After a short break, we warmly welcome you back to our blog today on pregnancy testimonies from fellow mothers who have been there and those that are currently riding the waves of their cravings and various experiences. So instead of providing you with more nutrients to remember and daily recommended intakes, today you will hear personal testimonies of women just like you.
Cravings:
“With my first pregnancy having my daughter, I found that I craved fruit, but I was nauseated at the thought of any meat. However, when I had my son, I felt the opposite- I craved every type of meat and couldn’t get enough of the sweets!” -Amy L.
“To be entirely honest, I did eat a lot of junk food. I enjoyed fried food especially potatoes. But that’s not too outside my regular cravings!” -Allison C.
“I didn’t have strong cravings throughout my pregnancies, but I do remember craving oranges during my last trimester with my first child.” -Chris M.
“While I was picky with my food choices during my first pregnancy, in my second pregnancy I often had this huge craving for burgers!” -Carly E.
“I never had crazy cravings- with my first daughter, though, I really loved mustard! With my second daughter I didn’t have much of an appetite, not that I was constantly nauseous, I just had to remind myself to eat.” -Rachel D.
“My cravings were entirely different between having my boy and my girl. With my son I craved ice cream all the time and couldn’t stand the sight or smell of chicken. I didn’t seem to have particular cravings or aversions when I had my daughter next, it was just a normal, balanced diet.” -Tammie R.
“As crazy as this sounds, I found that I craved pickles and chocolate milk...together! I know, it’s pretty weird but it’s what gave me so much joy during my pregnancy!” -Shelley A.
Lifestyle:
“As a teacher, I was constantly on my feet, teaching my kiddos all the way up until my due date. I took walks a few times a week, but that was the only exercise I really did. My weight gain was about the same for both pregnancies- about 26 pounds with my first child and 29-30 pounds for my second.” -Chris M.
“In the first three months is when I usually felt some morning sickness, but as I entered the second trimester that left and I usually felt pretty good.” -Mary D.
“In my first pregnancy, I had gestational diabetes and was put on bed rest for all of my last trimester, so that seemed to impact my diet and ability to prepare healthy meals. I am thankful to have the support from my spouse and family in helping me get the nutrition I needed. With my second pregnancy I didn’t have gestational diabetes and I was better at monitoring what I ate.” -Tammie R.
Unexpected Changes:
“I found that I was more emotional having my daughter than my son.” -Amy L.
“When I had my daughter, my hair and skin seemed to be flawless, but with my son my face broke out often in response to the surge of hormones packed in my body” -Carly E.
“Even though I expected to be on bed rest like my mother was when she had be, I was able to still maintain an active lifestyle throughout my pregnancy.” -Allison C.
Their Thoughts:
“You often hear ‘you’re eating for two,’ but I was advised to eat for 1.1, and I found that I was always full, satisfied, and never stuffing myself” -Shelley A.
“I think nutrition and choosing healthy foods while pregnant is important. It effect our little ones probably more than we know! I have a friend who has celiacs and her children have a lot of allergies and eczema. While she was pregnant with one of their girls she ate a pretty strict diet, eliminating the 7 top allergens...that daughter has the least issues of all their kiddos.” -Hannah D.
“Health in pregnancy is huge, but it can also be a hard thing to maintain when all you crave is junk food! (which I did for most of them)“ -Rachel D.
Our Thoughts:
While your body is experiencing a major change, your diet can stay relatively the same with a focus on a healthy and balanced meal plan. There is no need to drastically change your diet in order to try to have the “perfect pregnancy diet” that you may see all over social media. On the flip side, it is okay to indulge in your cravings in every once and awhile in moderation. You know your body and your normal. You may crave foods you never touched prior to pregnancy or you may even have an aversion to your all time favorite food. It’s important to understand the craving and know that you don’t have to completely indulge in order to satisfy that taste. Sometimes when we feel famished, our bodies may actually be saying “I’m thirsty!” Before you give in to any cravings or endless snacking, drink a big glass of water (because you need it!) and check-in with yourself again.
One important piece of advice we want to emphasize is that you should make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. And by plenty we mean more than you think you actually need! Water is an essential component of a healthy diet and active lifestyle prior to pregnancy, and as a mommy-to-be it is more important now than ever. Water is responsible for carrying oxygen and nutrients to our cells, tissues, and organs. Staying hydrated ensures that your baby is getting the nutrients it needs to grow and develop. When your tissues are hydrated, you promote elasticity, which results in healthy skin that can stretch easily and protect against tearing. Proper hydration during pregnancy is also a key element to maintaining an adequate level of amniotic fluid. Drinking enough water is extremely important during the third trimester because dehydration can potentially trigger contractions that lead to preterm labor. Water intake is not only important during pregnancy- it is one of the main components for the production of breast milk after birth.
The American Pregnancy Association recommends that you drink at least 10 glasses of water daily. One easy way to make sure you stay hydrated is to make it a habit now of carrying a water bottle with you wherever you go, so that it is easily accessible. If you are a to-do lister, it might even be helpful for you track your water intake by checking each full glass/bottle off your list.
We hope you enjoyed hearing from other women just like you, and we hope you’ll tune in for our blog next week on postpartum and breastfeeding nutrition!
Warmly,
Lauren