What exactly is wrong with my diet?!

[Makqueen2]

Had my booking in appointment with a midwife today, she was the most negative, sour faced individual I have ever met.

I am 11 weeks pregnant (have been having care at EPU, have seen a private ob as well as am transferring to private care at 37 weeks) and this was my first appointment with the midwife team at the hospital.

Anyway, so I saw a consultant at 8 weeks when I was at the height of morning sickness, was being sick round the clock and feeling grotty all the time, so she prescribed cyclazine. I am still feeling slightly nauseous on it, and have still been sick a few times, but nothing like I was before taking it.

She weighed me and lectured me on my weight (12 stone, I am 5ft 5) and asked about my diet. So, I told her that before I was pregnant, I stayed away from carbs, but since 4 weeks, I have an aversion to meat and for a few weeks could only eat mash, bread and cheese when sickness was at it's worst.

Because I went from eating no refined carbs to living off them, I gained a stone in 4 weeks (going from just under 11 stone to 12 stone), as you would from going no carb/low carb to eating carbs every day. But nothing since, I have been 12 stone for 3 weeks now.

My diet now is pretty much:

B- Ready brek made with skimmed milk

Snack - a small banana

Lunch - small jacket potato with peas

Snack - another banana or an apple

Dinner - usually a bit of pie with mash and veg, (It's always mashed potato or swede with a small slice of some sort of pie, quiche, or a bit of shepherds pie with carrots and peas or broccoli), or if I am feeling nauseous in the evening, I will have a sandwich on wholemeal bread, usually chicken salad instead of a hot meal.

She said that that wasn't a healthy pregnancy diet for 'someone of my size' (I am a 12/14 so not massive, was a bit put out!).

So, I asked her what a healthy diet would be then, and she said to be more sensible.

I am at a loss now! I thought I was doing great having got past the sickness.

[HandragsAndGladbags]

A bad diet would be crisps, sausage rolls, and crisps

Your diet is me on a very good day.

You eat what you can when you have morning sickness. My appetite is always huge in the first trimester (6 weeks with dc3) and then tails off.

Ignore her, you sound fine and are eating lots of veg and low fat food!

[Makqueen2]

I know! I am not worried at all. I just gave her a look and went on my way.

She was concerned that I had gained a stone, I explained that that's what happened when you go from eating no carbs to having carbs at every meal but she didn't get it.

This is my second pregnancy, in my first my sickness was ten times worse (they wouldn't give me any medication), so I hardly ate a thing all the way through.

[Makqueen2]

Although, you have made me want a sausage roll now.

I pass Greggs on the school run

[honeybunny14]

Your diet sounds fine with my 2nd pregnancy i put in 4 stone way 2 much i know my midwife was shocked and basicly lectured me over it i could see her point going from 9 stone to 13 all she kept saying ur goin 2 find it really hard 2 lose it when bbys born bt i did and im bk 2 my usaul weight i wouldnt worry about it at all u are at a healthy weight

[LookingForwardToSalmon]

The only thing I can see would be the pastry on the pie? Or maybe she thinks you spread your potato with lard?

God knows. I'm on sw so loads and loads of carbs but the weights melting off.

It's not even like your 'big'

I'd put it down to having a grouchy midwife!

[YoniMitchell]

Your diet sounds just like mine in the first trimester - all I wanted was potatoes or toast - plus lots of berries. I too rarely ate carbs before being pg, so noticed a difference but it was a case of eating that or nothing!

I think I must have put on nearly a stone by 14wks, although I was on fertility drugs (progesterone and lots of oestrogen) which didn't help as I carried loads of water and bloated up a bit.

I wouldn't worry about her comments.

[Makqueen2]

She was obsessed with my weight though.

I know gaining a stone in a short space of time is a lot, but like I said, going no carb to carb it's only natural to gain a lot in one go, it's mostly water weight.

My first pregnancy, ten years ago I was 17 stone when I fell pregnant and 13 when I gave birth, I was so sick. Then I lost some more after ds was born and I was 10.7 to 10.13 for ten years until now.

I do intend to be careful with weight gain, but the way she was going on you'd think I was 20 stone.

Funny thing is, when I saw the consultant, she wasn't bothered about weight in the slightest, said she didn't even weigh her patients unless it was an issue.

I don't want this to be a huge issue all the way through.

[vkinski]

I think she is being totally unreasonable and your diet sounds healthy! If she has an issue with what you're eating but can't actually provide you with any information on what she thinks would be a better diet, I would let it all go in one ear and out the other. She sounds like she has got a bit of an ego and probably has to disapprove of something everytime she sees a patient

I would defo question her at your next appointment. Let her know that her comments bothered you, as did the fact she seemed unable to provide any dietary advice in relation to the diet she thought wasn't suitable!

[LostMySocks]

Maybe just add a by more veg and make sure that once you feel less sick you get a variety of Pie fillings so fish, meat and veg. TBH when you feel I'll you just need to eat what you can. Maybe she thinks you have a jacket with butter and cheese. Never mind. Most of us dot see the same MW twice

[LondonJax]

Check with her next time but I really do think some midwives just think you lie to cover your 'naughtiness' like you're a kid rather than a full grown adult. I had gestational diabetes when I was pregnant. My mum and gran were/are diabetic and one of my sister's also had gestational diabetes. When I went to the clinic they always questioned my food sheet. It had cereal or toast for breakfast, sandwich and fruit (maybe a packet of crisps once a week), fruit in the afternoon and a normal dinner with a yoghurt afterwards. The question was 'are you sure you didn't have biscuits?' or 'No cakes, are you positive...no chocolate...it's OK to say if you did'. I felt like wearing a sign saying - no I am not stuffing my face with sweets or biccies!!! It's not always a bad diet that causes gestational diabetes or quick weight gain - it can be the way your body uses food. Like you I find I lose weight on a lower carb diet but, when I came off it a bit during the school holidays I gained 5lb. No sweets - just a sandwich instead of a salad and carbs at night instead of just veg.

[Makqueen2]

I know, I doubt I will ever see her again. But still, I thought I was doing great after all that sickness to be eating lots of fruit and veg.

When I told her what I ate, I told her my portion sizes were very small. (When I say a bit of pie, I mean less that half of an individual one, my portions are smaller than ds are, if I eat too much in one go, I am sick).

I think she just had a bee in her bonnet about weight and if I am going to be a bitch I will add that she was a size 20 or above herself so wtf

[Makqueen2]

She also didn't believe me when I said I didn't drink at all pre-pregnancy, I haven't had any alcohol in about 7 years. She just said 'pull the other one, are you going for a sainthood?'.

I didn't like her at all, it was like she was trying to pick holes in everything.

[Makqueen2]

Oh, and she was going on and on about GD because of my 'weight issues'. How I would be at a high risk because of my weight and that I was at all sorts of risks. (My weight is the only marker, although, the consultant said it's based on pre pregnancy BMI anyway, and I was a stone lighter than now).

FWIW, I declined the GD test in my last pregnancy and had the support of my consultant who said a) it was a daft idea as I could hardly keep down water so how could I keep down the drink without puking and b) if I did have GD there would be other signs anyway.

[poppyXsmile]

Hi Makqueen

Your midwife sounds like a cheeky so and so in my opinion!! I had my booking appointment at 9 and a half weeks (I am 5ft 5 and around 12 stone) and they did not even bother taking my height and weight.

It's great to hear you can eat at all given how sick you've been feeling. And yes, it is hypocritical when health care staff who are very much on the large size themselves criticise your diet / weight!

I am having a vegetarian pregnancy......if any health care staff as much as make an ignorant comment about vegetarian pregnancy, then I will put them right sharpish!

Here's to a happy and healthy pregnancy to us all ladies!

xxx

[fairypangolin]

Like you, I put on a stone in the first trimester because before falling pg I avoided carbs but when I got morning sickness carbs were all I could eat. The same thing happened with my first PG. I then didn't gain hardly anything in the last trimester so ended up with around 2 stone heavier. I had no problem losing it all eventually. It's a bit rich for the MW to say you had to eat a 'healthy diet' but then be unable to tell you what you should do differently. Sounds like she has a bit of a hang up about weight.

They weighed me at my booking appointment but because my BMI was in the 'normal' range, eg under 25, I've never been weighed again.

[HandragsAndGladbags]

"pull the other one"

Rude, ill informed and unprofessional. She scored the hat trick!

(Hope you enjoyed the sausage roll out of spite ha!)

[muppetthecow]

I get a similar response to the alcohol question every time it comes up. My GP actually said 'but you're not even 30!' as though everybody under 30 either goes out and gets trashed every Friday or is a raging alcoholic

Hope you get a different mw next time OP!

[Julietee]

I also went from low/no carb to ...well, pretty much unrestricted carbs!
I've put on weight too. It's almost impossible not to changing regime like that. I try to stick to whole grain stuff but it's not like I'm worrying too much when I don't. And chocolate is an everyday part of my diet.

Your diet sounds fairly exemplary. It sounds like this mw had her own issues and was projecting them on to you, which is not really fair.

[Stom91]

My Mw told me to eat what i felt like in the first 12-14 weeks. Then after the sickness past eat properly..
Though your diet is healthier the. Mine. I'm addicted to junk since becoming pg

[katebakes]

Your diet isn't bad! I was vegan for the first trimester, ate everything during the second and now I'm vegetarian for the most part. I wasn't getting enough fat during my first trimester and wasn't putting on enough weight even though my bloods were great. My BMI was below 18.5 but because they saw I was healthy they said it wasn't a problem.

My diet is ok now - croissants for breakfast, tea, lattes, home made soup and creamy pasta. Nutritionally it's not as technically balanced but as long as we're getting enough vitamins and minerals who cares :)

[PrincessKitKat]

Im so reassured that other low-carbers have had sudden weight gains in early pg, all the other posts Ive read have been all 'I've put on 3lb in my first trimester - I'm HUGE!' when I'm 10lbs on at 10 weeks

I think youte doing really well - particularly as you feel so sick. I think your MW would have kittens at my diet - I'd be in special measures!

[BadlyWrittenPoem]

It would be great if we could all eat an ideal diet in pregnancy but in the real world it is more important that you are actually eating than whether or not it is an ideal diet. I wouldn't excatly say you sound like you're eating a bad diet anyway - I guess the main defect would be the lack of variety but you have to go with what you are able to eat.