Shaking if I don't eat for 2 hours... Is this normal?

[clank2]

I'm 7 weeks pregnant and since last week, if I don't eat for only 2 hours I get the shakes and feel weak and panicky. Example of this the first time....had oats, fruit and almond milk at 8. An apple at 10. Left to walk to the shop at 11 and quickly started shakiness and feeling desperate to eat.

Today had brunch bar. A whole mango. 2 x slices toast with jam at 10.30. By 1 was gipping out hardly able to hold my fork.

This is surely not normal?! I would understand if I was starving myself, but as you can see, I'm really not. Is this just being pregnant or gestational diabetes ( which I know nothing about so hope that wasn't an ignorant thing to say? ) thanks in advance for help or clues x

[BelfastSmile]

I was a bit like this at that point, if I remember correctly. It may not have been just so frequent, though. If you're concerned, contact your midwife or GP and they'll be able to reassure you.

[Quodlibet]

I definitely feel weak, sick and flaky if I don't eat every couple of hours. If I don't have mid morning toast I'm vomming by lunchtime. I definitely don't have GD but do have a fast metabolism.

Just try eating small things every couple of hours to try to level out your blood sugar?

[BornToFolk]

Today had brunch bar. A whole mango. 2 x slices toast with jam at 10.30

That's all quite sugary. Maybe your blood sugar is spiking and then crashing, making you feel wobbly? I get like this if I have too much sugar in one go and it was defintiely worse in pregnancy.
Maybe try having more protein based snacks to keep you going?

[April2013]

I was like this and it was rubbish, but definitely speak to a GP or Midwife to get some reassurance and advice, maybe they will do some tests to be on the safe side . I ended up stuck to sofa and only moving to kitchen and bathroom, I would recommend taking things very very easy and having lots of easy snacking options to hand, get as much help as you can and don't do any housework and it sounds like you need time off work. This passed fairly quickly so hopefully in a couple of weeks or sooner you will feel better. I was fairly fainty at the booking in appointment and had to lay down for the blood test - it seems to help if you lay down. Hope you feel better soon.

[soundsystem]

I get this too. Agree with snacking every couple of hours: bits of cheese, breadsticks, etc. I have a toddler so I just snack along with her :)

[PragmaticWench]

I was just like that with both pregnancies, it really shocked me. I kept snacks in my bag so I was never stuck without anything to eat, as making it to the shop from my desk would make me dizzy and shakey. It passes thankfully!

[PragmaticWench]

Actually early pregnancy was much harder than the rest of it for me. I was starving hungry, puking all the time and so exhausted I thought I might collapse and never get up again. I wish I'd taken time off work to rest but I felt that would seem pathetic.

[beemay]

You sound very restrained to me! Also 7 weeks, so far today I've eaten orange, large bowl cereal, toast, banana, sausage and egg sandwich (oh dear), banana muffin, dried fruit, avocado, salmon and cucumber sandwich, yoghurt.

If I don't eat constantly I'm in trouble. Same with first pregnancy - if I remember rightly it does all calm down in second trimester!

[clank2]

Thanks. I've been very dizzy and tired too. I look after children for a living, so probably can't take time off as loads of parents relying on me...also, if I don't work I don't earn and can't afford that! I've had a big salad and a yoghurt. Feel a bit better now. I'm so worried about gaining anymore weight as I'm overweight, I want a home birth and read that if you go over a certain bmi then they won't let you, so don't want to go over that before seeing midwife! Not that I'm restricting. Just trying to not gain weight right now.

[clank2]

So do you shake etc if you don't eat, or feel sick?

[Picklesauage]

Ime this is normal, particularly in those who normally have a very healthy diet. Often people end up eating a lots more carbs than previous to combat this problem. Just take a look at the food people who have extreme pregnancy sickness can manage to see what the body wants when it is pregnant. It is generally all starchy potatoe and bread products.

I took the route of, eat what my body seems to want. It's not a long term life choice and it makes life manageable!

[ToffeeForEveryone]

I had this from early days, much worse in the morning. Would get really lightheaded when I got hungry, and would come on very fast. Soon adopted regime of first and second breakfasts, mid morning snack then giant lunch :) That would usually see me through till dinner.

Agree with pp, swap out some of the sugarier stuff, even fruit etc, for oatcakes or nuts or cheese, will even out the blood sugar spikes.

[clank2]

Thanks everyone. Very reassuring. Breakfast for champions to set me up for the day x

[melonribena]

Hi clank
I'm 7 weeks too and I definitely feel like this too. Also did with dc#1. My friend says she had a bowl of cereal before bed every night to stop this happening during the night!

Come and join us on the October 2016 antenatal thread!

[SaraC8]

This is me at the moment, I'll be 6 weeks on Sunday. Worst times are mid morning and late afternoon, I work in a salon so I'm stood up all the time as well which I don't think helps I've been bringing lots of snacks to work and have them regularly, every 1-2 hours. Satsumas, light babybels, yogurt, protein bars. I'm overweight so quite conscious that I don't want to eat loads so try and stick to healthy things. And the odd malted milk biscuit! And lots of water.