Food has been…different, to say the least in this pregnancy 😉
I’m now 24+ weeks along. Food is definitely getting more normal, as in I can eat some meat and veggies again, but there’s been a ton of changes to my eating routine for the last 5 or so months.
I must say, this has been really good for me. It’s been good for me to see how I react mentally when my normal foods were thrown for a loop.
A couple years ago, I probably would have been mega stressing when I wasn’t able to eat any/many vegetables. Or, when I wasn’t feeling protein. Or, when all I wanted to eat was carbs (…like the last 2 weeks).
Now? I just don’t really care. It doesn’t faze me. I just eat what I can, what I want, what is nutrient dense (enough) and move along.
Here’s how I’ve been navigating nutrition in pregnancy:
1). Food aversions like whoa.
This was probably the toughest part of the first trimester and into the start of the second trimester. I just didn’t want to eat much of anything. My husband had to coax me into eating a lot of the time for a good month.
Everything was unappealing and nothing tasted good.
My food aversions really started to wane around the 19/20 week mark. Salad has since made a reappearance in my life 😉
Currently, meat still isn’t so tasty but I’m eating some. It’s mostly raw veggies for me, as not many cooked are happening.
The last week or so I have definitely been craving more starchy carbohydrates and sugar. And so you know what I’ve been doing?
Eating more starchy carbohydrates and sugar 🙂 If there’s one thing I’ve learned so far about pregnancy – it’s all a phase and this too shall pass.
No use getting worked up over some brownies and grilled cheese sandwiches, friends.
2). Supplements…Sorta.
I’m really, really good at NOT taking supplements.
Taking my prenatal vitamins in the 1st trimester was a BIG struggle. Trying to get those down when everything makes you feel nauseous isn’t so much fun. I definitely missed more days than I took them.
Now, I’m trying to focus solely on taking my Vitamin D and fish oil. I’m trying to hit these 4x a week.
(A quick Instagram post to keep myself accountable to my VitD and fish oil intake :))
I’m going to try to get back to my Natural Calm magnesium, as I’m starting to get foot and calf cramps on the regular the last 10 days. Ouch!
Note: I’ve discussed all my supplement intake with my Naturopathic Doctor since really early on in pregnancy, so I feel confident in what I’m doing for ME. I’d encourage you to do the same!
I know women who take FAR more supplements than I am in pregnancy, but again, supplements are just not my thing. I’ve never been consistent taking them and I HATE swallowing pills and taking liquids.
For any chance of success with taking them regularly, I need to focus on very few —> which is exactly how I approach my exercise schedule as well!
3). Having to eat immediately/soon upon waking.
This is a huge change for me, in terms of meal timing.
Prior to pregnancy I wouldn’t eat for a few hours after waking. Now? I need to eat something STAT or it’s nausea central over here.
Baby’s gotta eat!
This really helped managed my nausea when it was an all day, everyday affair.
Typically in the morning, for my first snack/meal, I’ll eat something higher in carbs and fat (e.g. apple + PB or cheese, high fat plain greek yogurt + raw honey).
4). Protein, Fat, Fiber
This is my focus in snacks and meals (most of the time!).
Pair something that has some protein, with something that has some fat, and something that has some fiber (= carbs).
This is a meal I’ve eaten a couple times over the last week: chicken + cheese + strawberries.
Another example, the brunch I just had, was an omelette with cheese, bacon, green peppers, onions, tomatoes. Plus, hash browns and gluten-free toast on the side.
We have protein largely coming from the eggs, with more from the cheese and bacon. Fat sources from the cheese, bacon, and eggs. And, fiber coming from the veggies, hash browns and toast.
This is how I keep meals simple; thinking in terms of protein, fat, and fiber.
5). Exercise To Increase Appetite
This was a major bonus for me, especially in the first trimester and early second trimester when food was pretty gross.
First, strength training and walking were nice distractions from feeling sick, but also, they helped increase my appetite which made it easier to get food down.
A few people have asked how I managed to keep up with exercise while I wasn’t feeling great but it really made me feel so much better. And, again, it made me hungrier so there was extra motivation to move my body.
Now, this isn’t a problem, ha! WHOA – I am SO hungry the last couple of weeks (and thoroughly enjoying it).
A quick note on exercise – next week marks the start of my daily core and pelvic floor exercises that I’ll be adding in. This will be a mix of breathing, glute work, and deep core stability exercises that will help me prepare for labor, birth, and postpartum recovery.
Not to mention, to help my body and pelvis manage the additional weight and pressure of a growing baby and changing body.
I’ll tell you a bunch more as I go along, but I wanted you to know that the exercises I will be doing come straight from my 8-week Core + Floor Restore program.
This program is designed for you pregnant gals and mama’s who are also trying to strengthen your cores and pelvic floors. I’ll be doing the workouts and exercises from this program to help me in pregnancy and for my postpartum recovery.
Chat soon,
Jess
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