

Detailed Answer:
Hello again-

After either type of birth we recommend 6-8 weeks after delivery for the vagina and uterus to heal regardless of the type of delivery. Sex earlier is a risk for infection because the uterus takes time to close again after child birth.

Best wishes, Dr. Brown

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vinay Bhardwaj