There are countless lists of what is approved pregnancy food, and many more lists of what is not. I have concluded that if I were to listen to every book, website, doctor, culture, and meddling acquaintance who has two cents to give about what I should not be eating, I would never be able to eat a thing in my current state. Cultures vary quite a bit when it comes to what is good for us to begin with, but many of them get much more strict for a woman who is with child, and I would not be suprised to find that the American view is one of the worst in this respect. So, for my choices of who and what to follow, I do what I've done for years:
I listen to my body and I follow my instincts.
This has served many women well over generations, and it's served me well so far in my twenty-eight years. So far in the pregnancy, this method seems to be doing just fine. My doctor is very happy with my health, my weight-gain, and the progress of the baby-growing, so I suppose I'll just keep on doing what I'm doing.
What's funny is what I have found my instincts to be pushing me towards and against. My tastes have changed drastically over the last four months, with the most suprising change being my aversion to meat. Although meats have never been the prominent food group in my diet, I did enjoy it when I had it. I was worried for the first few months of the pregnancy because the majority of what I ate was carbs (and unlike many Americans, my pre-pregnancy diet did not include a lot of bread or pasta). On the bad days, my meals consisted of saltines and ginger ale, for obvious reasons. I tried to get a good mix of fruits and vegetables, but I tended to crave the most basic comfort food like mashed potatoes and creamy basic pasta dishes (even the nutritionally vacuous macaroni and cheese). I could not stomach the sight, smell, or taste of any meats, and was afraid that tendency for women to become anemic during pregnancy was inevitable for me. My blood tests proved otherwise, however, so I must be doing something right. The aversion may be because meats are more difficult for the body to digest, and let's face it: my body's kind of busy doing something else right now.
Going into the second trimester, with my constant nausea finally subsided, my diet became more varied simply because I was so happy to be able to taste more. This sense of taste has changed, though, perhaps as a natural defense mechanism against those foods that would be bad for me and/or the baby. Our natural aversion to bitterness, for example, is actually a learned trait to keep ourselves away from poisonous plants or other foods that may make us sick. Now, my senses are incredibly hightened to the point that the blander foods that haven't interested me in years are more flavorful and enjoyable, and the rich and complicated flavors that I once loved are simply too strong for me to enjoy. Foods that may disrupt my digestive system, which has already sacrificed much of the energy that my body has once given it, such as fried and oily dishes aren't in the least bit appealing to me these days, either.
Growing up in Pennsylvania, almost all of the food that my brothers and sister and I were fed was homemade, due to my mother's severe allergies to many preservatives and spices. I also learned, after moving away, that compared to the culinary offerings of the world, Mom's food was quite bland. The spice mix that makes up most curries would put my mom in the hospital, (and wasn't known or available in the Germanic area that we grew up in, anyway), but imagine my surprise when I'd tasted it for the first time. Now that my senses are so hightened, though, and my body craves the simple building blocks needed to create a life, I find myself making and craving many of those simple foods that my parents lovingly prepared for us. I found myself making a PB&J for the first time since college a few weeks ago, and it's become one of my favorite snacks. Of course, I am careful to use whole grain bread, organic peanut butter, and 100% fruit preserves in place of the sugary jelly that I preferrred as a child. Plain cheddar and American cheeses are my preferences over the stronger French cheeses I used to enjoy. (I really do hope that changes back.)
Fresh fruit has more appeal to me than it ever has before, including the simple apples, pears, oranges, nectarines and bananas that I grew up with, but also many of the tropical fruits that I've been introduced to by my Latin American neighbors when living in Miami and New York. I went through an entire box of clementines in one week in my third month, and I am very much enjoying the Honey Bells that my in-laws sent me from Florida last week. Fresh vegetables like cucumber slices and cherry tomatoes and snow peas are staples in my pregnancy refrigerator. A ripe avocado, eaten straight out of the skin with a spoon and a sprinkle of salt, was a favorite snack before the pregnancy and continues to be so now.
I have also been able to find dishes that I enjoy and that are healthy for me in every cuisine that we have been lucky enough to have available in such a diverse city, but they're often quite different from what I used to order. For Chinese, I often reach for steamed vegetables and any tofu dishes, egg-drop soup and some vegetable fried rice. For Japanese, I order vitamin-rich Udon or Soba noodles in a chicken broth with vegetables and often an egg. Mediterranean and Middle East cuisines often include the pregnancy (and otherwise)-friendly yogurts, olive oil, and vegetables that I love and crave. The dietary restrictions of many religions have encouraged several Asian and Middle-Eastern cultures to develop a wide variety of vegetarian dishes that are full of vitamins, non-controversial, and easy to digest, such as hummous and falafel. Indian food has been wonderful for me diet-wise, but I try to stay away from anything too spicy due to the heartburn that often accompanies pregnancy. Saag Panir, the Indian version of creamed spinach, is my favorite, paired nicely with a few chickpea samosas.
Sushi, one of my favorite pre-pregnancy cuisines, is a hot topic when it comes to pregnancy. I have credited a steady diet of raw fish, rice and vegetables when it came to my figure and health for years. The Japanese people are the healthiest in the world largely because of their diet, and yet so many Americans insist that the entire concept of it is unhealthy and repulsive. Raw meat of any kind turns the majority of my loved ones away, often getting the blame whenever I am ill. "It's all the raw fish you eat," is the insightful advice I've heard from relatives when I have been feeling under the weather. But take it a step further and even mention pregnancy amd sushi in the same sentence, and you are bound to get a lecture.
Avoiding sushi in my first trimester was easy since everything made me sick. Since then, however, I have been wrestling with this issue. Sitting in my stylist's chair for a haircut a month or so ago, I asked the lovely Tokyo-born Yuki if her mother and friends ate sushi while pregnant. She couldn't stop laughing- as expected, she was completely confused as to why they wouldn't eat it. What silly people we Americans are! Here we have the ultimate food; protein, B-vitamins, minerals, omega-3 fatty acids and fiber, all in a low-calorie, heart-healthy (and beautiful) meal. Even the wasabi used to add flavor is rich in vitamin C, and miso is wonderfully friendly to the digestive system. I have avoided tuna (exept for the canned variety) because the recent study results indicating the dangerously high mercury levels did manage to scare me off. But the salmon and white fishes should offer very little danger, and I admit that I've stolen a piece or two from Chez to supplement my assortment of vegetables sushi. Several articles I have read insisted that if a restaurant uses fish that had been frozen, then there is no risk of the dangers that our American doctors (and families) warn us about.
Choosing to side with the views of my swollen sisters in Europe, I will have a glass of wine every now and then. I drink sparkling water through most of a restaurant meal, wait until I'm completely hydrated and have a full stomach of food, and then I enjoy a glass of wine, champagne, beer, or port. I've had at most an average of one glass a week since discovering my pregnancy, and I refuse to feel bad about it. The Irish actually encourage a pint of Guinness daily for pregnant women, and countless studies show that a glass of red wine is healthy for all of us. I've been warned about the unwelcome "pregnancy police" who I anticipate will stare me down or even vocally express their disapproval when they see me enjoying a few sips in public once I'm more visably pregnant. I suppose I will defend myself as needed, and I know that Chez will back me up.
I'm curious as to what pregnancy diet "rules" you have all broken, so please feel free to comment or write to me with your findings. For now, I will continue to stick with my instincts and hope that my baby is the better because of it.
And yes, in case you are wondering, I have developed a new appreciation for pickles.
23 comments:
Back in the dark ages when I was pregnant, there weren't rules about foods to avoid; we certainly were permitted to have coffee and wine which I understand are no-nos now. I had times when I absolutely could not eat beef.
n, np
Persian superstition prohibits eating pickles and yogurt together for fear of the offspring being born freckled (there are few things worse than being freckled in Iran). I've never been pregnant, but I love mixing plain yogurt and mixed pickles together--to my grandmother's great dismay.
Also, excellent call on the saag panir and somosas.
Oh, I am embarrassed to say that during my second pregnancy I found myself with an inexplicable craving for Coke Slurpees. Yeah, 'cause THAT'S really good for the baby. LOL!
Mostly, though, during my first pregnancy, I craved green apples, hot roast beef, and soft serve ice cream (normally a big yuck from me on this one).
I don't think I drank alcohol while pregnant, although I did while I was nursing without going through a "pump and dump" afterwards.
Oh, and for baby #2, I ate soup. Lots and lots of soup. With cheese. And I often had a southwestern salad with it (black beans, corn, walnuts, ranch dressing, etc.).
Eat what you want! People will be annoying to pregnant women anyway. At least you'll give them something interesting to say. Ha ha.
I think a glass of wine in a pregnant woman's hand works to fend off the very people that might overstep the bounds of friendliness and make your belly public property.
And! I think it is perfectly fine. The world, and certainly the good ol' U. S. of A., could use a good dose of the "moderate drinking" mentality. I can't tell you how many ugly looks I get over my lunchtime beer.
EVERYONE should have a healthy addiction to pickles. And kimchee.
I've been reading your blog for awhile but this is my first comment. I had to, though, because when I was pregnant, I felt like an alien had taken over my body and I was just along for the ride, the cravings being a big part of that roller coaster. One craving was for sweets, especially chocolate, which is SO unlike my normal diet that my friends and family thought it was hysterical. I still remember the day that I, at a rather rotund eight months, hit the grocery store and bought cake mix, frosting, whipped cream, and ice cream, and leveled the evil eye at anyone who dared look at me askance. Talk about furthering the stereotype. Hubby asked why I was making a cake. I said, "Because I want a cake." End of story.
The other weird craving was the urgent need for, well, anything I saw--cravings of susceptibility, if you will. For example, I saw an ad for Gorton's fishsticks and suddenly I *had* to have them. As in, sending out the hubby to the store for them RIGHT NOW. Then there was the time that I was shopping and peanut brittle caught my eye. I don't recall if I'd ever before even eaten peanut brittle but the entire box was almost gone before I even paid for it. Hubby learned to keep his mouth shut early on, I will give him that.
Now, the stuff that you're actually interested in: the taboos. I'll admit that I didn't eat sushi but that's partially because, as much as I enjoy it, it's simply not a consistent part of my diet. I think that as long as you avoid the tuna (and other high-mercury fish, such as shark, I believe), you're okay. I did (gasp!) eat ham cut right there at the deli (big no-no) and I did have a cup of coffee every day for the entire nine months. Without that precious, lifesaving cup, I would have been even more of a bit-... bear than I was, anyway.
As for alcohol, at first, I did have a glass of wine (or champagne, at New Year's) once a month, as per my ob's thumbs-up (she's a little more liberal than most), but I gave it up after about five months simply because I found that I didn't enjoy it. (A lot of pregnant women say the same--that alcohol simply doesn't taste "right," the same way that hormones change your taste buds with other things, such as meat or whatnot. And I think that a lot of studies on whether or not pregnant women drink don't take that into account, or so I would guess.) But I did do a lot of research on the subject, particularly after I had my daughter and was breastfeeding and REALLY wanted a glass of red wine (for some reason) now and then. And I found much the same as you have, that we're practically the only country in the world with such an OHMYGODYOUCAN'T! viewpoint on drinking during pregnancy and breastfeeding. (The biggest danger during breastfeeding, other than the obvious issue of timing it correctly, is that you need to drink plenty of water afterward so that you don't dehydrate your system.) For what it's worth, I did enjoy a glass or two of wine a few times a week while I was breastfeeding and my 2 1/2 year old daughter is perfectly healthy and quite bright (if I do say so myself). :)
And I do run on... anyway I wish you the absolute best with this exciting, wild adventure!
Sherry
Ah yes, coffee. I meant to get into that taboo as well but felt the piece was long enough as it was! I gave up my 5 cup a day habit, but felt that with the fatigue and headaches, it was better to have one cup each morning instead of feeling awful all day. If I really need a pick-me-up in the afternoon, I have a weak cup of tea.
I completely agree about the loss of desire for the wine- it really doesn't taste right for me anymore. Even the good stuff tastes more acidic to me now than it used to, and I find I can't stomach more than a few sips. Beer, on the other hand, tastes far better to me now than it ever did, and I steal sips from Chez's every now and then. I'm curious as to thoughts on sake, one of my favorite beverages... I still crave that but haven't done any research yet...
I have cheated with the lunchmeats, too, simply because it's so rare that I want any meat at all, I feel that the benefit I would get from the iron and protein in the occasional lunchmeat outweighs the risks.
congrats!! sorry for the long reply, but as i just had my first 4 months ago, love food, and am still working through dietary restrictions, this is all very fresh in my mind...
i ignored all the rules about cheeses. it is recommended you refrain from eating "raw" type cheeses such as brie and feta. however, my thought was, nearly all the cheese in this country is processed to some degree, so the experts can shove it on that one. :) i continued eating whatever cheese i wanted and didn't feel the slightest bit bad about it. don't mess with my dairy.
i did avoid most of those fishies as well, due to the mercury warning, though i did eat tuna every now and again since i love it.
i also abstained from alcohol my entire pregnancy, but props to you for not being scared by this one. the truth is, the occasional glass probably has no ill effects. what cowed me was an article i read saying that it affects everyone differently; one could drink every day with no effects, and one could have 1 glass and affect the baby. who knows. i have found it hard to have a drink since the birth, more from opportunity than anything. i did have a glass of wine for valentine's day, and let me tell you, i was a pretty cheap date. all it took was 1 glass to do me in. ;) from what i have read, the "pump and dump" theory actually doesn't apply, since the alcohol is passed into your blood, not the breastmilk. i haven't been drinking anyways, however, since a) i'm generally so tired that a drink would probably knock me out, and b) i need all my senses about me to get up through the night for feedings, lest i fall down the stairs.
i cut out all caffeine during my pregnancy as well, but since i hardly had any to begin with, that wasn't hard.
for the most part, i didn't have any cravings. i like to chalk that up to my well balanced diet, plus the fact i've never been shy about indulging whatever whims my stomach whispers to my brain (they still don't know what causes cravings, so don't believe this has anything to do with it, but i don't care what the "experts" say - i'm sticking with my theorr). i did enjoy fruits like never before as well, especially during my first and third trimesters. during the first 2 trimesters in fact, i wasn't all that interested in sweets.
i hit the ice cream pretty hard at the end though. i figured i was good for the first 8 months - the last 4 weeks belonged to me, ben, and jerry! ;)
i did find that after the baby was born, i had to cut out all dairy. :( that was a sad, sad day. but (and it seems this is not uncommon), the milk proteins in the dairy i ate passed through my breastmilk to the baby, whose immature digestive system (babies' digestive systems don't mature until somewhere between 3 and 5 months of age) was unable to handle it. you could tell he was in horrible pain; he would scream, cry, and writhe for hours trying to pass gas/BM. eventually he would, but then it would be time to eat again... and it would start all over again. the behavior was very similar to colic, but since it seemed to be in direct relation to him eating, we knew it had to be something to do with that. after 2 straight days and nights of no sleep and perpetual crying (from all 3 of us) around week 3, we knew we had to find a solution. we did a lot of reading, made a list of the top offenders, and started with dairy. as soon as i cut out dairy, the problem was gone. he still had some issues passing gas at times, but nothing like before. and since we've started him on probiotics, that has cleared up as well. now i have happy smiley baby. :)
it was seriously tough to cut out dairy (i'm a wisconsonite, for heaven's sake). however, i think not eating any dairy from week 3 until now (he turned 4 months last week) is what helped me lose the baby weight so fast. i still haven't found the ability to schedule in work outs, but as early as 3 months i was squeezing back into my pre-pregnancy pants. i'm looking forward to finding time to work out to lose the last bit. plus, the effect it had on the baby was immediate. knowing it made him feel worlds better made it hardly a passing thought.
the good news is we did a test this weekend and he is over it! i am back on dairy! i teared up a little bit with my first bite of cheese yesterday. i keep finding myself day dreaming about this chile relleno recipe my husband does (with anchos, corn, and cream), and i'm barely restraining myself from diving headfirst into a chocolate milkshake...
Hi there! I'm delurking and since this is my first time posting, let me congratulate you on your wee one!
This is always a funny subject since women are so different. I've had two kids and both pregnancies were hyperemetic. That means I was nauseated 24/7 and puking nearly around the clock. It would go in 20 minute spurts for around five hours. Then I'd get a break and puke some more. I lived off of Pedialyte and dry toast for nearly five months with the first baby and lost almost 30 lbs. With baby #2, shortly after I took my pregnancy test I lost 15 lbs in two weeks and they put a PICC line in my arm, so I didn't starve.
Both kids came out perfectly fine - so try not to worry too much!
i had to pop in to say that i had both my kids a long time ago (son is now 27, daughter now 22) and things were a lot different. i didn't breastfeed either one, but i distinctly remember new moms being encouraged to have a glass of wine to relax while breastfeeding.
i drank during pregnancy, and don't remember any dietary restrictions. with my youngest, i was sick the entire 9 months, the only thing i could keep down was sashimi. i developed an intense aversion to ice cream that has only recently subsided.
i only gained 5 lbs with her, and she weighed 8'3", but i was heavy. both kids i'd lost all preg. weight within 3 months. well, to be fair, with both, i couldn't keep anything down after i left the hospital for 2-3 weeks. weird. i do the same now after surgery.
both my kids are healthy except for some hereditary/genetic things passed down. and i drank an awful lot with the first one, no one told me not to.
and remember, ladies, 50 years ago, doctors encouraged pregnant women to SMOKE in order to keep their weight down. frightening, but true.
As the kind of person who tends to research as a matter of course, when I found myself pregnant I turned right to the 'net and books to figure out exactly how to do this thing right. This article rings so true with my feelings of those first few weeks. Talking it out with my husband, trying to figure out exactly how to do this thing right, I figured out that there is no "right" way to do it.
Millions of mothers have eaten runny cheese and raw fish for a thousand years and yet we have continued to live on as a species.
This prepares you up for the rest of parenthood, where you will do your best to balance what the world tells you you should be doing (which is often conflicting) and real life, day-to-day.
Today my son had two pieces of watermelon and some crackers for dinner. I tried every trick in the book to get some protein and veggies into him, but he's teething and feels miserable and just wants sweets and comfort food. *deep breath* He'll be fine and eat like a champ as soon as he feels better.
The first 4-5 months I was pregnant I could barely keep anything in. Like Lea, I also lost a lot of wieght, the doctor was not impressed. I remember gingersnaps and saltines with water were my limit, and only in small doses.
Once the nausea (mostly) abated, I craved soy milk, probably because meats still made me ill. Then around 7 months, I craved liver. I dreamt of Roscoe's.
It sounds to me like you are listening well to what your body and the baby needs. I second Liz- eat what you want!
Jayne, I had the same problem with the coffee re: needing my afternoon pick-me-up. I found that a cup of half-caf/half-decaf in the morning and then another one in the afternoon worked pretty well; I was still only drinking one "true" cup of coffee a day (yes, there's a little caffeine in the decaf but it's minimal) but my brain was fooled enough by the smell of the coffee in the morning to accept the half-decaf part. ;)
I'm just starting month 8, and had the exact same meat aversion until the beginning of the third trimester. Also, like you, I was not a huge carb-eater, so it was a massive adjustment. I had never heard of that as a pregnancy food thing, so apparently we're special and awesome.
I've also been following the same approach to sushi, fruit, and my half a Lonestar once a week. Just curious: has your weight gain been low so far? Mine has, even adjusting for the 10lbs I lost with all the puking.
So nice to hear that I am not the only "bad pregnant woman" out there. I love my sushi and while I steer clear of some pieces I have enjoyed it and CRAVE it on a regular basis. I have also enjoyed my caffeine! An occasional coffee, ice tea, and soda. During my first trimester they were some of the only settling things for my stomach.
I think that it is important for people to remember that it is all in moderation. And as you have suggested listening to what it is your body is requesting. Our bodies cravings are due to a specific needs that we are seeking out in our food. This is not just during pregnancy, for example: people crave Ice Chips when they are anemic, this is because the minerals in water settle into the center of the ice cube and are released upon melting and crushing.
I think that if you are having a craving for something it probably isnt the worst thing in the world for you!
Thanks for the read!
This is my first time on your blog and first time posting, so congratulations! It's great that your pregnancy is going so well and you've got a great attitude and insights about it all.
When I was pregnant for my daughter nearly three years ago, I think I stayed away from a lot of the conventional things you hear: unpasteurized cheeses, raw fish, alcohol. Like many of the women above, my avoidance of alcohol was related more to my lack of desire than anything my doctor or pregnancy books said. I had a some sips of wine or beer here and there but didn't really feel like I was missing out. I ate Thai food quite a bit so I didn't avoid the spicy foods until the end when my heartburn really kicked in.
Like you, Jayne, I had a HUGE avoidance to meat, particularly big chunks of it. Looking at a filet mignon (one of my favorites), chicken breast or pork chop made me gag.
The one craving I really remember was milk. I'm not much of a milk drinker by nature, but I would drink huge glasses of milk all day long, generating looks of astonishment from my husband. All dairy products were big for me, in fact, a norm from my regular routine. I also craved fresh fruits and veggies which were readily accessible at our corner fruit and vegetable stand.
Like Jen, I had to cut out dairy completely after the pregnancy due to horrible gas issues for my breastfed daughter. It didn't completely cure her problems, but we saw a noticable difference when I didn't have any dairy. If you breastfeed, hopefully you won't suffer the same issues!
And lastly, I was never much of a beer drinker but post-pregnancy it tasted fantastic to me. There were days where I'd just be craving beer. According to an old wives tale, beer can help your milk supply so perhaps that was the genesis of that particular desire. I still prefer good beer to wine most days.
Good luck to you and congratulations again!
bethann, interesting note on the post-pregnancy beer. i had a few sips of leinenkugel's creamy dark (local to milwaukee, woohoo) while preparing beef and guinness stew this past saturday, and while i've never been a dark beer kind of girl (i love bitter and pale ales), it was one of the most delicious things i have ever tasted. i thought maybe it was just because i hadn't had one in 13 months, but maybe not! i had my husband pick up some pale ale the next day (not that i've gotten around to drinking any of it). ;)
In Cameroon, the Fang people were convinced that if a pregnant woman or her husband were to see a gorilla, even a dead one, she would give birth to a gorilla, rather than to a human child.
Therefore I recommend tree bark and monkey juice. High in protein.
I don't know. Just my thoughts
Talk about an explosion of comments when you solicit baby incubating advice.
The only thing I really craved during my pregnancy (and this was early on) was Kraft dinner with Spam (Southern white trash thing). I also indulged in a glass of wine or champagne here and again. Little A so for shows no sign of being all goofed up because of it. I avoided the lunch meats and Slurpees and typical stuff. On my own, I gave up my beloved Diet Cokes out of concerns with artificial sweeteners.
In terms of the judgmental eye, I got some serious flak from people for drinking coffee while I was pregnant. You would have thought I was shooting heroin.
But I didn't really rebel with pregnancy eating. Instead, I refused to let the alien/vampire floating in my womb stop me from doing stuff. In my first trimester I ran a couple of 5K's, rode roller coasters, and worked on a Habitat for Humanity build. My kiddo was a tough little nut in utero. So I figure that your bun will survive a few pieces of sushi and some tasty port.
Enjoy being pregnant as much as you can. It's the only time your baby will be totally portable and quiet all the time.
Enjoy being pregnant as much as you can. It's the only time your baby will be totally portable and quiet all the time.
haha, i second that! as unfun as being pregnant can be, it's nothing compared to what is yet to come! ;) of course, the flip side to that is having this beautiful, amazing, intriguing creature to gaze at all day. while you might not agree in the first 2 weeks after birth, it is true what they say: it's all worth it.
each of my pregnancies have been totally different foodwise. i will say this: whatever made me sickest during pregnanacy, my child was allergic to after birth. with my 1st born, i couldn't eat fruit. she is allergic to raw fruit (like her dad). my 2nd born i couldn't eat dairy or eggs. she had SEVERE egg and dairy allergies (also wheat, they thought she was celiac until she was 4) my youngest, no food sensitivies except i had to give up spice. she hates spices. go figure. oh yes. i hardly ever drink, but i still had a glass of champagne now and then while pregnant. and home brewed beer. not canned, not bottled,not tap. home brew, from my friend's basement. and i always had a WILD craving for sashimi, would have it once a week. my normalintake of japanese food (not counting udon or soup) is once every 3 months. trust your body.as long as you feel good and are gaining appropriately (i had a difficult time gaining weight, gained 14, 18 and 18 pounds during each of my full-term pregnancies) trust yourself. same goes for after. if you are breastfeeding, LOTS of liquids, rest and FOOD. 1st 4months post birth, when they were nursing round the clock was the only time in my life that i was RAVENOUS. but i was truly eating for two. and losing weight daily. by the time each of my girls was 2 weeks old, i weighed less than pre-pregnancy.
hmm...any weird craving? jalapenas on everything with my 1st. hot sour soup and spinach with my 2nd. plums (i hate plums) with my 3rd.
and salt.i never salt anything. except when i'm pregnant. l'chaim!
It's Kricket - OK, here's my story.
I was never a meat eater until I got pregnant. It was only then that I could appreciate what all the fuss was over steak!! And I love it now too (daughter is 2yrs).
The first trimester I gave up coffee because it simply tasted awful but picked it back up again in the middle of the second and I drank one cup every morning there after, even while breastfeeding. The first trimester was lemon tea and fruit.
I was scared away from sushi but I wouldn't be afraid now, knowing what I know. I drank milk and ate raw cheeses, but didn't start to drink raw milk until after my daughter was born. Now, I wouldn't touch the pasteurized stuff at all.
Cantaloupe and lots of it. I binged on fruit the first trimester - all kinds. And eggs - I ate a lot of eggs. I made a fried egg sandwich for myself before leaving to give birth. I knew I was going to need the energy! Other than that nothing else - eggs, steak, cantaloupe, veggies.
Oh, I took cod liver oil and high vitamin butter oil daily. I got mine online from green pastures. I took that and didn’t take the synthetic prenatal vitamins.
If I get pregnant again I hope to incorporate more raw foods, naturally fermented foods like kimchi, and more liver.
I had a Guinness a day after I gave birth and it was marvelous! YUM!
So – sounds to me that you are doing just fine. Listening to your body is the smartest thing you can do any time but while you are pregnant, it is just that much more essential.
I am going on five months this week...what a nightmare these food aversions have been! I have been terribly sick since the beginning, my nausea is finally starting to subside..that is, I haven't ben sick in a whopping THREE DAYS! Yippee!
I haven't been able to stomach any dairy, red meat, red sauce or sweets in four months. Actually, nothing really tastes good anymore. I'm praying for an appetite..any appetite to come back!
Seeing that you are a month ahead of me, I am feeling hopeful that I too will start to want to eat again..I miss it :(
Congrats on the healthy ultrasound, btw. Going for mine on the 15th of April...I don't think I've been so anxious, ever.
Hi Jayne--it's Rachel.
I, too, was ill for a good part of my first trimester. I survived on Easy Mac, bread/toast, and milk. My whole pregnancy, I couldn't bear the smell of Chinese food. That was the one big aversion I had. I still don't much care for it. I think in the nearly 15 months since Jake was born, I've had Chinese twice. I ate a lot of fruit, veggies, pasta, rice, poultry, fish, cereal, cheese, pickles (yum), olives....and ice cream. lol. I also didn't care for meat much. Just looking at it sometimes made me ill. Every now and then I'd have a coffee (when I rarely drink it--and not a normal coffee, a super duper flavored-sugared-mocha-y-latte-type coffee) or an adult beverage (on the sly--hubby disapproved), ate lunchmeat regularly. And I really didn't see the point with some restrictions, like the cheese. It's so weird.
But I'm with you--go with what yor body tells you. You know it best, and what it's trying to tell you.
Post a Comment