Guy's Pregnant GF Asks Him To Gain Weight During Her Pregnancy, And The Internet Has Feelings

It's not an unheard of request, but it definitely tugs at some insecurities. Pregnancy is a difficult time and it's very nice to have support and company while you're going through the worst of it.
u/GlutenFreejk laid out the problem:
My girlfriend asked me to gain weight with her while she’s pregnant and I am not sure what to do
Just last week my girlfriend found out that she's pregnant. We are both gym rats and run and lift a lot but her question to me was startling. She asked me that while she's pregnant to get fat with her. I really don't want to lose my body but I am just so unsure about this. Anyone got tips?
Here was some of the advice he got.
One
She's insecure about her weight. Focus on her, compliment her new curves, do something that shows you still care about her regardless of her temporary appearance.
Weight is a dangerous thing to play with.
Two
For a lot of couples the dad gains weight with his pregnant woman by accident anyway, but encouraging it is really a bad idea especially looking at the lack of time and stress a baby brings. Losing weight will drop down the priority list and thats even more stupid if the weight was gained on purpose and completely unnecessary.
If a woman is already doing a lot of sports, she can also keep it up til shortly before birth. Ofc, she should check in with her doctor on what is cool and what isn't, but other than that, she's good to go. And if she is on a healthy diet anyway she has the healthy habits needed to not gain much weight during pregnancy.
Three
She won't gain fat. She will gain baby (plus placenta and fluid)! I gained a total of 10kg while pregnant. To be fair I delivered early at 35 weeks. By the time I left the hospital I was wearing pre-pregnancy jeans and was only 2.5kg heavier than before I fell pregnant.
My suggestion would to be help her maintain her healthy lifestyle by eating correctly and to continue exercising (obviously some things will have to altered) and she shouldn't gain too much other than baby weight.
Four
Pregnancy weight gain isn't "getting fat", it's a combination of the baby's own weight (remember it'll be 6-9 lbs at birth), and her body building an entire life support system to supply the growing baby with everything they need. If she doesn't gain that weight, the baby won't be healthy. It's not fat, it's building an entire new human being out of your body.
Has your gf started seeing an OB/GYN yet? Suggest she talk with them about the weight gain, how to do so in a healthy manner, and how to exercise safely during pregnancy. If she's comfortable, go with her to at least one appointment so you can learn about it too.
Five
Short answer: do not fall for this. Don't gain this 'sympathy' weight. Stick to your health.
Otherwise I imagine 2 scenarios: 1) your gf will resent you for being healthy while she's being unhealthy (She'll hate on you for looking great while she 'has' to look bad) or 2) she'll resent you for the weight gain you both agreed to (sounds irrational but I swear that sounds like a real possibility with someone who's just asked you to give up your health like this), meaning you'll have both given up your health for a bunch of meaningless arguing about how you 'let' her get fat, or helped encourage it. Then you'll resent her. Cue endless cycle.
Long answer: There's a lot of dated and conflicting info out there about women working out while pregnant but one thing is for sure: if you've already been active, there's no reason to give up on being active, save for some necessary modification. And for those who were never active, this is prime time to just start walking every day.
I am nearly 37 weeks pregnant and did not give up on being active; so, I did not 'get fat.' I gained exactly the recommended amount of weight (will be around 24lbs at birth), gained muscle tone, and I religiously meal prep with a macronutrient profile that works for me so that I know I'm getting more calories but not an excessive amount. I track everything in a TDEE spreadsheet. My body looks better now than it ever has and I believe this is due to being the most active I've been in my entire life plus figuring out macros and all that - gaining weight healthfully is JUST as hard as it is to lose weight healthfully.
I committed to all this because pregnancy has gotten such a weird reputation for being this glorious time in a woman's life where she's free to indulge in everything sans consequence and I wanted to prove otherwise. Pregnancy is the one time during which we (women AND their partners) should truly get their health into a good place.
As a result, my only nagging symptom has been fatigue. That's it. I feel pretty normal otherwise. Sure, it sucks to have extra weight on me but I'm not moody, my sleep is great, and I can run stairs with my SO, who's also active. I haven't swelled up anywhere and I don't have any complications. My care provider agrees this is all due to a healthy lifestyle.
I say all this because if your girlfriend is preparing herself for 9 months of JUST fat gain, she's going to be in for a world of hurt - any and all her symptoms will probably be exacerbated, physically AND emotionally. She might end up with some gestational diabetes or other unfortunate complications. It's just not worth it to 'help' her give up on her health right now just to protect her from feeling 'big.'
Six
I would say to sit her down and, very gently, tell her what you want. It's probably not a good idea to bulk/ gain weight, as you like your body. And maybe offer the solution of working out with her at home, if she isn't comfortable in a gym. Make sure to reassure her that she's beautiful and doesn't the age to worry about her body image becoming unattractive because she's pregnant. I feel like it's an insecurity that's giving her anxiety, and she would feel more comfortable if her partner looked 'fatter' like she thinks she will.
Seven
You should not gain your weight as it is unnecessary and she should understand this. Since she is pregnant she needs to do what is best for the pregnancy and later she can lose her weight. Talk to her when she is in the good mood and tell her how you feel. Why she wants you to gain weight? You should ask her reasons behind this so you can make her secure and calm about the situation.
Eight
Not just your body shape, it's also building poor eating habits and likely losing some exercise habits. As someone who was athletic, only to end up 100 pounds heavier because I stopped having a proper diet and exercise (mostly due to hormones), I can honestly say it is really hard to undo what has been done. Not only initially gaining weight I have found makes it much harder to keep it off, and easier to put that weight back on far faster after losing it.
Your girlfriend is definitely feeling insecure about losing her body as well, and may feel as though she is sacrificing her body and wants you to sacrifice something as well. Perhaps you can do research on healthy diets for pregnancies, as well as safe exercises to do with her throughout all stages of her pregnancy. If you show her a solid plan of what you would like to do to help keep her and the baby healthy going forward, maybe even schedule parenting classes or some kind of activity together, it will help her feel more at ease. I suggest doing these things with her to show that you're actively engaging in the pregnancy, and with her.
Nine
So according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, healthy weight gain during pregnancy is made up of:
1.5 pounds: the placenta
7 pounds: maternal stores of fat, protein, and other nutrients
7.5 pounds: your average full-term baby
2 pounds: breast tissue
4 pounds: increased fluid volume
4 pounds: increased blood volume
2 pounds: the uterus
2 pounds: amniotic fluid
Total = 30 pounds
I've never been pregnant but all my friends who have gained minimal/healthy amounts of weight during pregnancy complained about being fat. In reality they were all bump and still had slim arms and legs, but I'm sure that's a huge shock to normally look down and see your toes, and then just see belly. Tell her you're not getting fat because she's not getting fat, she's growing a human. It sounds like she needs reassurance that you're still attracted to her while body is going through some major changes.
People Are Roasting Trump Over His Mind-Numbing Observation About The Wetness Of Water 😂
Donald Trump thanked the first responders who came to the aid of victims of Hurricane Florence. The storm devastated portions of North Carolina, dumping massive amounts of rain and damaging millions of dollars in property. Many natural areas were destroyed, some farmers lost everything and more than a few people have been left homeless. The first responders after this massive storm were literal life savers, and Trump was absolutely right to thank them. Unfortunately, the sentiment of his message was lost for many people because he didn't seem to put any effort or preparation into what he was saying. Then, in the middle of his off-the-cuff message, he confused everyone by talking about the wetness of water.
As Trump described the storm and the importance of first responders he told the world:
This is a tough hurricane, one of the wettest we've ever seen from the standpoint of water. Rarely have we had an experience like it and it certainly is not good.
The Tweet went out in the middle of the day on Tuesday, September 18th. At the time of this article, it hasn't even been up for 24 hours and already has over 13,000 comments. Many of them pointed out how Trump didn't even seem to try...
and how asinine his description was.
We don't know if Trump will continue to address the public by releasing these kinds of videos, or if they will continue to be as unrehearsed as this one is. We assure you, if they are, Twitter will have plenty to say about it.
H/T: Huffington Post, Twitter
The Kids From 'Stranger Things' Wrapped Presents For Superfans—And Did A Delightfully Terrible Job 😂
When it comes to giving gifts, not all celebrities are as crafty as Taylor Swift, but that didn't stop the adorable stars of Netflix's Stranger Thingsfrom giving it a try.
In a recently released video from Netflix, actors Millie, Finn, Noah, Caleb, Gaten, and Sadie got together for some holiday cheer and to wrap gifts for fans. But kids will be kids, even if they star in a hit television show. Watch as chaos ensues.
Fans loved every moment, even if the kids weren't the greatest wrappers.
@Stranger_Things I love seeing them mess around with each other.— Abby! (@Abby!) 1545318707.0
@doublejoywilson https://t.co/qgFgkZpTxQ— Stranger Things (@Stranger Things) 1545318849.0
@realrevella https://t.co/G5Er8pydg5— Stranger Things (@Stranger Things) 1545318801.0
@themallratss we do what we can https://t.co/POBMVbXfZS— Stranger Things (@Stranger Things) 1545319099.0
@Stranger_Things They’re a cute mess 😂— Janet ⁷✜🪐 (@Janet ⁷✜🪐) 1545318854.0
@minseokjin94 https://t.co/Dr4Y4xFYyM— Stranger Things (@Stranger Things) 1545318939.0
@Stranger_Things Thanks for the gif...they’re a MESS mess https://t.co/cG5ODdPDf0— Janet ⁷✜🪐 (@Janet ⁷✜🪐) 1545319571.0
@pvladins AH THE SOUND OF HOLIDAY CHEER— Stranger Things (@Stranger Things) 1545318737.0
@Stranger_Things HAPPY HOLYDAYS TO THE DEMOGORGON https://t.co/BpB1ZixUK5— 𝑣𝑎𝑙 ⚯͛ (@𝑣𝑎𝑙 ⚯͛) 1545318680.0
@edwardistheman @netflix ok here https://t.co/UwOLIa1T1C— Stranger Things (@Stranger Things) 1545318880.0
We just can't get enough of these talented kids!
Macaulay Culkin Is Having Fans Vote On What He Should Legally Change His Name To—And The Options Are Bizarre 😮
Have you ever wanted to help your favorite celebrity reach their potential by giving them a new name? Fans of Macaulay Culkin will be able to do just that, as he's allowing them to vote and pick his new middle name.
The choices are beyond strange.
Thanks for having me @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight !!! I'll let you know how the name change works out! https://t.co/iIkTC8OyXH— Macaulay Culkin (@Macaulay Culkin) 1543452222.0
In a segment on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Culkin announced his desire to change his middle name to something else. He allowed people to submit names for the last month, and narrowed those down to the top five.
Some of the suggestions were interesting, to say the least.
@DevonESawa Weird. I'm about to change my middle name. Any good suggestion? Go to https://t.co/BYXGIWJK3g— Macaulay Culkin (@Macaulay Culkin) 1540529059.0
@IncredibleCulk @FallonTonight @jimmyfallon It should be "Culkin, Macaulay" as a middle name. Will be read as: Mac… https://t.co/xRo5AiR8jd— carmineenimrac (@carmineenimrac) 1543469371.0
@IncredibleCulk @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight How did you miss "Macaulay Skulking Culkin"?!— Caleb DAVIS (@Caleb DAVIS) 1543487990.0
@ComicBook @IncredibleCulk Pls add Cacaulay Mulkin as an option— Matt Michler 🌹 (@Matt Michler 🌹) 1543603411.0
@ComicBook @IncredibleCulk Kevin! Obviously.— Andrew 🐼 🐝 (@Andrew 🐼 🐝) 1543603516.0
The official choices: Shark Week, The McRib Is Back, Kieran (submitted by his famous younger brother), Macaulay Culkin, and Publicity Stunt. That last one was suggested by Culkin's girlfriend, actress Brenda Song, and gives away the game.
Fans are still excited to vote for his new name.
@IncredibleCulk @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight Macaulay “Shark Week” Culkin has a nice ring to it.🐰 Vote on… https://t.co/AS5ce275jl— Shark Week (@Shark Week) 1543526453.0
The moment of joy that hopefully comes to us all during the day just transpired for me and funny enough, it took le… https://t.co/stOVPePmpy— Sia Brooks (@Sia Brooks) 1543606608.0
Macaulay Culkin Needs A New Middle Name https://t.co/HO9ZMUM1O1 via @bunnyearsweb @IncredibleCulk I voted for "Kier… https://t.co/jnVAa6NTlp— Stetson (@Stetson) 1543815411.0
I voted for @IncredibleCulk new middle name, what did you do today?— Catalina F 🇨🇱 (@Catalina F 🇨🇱) 1543801274.0
@IncredibleCulk @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight I like Keiran— Melissa (@Melissa) 1543517677.0
McAuley Culkin is allowing fans to vote on what is legal middle name should be, two of the final 5 is “Macauley Cul… https://t.co/KUPTU0HnKR— YOUAREDEAD (@YOUAREDEAD) 1543620499.0
@IncredibleCulk @jimmyfallon @FallonTonight Just for you to know, I voted Macaulay Culkin!— 🍀 Maria (@🍀 Maria) 1543495868.0
This is all a publicity stunt to drive traffic to Culkin's website, Bunny Ears, launched earlier this year in March. The site bills itself as a lifestyle and holistic health brand, similar to Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop. However, the articles are jokes or satirical.
Good luck finding the site if you tried to go there right after the Fallon segment.
@IncredibleCulk @jimmyfallon Look at the bunny ears website now after @jimmyfallon voted on @IncredibleCulk middle… https://t.co/PFAwxsRB8E— Charles John Kelly (@Charles John Kelly) 1543485190.0
With articles like "A Tour Guide Of The Places Where Men Have Dumped Me" in their 'Travel Guides' section, or "Meditative Things White People Can Do While Black People Attempt To Explain White Privilege" under 'Spiritual Wellness,' it's difficult to imagine the site is wanting for traffic.
Time will tell what Culkin's new middle name will be, but as of this writing, it's looking like he'll be known as Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin. Which is a shame, because Macaulay Shark Week Culkin had such a nice ring to it.
H/T: Huffington Post, Bunny Ears
Arkansas High School Suspends Student Paper For Publishing 'Disruptive' Investigation Into Shady Football Transfers
Halle Roberts is the editor-in-chief of the Har-Ber Herald, the school newspaper for Springdale High School in Arkansas. The 17-year-old student was suspended after she wrote an investigative piece criticizing the transfer of five football players to a rival school.
Players are not allowed to be transferred to a different school because they would like to play for a different team. They are allowed to transfer only for academic reasons. So Roberts got to digging. Her paper filed FOIA requests and received official information from the Arkansas Activities Association saying that the students were transferred for academic reasons. However, the students themselves said otherwise.
Roberts quoted one student in her paper saying:
"We just want to go over there because we have a better chance of getting scholarships and playing at D1."
Another student told Roberts:
"I just feel like it's better for my future to go out there and get college looks."
Soon after the report was published, the superintendent of the district, Jim Rollins, asked the teacher advisor for the school paper, Karla Sprague, to take the story down. She obliged.
Rollins wrote a letter stating that the piece was:
"intentionally negative, demeaning, derogatory, hurtful and potentially harmful to the students addressed in those articles."
Roberts, undeterred, is still working on a new edition of the story that includes the school's censorship.
Mike Hiestand of the Student Press Law Center had this to say:
"School officials at this point seem to me to have completely thrown up their hands and said, ‘we’re not going to l… https://t.co/PgVYFlVAlM— Amber Jamieson (@Amber Jamieson) 1543687827.0
And Halle Roberts, who dreams of being an ESPN reporter, stated:
“They are like ‘well you raised an uproar, we’re going to try and silence you,’” said Halle Roberts, 17, the editor… https://t.co/6dKFeF0so4— Amber Jamieson (@Amber Jamieson) 1543690272.0
People were impressed with Roberts.
@hallecole21 @BuzzFeedNews I'm so proud of you! You're not just fighting for yourself, you're fighting for student… https://t.co/hjVIvzstZ1— 🌺Lisa Daily is writing⛱ (@🌺Lisa Daily is writing⛱) 1543718652.0
@hallecole21 @BuzzFeedNews I shared your story on my Facebook page and am so proud of you kids for telling the stor… https://t.co/9gekpHSwey— Derryl Trujillo (@Derryl Trujillo) 1543694164.0
@hallecole21 @BuzzFeedNews Keep up the fight Halle!!— Katie Maner (@Katie Maner) 1543762811.0
Some had harsh words for the school's administration.
@BuzzFeedNews @KatinaParon The principal and the superintendent should be fired, not the teacher. And the students… https://t.co/AfE6JTmowp— Jody Beck (@Jody Beck) 1543754569.0
@ambiej @BuzzFeedNews Abuse of power by the school administration— Lovehersports50 (@Lovehersports50) 1543686742.0
@ambiej Hey @sdaleschools School board members. Why are you allowing Arkansas Har-Ber High School Principal Paul Gr… https://t.co/8pdT0St1FO— Nancy Levine (@Nancy Levine) 1543693785.0
And most had high praise for Roberts and the other student journalists working on this piece.
A great example of investigate student journalism, and why it needs more recognition. https://t.co/s4MBLn0HiN— Gabija Gataveckaitė (@Gabija Gataveckaitė) 1543692451.0
Much to appreciate about @ambiej’s reporting on this Arkansas school district’s effort to suppress a high school pa… https://t.co/fIk5vTaWCZ— Pat Berry (@Pat Berry) 1543688372.0
High school students do real journalism, school district immediately tries to shut them down, despite state law gua… https://t.co/HqOgXTv1bl— Jeff Amy (@Jeff Amy) 1543692270.0
Oh this is the good stuff. I love this editor. Great work. Stand for journalists. https://t.co/QlrTTzrqs8— Scott Lewis (@Scott Lewis) 1543693549.0
And Halle Roberts herself closed by saying:
thank you so much. #freedomofthepress https://t.co/LsjWT7nycD— halle roberts (@halle roberts) 1543685392.0
Fight on, Halle!