Increasing Calories

fantine31

Hi all! I've been reading "What to Expect.." and it says that that women w/ multiples should increase their calorie count 150-300 cals per day per baby.

R y'all doing this?  Doc did not tell me anything regarding what to eat, etc, after my 1st appointment (though i think he was in shock that we have quads...). 

I'm having trouble eating anything.. much less 300 x 4 extra calories each day! any suggestions? do y'all think this rule is true?

Switzerland87

My OB told me nothing of the sort. She told me basically to aim for about 200-300 extra calories per day, period. She also told me that for the most part, eating when I'm hungry and stopping when I'm full would get me all the calories I need. It's held true for me. I've stayed exactly on track with what she wanted me to gain by certain milestones. 

emilyec1

Just a suggestion here, but I'm sure you'll be seeing Maternal Fetal Medicine at some point. Mine has a nutritionist on staff and she was super helpful with calorie and protein guidelines and they are experienced with guidelines for multiple pregnancies.

rachelle2824

In general the doctor told me the same thing as the pp. She said for all of her MoM's (regardless of how many babies) it's best to eat when hungry, eat what you are hungry for (in moderation) and drink tons of fluids no matter what. I tried to get lots of fiber to avoid constipation, lots of fresh fruits and veggies which sounded the best any way, and lots of protein. Your body will guide you and let you know what you need. 

fantine31

yes, def will be, u're right.  i was just concerned that my doc said nothing about it during the first meeting.  i guess i will just eat when/what i can when i'm not wanting to puke until i get their instructions! ha. thank you ladies!

DenaRenee78

Mine didn't say anything about eating more .. but I had hyper emesis for the longest so I was lucky to be able to keep anything food or water down! 

My maternal fetal medicine nurse that I was assigned to did tell me to eat more then usual. Said I should be taking in more calories since there is two babies.  

I see my maternal fetal medicine nutritionist who is assigned to me tomorrow so I can ask her! 

Honestly some days the nausea is so bad I am not able to eat or drink much .. then other days I eat and an hour later I feel like I am starving and need to eat again! I say just eat what you can when you can. I have only gained 5 pounds this pregnancy and I am not back to my pre pregnancy weight .. I lost weight in first tri from being so sick. However the babies are still growing at the rate they are supposed to and doing just fine. My OB said they will take from me what they need and leave me with nothing if they have to! He said try to keep my vitamins down .. because it will help my body and the babies!

Good luck!   

macchiatto

Yeah, I would talk to your MFM about it and see if you can talk to someone who is experienced with multiples pregnancies. I'd also try to find out the research behind what they recommend b/c I found a few of the drs I saw gave me recommendations that were really based more on singleton pregnancies and just guessing from there. I liked Dr. Luke's book and research since it was a lot more thorough than anything else I found on multiple pregnancies at the time. (Her book is called When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads.)

ramee151

My OB said to eat whatever sounded good--but just eat (I've lost 25 lbs so far, thank goodness I was overweight to start with). 

After finding pre/early TTTS, my MFM has said high high high protein--as much protein as I can tolerate. To help with this, she has me doing 3 boost/ensure +protein shakes each day. At 350 calories a pop...they are helping met get extra calories in as well. 

Angelina2010

I agree with the PP I eat when I am hungry but have been eating huge amounts of protein daily.You could also get in touch with a prenatal nutritionist to help you plan your diet.

Jeepie Doll

My OB hasn't really said anything about calorie intake.  I just started reading Dr Luke's book "When You Are Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads" and just got through the nutrition section.  She recommends gaining most of your weight before week 24, then your stomach won't be able to fit much and your weight gain will slow down since you cannot eat much.  Of course, this is my first pregnancy so I cannot speak from experience and maybe the other ladies on here can.

The book does have recipes and recommendations on what to eat and how often to eat.  I am trying to plan my menu right now.  I haven't gained anything yet because my stomach can't fit that much right now.  We'll see!

fantine31

you ladies are awesome! thank you for the replies! i def need to get to reading!

ramee- thank you for the ensure suggestion! i am having trouble things to consume and that is a great idea!