your pregnancy diet - "better" or "worse" than before

[Anonymous]

In a thread I was reading yesterday a lot of women noted how their overall health was probably better during pregnancy due to vitamins and eating so much better than before. I have to admit, this made me feel a touch guilty. Pre pregnancy I was distance running, biking, doing yoga and eating pretty much the Wisdom diet minus the required grains and plus a good bit of caffeine and wine. Now I'm just doing long walks and slowly getting back to the gym (had fertility issues and am still very early so afraid to hit the pavement like I did before) and while eating lots of fruit and veggies still am also finding myself eating things I wouldn't have before ... a handful of corn chips here, a late night chunk of chocolate (and then another one maybe with a little peanut butter too) there, etc. etc. I'm not surviving on wings and nachos (though I actually did have some nachos for the first time in ages now that I think about it) or anything but just feel like I'm eating more than necessary and the extras aren't such high quality choices. Basically my usually strong will power seems to be in the toliet but with a history of restricting (and while currently expecting two if nothing goes wrong) I'm afraid to draw any lines in the sand or make firm rules (though the late night snacking can probably go).

So, that was a long ramble I guess but just wondering if anyone else felt their diet wasn't actually better during pregnancy and for those who were making much better choices, what kinds of things kept you motivated and away from ice cream? Or did you just eat really crappily before and this was incentive to do better ?

[Anonymous]

It was much healthier right after I found out I was pregnant, and then tanked when morning sickness hit, at which point I basically lived on ice cream and fruit. Once that resolved, I'd say my diet was about the same--I tried to eat healthier, but I had mad cravings. Honestly, I trusted my body to tell me what it needed, and if I craved carbs or sugar, I ate them. Even fat--I knew that my body needed energy and to build up stores, and I didn't beat myself up about it. I was religious about taking my prenatal vitamin, and, like I said, my baseline diet was probably healthier. I also tried to eat healthier versions of junk food. My weight gain was within the normal range and I had a healthy, happy baby.

[Anonymous]

DH and I generally eat the a wisdom diet. We are obsessed with eating veggies, cook from scratch, Organic, healthy fats, etc. However, when pregnant with both #1 & #2, I cut myself some slack, especially with morning sickness. I would find myself hungry to the point of nausea, so if chips were what was available, so be it. I agree with PP-- listen to your body.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was much healthier right after I found out I was pregnant, and then tanked when morning sickness hit, at which point I basically lived on ice cream and fruit.

Yes! For the first trimester I ate a lot of pizza and white bread with butter and cheese. I could not deal with rough, fiberous food like greens and whole grains. Throughout the pregnancy I craved sweets. That, combined with exercising less, led me to gain around 40 lbs. Oops. But the baby was fine and normal sized and in the first four weeks after giving birth I lost 30 lbs. Do your best about health, but don't beat yourself up for not being perfect.

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, much worse this time around. Am constantly thirsty but water makes me nauseous. The only think that appeals is ice cold soda. I alternate between craving chocolate and salt & pepper potato chips.

[Anonymous]

OP, what is unhealthy about eating 80% or 90% wisdom diet plus chocolate? That sounds very healthy to me. Also, while a paleo/low-carb diet can work well for some women during pregnancy (especially if you have blood sugar issues), eating more carbs during pregnancy and while breastfeeding is also very healthy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, what is unhealthy about eating 80% or 90% wisdom diet plus chocolate? That sounds very healthy to me. Also, while a paleo/low-carb diet can work well for some women during pregnancy (especially if you have blood sugar issues), eating more carbs during pregnancy and while breastfeeding is also very healthy.

If I was at 90% I'd be feeling pretty good It's the eating snacky type stuff on top of the healthy food that is making me feel a bit gross but that I seem to do each night anyway. It is nice to hear that I'm not alone though. I was just worrying that I'm somehow not loving these tiny beans enough by allowing them to be flooded with carbs from corn chips

[Anonymous]

I am 12 weeks and my pregnancy diet was better than usual until 6 weeks, when the nausea and vomiting hit. Since then, it has been far worse. I have developed food aversions to everything, and am only eating what I can handle nausea wise. When the nausea hits and I need to get something in my stomach immediately I usually get a chocolate pudding cup and eat it quickly. Overall even though I take prenatals my diet is much worse for now. Hoping when the morning sickness clears I will be eating better. Have no appetite now.

[Anonymous]

I'm one of the posters from yesterday's thread that has had better health than usual during pregnancy. Not too much changed about my diet during pregnancy, as I ate a pretty healthy diet prepregnancy (also almost no morning sickness, major cravings, or aversions). The biggest change is that I had to add more snacks and more substance to the afternoon snack I was already used to eating. Usually my snacks consist of things like fruit or dried fruits and nuts, or a high protein granola bar. I also make more exceptions than I used to.--I rarely ate dessert prepregnancy, now I have 1/2 a cup of ice cream most nights.

The only change to my workout routine has been that I've done more walking than running after the first trimester (boobs hurt too much), and I used lighter weights in body pump (along with a few other alterations). I did body pump 1-2x/wk until 37 weeks, and I'm still doing some light lifting and walking at 39 weeks. I've gained 22 lb so far.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, some days nothing looks good but simple carbs. I really have to force myself to swallow salmon, or beans.
Fruit isn't filling to me, and this week I want all red meat!
I do drink a lot of milk and eat yogurt.

[Anonymous]

I eat much worse than I did pre-pregnancy. It's not to say that I eat horribly -- not a ton of junk food -- but I eat more fat (peanut butter, eggs, red meat), carbs (cereal, whole wheat English muffins, granola, fries), and sweets (ice cream, chocolate, you name it) than I did. But I was pretty careful beforehand so I'm just giving myself more leeway now. FWIW I am 24 weeks and I've only gained like 11 pounds, so I think I'm somehow balancing what I eat well enough.

My bottom line here is that I'm not too stressed about relaxing food/diet rules during pregnancy.

[Anonymous]

My diet is about the same. I am for a diet based on whole foods and low-inflammatory foods, avoiding processed foods and sugar and crappy oils. I've pretty much stuck to that, with occasional lapses here and there. 1st trimester was hard because I couldn't stomach broccoli, cauliflower, or brussels sprouts - and other vegetables only had fleeting appeal. I did the best I could. Now that I'm in the 3rd trimester I try to eat them in abundance since it apparently will affect whether the baby likes them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm one of the posters from yesterday's thread that has had better health than usual during pregnancy. Not too much changed about my diet during pregnancy, as I ate a pretty healthy diet prepregnancy (also almost no morning sickness, major cravings, or aversions). The biggest change is that I had to add more snacks and more substance to the afternoon snack I was already used to eating. Usually my snacks consist of things like fruit or dried fruits and nuts, or a high protein granola bar. I also make more exceptions than I used to.--I rarely ate dessert prepregnancy, now I have 1/2 a cup of ice cream most nights.

The only change to my workout routine has been that I've done more walking than running after the first trimester (boobs hurt too much), and I used lighter weights in body pump (along with a few other alterations). I did body pump 1-2x/wk until 37 weeks, and I'm still doing some light lifting and walking at 39 weeks. I've gained 22 lb so far.

Geez, I could have written this myself down to the additional and type of snacks, ice cream, and body pump. But, I've gained 33lbs at 37.5 weeks.

Two additional snacks I ate a lot of: hard boiled eggs and whole wheat bread with natural peanut butter. Good proteins, IMO. I've got nothing against peanut butter.

[Anonymous]

first trimester: FAR, FAR, FAR worse. survival required many chips and carbs and chicken mcnuggets.

second and third trimester: probably about the same as I was before pregnancy, but maybe fewer veggies. other than salads and carrots, veggies just aren't appealing to me right now.

my first two pregnancies, I gained within the range (although possibly at the top end). I have big babies, which doesn't really explain a 30 pound gain, but I use it as an excuse to go easy on myself. I was able to lose the weight both times. Now in #3, I think I am about on the same track as before. I am 16 weeks and have gained about 11-12 pounds. For me, first tri is all about bad food and weight gain, 2nd is usually slow, steady weight gain, and 3rd is usually mostly holding steady because I run out of room for food.

anyway, it sounds like you're doing better than most, so i'd go easy on yourself.

[Anonymous]

Like most, worse in the first trimester. Lots of white bread and peanut butter and French fries. Carbs were all that I could stomach some days. I also needed a daily can of Coke to settle my stomach/combat fatigue and water made me feel nauseated. Luckily that had abated and now almost all I drink is water. Eating wise my diet is pretty much the same now as pre pregnancy; I just eat what sounds good that day. Last night was spaghetti, tonight will be grilled chicken, a baked sweet potato and squash and zucchini. I've gained 13.5 lbs at 20 weeks which is more than I did with my first (20 lbs total) but nothing I seem to be able to control. Not too worried about it.