I have been eating rubbish and feel horribly guilty... :(

[bumpthesecond]

Can anyone else identify with this? During my first pregnancy I ate pretty much perfectly. Second time around, I am not even close to perfect. Nutrients-wise I’m probably fine – it’s just the fact that along with all the fruit and vegetables I’m eating way too much processed crap and WAY too much sugar. My dad died last year and I developed a comfort eating thing, and despite falling unexpectedly pregnant a while later (am now 27 weeks along) I just haven’t kicked it. I am really worried I have hurt my baby and I feel awful.

Can someone give me a kick in the rear and tell me that if I start eating healthily NOW then I can salvage some level of wellbeing for my baby? Can anyone reassure me with tales of “I ate crap during my pregnancy and have a healthy child”? (This won’t encourage me to eat rubbish, I promise; if anything, it’s the hopelessness and feeling as though I’ve already hurt this baby in some irreparable way that demotivates me from eating healthily).

I feel unable to actually enjoy the idea of having a baby soon because I’m worried he’s inevitably going to come out really ill because of how badly I’ve eaten - which Google tells me may well be the case. I've got myself hugely worked up over this and I really need some advice/reassurance/anything. I really wish I could go back to the beginning of this pregnancy and just start over again...

Your baby will be completely fine, no way have you hurt him/her. You have given your body a bit of extra energy! When people are ill in pregnancy, midwives want them to get anything possible inside them. With hyperemesis this will often mean flat coke (subsequently thrown up) and nothing else at all. The baby will just take from your body what it wants. The sugar and fat will end up on your bum!! Don't worry at all.

Your baby is fine! S/he'll be siphoning off all the good stuff, and having a marvellous time. If youre getting a good nutritious diet and if your check-ups do far have gone well, then I think Dr Google needs to get the sack...

All I wanted in my first trimester was chips and apples, not exactly a balanced diet... And I had to make a real effort to eat well done days. My five week old seems to be just fine.

It's worth eating well for you though - its cleat making you feel bad, and thats no good. Can you meal plan or something similar to help you? Get someone else to join you in eating 'better'? Life's miserable when you're fretting about food, so I think it's worth you working on it gently, but for your own sake - the baby will be doing just fine.

I'm sure when dr Google tells his tales he is meaning severely malnourishment like those in severe poverty or druggies. I'm sure this doesn't apply to you!!! And even then a lot of those junkies have healthy babies. As said above, baby will take what he needs. Just remember, chocolate contains calcium, great for those bones!!

I'm sure everything will be just fine

But, for your own peace of mind, you still have 13 long weeks to shovel down the broccoli etc - it's never too late for you both to benefit.

Your baby takes the nutrients it needs. Your baby will NOT come out ill because you ate too much cake. The worst likely outcome is extra weight to shift post partum.

No additional words or reassurance but if it makes you feel better, after craving them for a week now I have just sat and demolished pretty much a whole tube of salt and vinegar Pringles. There's still some left now, there may not be by the time I go to bed in an hour or so.

Thanks for the replies everyone - amazing how much better a few anonymous people online can make you feel! It's largely been the refined sugar that's concerned me - according to one website it can, in large amounts, cause birth defects and other horrible things. Unsure how much stock to put in the websites I've been reading, but it's hard not to feel paranoid - which only results in my eating worse due to stress, stupidly enough. This thread has been a reassurance though so feeling hopeful about the next 13 weeks!

I ate masses of ice cream, chocolate, biscuits, cake, etc, during my pregnancy. I had fairly healthy meals but snacked for England on junk. Am sitting here with my perfect, healthy 13 week old DD who arrived in this world in an extremely straightforward way and is a strong, happy, healthy little baby.

To be fair though, I do still have 20lb of pregnancy weight to lose...

Your little one will be fine.

STOP GOOGLING!
Baby will be fine. Seriously.
I developed a sweet tooth but I try to eat some fruity stuff. I microwave fresh or frozen fruit, mix with fat free yoghurt and sweetener powder and it's delicious.

Or get Mini Milk lollies they are small but sweet and satisfying. Just try to make a few a changes to up your fruit & veg intake and then the sweet stuff won't feel so bad.
Go easy on yourself. x

Stop beating yourself up over this, I doubt guilt is going to help deal with any comfort food issues! I have a raised bmi and due to having relocated had started eating badly again before I got pregnant with dc3. Morning sickness soon took care of that for me and I lost 2 stone by 16 weeks - my point is despite losing a load of weight and eating barely anything the midwives weren't concerned as baby will get what they need regardless. The only person likely to suffer is you as baby will take the things they need from your stores. I tend to go by my well-being, hair and nails as a sign of whether I'm getting enough of the right stuff. Plus I suspect a lot of women develop unhealthy cravings when pregnant you most certainly aren't alone. Now be kind to yourself and try to make the changes you want slowly without guilt tripping yourself!

Please don't worry. My baby was practically built on Tunnock's tea cakes and he came out fine. There's nothing wrong with trying to eat healthily, of course, but maybe right now your body just needs a lot of calories.

Also, google really is not your friend.
The NHS and Mayo clinic websites have sensible, evidence-backed information on them and Mumsnet gives you a decent range of anecdotes.