Extra calories...or not?

[coastgirl]

I am 5 weeks pregnant and ever since I found out (even before, in fact) I have been ravenous all the time. I am normally a fairly restrained/healthy eater who isn't prone to binges or eating a lot of cakes, sweets and biscuits. I'm a natural size 6/8 who just seems to regulate my food intake without thinking much about it; I exercise and consider myself quite in touch with my body. But I just can't stop eating - it's like a drive to get as many calories as I can! I am always hungry; I just ate a big meal and am still thinking about what else I can eat.

Now, all the advice says you don't need any extra calories until the 3rd trimester. This seems completely bonkers and illogical to me! Surely something is making me hungry for a reason? But I'm struggling with feeling so hungry and hearing this advice going round in my head. DH is encouraging me to eat if I want to - he thinks if I'm hungry it must be a natural process, but I can't shake the feeling that it's just greed.

I used to get incredibly hungry in the first trimester and had to introduce 3 snacks, I'm not sure if this was because I had awful alday sickness all and could only eat a tiny bit of meals.

Try to keep the snacks as healthy as possible, ie fruit/ raw veg/ crackers to avoid putting on excess weight quickly. Or you'll have the pregnancy police after you

Hi Coast
Officially you only need an extra 200-300 calories a day in the last few weeks of pg. However I think alot of us feel like eating a horse and the stable as well all through pg. There are 2 schools of thought....eat what you want within reason and worry about losing it later, or resist and put up with the hunger. For me its somewhere in between. During ms it was hardest - when not actually chucking up, I had to eat whatever I could stomach which was usually carbs or sugars. Now, after the horrible ms, I am still ravenous but try and pick a healthy option where possible...despite huge craving for chockie, a banana actually works as well...and if I want chips then a jacket potato is a substitute. This has only been possible now I have reached the stage where I can stomach normal foods again...salads and veggies were totally pukesome for a couple of months.
So really, my advice would be to eat what you want but be a bit sensible about it. Oh and relax! if you put on a bit of weight then so what? more cushioning for the little bean.
Congrats on the pg by the way!

I also got very hungry in my first pregnancy, and could never understand how I was supposed to grow a baby without using any extra calories. I just listened to my body and ate when hungry, I didn't put on huge amounts and went back to pre-pregnancy weight and shape fairly quickly. I'm now 13 weeks with no2 and intend to do the same again.

I am at 10 weeks and have also had really bad hunger! At 5 weeks it was just hunger, but from about 6-7 weeks I started feeling sick if I didn't eat. Even at 5 weeks without the nausea I couldn't put up with the hunger, it was too much, so I just ate. Carbs are particularly good for filling me up, but I'm trying to also eat healthy snacks like nuts and dried fruit.

Like the OP I am normally slim and seem to be able to regulate my food intake quite well. So I don't really like this weird relationship I have with food at the moment! I've put on a couple of pounds already, but I am trying not to let that bother me.

I know what the books say about not needing extra calories but, like the nurse said to me the other day, no-one's textbook.

I was told (in the weight-gain-police capital of the world - France) that if you are usually slim/underweight you may need to eat more to provide your body with the additional energy it needs and as long as you're not gaining lots of weight in the first trimester not to worry about it. Now I know that sounds like complete crap and I was very when I heard it but I ate when and what I needed to (lots of instant sugar i.e. chocolate because my blood sugar levels would plummet and I nearly passed out in class a couple of times) and my weight gain is apparently fine. I did panic when I put on 2 kilos in as many weeks but apparently that's normal around the 5 month mark.

I think it basically boils down to 'if you are hungry your body is saying you need food, therefore eat it but do watch your weight because massive weight gain early on isn't good'.

There's also the theory that naturally slim women do need extra to get them through pregnancy because part of pregnancy is building up fat stores (oh so glam) which may not necessarily be there. I'm fairly sure some of my muscle has turned to fat but I'll get it back afterwards!

Thanks everyone - I have been trying to eat healthy snacks (have got through so many satsumas it's unreal!) but obviously that's just a bit harder when it's coming up to Christmas and there are yummy treats everywhere.

It's like squirrel says - the hunger is too much. I feel like I HAVE to eat, but it is very different from how I normally am. Of course I get hungry but a piece of fruit could ward it off for a bit. Now I'll eat two satsumas, a punnet of blueberries and have a glass of water in case I'm thirsty, and still end up rooting around for more food. It's odd, and to keep reading that I shouldn't even be eating any extra makes me feel like I'm doing something wrong.

Try eating more filling/long lasting carbs.

Rice cakes work quite well because they're metabolised more slowly than fruit is, especially if you put some cheese or something on them.

Plus drink more - I've upped my water intake by about 25% and I was on 2l a day before.

Echo the water advice. Strangely my thirst completely went but its so important. Become a wee watcher to monitor how hydrated you are

A bowl of cereal (though maybe not coco pops or the like...) and semi-skimmed milk is a good way to fill up.

Hehe my 'thing' has been the baby oranges too, I think the baby is going go come out an addict!

One thing I also meant to say is, do not stress, it will even out, or you will lose it post baby! You never know what's around the corner, in a few weeks you might be here telling us you are feeling so sick you can't eat a thing.

Well, after a huge dinner last night I've just woken up at 6.30 (on a Saturday, grr) and had to go downstairs for more satsumas to ward off hunger pangs, and now I think I'm going to have to give in and go and get some muesli as well because I can't bear it any more!

lol op, i too am up and have been awake thinking about food since 5.30am [ grin] gave in around 6.15am and came down did the housework (wtf!!!) whilst downing huge mug of tea and half a packet of custard creams!!! I don't care if thats unhealthy or not i am 29+2 so into third trimester but to be honest appetite hasn't changed since i started to feel human after bad 24/7 nausea til week 16. I eat whatever the hell i want when i want!! I have put on 17lbs so happy with that!!

I'm now 27 weeks an I was like this throughout the first half of my pregnancy. Well, now I can't manage a full meal coz of baby pressing against my stomach, so despite putting on a fair bit of weight early in my pregnancy I've not put any on in weeks so it's all balanced out! When I was hungry I ate whatever I wanted (always been an 8-10) and am now really glad I did, otherwise I'd be worrying that baby is now not getting fed enough! I gained about a stone in 20 weeks but then it slowed right down, am now about 16lbs heavier than before i was pregnant. I feel like my body knew I needed so much at the start, to balance out through my pregnancy xxx