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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Am I Eating ok?

14 replies

Focusfocus · 16/04/2015 10:43

Hi all,

It's such a basic thing, but I woke up is morning completely confused as to if I am eating ok. I am about to begin my second trimester this week.

The thing is, i was born and bred in a country/culture that strictly promotes eating for two. It also doesn't have the concept of "portions" and servings or the idea of a main course as one single item. Meals consist of three of four mains all of which are served up with a giant pot of rice on the table, and you eat till you are full up. So with every course you help yourself to more rice.

Now I have been in the uk for half a decade, and live with a British DH. The pregnancy and eating guidelines here are very different to those in culture of origin but also generally food is different. There are portions, and mains, and a meal could easily be just one course.

So I have overthought everything and now don't know if I am eating ok. Can someone cast an eye over this average day's meals and tell me if I am missing something? Here's today as an example - (my pregnancy multis come in three parts)

Breakfast - Porridge with oats, semi skimmed milk, seeds.
Snack- hard boiled egg, orange juice, morning multivitamin
Lunch- Spinach, chickpea and potato curry, rice, glass of tomato juice, multivitamin
Snack - pot of yoghurt, slice of brown toast with coleslaw and ham
Dinner - Spaghetti with mince in tomato sauce, mixed vegetables, slice of cheese.

An apple will also be thrown in somewhere.

It resembles a western meal largely with the exception of the lunch. You'll probably guess where I am from! There, if I showed this to my family they'd think it's highly inadequate for a pregnant lady. There'd be five curries at each meal and a mountain of rice. And lots more yogurt and milk. Can't deny I fancy that at times, but infrastructure there is loads different to here.

So, returning to my point, does this look okay?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
scarednoob · 16/04/2015 10:48

god yes, it looks v healthy to me, certainly much better than i am managing to be! the only thing i would add on some days would be fish, and just make sure you are getting enough low-fart milk/dairy for the calcium.

also, that curry sounds delicious, want want want.

scarednoob · 16/04/2015 10:48

low FART dairy??? well, i guess that's important too...!

comeagainforbigfudge · 16/04/2015 11:17

Gawd that looks a brilliant days food! I'm lucky if I manage half of that.... just don't want to eat/have room!!

(Very sad face)

lemon101 · 16/04/2015 11:35

mmmmm! You've just made me hungry! Can I have your lunch too?!

Sounds perfectly fine to me!

UpNorth74 · 16/04/2015 11:50

I'm impressed/envious! I'm constantly grazing on mainly beige food (bread, potatoes, pasta, crackers, etc). You have got a whole variety in there.

I would (literally) go with your gut - if you're still hungry, then eat a little bit more. In my sport we have a 'drink to thirst' rule and I'm trying to apply this to hunger too. But I don't see the benefit in eating forcing so much food down that you're likely to feel a little sick and bloated.

You're the mama, do what you think is right for you :)

Number3cometome · 16/04/2015 12:04

Your diet sounds good, you are eating all healthy stuff and nothing in there is bad for baby.

Don't worry!

Focusfocus · 16/04/2015 12:31

Ahhhh thank you guys. When I showed this to my mother who is back in home country, she was quiet. You know what a day would look like, pregnant or not?

Breakfast: rice with lentils, fried fish
Snacks : 3 kinds of fruits, a big pot of yoghurt
Lunch: rice, curried fish (at least two pieces ), curried vegetables type 1, 2 and 3, yoghurt and a baked cheese sweet to finish off
Evening snack: crisp rice made into a salad with beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumber, onions
Dinner: rice, chicken curry, fish curry, veggie curry 1 and 2, yoghurt with a sweet in syrup.

Yep. Of course the portions you then eat of each curry aren't ever a full portion.

I think this clash of food cultures has left me absolutely confused as to what on earth I should be doing, and frankly what can I do in a completely self dependent culture in the west. Out there, even one person in a city is bei served by a battalion of cooks, cleaners, drivers - stark inequality and social contrasts typical of any developing country.

Anyway. Ok, so I am eating okay. Thank you.

OP posts:
Madratlady · 16/04/2015 13:06

Your diet looks very healthy. Are you taking a pregnancy multivitamin? It's not recommended to take 'normal' multivitamins during pregnancy AFAIK.

Focusfocus · 16/04/2015 13:31

Yes, I am taking a pregnancy multivitamin tailored for each trimester. Normal multivitamins would contain vitamin A which is a no no.

OP posts:
Fattycow · 16/04/2015 13:35

Your diet looks fine. I see loads of fruit and veg, diary and fibers.

Carrierpenguin · 16/04/2015 14:04

The only thing I'd cut out would be the ham. Processed meat isn't healthy.

UpNorth74 · 16/04/2015 14:42

hmmm ham. I've been craving proper butchers ham .. and I'm a vegetarian! Haven't given in yet ....!

Focusfocus - is your other half western? How does he find the food culture clash (even pre-pregnancy)?

Also ... your menu's are making me hungry! :)

Focusfocus · 16/04/2015 15:23

Yes he is western,but unlike me is living in his culture of origin with a fondness for "curry". Now if he was living out there, surrounded by a world of usury twenty four seven, now that might be different! When we visit, he usually starts craving fish finger sandwiches and pies ten days in
,

OP posts:
UpNorth74 · 16/04/2015 16:39

Brilliant! I once had a flatmate who I think may be of very similar origin to yourself, and she showed me a whole side to curry that I'd never dreamt of before (same when I had an Indian flatmate - takeaways just are not the same!)

I still reckon that if your body is more used to the foods (and volume of foods) from your culture, then you are certainly eating perfectly for you and your baby. Plus your own mother will always think you need to eat more - I think that spans most cultures!

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