Eating in pregnancy

Hi everyone,

I need some advice regarding eating during pg. I am hungry a lot and am eating a lot of food but am aware that I need only an extra 827kg in the third trimester. I think that I may be eating too much and am concerned about too much weight gain to come. I have not been exercising due to the haematoma in early pg and recent virus but am well now and will start exercising.

As an example, today I have had Rice Bubbles/milk, orange juice, two vegemite sandwiches, 3 museli bars, apple, nectarine, plum and a tub of yoghurt. For dinner I am having steak with salad and potatoes. I usually have cheese or salad sandwiches for lunch. I am really eating all day and even the people at work comment that I am always eating.

Maybe eating more lower GI foods may help. Is this amount of food normal and does anyone have any advice?

Not sure if this should have gone in the weight loss thread?

Gemma.

Gemma, I ate heaps more in pregnancy and only put on 11 kilos in total, 4 of that fluid. (which I lost in four days with blood pressure tablets!)

For me breakfast was a 600ml Big M (chocolate or coffee) and two croissants, I'd have a chocolate bar for mid morning snack, (and sometimes a bowl of Coco Pops); then lunch was stirfry with noodles, or soup with bread (big helping) or chicken and chips. Afternoon tea was a bag of chips and/or a chocolate bar. Dinner was whatever I bothered to cook.

So I ate heaps more than you and didn't put on a lot of weight.

I think your diet is fine and you shouldn't be putting on too much. Mostly I exercised a lot, (swimming and walking) so that might have been the reason I didn't put on a lot of weight.

Best wishes.

When I was PG with Jacob, I basically tried to pay attention to what my body was telling me, so if I was hungry, I ate!! There is such a demand on your body when you are PG and you need to nourish yourself and your little one properly.

My appetite would come and go a lot - sometimes I really wouldn't feel like eating much at all and would have to remind myself to eat, other days I would be ravenous, and then later in my PG, I was feeling really full after only a few mouthfuls of food! Also, every morning between 5 - 7 am, I would wake up feeling really hungry, and would HAVE to eat something or else I couldn't get back to sleep. For me, having a tub of yoghurt was the best thing as it kept the hunger at bay.....I would be scoffing it down by the light of the fridge door LOL!! I think definitely having adequate protein in your diet helps too, as when I had those 'hungry' days for days on end, I began to really dislike the hungry feeling, so eating protein was a good way to help that.

I gained 17.5kg when PG, and what wasn't baby, was practically all fluid!! I was worried that I was putting on too much weight etc, but I puffed up like a balloon and within a matter of weeks after he was born, I'd lost heaps of weight.

It sounds like you aren't eating the wrong foods, which is the main thing. You are eating fruit and vegies and having calcium etc, which is really important.

I am super hungry all the time and when I am - I eat!! So far I have put on ony 9kg and I'm sure some of that is fluid (I'm very puffy).

Gemma,

I eat when my body tells me to, which is about every 3-4 waking hours. In the last couple of weeks my body has been craving fresh vegetables - fresh made coleslaw, tomatoes, whatever. It hasn't always been that healthy though!

In my first trimester I was "always eating at work" which was noted by one of the guys there. Fortunately we are good friends so I didn't mind his 'teasing'. I've settled down into more of a routine now, but I still get to the 3-4 hour mark and have to eat - no matter what I'm doing.

I'm sure your body is only asking for what it needs. Don't worry too much about it.

Cheers,

I agree with the others here. I wouldnt worry about it all. It sounds as though what you are eating is really good for you and just what bubs needs. You would be doing yourself and bubs more harm if you denied food when you were hungry.
If I didnt eat for a period of more than 2-3 hours I would get dizzy and shaky and nauseous, I think it gave me low blood sugar or something.

Alot of weight does come off straight after the birth as well. I lost 12kg in 2 weeks. But that is because I had put a whopping 37kg on during pg...(I only put on so much because I had given up smoking and previously stuffed up my metabolism due to an unhealthy lifestyle!)

I just go with what my body's telling me as well. I went through a period earlier in the pg where I was constantly hungry, so I ate. Now I have the opposite problem - I've lost my appetite so if I don't make myself eat I'd probably forget LOL!

Your body will tell you what you need- i think we become quite intuitive when pregnant.
Sound slike your doing a great job at the moment!!

Thanks very much for your replies, it has put my mind at ease. I have had heartburn all night and still have it. Something else that I read about pre pg but thought I would never get...will search past BB threads for some ideas.

Gemma.

Gemma, I agree with the other girls, I wouldnt worry too much about the qty's you are eating, provided you are eating good foods not evil ones.

One thing that does help the hunger pangs is water, keep a cold bottle of water in the fridge, and take one with you wherever you go. a lot of the time when we think we are hungry, it is really a bit of dehydration, have a big drink of water and if you are still hungry 15 minutes later, then have something

The "scientific" answer to what you should eat is this:
Breads/Starches = 4-6 servings per day
Protein = 4 servings per day
Dairy = 4-6 servings per day
Fat = 3 servings per day
Fruit = 3-4 servings per day
Veg = 3-4 servings per day.

That looks like a lot of food! but keep in mind that the serving sizes are not that big.

I think eat sensibly. I also eat a lot, but I always ask myself just one question. "Could I make a heathier choice than what I am about to put into my mouth?" For example, yesterday, I was very thirsty whilst out shopping. I picked up a coke, then asked myself the question. I replaced it with a bottled water and a small juice.

With regards to Low GI. They are better.
Try brown rice instead of white
Health/wholewheat bread instead of white
Peas and carrots are high GI, but good for you, so include them in small quantities.

But, if you feel like you have to have a chocolate, then have it! Your baby wants it, and what the hell, you deserve to spoil yourself!

Just a quick question regarding this post.... this is a topic that I think a LOT about.

A lot of what i read tells me that I have to start eating small frequent meals rather than 3 large ones.... problem is that I cant seem to break that particular 3 meal habit & I am constantly feeling like i over-ate. All my meals are really super healthy (unless I wait too long at work & start 'picking') but it makes me sluggish & i worry I am taxing my digestive system by doing this.... I feel guilty about it a lot of the time & chastise myself.

Any suggestions on a better way to approach this? is what i am doing unhealthy for myself & the baby?

Melody when I was in 2nd trimester I didn't feel as hungry at all and just ate 3 meals a day. I had a tea break but I wouldn't eat anything.... so I really feel like some of the others have said that its what your body tells you..... if you have large meals your body will feel overfull afterwards, so maybe try taking a break while eating the meal for 5 minutes or so and drink a glass of water to try and not fill up as quickly so you can stop before you become overfull...HTH

Wow! It sounds like you are eating a very healthy, well balanced mix of food. If you are grazing through the day too, that is excellent for you metabolism!
I haven't been eating nearly as healthy as I should. In fact, I pretty much give in to whatever cravings I have. At 34 weeks, I had only put on 7kgs. I haven't really exercised either as I find it too painful to walk long distances (and I am lazy! ;) ).
Everyone is different and pregnancy affects everyone differently. Some women stick to a healthy diet and exercise yet still put on 20kgs. Others, like me, who start off overweight don't necessarily put on a lot.
Then, like Sarah mentioned, there's fluid retention, the size of your baby etc. etc.
I really am in the belief that watching your weight while you are pregnant is not good for you at all. It should me more about how you feel. Listen to your body. If it is saying you are hungry, then you are! If it is saying you are full, then stop.
With my next pregnancy, I am going to ask my Dr. not to weigh me at all. The midwives at my hospital have stopped weighing women at every visit because of the negative impact it has on the mind-set of the ladies.
Worry about it afterwards when you can do something about it, I say!