While expecting a baby, many women experience changes in their bodies and, in particular, in a change in appetite. Appetite in early pregnancy either disappears altogether, or comes with some oddities inherent only in pregnant women. These can be addictions to certain foods or to combinations of foods that are striking in their originality. So, first you want fresh strawberries in the middle of winter and certainly at night, at other times you want vanilla ice cream with pickled cucumber.
Cases are not uncommon when there is a sharp aversion to any particular product. Most often it is fish, meat products, cottage cheese. Moreover, you used to enjoy this type of food, but now you cannot even look at it. This is a normal situation in the early stages, and you just need to endure the "unpleasant moments" that usually disappear after 12 weeks of pregnancy.
However, despite the rejection of food in some women in position, in others the appetite flares up so that you want to eat all new food throughout the day. Doctors usually explain this manifestation of an enviable appetite by the growth and development of the fetus. Increased appetite in early pregnancy is not a whim at all, but a natural reaction of your body to hormonal imbalance, on which an increase in food intake and its variety depends. Women expecting a baby seem to intuitively feel what kind of food they need, in what quantity and how often. However, this is not always the right food, and a special diet for pregnant women should be adhered to, excluding fast food, some semi-finished products and foods stuffed with chemical additives. If you have an increased appetite and prefer unusual food combinations, then you can try to create your own individual diet, taking into account your personal taste preferences.
It is important that a woman's desire to eat a product is a signal of a lack of vital elements. If, for example, you have a calcium deficiency, then you seek to compensate for it by consuming an excessive amount of dairy and fermented milk products, and if there is not enough sodium, then your main food will be foods such as cheese, celery, carrots, seaweed. Lack of iron in the body will be expressed in the consumption of apples, pomegranates, chalk. I would also like to note that most of all pregnant women suffer from anemia, which is precisely characterized by poor levels of iron (hemoglobin). If you have anemia, it is necessary for the health of the unborn baby, in addition to iron-containing products, to take special medications prescribed by your gynecologist, and it is better to start taking medications in the first trimester of pregnancy.
Eating too much sweets while waiting for a baby can significantly lift your mood, but it's worth knowing that this can gradually lead to a drop or rise in blood sugar levels and, in the future, to the development of diabetes and obesity. Therefore, you need to be smart about your food intake, consider the nutritional properties of each ingredient, and not forget about additional vitamins.
We often hear that the expectant mother should eat for two. Some women do this, and at the end of the term they suffer from swelling, hypertension, back pain, and other pathologies. Pregnant women often say that they constantly want to chew something, have a snack. What to do? Is it normal during pregnancy to feel constant hunger and increased appetite? Why does it arise?
Causes of Hunger in Pregnancy
Hormonal changes in the body are the main factor provoking a constant desire to eat. Changes lead to other new sensations and desires. For example, women are eager to eat foods that they didn’t like before. There is also a desire to combine incongruous dishes: spicy and sweet, salty and sweet. Sometimes in winter, expectant mothers have a desire to eat a melon, watermelon.
Gynecologists say that increased appetite and new taste habits are normal for expectant mothers. After all, the need for calories necessary for the development and growth of the fetus, they increase.
However, not the last place in the increase in appetite is taken by the psychological factor. This refers to the belief that now you need to eat for two. Don't listen to such misconceptions. Gynecologists say that with the onset of pregnancy, a woman should increase the amount of food consumed, but by only 300 calories in the first or second trimester and by 450 in the third. But not twice!
Another reason for the constant feeling of hunger is, which often accompanies women in position. Psychologists state that depressive states are characterized by a lack of the hormone of joy - serotonin. It is found in many sweet products, in particular chocolate, cocoa. So a woman is trying to compensate for the lack of joy in life by consuming sweets or other favorite foods.
Feeling hungry in early pregnancy
It is at this stage of carrying a baby that expectant mothers begin to experience constant hunger. Some consider this a normal phenomenon and even require their husbands to buy them various goodies. Others, constantly monitoring weight and observing its sharp increase, come to doctors with complaints that they cannot pacify their appetite and begin to suffer from it. A competent obstetrician-gynecologist explains to his patient the cause of the problem, its possible consequences and gives practical advice.
The feeling of constant hunger that occurs can be overcome by listening to the advice of nutritionists. It is important to observe them, and not to ignore them, justifying themselves with the mission of motherhood, promises to correct the situation after childbirth. So you can only harm yourself and the unborn child. Edema, impaired renal function, gestational, varicose veins - these are the problems you can get after a few months of overeating.
So, to tame the constant feeling of hunger, follow these rules:
- Eat in fractional portions. For snacks, use biscuits or cereal cookies, fruits, carrots, and low-fat yoghurts.
- Eliminate white bread and baked goods from your diet.
- Don't confuse the feeling of thirst with hunger. If you have a strong desire to eat, just drink a glass of water. Surely the feeling of hunger will recede. But never drink immediately after a meal. Distinguish between food and drink at intervals of 40-60 minutes.
- Try to eat less acidic foods. They increase acidity, irritate the stomach and make you feel hungry.
- Refill your diet with seasonal fruits and vegetables to the maximum. The fiber they contain is great for filling the stomach and satisfying hunger.
- Protein should be present in the diet every day. It helps to maintain a feeling of fullness for a long time. By the way, it is better to steam or stew meat dishes. Avoid fried meats.
- Calcium must be present in the daily diet. Its rich sources are fish, cottage cheese, yoghurts, nuts.
- Never eat on the go. So the feeling of fullness will appear very quickly. You need to chew slowly, sitting at the table, without being distracted by TV, books, newspapers, talking on the phone.
- Find activities that are fun for you. After all, the feeling of constant hunger in women often appears from idleness.
Specially for
Many people say that a woman should eat for two when expecting a baby. There are women who do this, and in the end, problems begin with edema, high blood pressure, pain in the back. Often women during the period of bearing a baby claim that they always want to eat. Literally all expectant mothers are shown a low-carb diet for pregnant women. Therefore, questions arise as to why pregnant women are constantly hungry.
Causes of Feeling Hungry
When a woman is pregnant, she is constantly hungry. Some women require their husbands to buy them delicious foods all the time. But there are those who keep their weight under control.
Why pregnant women constantly want to eat:
- hormonal changes in the body;
- psychological factor;
- depression.
The main factor is the restructuring in the hormonal sphere, therefore, such changes contribute to the emergence of new desires and sensations. For example, a girl eats dishes that she previously did not like at all.
In addition, dishes are combined that do not go well - salty with sweet, sweet with salty. Experts say that this is normal for those who will soon become a mother. There is an increase in the need for calories, which are so necessary for the intrauterine development of the baby. But the psychological factor also plays an important role when it is said that you need to eat for two.
Doctors are sure that when carrying a baby, the expectant mother should consume more calories, but only 300 - 400 calories, and not dozens of times.
Depressive states are attributed to the causes of hunger. A woman lacks the hormone of joy, which is found in sweets. As a result, the girl tries to compensate for this condition by eating sweet foods.
What you want to eat during pregnancy:
- salty foods;
- sweets;
- muffin, bread;
- sour food.
When a woman complains that she constantly really wants to eat in the early stages of pregnancy, then a competent doctor talks about the reasons for such an appetite and gives recommendations.
If a woman overeats while waiting for a child, then swelling occurs, kidney function is disrupted, varicose veins.
By following the advice of experts, you can avoid the constant feeling of hunger. You must follow them so as not to harm your health and the health of the child. A carbohydrate-free diet for pregnant women is recommended.
- eat in small portions. In the form of a snack, biscuits, yogurt, carrots can be;
- refuse baking;
- not to be confused when you are thirsty and when to eat;
- reduce your intake of acidic foods;
- eat seasonal vegetables and fruits as much as possible;
- protein and calcium should be consumed every day;
- do not eat on the go.
Do interesting things, because hunger can come from idleness.
Thus, it is advisable to make a maternity food list as well as a carbohydrate-free maternity diet menu to avoid unnecessary problems.
Uterine tone during pregnancy
Quite frequent is the phenomenon of increased uterine tone when carrying a baby. In such a situation, the expectant mother feels pain in the abdomen and lower back. This condition contributes to miscarriage, so an urgent need to consult a doctor.
What to drink with uterine tone during pregnancy:
- magne-B6;
- sedative tablets;
- medicines to relax the uterus.
But there are other ways to lower the tone of the uterus. There are foods that reduce the tone of the uterus during pregnancy. These are foods that contain magnesium.
What foods reduce the tone of the uterus during pregnancy:
- buckwheat;
- Wheat groats;
- peas;
- beans;
- Rye bread;
- green vegetables.
Thus, almost every woman experiences uterine tone during different periods of expectation of a child. It must be disposed of under any circumstances. In addition, you should adhere to a balanced diet, do not overeat. Experts recommend a diet without carbohydrates for pregnant women.
Stress conditions most often contribute to the occurrence of various anomalies. As soon as certain health disorders become noticeable, you should immediately consult a doctor, avoid exertion and take a horizontal position.
Pregnancy is a period when any restrictions can cause emotional and physical imbalance in the body as a whole. This is not the best time to start worrying about excess weight, exhaust yourself with starvation and diets. Moreover, if you have not encountered this before.
It is known firsthand that many pregnant women resort to fasting and use diets to cleanse the body of toxins and toxins. Results vary. But if you nevertheless decide to include this technique in your diet, let's go through it in stages, weigh the pros and cons.
How to starve properly?
So, if you still decide to apply the fasting method on yourself, here are some tips to help you do it right and without harming your health.
- gradualness is important. You should not resort to the weekly fasting technique. In the beginning, just one or two days are enough;
- prepare your body. A few days before the start of fasting, exclude fatty, flour and dairy products from the diet. Pay your attention to vegetables and fruits;
- follow the rules of gradual recovery from fasting. Eat vegetable dishes for some time, drink plenty of juice and water. You can't pounce on food.
What should you be afraid of?
To date, there is no unanimously passed verdict in favor of starving expectant mothers. The opinions of doctors differ greatly. The main advantages and disadvantages of this technique should be highlighted.
Fasting Positives:
- cleansing the body of toxins, toxins and other harmful substances that negatively affect the health of the unborn child;
- changes in taste buds;
- the process of selecting really necessary and useful food for the body;
- hunger activates the body's reserve forces and directs them to restore the natural metabolism;
- fasting during pregnancy stimulates blood flow to the fetus and thus the baby receives a large dose of oxygen, which is very important for the development and formation of the brain;
- a great way to use up adipose tissue.
Negative moments of fasting:
- an acute shortage of proteins, carbohydrates and fats in the mother's body, which are good for the baby;
- a direct link between fasting during pregnancy and the development of heart disease in older children has been scientifically confirmed;
- the possibility of premature birth.
Some women begin to eat much more food than usual during pregnancy. In some cases, this is due to the physiological need of the unborn child. Many experts believe that fasting can impair the appearance of a child by affecting its length and weight.
Important: in no case do not resort to the fasting method on your own, be sure to consult with your doctor. Pregnancy may not be the best time to experiment for you.
Fasting and fasting days during pregnancy
If the fasting technique causes a lot of controversy and controversy, then it is worth trying the fasting day system. It is useful to absolutely everyone. Many doctors recommend using it from the 28th week of pregnancy, it is then that the child begins to gain weight. This will allow you and your baby to get nutrients on a regular basis, and is also an excellent stimulation of the development of the cerebral cortex.
Fasting day rules for pregnant women
- at the initial stage, you should not resort to long diets, one or two days is enough;
- it is important to eat small meals 5-6 times a day;
- drink plenty of water. The ideal option is 2-3 liters per day. Drink only purified water, no soda;
- alternate fasting days. For example, today you have a vegetable day, next week a fruit or dairy day;
- after fasting days, you should eat only light food - cereals, boiled vegetables
- before proceeding with the system of fasting days, be sure to consult your doctor.
Some Nutrition Tips for Moms-to-be
- it is known that too much weight for a pregnant woman is categorically contraindicated, as it can cause serious complications in the work of the heart;
- it is better to eat often, but little by little. The body will only thank you for this;
- use a separate feeding technique. It also helps to control nausea and prevents dizziness;
- try not to eat after 6:00 pm for two to three days a week;
- drink vitamins (with the permission of your doctor).
The promotion of the ideal image of women through the media and the obsession with their appearance lead to the fact that some ladies find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that the figure changes during pregnancy. Lack of self-acceptance pushes some women to take drastic action. Is fasting appropriate during pregnancy, is it possible to ignore food? Absolutely not!
A lot has been said and written on the topic of fasting, and there are still many very different points of view on this issue. Among the many advantages and disadvantages of refusing food, there is still one indisputable point: fasting should not be practiced by pregnant women and nursing mothers.
Sometimes malnutrition does not become a healing procedure at all. It happens that ladies simply ignore certain dishes, hoping that providing the body with fewer calories will save them from gaining weight. Meal skipping also occurs due to negligence, forgetfulness, or constant busyness. Whatever the reason, however, this behavior can have serious consequences for the health of the development of the fetus and even health problems later in the life of the child.
Fasting during pregnancy: negative consequences for women and children
The body, deprived of sufficient amounts of nutrients, begins to rebel. The expectant mother has a severe headache, the problems associated with cardiovascular diseases, if any, are aggravated; kidney stones and hypertension may develop. In general, fasting can lead to depletion of the body (depending on its duration), which leads to vitamin deficiency, a deficiency of proteins and fats. This is unacceptable for a mother-to-be! Too strict a diet weakens the body, often causing a feeling of chronic fatigue, and sometimes even leading to depression, which is also completely useless for women carrying a child.
What do the experts say about the effects of fasting their mom's pregnancy on a baby? Researchers at the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands have found that hunger in the first weeks of an interesting situation has a significant impact on the health of a child even in adulthood. From their research, it follows that ignoring food can lead to genetic changes, the result of which backfires in adulthood. The study authors concluded that babies who are malnourished during the first ten weeks of pregnancy have some characteristic differences in genes when compared to their siblings of the same sex. "Starving" children had fewer substances that control the amount of protein synthesized by cells.
The use of a hunger strike by a mother during pregnancy can increase the risk of miscarriage, premature birth, low birth weight, and lead to future diseases of the nervous system: depression, mental disorders, and weaker brain development. Mom's hunger in early pregnancy (in the first trimester) can have an impact on brain development and is associated with the risk of future addictions and disorders, such as schizophrenia.
At the same time, fasting does not solve the problem of extra pounds for the expectant mother. Most often, weight loss associated with malnutrition occurs due to the burning of muscle tissue instead of fat and getting rid of water (due to the lack of absorption of carbohydrates).
Pregnant women should not go hungry - what to do?
Active weight loss in an interesting position is excluded, but excessive weight gain is also not beneficial to either mother or baby. What to do?
As in many areas of life, moderation is key. To lose weight, you need to eat, but eat healthy foods. In this context, it seems clear that eating well, providing adequate calories and nutrients, is essential to the health of both mother and baby. It's also worth remembering not to skip meals, but try to balance them. Weight gain during pregnancy is absolutely normal, and you do not need to protect yourself from it, remembering that, on average, body weight gain ranges from 11-13 kg. The time will come for losing weight after pregnancy, but now you need to think about something completely different.
Fasting during pregnancy is an extremely unfortunate idea, fraught with numerous problems for both the mother and her child. On the other hand, a healthy, balanced diet adapted to an interesting position, physical activity and ignoring one's own whims during these 9 crucial months is the basis for maintaining the well-being of the woman herself and laying the foundation for the future health of her son or daughter for many years to come.
