Feeding my pregnancy

Despite the fact that you will struggle with all-day-long sickness (i.e. morning sickness but I use this phrase for more accuracy) in your first-trimester, without a doubt, food was and remains the toughest part of my pregnancy.

Changing cravings

Again, I was quite naïve about pregnancy cravings and sudden dislikes that you might have for food that you used to love. I thought it ended there, and once you worked it out then you knew what you could and couldn’t eat. For me, however, this seems to change on an almost weekly basis making planning meals virtually impossible.

It could be that when I have a craving, I go a bit into overdrive and end up being fed up of whatever it is so that I don’t want it anymore. I think the reality is, however, that as you progress through your pregnancy your body needs different things to fuel your energy and to help the baby grow and therefore your body tells you what you want to eat and what you don’t want to eat. Just my theory based on 0 facts or data, just my own experience.

It’s all about the carbs in the first trimester

For instance during the first trimester, I craved a huge amount of carbs. This makes a lot of sense because when you feel sick, and I felt like I had a constant hangover all day every day, you just want to eat things that will make you feel better. Things like toast, pasta, chips, or anything potato-based.

I actually found that I put on quite a lot of weight during my first trimester, to the point where I was beginning to get a bit worried because I knew that I was meant to be putting on the most weight at the end of the pregnancy, not at the start. It was just because I was eating so many carbs to help me get through the morning sickness, or all-day-long sickness as I like to refer to it. Once you are over this part of the pregnancy then you go back to eating a more balanced diet in the second trimester; at least I did.

The main dilemma - food doesn’t fit!

Then comes the next part of the food dilemma. As your womb grows, even during the first trimester and even though your baby will be absolutely teeny tiny, your other organs get shunted to the side. This means that you pee an awful lot during your first trimester and then for some reason it calms down and you get back into more of a normal routine in your second trimester. This didn’t really bother me apart from when I was getting up during the night multiple times just to go to the bathroom. Although, I figured it was good practice for when the baby arrives and I have to get up during the night for feeds etc.

The main issue that I had with my organs being squished was the fact that I became unable to eat normal sized meals. I suddenly realised what the NHS website meant when it said eat six small meals a day. There physically isn’t the space to eat a normal sized meal and fit it into your stomach. This is also why many pregnant women suffer from indigestion and acid reflux.

TIP: try something like Gaviscon or Rennie to help with your indigestion. I prefer Rennie because it comes in little packets that are easy to chew so they are readily available without causing any mess. I have a packet in each room in the house so I can grab them when I want. Just make sure to follow the correct dosage.

Six small meals a day

Sounds easy, but this is where I really struggle.

I have worked out my snack routine, not that it’s really a routine but I have long-lasting snacks at the ready that won’t go off too quickly that I can just eat when I suddenly feel a pang of hunger. This is the other issue that comes, I can’t seem to plan when I’m going to get hungry. I just suddenly get unbearably hungry and have to eat something at random times.

Snack time

When that happens I opt for some of the below:

Malt loaf

Non-acidic fruit such as watermelon

Dried fruit such as raisins or dates

Olives

Nuts

Mini Cheddars (might sound like a kiddies snack but it's better than crisps anyway!)

Snack food that I have learnt to avoid:

Acidic fruit like apples and apple juice, grapes, pineapple etc

Cake (this one really upset me)

Of course the things that trigger my indigestion and acid reflux might not be a problem for others so it’s about trial and error.

TIP: keep notes and keep your partner updated too! It's just best so that they don't waste their money on a treat that you can't actually eat.

About the meals

This is where I really need some more work. If you think about it, it’s really difficult to come up with a plan for dinner time every day let alone for six small meals a day. This is why I’m so pleased that at least I’ve got my snacks sorted. So then it’s just a small lunch and a small dinner that I need to sort out. I try and forget about the guilt of not having a particularly nutritious breakfast every day. I tend to stick to toast or cereal in the mornings because it’s quick and easy, which is pretty important when waking up hungry every day. I focus on the fact that it’s fuel rather than particularly nutritious. Having said that, toast and cereal is still good for fibre! If I want to add something for a bit of extra goodness, slices of banana or berries work well.

TIP: try and eat dinner as early as possible so that you don’t get acid reflux when you lie down and go to bed.

This is where I will end this blog post because I am not sure how to help with the small meal dilemma. If I come up with some sort of magical formula for quick, easy and nutritious small meals then I’ll put them together in another blog post. I have bought a few books to try and help, but I haven’t found much inspiration. Wish me luck!