Now that I am 12 weeks pregnant with my second child, I can come out of hiding and blog about my experiences! Talking to pregnant women as a part of my job is something I really enjoy. Being pregnant myself is something that I generally do NOT enjoy – but it gives me the ability to emphasize with how HARD it is to follow healthy eating recommendations! Especially in the first trimester, with the aversion, cravings, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Fun. And if you escaped these symptoms, I am very jealous!
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.
