'Dieting' while pregnant

[MummyOfHnS]

I'm a mum of 2 at the moment and pregnant with my 3rd. Pre-children I was a size 8-10 (though petit at 5'2"). During my first pregnancy I ballooned to a size 18 maternity! It took my 2 years to shed most if the weight and I got down to a 10-12 which I was more than happy with. I then fell pregnant with my 2nd and my figure went back up to a 16 maternity...after having her in January I got myself down to a 12 again but am now 16wks with my 3rd and have already gained half a stone :(

To be clear, the reason I say "'dieting' while pregnant" is because I dont actually want to lose weight or harm my unborn by sacrificing much needed cals, but I would like to find out if there a safe way to maintain how much food is needed and eat only that in a healthy fashion to stop the unnecessary weight gain?

Has anyone ever received advice on this?

Not sure if this is any help, but you won't go far wrong if you make sure half your meal is veg - great for health plus fills you with good stuff. I'd imagine just general healthy eating would be the way to go? Is your mw any help?

When they thought I had gestional diabetes I followed a low gi diet.

Healthiest eating and safe.

The Dukan Diet book has a bit about pregnancy, says you can use elements of it while pregnant, but obviously advice has to be don't diet without talking to your doctor.

Ps combined with sickness most of the way through I weighed 22lbs less the day after she was born than I did at the booking in appt.

I've carried on with Slimming World while I have been pregnant (I'm 37 weeks now) I found it great as I wanted to try to eat as healthily as possible and SW let me do that but I could still have comfort food which I did crave for a while.

I maintained my "weight" while gaining a bump up to about 26 weeks, which is when I started to put on some lb's - SW consultant gave me a form which MW signs off every few weeks just to confirm it is all safe to do.

I should mention I was a size 18ish pre pregnancy and really didn't want to pile on the weight while pregnant.

Gowri Motha's Gentle Birth Method has a lot on how to eat very well while not putting on weight during pregnancy. www.amazon.co.uk/Gentle-Birth-Method-Month-Month/dp/0007176848

The recipes I tried were delicious but did call for mung beans and the like but everyone I know who's followed it has looked amazing and had very good births (it was all too much like hard work to me).

I believe they also do a recipe book.

Oooh, just found Motha's basic nutritional guidelines here: www.jeyarani.com/birth_prep/body_nutr_guidlines.html

I lent my Motha book to someone on the site, I could probably see if she's done with it and can send it on to you if you want?

A word of warning - Motha is not for everyone, I didn't get along with it because I have the discipline of a flea, but it's pretty impressive.

I'd second Slimming World as a great place for a pregnant woman to get support in healthy eating (I'm going tonight as it happens!). It's basically a maintenance diet (you get more healthy extras than those members who are trying to loose weight rather than not pile it on) but very much focused on lots of fruit and veg and good quanities of protein. It has been endorsed by the Royal College of Midwives.

Depends what you mean by dieting.

Is a strict 1200 calories a day a good idea? No.
But do you need to eat processed carbs and lots of saturated fat? No.

Make sure half (or more) or more of each plate veggies and all snacks to be fruit or yoghurt. Cut right back on refined carbs (sugar, white flour). Low GI is the way to go, recommend south beach diet (phase 2) but don't worry about quantities.