New here with a few ?s

runrinserepeat

Hi everyone - thought I'd come in and officially say hi. DH and I are expecting our first, and I'm really hoping for a natural birth. We're about two weeks in on the Bradley classes, and the nutrition part is throwing me for a bit of a loop.

Background - In HS, I was obese. In college, I worked very hard to get down to the "normal" BMI range. In the process, I learned a lot about nutrition and became very comfortable tracking everything I ate. I also paid a lot of attention to the macronutrients, trying to get them in line with some pretty standard recs (i.e. 60 g protein each day). I always had trouble making the 60 g, usually end up around 40-50. I've never eaten much meat/chicken/fish or eggs, just because I'm not crazy about any of it. Dairy is a little different, but I've been consciously doing that for years, since my doctor expressed concern over my calcium intake.

FF to Bradley class #2, which focused on nutrition. According to the instructor, we're supposed to drink a quart of milk, eat two eggs, and then eat an additional two sources of protein a day for a whopping 80 g of protein daily. Honestly, it seems a little crazy to me, but I'm trying. Tracking my food last week, I was consistently in the 40-60 g protein range again. Instructor suggested hard-boiled eggs as a way to get two-a-day, but I'm having a hard time getting them down.

Can anyone offer any tips on getting all this animal protein in? I think the biggest problem is the eggs, because I don't usually eat them unless they're used in baking. It's totally a mind game (I think they're so weird...), but any suggestions would be helpful.

Also, are there any good studies that you can point me to about the Brewer's Diet? The results we discussed last night seemed compelling, but we weren't given any sources, and I really like reading about this stuff. I think it'll be easier for me after I've done a bit of research on my own.

So that was longer than I expected, but any advice would be great! Look forward to getting to know everyone!

jcsumm0

I believe the biggest benefit to the Brewer's diet is prevention of pre-e.  I googled "pre-e high protein diet" and came up w/these links.  https://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id36.html

https://juniperrusso.suite101.com/pregnancy-nutrition-and-preeclampsia-a99460

https://nursingcrib.com/pathophysiology/pathoyphysiology-of-pregnancy-induced-hypertension-pih/

Those links make a compelling argument for eating healthily, but only the first specifically deals w/high protein diets.

I'm not sure, but I don't think you have to eat eggs if you are getting adequate protein from other sources.  Have you tried hiding the hardboiled eggs in a salad?  I love eggs so I'm not much help.  There are so many ways to eat them...just keep experimenting.  Try not to stress about it too much.

 

tokenhoser

If you hate eggs, I would find something you don't hate. I don't really believe in choking things down just because someone tells you they're good for you. An egg has 6 g of protein. A half cup of cottage cheese has 15 g. A half cup of edamame has 14g.

I will confess that I followed no particular diet or school of thought while pregnant, though, so perhaps I don't understand why eggs would be so vital.

starrynyt

I'm not familiar with the Bradley nutrition recommendations, but is the focus on animal protein?  My midwife wants me to target 60-80 grams of protein a day (closer to 80 if possible) so I've been incorporating more lentils and quinoa, which give you a good level of protein and my midwife also recommended protein powder in smoothies, which I've been doing on days that I'm finding it difficult to get to the 60-80 range.  I use a plant based protein powder.  So, these suggestions aren't all that helpful if you're trying to focus on animal protein, but this is what I've been doing.

runrinserepeat

The program definitely relies quite a bit on animal protein, as the first recommendation is that pregnant women should be drinking 4 cups of milk a day and eating two eggs. I think they recommend eggs because of the iron, folate, and vitamin A in there as well as the protein.

I like the idea of cottage cheese a whole lot more, though, so I might just try that instead. I'm a huge fan of black beans, too, and I'm getting better about incorporating meat into my diet. It's just the daamn eggs that are getting me. Thanks for the tips, ladies, and I'll try not to stress too much about it.

theladyjess

I have food issues (allergies, sensitivities, lactose intollerance, reflux and IBS) that make eating a challenge at times.  I actually eat less now that I'm pg than before hand because I'm just not hungry.  If I force myself to eat past feeling satisifed then I feel sick for hours.  I quietly explained to my Bradley instructor that I wasn't comfortable turning in my food log every week as it caused too much unnecessary anxiety. 

I focus on eating healthful foods and restricting empty calories.  I know for a fact I'm not getting the amount of protien a day that Bradley recommends, however, I physically can't do it.  I'd be sick and throwing up daily if I forced myself to eat that much.  My dr is fine with my diet, LO is growing on track and all my blood work looks great.  I think all of that is more important than following a specific diet or eating program. 

Besides, eggs are one of the foods that I absolutely can not stand right now.  Just the smell of them makes me want to vomit.  I can't imagine having to choke them down every day.

Birdies08

tokenhoser:

If you hate eggs, I would find something you don't hate. I don't really believe in choking things down just because someone tells you they're good for you. An egg has 6 g of protein. A half cup of cottage cheese has 15 g. A half cup of edamame has 14g.

I will confess that I followed no particular diet or school of thought while pregnant, though, so perhaps I don't understand why eggs would be so vital.

I didn't do a special diet either and, in fact, had a huge aversion to eggs. HUGE. I couldn't even hear the word.

Anyway, I ate a lot of leafy greens and citrus, which don't help with the protein, but are great for other pregnancy friendly nutrients.

I am a vegetarian and I get a lot of protein from black beans (like you said- yum!) and soy based products. Whole milk yogurt is delicious and filling and probably has some protein, I like to think. I know it's not as healthy, but I also like nutritional bars as a midnight snack. 

ETA: This is the whole milk yogurt I eat:

[urrl]https://www.stonyfield.com/products/stonyfield/whole-milk/6oz-smooth-and-creamy/white-chocolate-raspberry[/url]

According to that website, it has 6 grams of protein and according to me, it is awesome

flyer23

I think this is a great, well-balanced blog post on pregnancy nutrition, including the Brewer Diet. Be sure to read the comments, too:

Reality Check: The Brewer Diet is Not Evidence-Based
https://birthunplugged.blogspot.com/2011/03/reality-check-brewer-diet-is-not.html

In short, I think you're on the right track with trying to come up with alternative sources of protein, but not stressing about it.