Salt in pregnancy

[parkj83]

Hello all

I'm 13+6, and find myself craving savoury foods - the saltier the better...

I have low blood pressure naturally (last time it registered at 90/50! Although I'm usually at about 100/60), and I've been advised in the past that I can take extra salt in my diet because of this.

For example, I have a cup of bovril in the morning, then something pasta or potato based at lunch, sometimes with added salt, then maybe another bovril in the afternoon, then a reasonably balanced meal in the evening (meat, veg, pasta, again, sometimes with added salt) then sometimes salty popcorn when watching tv (I have this 3 or 4 times a week...!)

Add to this, I have erratic cravings for various salty snacks - cheese and crisp sandwiches, cheese straws, that kind of thing

Thing is, can you have too much when you're pg? Does my body filter it out before it hits bump??

[cupofcoffee]

I have low BP too and this dips even lower in early preg. When I was preg I used to get light headed when standing and I craved salty food. I don't normally take a lot of salt in my diet but had more during preg. I think my body was trying to keep my BP high enough for me to stand up.

[parkj83]

Mm, I think that's what's happening this end too...

Just woofed a huge mcdonalds down - not really like me at all

[ByThePowerOfGreyskull]

Argh I have been reading too many threads...

I thought this was about speech and language therapy during pregnancy,, I wasn't sure how it would complicate a pregnancy

[parkj83]

pmsl! Oh blimey, I was having a bad day till I read your post ByThePower...!

Thank you x

[MammyG]

Hi Park - thanks for posting. I too have low BP and have been demented with salt! I would normally never salt my food except chips. Now its on everything. I found during my previous 2 pregnancies I went through a month of salt cravings. But this time Its been for the whole first trimester. I was wondering the same as you if there is such a thing as too much? I am also gone a little crazy on sugar which I really have to try and curtail now. Dont think I could give up the salt tho.

[Trillian42]

I've low BP naturally too - I attend a consultant for it for the last couple of years because of fainting spells. I was on medication, but obviously not during pregnancy! The consultant's advice for during pregnancy was to up my salt intake, and to increase my fluids to as much as I can manage, and then some.

I even have emergency crisps (salt), lucozade (caffeine & sugar) and obviously water in the car/in my desk drawer in work etc at all times but I'm still more prone to getting weak than I was pre-pregnancy, even though I'm now third trimester, so this may not get better for you all later on.

But none of this really answers your question! I haven't asked my obstetrician specifically about the salt - I figured that not fainting was more important than too much salt, and that the BP consultant would have mentioned if it was a problem. Hopefully someone will have a more helpful answer than me!

[parkj83]

Lol, thanks for your response Trillian,

TBH, fainting hasn't been an issue (yet) but I have been warned to not stand around for too long at any one time. To date, the only time I fainted was over a year ago, and it was when I went to see a chiropractor to help with an issue I have with my hands. A practised flick and zonk, I was out! Never saw it coming!

I do notice I struggle during the day if I don't start off the day with something salty, and I also carry a supply of water (minimum 6 litres!) and snacks in the car too (even at home, tap water will not do, it has to be bottled)

Forget the sugar though - if I eat anything with sugar in, apart from haribo gold bears , I feel, and often am, very sick . Smelling anything sweet also makes me feel ill - I've gone off my new built-in wardrobe, and my fabric conditioner

I just don't remember feeling this way with DS, who's 6.10 now. Similar to Mammy, I remember maybe a few weeks of pandering for crisps in the first trimester, but nothing major. But I'm positively craving processed foods and Bovril/Marmite etc!

It's lasted a good week now... I suppose watch this space if it carries too much longer. Even now, I'm thinking, loads of Marmite on toast would be good!

[Trillian42]

I asked a friend who is a paediatrician yesterday about this. Granted he's not an obstetrician, but he is based in North America where salt is considered the devil's work. He said the baby will probably have a taste for salt when he/she is born, but that he can't see there being any health issues for me or baby as my BP is so low anyway.

[parkj83]

Ok cool

It's calmed down this week, but in general, my appetite has taken a slump, as I had a vomiting bug at the end of last week

I'm forcing myself to eat little and often, but I'm actually scared of eating, for fear of bringing it up again

Oh well.

[schroedingersdodo]

I had the same cravings in the first months of pregnancy, and my BP is usually low too. I just went for the salty foods without worrying too much, and it didn't last too long (I believe that cravings are our bodies' way of telling what we need to eat).

[Vistana]

My midwife recommended using sea salt or himalayan salt as I don't add salt to any food except chips and fried eggs.
She also said the egg yolk being solid was old advice and not to worry when I said I can't stand solid eggs. As long as you buy eggs from a supermarket the chickens are vaccinated and its the white part that must be solid.

[parkj83]

Hi all, as some ladies have said on here, I have found it's eased off quite a bit now.

Still have the odd longing here and there, but marmite soon fixes that

Vistana, I always use sea-salt anyway, so that's good, and interesting re the eggs... I hate hard boiled eggs too, except in egg mayo.