Losing weight during 3rd Tri - how bad is this? Cheap healthy calorie ideas?

[bagofsnakes]

I started my pregnancy right bang in the middle of a healthy BMI and gained weight well in my 1st tri and during the first half of my 2nd tri. Then I became pretty ill and my weight gain ground to a halt. I am now well but, for a multitude of very frustrating reasons, we are flat broke and I'm 29 weeks pregnant. Not only have I not gained any weight in weeks but I'm now starting to lose it as I'm just not getting what I would need to make that happen.

Now, no one in this house is going to starve; during to an amazing internet shop my parents sent us when I was ill, the cupboards are full of rice, pasta, dried beans and the like but higher fat and protein items (fish - we don't eat meat-, diary, peanut butter, eggs etc.) are going to be in short supply for a while and all priority will go to DS (2 years old and growing like a beanstalk).

My questions are: Is weight loss all that bad in the third tri? Especially considering that my bloods show good levels of everything important. If it is, what are you ideas for getting cheap (really, really cheap), healthy calories?

[bagofsnakes]

That should clearly be 'Thanks to an amazing internet shop'... don't know what happened there!

[Patienceisapparentlyavirtue]

A girl named jack is fab for really cheap recipes based on pantry basics - though may have more meat than ideal for you. Maybe some online Indian resources for nice dhals and things?

More importantly though, you really do need to keep gaining weight, to help your baby grow and to make sure that you don't end up with issues like low iron for both of you. There IS help out there for people in your position. Have you spoken to our midwife or GP? It can feel embarrassing but you won't be the first or last person who is stuck while pregnant, she may have good contacts. Another good one is local churches. I work with a church that has a small food back in my area and they see all sorts, even the ones who get bad write ups in the daily mail for arriving at a food bank with a nice car - but often these are families who for sudden unforeseen reasons are without income or low on cash and just need a few months of help to tide them over. Staff are understanding, and and the long term volunteers say that they have seen some of those same families back a few years later with food to donate to others.

The other path is to get to a citizens advice bureau or other support to see if there are extra benefits you may be entitled to. Other posters may have more details, I'm not an expert on this one!

Finally, is there anything that either of you could do to pick up a bit of extra cash before the baby arrives? Little stuff like taking in ironing, doing letter drops and the like is not glamorous but can be done around a toddler and may be helpful in funding some shopping and/or building some buffer.

Really good luck.

[JennyBlueWren]

I think Patience has covered most of what I would say but would certainly recommend using tinned fish (and fruit/vegetables) which can be got quite cheaply. Also find out what time your local supermarket puts stuff on the reduced shelf. I've picked up fish and vegetables that would feed 2 for less than 20p in total this way -although sometimes will need preparing and does mean you get to try odd things like sprats! I just google what I've managed to get cheap and what I've got in the cupboard (e.g. sprats and lentils) and will find a recipe to do.

It's not necessarily high fat that you need but to get the right balance of nutrients to grow baby.

[juneavrile]

Bubble and squeak with a fried egg on top
Vegetable byriani - make it with roast veg, cooked rice and pataks paste (or curry powder if that's too pricey)
Tarka dhal with rice
Parippu - a coconut dhal - coconut milk much cheaper in ethnic section of supermarket or find coconut milk powder which is even more economical
Nigella Lawson's vegetarian chilli, made with red lentils, is amazing - I don't bother with cornbread topping, just serve it with rice and some tomato salsa and chillies

Don't skimp with the oil (or ghee or butter if you can stretch to it) it'll make the food taste better and you need to get some calories in you. Maybe you should try to eat some tinned sardines in oil a couple of times a week - they are cheap and you will really benefit from them.

Do you have a friend who likes cooking who would give you some spices from their cupboard if they're proving a bit expensive - they make all the difference to cooking rice / pulses

[harrowgreen]

Try the 'ethnic foods' aisles in supermarkets (particularly if you can get to a huge one): they have beans/lentils (ie high protein foods) very cheaply - must cheaper than in the other aisles.

[defineme]

I absolutely appreciate you're prioritising ds1, but there's a child inside you too. If you have no cash, then you need to find the cheapest protein/fat to supplement the carbs you have, in your circs I'd forgo principals and buy the caged bird eggs that are so cheap, smartprice peanut butter, tinned mackerel is cheap, frozen value white fish, value cream cheese, value grated cheese. The fishmongers in my local supermarkets have whole fish reduced to pence at the end of the day.

[Jaffakake]

Your gp or a hv may be able to refer you to a food bank. They may also be able to arrange a parcel specific to your higher calorie needs.

I agree eggs & cheese are easy & relatively cheap ways of adding calories to the basics you have & everything is improved with a fried egg on top (as my classy husband always says)

[DontBeBlueBeARainbow]

As juneavrile says above, I would second dried lentils and beans! Check the World Foods section and Whole Foods/cupboard foods aisles and grab the cheapest. Lentils, split peas, kidney beans, canellini beans are all nutrient and protein rich and can be paired with low cost veg (onions, carrots, celery, potato) in some sort of casserole.

You can get big packs of cheap eggs at the market, or Aldi's price is not bad.