Gotta eat but nothing sounds good
January 1, 2016 7:07 PM Subscribe
I'm 16 weeks pregnant and my doctor was concerned at my appointment a few days ago because I've only gained 1.5 lbs. I haven't had much morning sickness or nausea but food just doesn't appeal to me. What am I doing wrong?
Sometimes I feel REALLY HUNGRY but it's more like, you need to eat something NOW, not like PIZZA NOW or ICE CREAM NOW. When I try to think of actual specifics, I can't think of anything that sounds appetizing. I will usually eat crackers, apple sauce, or cereal because I need to eat and I feel confident that those things will not make me sick. I used to have a sweet tooth but those things don't really appeal to me right now.
My husband said he's noticed that I eat less at meals in general than I used to. It's not intentional - I think I frequently feel gassy and full so I don't eat much. In general, I try to listen to my body whether it's craving sleep or tomatoes or whatever and part of that includes stopping eating when I'm full.
I've also been a lot less active lately and I think I eat more when I'm more active but I've been dealing with a lot of fatigue lately. That said, I have depression too and not having interest in food or activity plus wanting to sleep all the time are depression symptoms, I recognize.
I think I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that, while this is very much a wanted pregnancy, I'm not excited about the prospect of weight gain. I realize it comes with the territory and right now, job one is put myself in the best position possible to have a healthy baby. At the same time, given the choice, I'd rather have a healthy baby and gain 25 lbs during my pregnancy than have a healthy baby and gain 35 lbs. My BMI has always teetered around 25 so I'm definitely hoping that my weight gain is on the lower side of the healthy range. But I don't think that's been an issue here - I haven't been very active and food just doesn't interest me much. I'm not turning down food when I'm hungry. And I'm not sticking to salads when I am hungry.
Part of me just thinks I should be patient and the weight gain will come before I know it. I can try to treat my gassiness, heart burn, and acid reflux. My OB says she thinks I should gain 5 lbs by 20 weeks. And I realize that this might sound like a good problem to have but like I said, I want to put myself in the best position possible to have a healthy baby. But how do I do that? Should I be doing something differently?
Sometimes I feel REALLY HUNGRY but it's more like, you need to eat something NOW, not like PIZZA NOW or ICE CREAM NOW. When I try to think of actual specifics, I can't think of anything that sounds appetizing. I will usually eat crackers, apple sauce, or cereal because I need to eat and I feel confident that those things will not make me sick. I used to have a sweet tooth but those things don't really appeal to me right now.
My husband said he's noticed that I eat less at meals in general than I used to. It's not intentional - I think I frequently feel gassy and full so I don't eat much. In general, I try to listen to my body whether it's craving sleep or tomatoes or whatever and part of that includes stopping eating when I'm full.
I've also been a lot less active lately and I think I eat more when I'm more active but I've been dealing with a lot of fatigue lately. That said, I have depression too and not having interest in food or activity plus wanting to sleep all the time are depression symptoms, I recognize.
I think I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that, while this is very much a wanted pregnancy, I'm not excited about the prospect of weight gain. I realize it comes with the territory and right now, job one is put myself in the best position possible to have a healthy baby. At the same time, given the choice, I'd rather have a healthy baby and gain 25 lbs during my pregnancy than have a healthy baby and gain 35 lbs. My BMI has always teetered around 25 so I'm definitely hoping that my weight gain is on the lower side of the healthy range. But I don't think that's been an issue here - I haven't been very active and food just doesn't interest me much. I'm not turning down food when I'm hungry. And I'm not sticking to salads when I am hungry.
Part of me just thinks I should be patient and the weight gain will come before I know it. I can try to treat my gassiness, heart burn, and acid reflux. My OB says she thinks I should gain 5 lbs by 20 weeks. And I realize that this might sound like a good problem to have but like I said, I want to put myself in the best position possible to have a healthy baby. But how do I do that? Should I be doing something differently?
What about protein shakes? I've always been able to drink them when nothing else appealed to me.
FWIW, I'm no doctor but I can tell you anecdotally that most of my pregnancy weight was gained in the second half of my pregnancies.
posted by amro at 7:18 PM on January 1, 2016
FWIW, I'm no doctor but I can tell you anecdotally that most of my pregnancy weight was gained in the second half of my pregnancies.
posted by amro at 7:18 PM on January 1, 2016
I had this problem until around 18 weeks and then I felt great and wanted to eat everything all the time. It was easy to gain too much weight. I'd focus in eating reasonable quantities of your usual healthy snacks and meals. Lower target for first trimester weight gain is one pound. Feel free to stock some pizza and ice cream. Everyone deserves a treat when they crave it, but I wouldn't attempt to force feed, especially crap.
posted by Kalmya at 7:20 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by Kalmya at 7:20 PM on January 1, 2016
I wouldn't worry about it too much if the baby's development is on track. Just eat what you can, when you can, and the vitamins help.
My wife (currently at 35 weeks) was actually negative two pounds (-2 lbs) at 16 weeks. She didn't start gaining until week 19 once the nausea and vomiting let up. Despite that, her appetite wasn't what it was pre-pregnancy and she has only gained a total of 8 lbs to date. The doctor/midwife ordered additional sonograms to monitor the baby's growth which, thankfully is on track. Fruit like grapefruit and pineapple helped, but she mostly eats carbs which she rarely did pre-pregnancy.
posted by Stu-Pendous at 7:30 PM on January 1, 2016
My wife (currently at 35 weeks) was actually negative two pounds (-2 lbs) at 16 weeks. She didn't start gaining until week 19 once the nausea and vomiting let up. Despite that, her appetite wasn't what it was pre-pregnancy and she has only gained a total of 8 lbs to date. The doctor/midwife ordered additional sonograms to monitor the baby's growth which, thankfully is on track. Fruit like grapefruit and pineapple helped, but she mostly eats carbs which she rarely did pre-pregnancy.
posted by Stu-Pendous at 7:30 PM on January 1, 2016
Yeah, I basically hated all food until about 18 weeks in when my morning sickness subsided. I found keeping a store of nuts, avocados, and dried fruits helped me eat small grazing snacks consistently instead of trying to eat a full meal all the time. Fruit smoothies helped a lot too (I did a lot of frozen fruits and milk with vanilla in a blender) just to get calories in me. My OB also recommended eating a spoonful of peanut butter with whole milk as a healthy grazing snack as well to make sure I was getting the healthy fats I needed without eating all the McDonald's.
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 7:31 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by Suffocating Kitty at 7:31 PM on January 1, 2016
I lost weight in the first tri, though my starting BMI was higher than yours. I ended up gaining a total of 20 pounds throughout my pregnancy, most of which came in the last couple of months. My doc was very pleased with my progress throughout.
I was also super worried about weight gain. Years of stressing about weight does not magically go away when you're pregnant. It's hard, but try to be OK with whatever happens. I focused hard on healthy proteins (bonus: helped me with exhaustion too), even though nothing sounded good. I'm also a "listen to my body" eater and I kind of had to throw that out the window for a few months. I also couldnt eat meal-sized portions anymore so the above grazing advice is good.
I'm now eight months in the other side and down 40 pounds from my peak pregnancy weight without any effort (well, breastfeeding a baby with a dairy allergy helps). I will go into my next pregnancy much less worried about all of this as a result.
posted by marmago at 8:00 PM on January 1, 2016
I was also super worried about weight gain. Years of stressing about weight does not magically go away when you're pregnant. It's hard, but try to be OK with whatever happens. I focused hard on healthy proteins (bonus: helped me with exhaustion too), even though nothing sounded good. I'm also a "listen to my body" eater and I kind of had to throw that out the window for a few months. I also couldnt eat meal-sized portions anymore so the above grazing advice is good.
I'm now eight months in the other side and down 40 pounds from my peak pregnancy weight without any effort (well, breastfeeding a baby with a dairy allergy helps). I will go into my next pregnancy much less worried about all of this as a result.
posted by marmago at 8:00 PM on January 1, 2016
Yeah, I wouldn't be too worried yet, but when I was having trouble with adequate weight gain later in pregnancy, my doctor "prescribed" real-ice-cream, real-fruit milkshakes from a local dairy shop. I could usually keep them down even when my morning sickness was very bad, I could usually force myself to eat it, and it provided a fair number of calories in a pretty compact delivery system. I was pretty fucking sick of milkshakes by the time I delivered, though.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:04 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:04 PM on January 1, 2016
I felt like that too during my second pregnancy - normally, I'm interested in food all the time and happy to at least taste anything but throughout most of my second pregnancy it was hard to think of anything that sounded good ever. I tried to focus on eating more protein than I normally do (ie, if I need to eat and nothing sounds good, always default to protein). I carried plain almonds around with me all the time to help with that.
After a while, my appetite came back and I ate all the food. I gained 30 pounds all told, most of it towards the end, had a 8 lb 3 oz baby, and lost all the baby weight with no effort other than breastfeeding.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 8:07 PM on January 1, 2016
After a while, my appetite came back and I ate all the food. I gained 30 pounds all told, most of it towards the end, had a 8 lb 3 oz baby, and lost all the baby weight with no effort other than breastfeeding.
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 8:07 PM on January 1, 2016
This is super normal, all of it: the lack of weight gain, the lack of appetite, the cruddy digestion, the constant extreme fatigue, the first trimester cracker diet. For many women, it sticks around a few weeks into the second trimester. If you're still feeling this way around week 20, mention it to your doctor, but odds are good this will all lift in the next three weeks.
Regarding weight gain, everyone's experience is different and there's so little you can control during pregnancy. Early on, I assumed that I'd gain a ton and decided I'd just have to live with it, and was surprised that I gained the "right" amount. I'm still 25 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight, but that's mostly because I no longer have the time and energy for my pre-pregnancy workout routine (and, sadly, breastfeeding was not a magic weight-loss bullet for me). The silver lining, I guess, is that I no longer have the energy to care as much about my weight, either.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:29 PM on January 1, 2016
Regarding weight gain, everyone's experience is different and there's so little you can control during pregnancy. Early on, I assumed that I'd gain a ton and decided I'd just have to live with it, and was surprised that I gained the "right" amount. I'm still 25 pounds over my pre-pregnancy weight, but that's mostly because I no longer have the time and energy for my pre-pregnancy workout routine (and, sadly, breastfeeding was not a magic weight-loss bullet for me). The silver lining, I guess, is that I no longer have the energy to care as much about my weight, either.
posted by Metroid Baby at 8:29 PM on January 1, 2016
The protein shakes sound like a good idea. If you're mostly eating crackers, applesauce, and cereal, you aren't getting enough protein. A protein shake made out of high-quality whey (pastured, minimally processed, etc) with added fruit and greens would be nutritious, and you could just take a sip here and there instead of eating a full meal all at once.
Also, if you are concerned about your weight for health reasons, the healthiest people tend to be mildly overweight. You don't have to stay at a BMI of 25 to be healthy.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 8:29 PM on January 1, 2016
Also, if you are concerned about your weight for health reasons, the healthiest people tend to be mildly overweight. You don't have to stay at a BMI of 25 to be healthy.
posted by mysterious_stranger at 8:29 PM on January 1, 2016
Hi! You're me, currently. I'm 17 weeks along, and your question sounded so familiar I asked my husband if he was secretly posting for advice on metafilter. So first, lots and lots of sympathy here because omg, this is really freaking hard! I've never had a problem with food, always seen it as fuel for a healthy body/active lifestyle as well as nice tasty treats, and now I feel like I have an eating disorder - I'm always thinking about food, but I'm mildly angry about the whole situation because I Just Don't Like Food anymore. We've gone from friends to frenemies. It sucks.
Suggestions (although, yeah, I'm still struggling):
1. Try not to worry too much at this point. I see multiple high-risk maternal-fetal specialists at UCSF every couple of weeks (complicated clotting disorder), and they all have told me that yes, they are paying attention to my weight, since I'm currently a few pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight. However, they also tell me it's totally not a pressing concern at this point, especially given the amount of nausea and fatigue I've been dealing with. It sounds like you've had a shitty first trimester as well (lack of appetite and fatigue sucks!). According to the docs, I should give it 4 - 6 weeks more, and see if my appetite picks up at all. If I'm still under pre-pregnancy weight at that point, next steps will be talking with a nutritionist to figure out high-calorie strategies. During my appointment on Wednesday, my doctor even told me to not eat to try to gain weight at this point - just eat as I feel comfortable, and we'll worry about weight in February if it comes to that. People also just naturally gain at different rates during the different stages.
2. Stool softeners and tums. The gassiness and heartburn are just starting up for me, but it sounds like it's been troubling you for awhile. It seems like the entire gastrointestinal track gets completely f-ed up during pregnancy, yeah? Stool softeners (two a day) will keep things moving which gives you more room down there, and a tums after every decent-sized meal will help keep the heartburn and gas down. Even if you're just burping a lot (I am!), that might be a sign of heartburn according to my doctors, which means a tums could help. They're pretty much just vitamins, so taking three or four a day (to get through this stage of pregnancy) is fine, at least according to my doctors.
3. Go all in (slowly!) on the things that sound good. Right now I'm really rocking the string cheese, so I'll have two or three full-fat sticks before even getting out of bed (delivered by the ever-obliging husband). I think the string cheese also works for me because I eat it slowly, which helps prevent the heartburn and means I never get completely full. Basically, eat whatever sounds good, but try not to eat it too quickly. I've found I cope much better throughout the day if I schedule eating breaks every hour to hour and half and make sure I eat something at that time, even if the only thing that sounds vaguely appealing is the 8th string cheese of the day. I've never eaten in this semi-grazing manner before - and I HATE the fact that I have to think about food during so much of my day - but it's really, really helping in getting more calories in, which, in turn, is helping with the fatigue. And it keeps you from the blood sugar crash where you turn into a toddler and start crying ugly alligator tears because all food sounds terrible and life sucks and WHY WOULD WE EVEN EVOLVE THIS WAY? Or at least that's me, some days.
4. Try to have completed food options presented to you to yay or nay on. I just can't handle raw food and the preparation process anymore. And sometimes (at least once a day) nothing sounds good in the abstract. But if you put three to five different completed food items (that have had traction in the past) in front of me, I'll grudgingly pick up the spoon and start eating one of them, and it'll turn out okay in the end. This means that my husband sometimes heats up three to five small portions of something, and gives me them one at a time until something hits the jackpot. He (or the dogs) eat whatever doesn't work. It's time-intensive for him, but it gets calories into my body, which is our main goal right now. I've just started going back into the office, which is right next door to a Whole Foods, and, omg, the hot & colds food bar there is fantastic. I can just look at the food (while doing my best to avoid the items that make me nauseated just looking at them), and think "do I want to eat that thing two minutes from now?" Somehow, the way the food is more concretely there, rather than just an idea of a food, really helps. If you have a grocery store with a food bar, or one of those all-you-can-eat salad/pasta/soup place, try it out and see if it helps.
*hug* I'm sorry that things are tough right now. It sucks. I'm holding out hope that it'll get better, and, if not, well, -it's only 9 months. I will be thrilled to have a crying, never-sleeping newborn because it will mean I'm no longer pregnant.
posted by Jaclyn at 8:39 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
Suggestions (although, yeah, I'm still struggling):
1. Try not to worry too much at this point. I see multiple high-risk maternal-fetal specialists at UCSF every couple of weeks (complicated clotting disorder), and they all have told me that yes, they are paying attention to my weight, since I'm currently a few pounds under my pre-pregnancy weight. However, they also tell me it's totally not a pressing concern at this point, especially given the amount of nausea and fatigue I've been dealing with. It sounds like you've had a shitty first trimester as well (lack of appetite and fatigue sucks!). According to the docs, I should give it 4 - 6 weeks more, and see if my appetite picks up at all. If I'm still under pre-pregnancy weight at that point, next steps will be talking with a nutritionist to figure out high-calorie strategies. During my appointment on Wednesday, my doctor even told me to not eat to try to gain weight at this point - just eat as I feel comfortable, and we'll worry about weight in February if it comes to that. People also just naturally gain at different rates during the different stages.
2. Stool softeners and tums. The gassiness and heartburn are just starting up for me, but it sounds like it's been troubling you for awhile. It seems like the entire gastrointestinal track gets completely f-ed up during pregnancy, yeah? Stool softeners (two a day) will keep things moving which gives you more room down there, and a tums after every decent-sized meal will help keep the heartburn and gas down. Even if you're just burping a lot (I am!), that might be a sign of heartburn according to my doctors, which means a tums could help. They're pretty much just vitamins, so taking three or four a day (to get through this stage of pregnancy) is fine, at least according to my doctors.
3. Go all in (slowly!) on the things that sound good. Right now I'm really rocking the string cheese, so I'll have two or three full-fat sticks before even getting out of bed (delivered by the ever-obliging husband). I think the string cheese also works for me because I eat it slowly, which helps prevent the heartburn and means I never get completely full. Basically, eat whatever sounds good, but try not to eat it too quickly. I've found I cope much better throughout the day if I schedule eating breaks every hour to hour and half and make sure I eat something at that time, even if the only thing that sounds vaguely appealing is the 8th string cheese of the day. I've never eaten in this semi-grazing manner before - and I HATE the fact that I have to think about food during so much of my day - but it's really, really helping in getting more calories in, which, in turn, is helping with the fatigue. And it keeps you from the blood sugar crash where you turn into a toddler and start crying ugly alligator tears because all food sounds terrible and life sucks and WHY WOULD WE EVEN EVOLVE THIS WAY? Or at least that's me, some days.
4. Try to have completed food options presented to you to yay or nay on. I just can't handle raw food and the preparation process anymore. And sometimes (at least once a day) nothing sounds good in the abstract. But if you put three to five different completed food items (that have had traction in the past) in front of me, I'll grudgingly pick up the spoon and start eating one of them, and it'll turn out okay in the end. This means that my husband sometimes heats up three to five small portions of something, and gives me them one at a time until something hits the jackpot. He (or the dogs) eat whatever doesn't work. It's time-intensive for him, but it gets calories into my body, which is our main goal right now. I've just started going back into the office, which is right next door to a Whole Foods, and, omg, the hot & colds food bar there is fantastic. I can just look at the food (while doing my best to avoid the items that make me nauseated just looking at them), and think "do I want to eat that thing two minutes from now?" Somehow, the way the food is more concretely there, rather than just an idea of a food, really helps. If you have a grocery store with a food bar, or one of those all-you-can-eat salad/pasta/soup place, try it out and see if it helps.
*hug* I'm sorry that things are tough right now. It sucks. I'm holding out hope that it'll get better, and, if not, well, -it's only 9 months. I will be thrilled to have a crying, never-sleeping newborn because it will mean I'm no longer pregnant.
posted by Jaclyn at 8:39 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]
Oh, also - if you were pretty active before, and haven't been during the first tri, some of the weight loss/lack of weight gain may be due to decreased muscle mass. I was rock climbing regularly before, which really builds up the arm muscles, among others. My muscle loss in the biceps and forearms is visually apparent even to work colleagues who only see me in thick sweaters, and I'm sure I've lost muscle from other areas of my body. Muscle weighs a lot so this could easily be 2 - 5 lbs of "missing" weight gain right there.
posted by Jaclyn at 9:09 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by Jaclyn at 9:09 PM on January 1, 2016
Put the applesauce over plain greek nonfat yogurt. Put some cheese on the crackers. Try some grapes, apples, bananas.
posted by Oyéah at 9:52 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by Oyéah at 9:52 PM on January 1, 2016
I couldn't stand the smell, texture, or even thought of 99% of food during the first 16 or so weeks of my pregnancy. I subsisted mostly on fruit juice, Ensure shakes, and occasionally a Subway sub because listeria be damned, it was sometimes the only thing on the entire planet that sounded appetizing. I lost 15 lbs. 6 weeks later (after moving countries and thus to a new doctor who didn't have all my original records) I was being yelled at and forced to meet with a nutritionist because I'd gained back half that weight and she thought that was "too much" for someone who hovered around a BMI of 30 pre-pregnancy. Weight gain doesn't always happen on a lovely textbook linear curve.
Someone pointed out to me at the time - fetuses are perfect parasites. They'll get everything they need from you. It's *you* who experiences deficiencies. So... don't worry about your baby, and have faith that before you know it, you'll be eating like a horse.
posted by olinerd at 10:16 PM on January 1, 2016
Someone pointed out to me at the time - fetuses are perfect parasites. They'll get everything they need from you. It's *you* who experiences deficiencies. So... don't worry about your baby, and have faith that before you know it, you'll be eating like a horse.
posted by olinerd at 10:16 PM on January 1, 2016
I'd be looking at ways to get protein (easier said than done). When my appetite came back, the first thing I wanted was yogurt and yes, as mentioned above, string cheese. (And I'm normally lactose intolerant!)
posted by slidell at 10:20 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by slidell at 10:20 PM on January 1, 2016
Hi, 17 weeks pregnant here. I lost 3kg the first trimester because of all the vomiting and nausea. I guess I had hyperemesis gravidarum except I barely avoided the hospital so never really got a "label" for it. My OB never really worries about my weight as long as everything else looks good on paper (and on the scans). This is my third pregnancy (and hopefully the last time I ever feel this bad, I hate you, nausea!!! *shakes fist*) and at some point I worried about my baby getting enough food until I read this in one of the pregnancy books: "tiny babies have tiny nutritional needs", which actually makes a lot of sense.
posted by CrazyLemonade at 11:07 PM on January 1, 2016
posted by CrazyLemonade at 11:07 PM on January 1, 2016
I'm the same as you and I'm 16 weeks... And I was the same my last pregnancy. I like to eat easy white things like Hawaiian pizza, chicken and rice soup, pot noodles. Any real meat makes me want to run away! Also, I take Prilosec for indigestion... That is a god send!!
About weight gain anxiety- omg, me too. I gained nothing much last time until week 26 and then I was on bed rest and quickly gained, I wasn't eating a lot. I eventually had to take on board that my body was going to do what it needed to do because not eating a lot didn't make a huge difference, and omg did my butt suddenly explode at the end! Haha. And I left the hospital the same weight too. I deep down knew that it would take my body time to recalibrate so I didn't take weight loss seriously until 3 months had passed- and I was right. Suddenly the weight started dropping sooooo fast! Now I'm expecting again and things are following the same pattern. It's hard to accept that beyond healthy choices we don't have lots of control. Listen to your body and you'll do great!
posted by flink at 11:40 PM on January 1, 2016
About weight gain anxiety- omg, me too. I gained nothing much last time until week 26 and then I was on bed rest and quickly gained, I wasn't eating a lot. I eventually had to take on board that my body was going to do what it needed to do because not eating a lot didn't make a huge difference, and omg did my butt suddenly explode at the end! Haha. And I left the hospital the same weight too. I deep down knew that it would take my body time to recalibrate so I didn't take weight loss seriously until 3 months had passed- and I was right. Suddenly the weight started dropping sooooo fast! Now I'm expecting again and things are following the same pattern. It's hard to accept that beyond healthy choices we don't have lots of control. Listen to your body and you'll do great!
posted by flink at 11:40 PM on January 1, 2016
I didn't have morning sickness either, but eventually got a prescription for strong 24hr rannitide (heartburn) - it made a huuuuge difference. Absolutely pursue it if you think it might help. TUMS and the like did nothing. That said I ate a lot like you are, plus peanut butter, baked potatoes, and banana bread. Fwiw my BMI was and is (kid is 15mo) about 25 too.
posted by jrobin276 at 12:41 AM on January 2, 2016
posted by jrobin276 at 12:41 AM on January 2, 2016
When I was in the depths of morning sickness, I could only really choke down McChicken sandwiches from McDonald's. Eat whatever you can. You'll be fine. Your baby is fine. Promise. Doctors say all sorts of things to worry you. It's all good.
posted by Piedmont_Americana at 3:25 AM on January 2, 2016
posted by Piedmont_Americana at 3:25 AM on January 2, 2016
You're fine. I'm really surprised that your doctor thinks you should gain weight in the first trimester at all. Do you appear to be very thin? A BMI of 25 can mean a lot of different things - if you are normally very active, it can be all bones and muscles.
I had hyperemesis gravidarum, and my doctor was late about catching on to it because my BMI was normal and she wasn't aware that I trained a lot (I didn't appear to be muscular).
For both my pregnancies, I found the smell and taste of meat and anything fried (and coffee, and alcohol) disgusting, so I lived from raw and boiled vegetables and fruit, and milk. Actually mostly bananas and milk and gelato (only raspberry and nutella). Eventually, I did gain quite a lot of weight from these healthy staples, and within a month after each child was born, I was below my former weight in spite of returning to normal food. The only thing I did (not consciously) was walk. I took very long walks with the stroller every day, because being inside with the baby all the time drove me crazy.
posted by mumimor at 3:57 AM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
I had hyperemesis gravidarum, and my doctor was late about catching on to it because my BMI was normal and she wasn't aware that I trained a lot (I didn't appear to be muscular).
For both my pregnancies, I found the smell and taste of meat and anything fried (and coffee, and alcohol) disgusting, so I lived from raw and boiled vegetables and fruit, and milk. Actually mostly bananas and milk and gelato (only raspberry and nutella). Eventually, I did gain quite a lot of weight from these healthy staples, and within a month after each child was born, I was below my former weight in spite of returning to normal food. The only thing I did (not consciously) was walk. I took very long walks with the stroller every day, because being inside with the baby all the time drove me crazy.
posted by mumimor at 3:57 AM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
I'm in week 35 right now and can say that my appetite and specific food needs/desires were pretty darn variable through all those weeks. I had phases where I could only eat tiny amounts at a time, where I was hungry all the time but when presented with food, didn't want it, could eat like a horse, needed to eat a yogurt at 9am damnit or else, struggled with finding the perfect mix of carbohydrate and protein at breakfast so I didn't kill anyone between 7am-11am. For me it felt like everything changed every two weeks and it was only just as I'd started to figure out what worked, those two weeks were up and there was something new to contend with. For instance, this week I just started getting really bad heartburn, something I've never had before.
Food and pregnancy is hard and the weight gain is totally not linear. I've been comforted by the fundal measurements which have been right on track.
Good luck and I hope you find food and an eating schedule that works for you. The big lesson I am learning is that pregnancy is hugely variable - reading all these responses you'll notice that there are some commonalities but there are lots of striking differences.
posted by sciencegeek at 4:59 AM on January 2, 2016
Food and pregnancy is hard and the weight gain is totally not linear. I've been comforted by the fundal measurements which have been right on track.
Good luck and I hope you find food and an eating schedule that works for you. The big lesson I am learning is that pregnancy is hugely variable - reading all these responses you'll notice that there are some commonalities but there are lots of striking differences.
posted by sciencegeek at 4:59 AM on January 2, 2016
Nthing everyone who says you're fine. I also lost weight in my first trimester for all three of my kids. Stay as hydrated as you can.
But I haven't seen it mentioned upthread so I'll put it out there: how much do you love your doctor and the practice? Depending on how it was phrased, being told you "should" gain 5 pounds may not feel super supportive, so I would think about how much I like this particular doctor and if you feel like they're a little too blame-y, I'd ask around and find a more supportive practice.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 5:40 AM on January 2, 2016 [4 favorites]
But I haven't seen it mentioned upthread so I'll put it out there: how much do you love your doctor and the practice? Depending on how it was phrased, being told you "should" gain 5 pounds may not feel super supportive, so I would think about how much I like this particular doctor and if you feel like they're a little too blame-y, I'd ask around and find a more supportive practice.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 5:40 AM on January 2, 2016 [4 favorites]
Congratulations on the pregnancy and commiserations on the morning sickness. It's horrible isn't it? I'm almost 9 weeks and haven't puked at all but feel nauseated all day. I get the bloating thing too, so even when I do eat a tiny amount it makes me feel more sick. The thought of food makes me feel ill so I can't even think about cooking a meal or going grocery shopping. I used to love food, but my diet has been really bad. Hopefully it will start to pass as you move through the second trimester.
I've found the following smoothie really nice, and it reassures me that I'm getting protein and vitamins:
- couple of handfuls of frozen soft fruit
- banana
-tablespoon of cashew nut butter
-slosh of greek yoghurt with honey
-water
I've also found fruit and nut butter to be ok.
I've also had depression and anxiety and am conscious of these getting worse (I've reverted to staying in bed till the afternoon over Christmas which I know is a symptom). Have you mentioned this to your midwife - not sure where you are, but in the UK you can get referred to an antenatal psychiatrist, and I'm getting consultant-led care cause of my history.
I've also heard that the baby will get the nutrients it needs whatever you eat, as it will get them from your stores (which is why people sometimes lose a tooth in pregnancy - the baby is taking the calcium)
Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy :-)
posted by Dorothea_in_Rome at 6:33 AM on January 2, 2016
I've found the following smoothie really nice, and it reassures me that I'm getting protein and vitamins:
- couple of handfuls of frozen soft fruit
- banana
-tablespoon of cashew nut butter
-slosh of greek yoghurt with honey
-water
I've also found fruit and nut butter to be ok.
I've also had depression and anxiety and am conscious of these getting worse (I've reverted to staying in bed till the afternoon over Christmas which I know is a symptom). Have you mentioned this to your midwife - not sure where you are, but in the UK you can get referred to an antenatal psychiatrist, and I'm getting consultant-led care cause of my history.
I've also heard that the baby will get the nutrients it needs whatever you eat, as it will get them from your stores (which is why people sometimes lose a tooth in pregnancy - the baby is taking the calcium)
Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy :-)
posted by Dorothea_in_Rome at 6:33 AM on January 2, 2016
Please have yourself checked for anemia. I had malaise and exhaustion similar to what you describe during the first trimester of my pregnancy. I remember that once my husband took me out for Jamaican food, and I was so tired I didn't have the energy to eat a patty. Turns out I was severely anemic despite taking iron supplements. I was also vitamin D deficient. Supplementing both of those fixed me right up, at least to the point where I felt vaguely like a human being again and not a useless gestation lump.
My BMI was 25 at the start of my pregnancy. I felt similar ambivalence about gaining. I remember feeling vaguely proud when I hadn't gained at 12 weeks. But after the anemia was straightened out, I ended up gaining 55 lb. I lost 30 during the delivery and first few weeks postpartum, but 7-15 lb. have stuck around the two years since (I'm still breastfeeding, which might be a factor). My BMI hovers around obese now, though I'm far stronger than I used to be. And I grew and birthed and nurtured a small child from my body for nearly three years now. I just don't care that much about my floppy belly, stretchmarks, or extra weight. This whole process forces you to focus on what your body can do, not how it looks. And it's doing so much right now. Please be kind to yourself. I hope it's all centering for you the way it was for me.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:54 AM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
My BMI was 25 at the start of my pregnancy. I felt similar ambivalence about gaining. I remember feeling vaguely proud when I hadn't gained at 12 weeks. But after the anemia was straightened out, I ended up gaining 55 lb. I lost 30 during the delivery and first few weeks postpartum, but 7-15 lb. have stuck around the two years since (I'm still breastfeeding, which might be a factor). My BMI hovers around obese now, though I'm far stronger than I used to be. And I grew and birthed and nurtured a small child from my body for nearly three years now. I just don't care that much about my floppy belly, stretchmarks, or extra weight. This whole process forces you to focus on what your body can do, not how it looks. And it's doing so much right now. Please be kind to yourself. I hope it's all centering for you the way it was for me.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:54 AM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
I will usually eat crackers, apple sauce, or cereal because I need to eat and I feel confident that those things will not make me sick.
Also, you really, really need protein when you're making a baby and feeding a placenta. It could be that your doctor is concerned because you just aren't eating very much. Try cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, handfuls of nuts. Apple sauce and cereal really aren't enough to sustain your body during the hard work that it's doing (and nutritional deficiencies in the mother can impact the baby's health--look at folic acid and tube defects, for example. My daughter has tooth decay which I suspect was impacted by my own vitamin D deficiencies).
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:57 AM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Also, you really, really need protein when you're making a baby and feeding a placenta. It could be that your doctor is concerned because you just aren't eating very much. Try cheese sticks, hard boiled eggs, handfuls of nuts. Apple sauce and cereal really aren't enough to sustain your body during the hard work that it's doing (and nutritional deficiencies in the mother can impact the baby's health--look at folic acid and tube defects, for example. My daughter has tooth decay which I suspect was impacted by my own vitamin D deficiencies).
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:57 AM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Should I be doing something differently?
You don't mention if you've tried this, so apologies if you have:
think of colors, not foods.
Like I mentioned upthread, I had the same issues with all three of my kids. Couldn't stand the thought of food, the smells of coffee or hazelnuts were suddenly repulsive, the idea of peeling and eating a cheese stick was just the worst. Having to work my way through a salad was ugh.
So I thought about colors. Red foods...apples, strawberries, tomato sauce. Nope. And also, OMG raspberries are you insane. (I'm not saying this makes any rational sense, by the way.)
Yellow foods...bananas, pears, still nothing.
Purple foods...grapes. Hmmm, grapes kind of worked. So I continued with the experiment and I came upon orange foods. And I started eating juicy navel oranges like it was my job. They hit every single spot and the scent made me happy. I went from please don't make me think about food to wanting to eat a LOT of oranges. Oranges, oranges, oranges.
And then I thought, "Orange foods seem to work. What else is there? Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!!" and it was like the gates of heaven opened. I was able to pound that stuff down happily, mostly mixed evenly with corn and mashed up cauliflower.
So, if you haven't thought about food yet using colors as a guide, I can tell you that it worked for me.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 7:12 AM on January 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
You don't mention if you've tried this, so apologies if you have:
think of colors, not foods.
Like I mentioned upthread, I had the same issues with all three of my kids. Couldn't stand the thought of food, the smells of coffee or hazelnuts were suddenly repulsive, the idea of peeling and eating a cheese stick was just the worst. Having to work my way through a salad was ugh.
So I thought about colors. Red foods...apples, strawberries, tomato sauce. Nope. And also, OMG raspberries are you insane. (I'm not saying this makes any rational sense, by the way.)
Yellow foods...bananas, pears, still nothing.
Purple foods...grapes. Hmmm, grapes kind of worked. So I continued with the experiment and I came upon orange foods. And I started eating juicy navel oranges like it was my job. They hit every single spot and the scent made me happy. I went from please don't make me think about food to wanting to eat a LOT of oranges. Oranges, oranges, oranges.
And then I thought, "Orange foods seem to work. What else is there? Kraft Macaroni and Cheese!!" and it was like the gates of heaven opened. I was able to pound that stuff down happily, mostly mixed evenly with corn and mashed up cauliflower.
So, if you haven't thought about food yet using colors as a guide, I can tell you that it worked for me.
posted by yes I said yes I will Yes at 7:12 AM on January 2, 2016 [2 favorites]
I am 27 weeks and I commiserate very much with your comment about feeling very hungry but not being able to visualize or decide on what I want to eat. It's very strange and frustrating.
Three things I've found that have helped somewhat, but not completely eliminated the issue:
1. Asking my husband to just make me something with a good balance of food groups and not tell me what it is. Especially if I'm hungry for a while and just can't choose. This mostly works at least for a few bites (except for that one time he baked me chicken and the smell of it was just... wrong.) As someone mentioned above, if I can't eat what he makes, he'll save it for himself and try again.
2. Making a notation whenever the thought crosses my mind at any point in my day that something might taste good, and going back to that list when the hunger comes. I've found I'm typically obsessed with one type of food for a few weeks and want to eat mostly just that (phases so far include sautéed mushrooms, bananas mixed with dark cocoa and greek yogurt, mozzarella sticks with sugar free marinara.) Once I find an obsession I eat it hard until the phase passes, and then I remove it from my list.
3. Watching food commercials, looking at food blogs, reading grocery lists saved from my husband's past trips. I try to be patient with this process and think of it like an eye exam where the doctor changes the lenses and asks "better one or two? two or three?" If something looks okay but I don't want it, I try to think of the element about that food I do want. Or vice versa.
Good luck. It's weird being pregnant.
posted by dissolvedgirl22 at 8:10 AM on January 2, 2016
Three things I've found that have helped somewhat, but not completely eliminated the issue:
1. Asking my husband to just make me something with a good balance of food groups and not tell me what it is. Especially if I'm hungry for a while and just can't choose. This mostly works at least for a few bites (except for that one time he baked me chicken and the smell of it was just... wrong.) As someone mentioned above, if I can't eat what he makes, he'll save it for himself and try again.
2. Making a notation whenever the thought crosses my mind at any point in my day that something might taste good, and going back to that list when the hunger comes. I've found I'm typically obsessed with one type of food for a few weeks and want to eat mostly just that (phases so far include sautéed mushrooms, bananas mixed with dark cocoa and greek yogurt, mozzarella sticks with sugar free marinara.) Once I find an obsession I eat it hard until the phase passes, and then I remove it from my list.
3. Watching food commercials, looking at food blogs, reading grocery lists saved from my husband's past trips. I try to be patient with this process and think of it like an eye exam where the doctor changes the lenses and asks "better one or two? two or three?" If something looks okay but I don't want it, I try to think of the element about that food I do want. Or vice versa.
Good luck. It's weird being pregnant.
posted by dissolvedgirl22 at 8:10 AM on January 2, 2016
In my first pregnancy I only gained 8 pounds and the baby weighed a few ounces over that. I wasn't in any way consciously trying to keep my weight down, just ate whatever I wanted whenever I wanted it. I had been vegetarian for a couple of years but started craving red meat, as in roast beef sandwiches from the kosher deli.
Are you less active because you don't have the energy to exercise? A bit of exercise might improve your appetite. Consider walking, swimming, yoga for pregnant women. Just make sure you're getting plenty of fluids, drink milk if you're into it, juice, smoothies, whether you're exercising or not.
posted by mareli at 9:39 AM on January 2, 2016
Are you less active because you don't have the energy to exercise? A bit of exercise might improve your appetite. Consider walking, swimming, yoga for pregnant women. Just make sure you're getting plenty of fluids, drink milk if you're into it, juice, smoothies, whether you're exercising or not.
posted by mareli at 9:39 AM on January 2, 2016
I lost four pounds in the first trimester because lots of foods looked and tasted disgusting, and even when I was hungry I couldn't be bothered because of the nausea. Gained 10 over the last six or so weeks.
If you're worried, start drinking smoothies with good fats in them - nuts butters, whole milk, ice cream, avocado.
posted by TryTheTilapia at 10:43 AM on January 2, 2016
If you're worried, start drinking smoothies with good fats in them - nuts butters, whole milk, ice cream, avocado.
posted by TryTheTilapia at 10:43 AM on January 2, 2016
I had a hard time eating during my pregnancy. I had so many intense food aversions that it was hard to find healthy things that I could even think about eating. I ate a lot of cereal with fruit and drank a lot of smoothies. (A good one was Greek yogurt, banana, spinach, peanut butter, and chocolate almond milk. You can put a lot of spinach or kale in a smoothie and not taste it. Same with carrots.)
You're not doing anything wrong. This is just how pregnancy is for some people. Are you treating your depression?
posted by Aquifer at 11:09 AM on January 2, 2016
You're not doing anything wrong. This is just how pregnancy is for some people. Are you treating your depression?
posted by Aquifer at 11:09 AM on January 2, 2016
Try to eat richer foods than the crackers and applesauce you're eating. My appetite during all of my pregnancy was much lower than normal even though I didn't really have any nausea. The sort of general feeling of vague ickiness let up during the 2nd trimester (so that may come soon for you)
I gained about 11 lbs total, and only in my 2nd and 3rd trimester. Starting out my BMI was similar to what you've mentioned; my feeling about weight gain was similar to yours but it didn't ever become an issue.
I mainly liked to eat cheese, peanut butter, chicken wings and eggs. I tried to be sure to at least eat some fruit every day for the fiber (I had some issues with constipation).
As long as you're taking your prenatal, you're probably ok listening to your body, though I would try to sneak in some richer foods.
posted by vunder at 12:21 PM on January 2, 2016
I gained about 11 lbs total, and only in my 2nd and 3rd trimester. Starting out my BMI was similar to what you've mentioned; my feeling about weight gain was similar to yours but it didn't ever become an issue.
I mainly liked to eat cheese, peanut butter, chicken wings and eggs. I tried to be sure to at least eat some fruit every day for the fiber (I had some issues with constipation).
As long as you're taking your prenatal, you're probably ok listening to your body, though I would try to sneak in some richer foods.
posted by vunder at 12:21 PM on January 2, 2016
Response by poster: Thank you all, as usual, for your suggestions and support. I've been taking prenatal vitamins since I went off birth control so I should be getting enough vitamin D, B12, and folic acid so I'm more concerned about protein and calories. I had a good pre-work cereal and fruit habit but with the holiday, I need to get back on track. I usually love citrus fruits and Italian food but the acid has been brutal. Similarly I usually love cheese and crackers but that was the last thing I ate before getting sick most recently so I'm hesitant to have more cheese at this point. I generally like smoothies so I can definitely give that a shot. It's just so weird - I see commercials for food and think it looks great but I don't want to eat it.
In terms of what my jerk stomach is doing, I find myself burping all the time but so far (knock on wood) I've been relatively regular. I keep waking up with stomach acid. I've had acid reflux before and used to take Prevacid but this is more aggressive. Also, sometimes when I get out of bed, I get hiccups. So that's fun.
I'm still taking antidepressants and I was trying to do some yoga during the day while I was visiting family but now I'm concerned that'll make me lose weight - I'm still going to do it but that wasn't encouraging. My OB practice has been pretty good so far I think but I was surprised to hear the OB say that I should be gaining more weight, especially since I started the pregnancy slightly heavier than I should be. I'm used to doctors telling me I should lose weight, not gain it.
I've been away from my office since before Christmas Eve and I'm a little nervous about going back. My job and colleagues are great but I have to hike to find options for food and I've never been good about bringing food to work, though I can work on that.
Again, thank you all and please let me know if you have any additional advice.
posted by kat518 at 2:03 PM on January 2, 2016
In terms of what my jerk stomach is doing, I find myself burping all the time but so far (knock on wood) I've been relatively regular. I keep waking up with stomach acid. I've had acid reflux before and used to take Prevacid but this is more aggressive. Also, sometimes when I get out of bed, I get hiccups. So that's fun.
I'm still taking antidepressants and I was trying to do some yoga during the day while I was visiting family but now I'm concerned that'll make me lose weight - I'm still going to do it but that wasn't encouraging. My OB practice has been pretty good so far I think but I was surprised to hear the OB say that I should be gaining more weight, especially since I started the pregnancy slightly heavier than I should be. I'm used to doctors telling me I should lose weight, not gain it.
I've been away from my office since before Christmas Eve and I'm a little nervous about going back. My job and colleagues are great but I have to hike to find options for food and I've never been good about bringing food to work, though I can work on that.
Again, thank you all and please let me know if you have any additional advice.
posted by kat518 at 2:03 PM on January 2, 2016
For what it's worth, there are doctors telling women off for gaining more than 10 pounds during the whole pregnancy, so points of view vary a lot. Obviously you need nutrients, but a lot of doctors would tell you that you don't need to gain weight.
posted by LoonyLovegood at 2:11 PM on January 2, 2016
posted by LoonyLovegood at 2:11 PM on January 2, 2016
I've been taking prenatal vitamins since I went off birth control so I should be getting enough vitamin D, B12, and folic acid so I'm more concerned about protein and calories.
Just saying, I was on prenatals for more than a year pre-pregnancy and I was still deficient in vitamin D and iron. It's worth getting bloodwork done just in case, if your doctor hasn't already (I know not all doctors check for nutritional deficiencies regularly). The key for me was going on Floradix, a food-based iron supplement, and an additional higher quality vitamin D supplement. Prenatals AND regular iron pills did nothing for me.
"Too tired to eat or move much" sounds a little past normal first trimester exhaustion. Which can be exhausting! But it's worth double checking.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 3:58 PM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Just saying, I was on prenatals for more than a year pre-pregnancy and I was still deficient in vitamin D and iron. It's worth getting bloodwork done just in case, if your doctor hasn't already (I know not all doctors check for nutritional deficiencies regularly). The key for me was going on Floradix, a food-based iron supplement, and an additional higher quality vitamin D supplement. Prenatals AND regular iron pills did nothing for me.
"Too tired to eat or move much" sounds a little past normal first trimester exhaustion. Which can be exhausting! But it's worth double checking.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 3:58 PM on January 2, 2016 [1 favorite]
Separate your intake of iron from your intake of calcium rich foods, tea and eggs, by one hour on each side of ingestion. Pregnancy is exhausting and if your iron gets low it will be more so. Don't take your prenatal before bed, because the high iron content is irritating to the stomach. I had good luck taking it with the noon meal, with a vitamin c source. If your stomach is reacting to the prenatals, you can go every other day on them. Things will go better if you take them while in the active part of the day, and not with milk or milk products.
posted by Oyéah at 5:16 PM on January 2, 2016
posted by Oyéah at 5:16 PM on January 2, 2016
Your body knows what it needs much more than a chart in your doctor's office does. As long as you are truly listening to your body you are fine.
Congratulations!
posted by vignettist at 5:46 PM on January 2, 2016
Congratulations!
posted by vignettist at 5:46 PM on January 2, 2016
Sometimes liquids can slide into an iffy stomach more easily. So try out a couple styles of protein shakes. It might help to make them on the thin side, closer to a drink than a meal. Or try a simple egg nog (milk, Egg Beaters (or other processed egg substitute), 1 tsp vanilla, couple shakes of nutmeg).
Or if oatmeal is OK, try adding 1/4 cup Egg Beater to the oatmeal before you cook it. Or a sliced banana or 1/2 cup canned pumpkin. Somehow the extra ingrediants don't seem like anything extra to eat and they are very tasty.
posted by metahawk at 10:57 PM on January 2, 2016
Or if oatmeal is OK, try adding 1/4 cup Egg Beater to the oatmeal before you cook it. Or a sliced banana or 1/2 cup canned pumpkin. Somehow the extra ingrediants don't seem like anything extra to eat and they are very tasty.
posted by metahawk at 10:57 PM on January 2, 2016
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 7:13 PM on January 1, 2016 [2 favorites]