Pregnancy "Diets"

jesrude · September 2017

Hey Ladies,

I know GD mommas have their thread, and maybe this belongs there but I'm not quite sure. My babe is measuring big in the tummy but my glucose numbers are fine. My weight gain is more than I would personally like but my OB isn't worried.

However, because of babies belly and est. weight she wants me to start a low carb diet. I was kind of prepared for that after my US results stating baby was measuring greater than 95% in the belly. But now I feel like I'm at a loss for low card meal ideas. Which is crazy because I've done keto and whole30 in the past but it seems so much more daunting and overwhelming now that I'm pregnant.

I know I feel way way better when I eat W30 or low carb, but I am absolutely stumped on this right now. Maybe I'm subconsciously freaking out about baby and the increased chance of c-section. I also feel like I failed and all those mean people telling me they could tell I was "eating for two" were right.

I'm just a little frustrated and sad.

failuretofly · September 2017

Um... are you fucking kidding me?

Get a new doctor. End of story.

jlemons-2 · September 2017

I'm going to be honest, this makes me really uncomfortable. Even with GD, you don't eat "low carb". The baby needs some nutrition which is why people like me end up on meds. As someone who's had an unhealthy relationship with food in the past, I don't think restricting any food without a medical diagnosis should even be entertained.

ETA: Eating like a regular person does not make your baby huge and cause a c section.

skc040512 · September 2017

My suggestion is to just eat a balanced diet. If you're unhappy with your weight gain personally, try to cut back on processed foods and sugar a bit and keep in mind that baby needs all the nutrients s/he can get! This is the time when baby really starts packing on weight, so they need the extra calories you're eating.

Also. as a bit if encouragement, remember that you loose more than just the baby's weight after you deliver. With DD, I lost 18 lbs from checking into the hospital to going home, and DD only weighed 6 lbs 2 oz...you're body is changing in really freaky ways, and that's ok (and good)!

whiska · September 2017

Just seconding the balanced diet, cutting out processed foods suggestions.

I think one way to do this is to focus on healthy snacks - heck grazing is basically encouraged in the third trimester to help with heartburn since our stomachs are getting squished, so we should all be reaching for the healthier options in between regular meals (I struggle with this as well!). Easy go-tos:
-Apples, pears, grapes, blueberries, strawberries, oranges/clementines
-whole wheat or multigrain crackers
-cheese slices/cubes/sticks
-celery or carrots
-hummus
-yogurt (be sure to look at the label to make sure there's more protein than sugar, or they're at least pretty close like 8g protein, 10g sugar)
-pair lots of these with peanut butter or almond butter for sweetness and protein. I love the Justin's mini packets and buy a ton in different flavors.

Random - whenever I go to panera I get the apple for my side. I might not even want it with that meal, but I take it back to work and sit it on my desk so I see it, and eventually I'll get snackish and have it with one of the aforementioned Justin's packets. It's a bummer to say no to chips and bread, but now those extra starches/carbs aren't in my body and I'm a step closer to having a piece of fruit.

Try to pair your carbs with proteins when possible. None of my go-tos are necessarily "low-carb" but they're slower digesting and have more fiber than my Achilles heels potato chips, cookies, and shakes.

I keep reminding myself we're so close to the end!

ETA I don't want to try and give you medical advice that conflicts with your doctor's recommendations, but personally I would focus on picking healthier options first before trying to carb count. Or rather, focus on getting plenty of protein and then making sure the carbs you do pick are from whole foods with plenty of fiber.

babybison · September 2017

Like what whiska said, I put those justin's peanut/almond butter packets on everything. I will say buying in the jar is more cost efficient than the individual packets, but the consistency of the butter is different and very hard to stir and spread. Plus if you buy a case at whole foods, which is 10 packets, you get the 10% case discount, and I think they show up on target's cartwheel app, too.

kyrwyn · September 2017

As another GD mom, I'd like to second what's been said before and also caution you to get your OB to explain what he or she means by "low carb". My GD diet has been referred to as "low carb" but low-carb dieters would not agree. I have a minimum threshold of carbs I have to eat, and staying in the allowable range means giving up sweets & treats but it also means quite a bit of heatlhy whole-grain and veggie-based carbs. You're more than welcome to check out our resources in the GD thread and crib what you need, but getting clarity on the diet your doctor is recommending seems like the highest priority to me. There's probably a gap between what they meant and what they said (or what it means to you, as someone who has previously done Whole30 and keto).

@whiska outlined some great snack ideas. While not all of them work for a true GD diet, they're perfect for eating healthy and balanced options.

jesrude · September 2017

@whiska @j-lemons2 @skcobb @babybison @kyrwyn Thank you so much for your input and support ladies! It sounds like I'm already eating well for the most part. Just need to cut out some treats. My sweet tooth has been on a rampage lately. I'll continue to eat how I am, but maybe smaller, more frequent meals that are a little more balanced and measured. I'm not the best at portion control and will eat until I'm full if I'm hungry even if a traditional meal is only an hour away. I also do better when I track meals, not for calories sake, but just to see what I am eating and where I could adjust.

ngarciabyu · September 2017

My first two babies were on the "bigger" size, and both me and my DH had high birth weights as newborns. I have a very narrow frame and my first two deliveries did make recovery difficult, and I've had some lasting issues (prolapse etc). My provider has been having me meet with a nutritionist throughout my pregnancy to try and avoid large birth weight, if possible. The nutritionist has been helpful, they have not asked me to cut anything out per se, but re-iterate the proper amounts of each necessary food group I should be eating in a healthy pregnancy anyway, and just has coached me on adding a protein with higher sugar/carb snacks and meals. So if I eat some grapes or a peach, I should have some cheese or nuts or something with good protein value (just a higher protein diet in general). Also, it has been encourage that I exercise everyday, preferable like a 10 min walk after each big meal. Again, they haven't put me on any dietary restrictions, but have encouraged healthier eating habits for pregnancy and I feel SO much better since. Only time will tell if it truly has an impact on babies birth weight (she is already measuring large as well), but at the bare minimum it is keeping my body in good condition and shape to deliver and recover. Andplusalso, kegels haha

eazybreezy225 · September 2017

I think you should eat what feels right for you and your body. Unless there's a legit concern to your health that requires you totally change your diet, I don't see any reason why simply eating healthier wouldn't suffice.

failuretofly · September 2017

@jesrude Sorry if my comment last night came off callous and rude, I was getting into bed and super tired and just SO caught off gaurd that a physician would suggest a pregnant women go on a freakin diet. That just sounds insane to me. You've gotten some really great responses here, but I'd like to offer you something a little more helpful than my previous comment.

My sweet tooth has also been raging this pregnancy, and I usually find it worse when I don't eat enough 'good' food. Your body is way smarter than you think, and if you are not getting enough calories, it will ramp up cravings to 'force' you to get those calories in, and our bodies know that sugar is high calorie and high reward so that's why you crave it. So I advise you rather that cutting anything out, put your energy towards adding more good things in like protein, vegetables, heck even sleep! Being tired can ramp up sugar cravings through the roof as your body tries to make up for the lack of energy.

Hope this was helpful and less judgy - tired me is a bitch, sorry!!

jesrude · September 2017

@ngarciabyu @eazybreezy225 thanks ladies! even though I'm a second time mom this is all new to me. I was never monitored this closely with my first and he was born 5 years ago. I'm trying to take some of the things that have been thrown at me this pregnancy with a grain of salt and know that what will be will be. There are things in my control and not in my control. And if i employ balance, then I know I'm doing my part and my best.

jesrude · September 2017

@failuretofly thank you for your words.

I posted the original late as well and probably wasn't as articulate as I could have been. But my head was spinning and I was trying to "eat up" as much as I could find. I knew the topic might be divisive and should have labeled it as such. And I also believe, that for the most part, we all have each others best interests in mind and you were just looking out for me. This can be such an overwhelming time and I appreciate that we all have that little protective instinct for one another.

And I'm with on the sweet tooth! I think it's the high calorie, high reward combo that is driving me to some of those choices. I'm trying to ramp up my meal time portion and nutrient balance to hopefully keep it down. But the past two weeks have been a little blah and I haven't been as on top of it as I should be. Not that two weeks would grow a big baby instantly, but I should still be minding my stuff a little more than I have been.

muskratbaby · October 2017

**polishes off a 3rd apple cinnamon pancake** glad to hear everyone supporting carbs here! nom nom.

kate0506 · October 2017

I tried sticking with low carbs originally when I found out I was pregnant, but I just can't fight the urge to eat them. If we're craving it, our bodies are telling us we need it.
know how you feel regarding the sweet tooth, I'm terrible at the moment and the more I tell myself I'm going to be good, the worse I am. As long as you're balancing things and giving baby plenty of veggies and protein aswel, try not to worry too much.
eating a bad diet doesn't always result in large birthweight babies. I ate just the same with DS and he was only 6lb 12oz. You can soon loose any extra gained lbs after baby is born when it's safer to do so. So don't get beating yourself up

dilbert890 · October 2017

I just achieved 400g of carbs on my "refeed" and high day!! 300 g on my low day. My life is happy. I've been working up to these numbers as an athlete for years!! That being said, on my first refeed day I missed my 400g lol.
I love carbs!

KathrynJ088 · October 2017

Along with the other GD mama's, definitely don't cut out carbs, just make healthier carb choices and pair them with protein and fiber. When I was first diagnosed, I freaked and did this. It was probably the worst week of my entire pregnancy, and at 31 weeks with twins, that's saying a lot. Even following my GD nutrition plan, I'm eating about the same as I was previously, but subbing whole wheat for white bread, Greek yogurt for regular Yoplait, and Halo Top ice cream for Blue Bell (Texas's famous ice cream brand), among other things.

Now the only problem I have is figuring out when to take my iron supplements. 1 hr before eating, or 2-3 hours after eating, twice a day.. I seriously eat 6 times throughout the day, so it's tricky if my timing gets slightly off!

jesrude · October 2017

Thanks ladies! I tracked my food intake and it's truly not that bad. Sure I could cut out a few sweets, but I already reach for healthy carb options and always eat them with a protein. I guess it is what it is. Many people think my EDD might be off. who knows. hahah. I know I'm eating well and maintaining balance.

bb89012 · October 2017

I agree with everyone- its totally just about ‘eating right’ honestly I’m SURE you are fine if you’re numbers are okay because I’ve measured ahead and behind and NONE of it made sense and they really just cant know! DD1 was totally on track by the time she was born.
I failed my one hour test this time around (luckily passed my three hr so all is good) BUT I’m glad because it gave me a huge kick in the ass to get my stuff together and start eating better. I just cut out some junk and am eating more healthier and smaller snacks/meals. also trying my best to eat less pasta and stuff but honestly I made myself sooo crazy and actually starved myself a little between waiting from my one to my three hour test, and just not worth the stress! Here are some of my go-to’s:

- PB & pretzels
- humus & pretzels or crackers
- chicken wrap (low carb whole grain wrap)
- carrots or celery & Pb
- Smoothies! Yogurt, milk, Pb, fruit, banana, etc
- protein bars (pure protein only has 2g sugar)
- mixed nuts (with pretzels yum)
- cheese & crackers
- tofu & rice stir fry

I totally find myself able to feel great with even just those ‘snacks’ throughout the day, it’s been so much easier than I initially felt about the situation.

jesrude · October 2017

thanks @bb89012!

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