Heartburn

A growing baby puts pressure on mom-to-be’s stomach, which can force acid into the esophagus, causing burning. All muscles in the body relax during pregnancy, including the lower esophageal sphincter, which can also cause stomach acid to be released up into the esophagus.

TIPS:

-       Eat small frequent meals.

-       Avoid irritants (some may be caffeine, chocolate, seasonings, high fat, citrus, tomato, carbonated drinks).

-       Keep food diary to track your triggers.

-       Eat slowly.

-       Limit fluids with meals.

-       Don’t eat close to bedtime.

-       Talk to your doctor or midwife about taking antacids.

Headaches

Hormones can cause headaches in pregnancy. And not to mention stress!

TIPS:

- Eat small amounts regularly to keep blood sugar up.

- Don’t eat candy or foods that cause spikes in blood sugar.

- Again, watch for any food triggers. Some may be MSG, chocolate, cured meats, red wine, aged cheese, preserved meats (deli meal, hot dogs).

- Exercise

- Relaxation and yoga.

Constipation

This seems to be almost universal among the pregnant women that I talk to.  Movement of food through the intestinal tract is slowed down, due to relaxing muscles in pregnancy. Supplemental iron from prenatal multivitamins can also cause constipation.

TIPS

• High fibre (25 g) diet (beans, fruit and veggies, whole grains). Add 1-3 Tbsp of wheat bran to yogurt, cereal, applesauce, etc.
• Fluids (8-12 cups). Hot drinks might be especially good.
• Activity
• Metamucil
• Probiotics.
• Natural laxatives: prunes and apple, pear or prune juice. These all contain sorbitol, a sugar that draws water into your intestines.
• Try the Fruit Lax recipe below.

Fruit Lax Recipe

Makes 1 cup, or 16 servings (1 Tbsp each)

½ cup raisins

¼ cup pitted prunes

¼ cup pitted dates

6 Tbsp prune juice

¼ cup wheat bran

Soak raisins, prunes and dates overnight in just enough water to cover it.

Pour into a food processor. Add the prune juice and bran and blend well.

If it’s too thick, add orange juice until a paste consistency is reached.

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 months, or freeze.

So for the past few months, I have been pretty much unable to cook (definitely unwilling, anyways). Mostly due to lack of energy and nausea, which is triggered by my hyper-active sense of smell. And ALL smells are bad smells.  Luckily I have a freezer full of leftovers, but we’ve been eating out a lot more than usual, and also cooking some frozen packaged foods. If I eat something that doesn’t sit well, it might decide to come back up, so I’ve been mainly sticking with what I feel like. Which is mostly salty/bready foods. Like Subway – although I’m limited to the chicken, veggie, meatball or tuna (tuna once a week – I asked and they use albacore which is higher in mercury), as deli meats are out in pregnancy unless heated. Badass Jack’s wraps seem to call to me too. Which isn’t too bad – these things are somewhat healthy. Which truth be told, is not by #1 determining factor in choosing them, even if it should be!

My aversions are mostly dairy – milk and yogurt. Which normally I love, and are nutritious. So I bought a bunch of chewable calcium/vitamin D supplements and hope this aversion goes away before I develop lactose intolerance! So I figure my baby will be ok if I eat what I can when I can, and fill the gap with supplements: vitamin D, fish oil, calcium, prenatal vits, iron. Getting down some of those horse-sized pills is another challenge. Here’s to hoping this passes soon, as the only cure is time!

Feel free to comment and share your stories & tips of eating through the first trimester.

Protein needs increase in pregnancy from 45 g for non-pregnant women, to 70 g in pregnancy. And while protein is important, the majority of people – pregnant or not -consume much more than their minimum protein requirement. While there is no harm in this (unless extreme), it is not common to require supplementation with protein powders. If you do have troubles meeting protein requirement in pregnancy (due to nausea, heartburn, or just lack of space in the stomach), you can sprinkle dried milk or whey powder into smoothies, on hot cereal or in baking. However, these protein supplements are missing out on vitamins and minerals that are found in actual food sources of protein.

To estimate the amount of protein in your diet: Keep a food record for a few days, recording what you eat and drink. Then add up the protein using the amounts in foods listed below. You can also contact me for a Computerized Diet Analysis for a more detailed dietary breakdown!

Food Portion Protein                                                                   Grams Protein

Meat, fish or poultry 75 g (2 1/2 oz) / 125 mL (1/2 cup)                         21

Firm tofu 150 g / 175 mL (3/4 cup)                                                       21

Egg, chicken 2 large                                                                             13

Cheese 50 g (1 1/2 oz)                                                                        12

Fortified soy beverage 250 mL (1 cup)                                                  6-8.5

Cooked dried beans, peas or lentils175 mL (3/4 cup)                             12

Cow’s milk 250 mL (1 cup)                                                                    9

Yogurt 175 mL (3/4 cup)                                                                       8

Peanut butter or other nut spread 30 mL (2 Tbsp)                                  8

Nuts or seeds 60 mL (1/4 cup)                                                              7

Bread 1 slice (35 g)                                                                              3

Cereals, cold 30 g                                                                                3

Cereals, hot 175 mL (3/4 cup)                                                              3

Pasta or rice 125 mL (1/2 cup)                                                             3

Vegetables 125 mL (1/2 cup) or 250 mL (1cup) lettuce                           2

Fruit 1 fruit or 125 mL (1/2 cup)                                                           1

(List supplied by Dietitians of Canada: www.dietitians.ca)

Note about soy protein: the evidence is not clear as to how the hormone (estrogen-like) effects of soy may affect pregnant women. One to 2 servings per day is likely safe, but more than 30g per day is not recommended