Up-the-duffers...what are you scoffing?

[DetentionGrrrl]

I have discovered that the key to not feeling horribly nauseous is eating pretty much constantly.

Today i have had:

2 pieces toast with marmite
Yogurt
Handful Ritz crackers
2 cheese crispy pancakes (which i thought would be nicer than they tasted)

Fancy quiche and jacket potato for tea. And some mint poppets. Hmm...poppets...

Hi everyone. Just found this thread and having a great fun reading it. Haven't finished it yet but have a question for you all as there seems to be a lot of knowledge here !

I am very partial to Lemon & Ginger tea recently (am 8+5wks) but just read on the back of the M&S packet that it also contains Lemon Myrtle 15%, Lemon Balm 15% and Ginseng 1%. I have stopped drinking it because I can't find info about having these ingredients while pg.

Can anyone shed any light on this? Also anyone know if Twinings Lemon & Ginger tea contains extras like this?

No one probably interested but here's what I had yesterday:

Shredded wheat with added wheatgerm, raisins and mixed seeds with soya milk.
Banana
Jacket potato with tuna mayo & huge salad
Clementine
Homemade mushroom risotto with big handful of rocket
Apple pie & custard
2 Cups of tea
2 cups lemon & Ginger tea
Water

Trying to keep it healthy and homemade but don't always manage it although I find if I find it easier to just not buy crap. Made some peanut butter cookies for DD the other day but not sure that I should be eating peanuts????? Really loving cheese at the moment too

Forgot to add - only occaisional ms but when I get it I need to eat immmediately! Had no ms with last pg at all.

Hi singingbear - don't be sorry, you are entitled to your opinion just like everyone else!

Hillbilly, not sure about the ingredients in the tea but I have read that any herbal tea you can buy from a shop in a teabag is OK, it is only herbal teas you make from your own garden etc that can be dangerous. To be sure, just google the ingredients + pregnancy and it is sure to come up.

MrsMar - I remember you saying previously that your doctor thinks you might be at risk of gestational diabetes? The GI diet is ideal for that (because it balances your blood sugar). Patrick Holford's diet books (goodness, I sound like his PR - I'm not, I just think his recipe books are brilliant) are great at that, and the food is delicious. Obviously in PG you'd have to follow the maintenance phase but that is just bigger portions. The Holford Diet and The Holford 'low GL' Diet Cookbook are the books I use - even my DH loves the food!

Hillbilly, see

www.port-trading.com/herbal-tea.html

www.herbalgram.org/iherb/expandedcommissione/he057.asp

www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=4368

They seem to say the lemon myrtle and balm are OK, but Ginseng should be used cautiously. I'd say 1% is probably OK but I personally wouldn't take the chance, in fact I stopped drinking all herbal teas in the early stages of my PG (just gone back onto Redbush tea now) but I am a bit neurotic as you have probably guessed from the rest of this thread!

Thanks for that nh. I shall probably just try to find on that only has lemon and ginger in it.

ah i see mrsmar. i dont want to be one more joining your pressure team but take care of yourself

my only incentive to go to the gym after the baby is born will be the mirror for me! even though i will be back to work, most of the time i will be sitting down, not much of a help...

hillbilly, I really wouldn't worry about herbal tea. I drank various herbal teas and even herbal remedies throughout the first 3 months of my first pregnancy, on the advice of a medical herbalist. (My son is quite healthy, beautiful and intelligent though he does have a terrible temper, so there you go!!) She told me that the reason most herbs seem to be 'banned' for pregnant women is basically because of the ignorance of the conventional medical establishment as to what they do and contain, and out of fear of litigation (nothing can of course be 'tested' on pregnant women, even if it is a natural ingredient which has been used for centuries to treat them, and so a blanket warning is issued).

Also, the strength of ingredients in commercial herbal teas is very much reduced ('they use the sweepings' I remember her telling me) so not likely to do much in the way of harm (or good) at all. I do think the flavour of citrus and ginger helps the sensations of sickness though.

I didn't know that some herbal teas were meant to be bad for you. I've been drinking loads. I know you cant drink raspberry leaf tea until you 36 weeks though.

You're most probably right whywhywhy and the ingredients concerned are small percentages too.

Kayzr - funny you should say that about Raspbaerry leaf tea as during my last pg, my antenatal yoga teacher used to give us all tea before the class and she told me later (after having given birth) that there was one rasp leaf teabag mixed in with the camomile which she made in a huge pot for about 15 of us! Anyway after 36 weeks I was drinking gallons of the stuff!

A friend of mine who had her baby girl about a week ago has got some for me but she says its awful. So I'm a bit iffy about drinking.

I guess it's a matter of personal taste plus I just thought, if it will help then go for it. However you can get it in capsule form instead and just take those.

The brand I used last time was Heath & Heather.

I've got 5 days to go and I'm fed up and don't want to be induced so I'll try most things.

Go for it kayzr - raspberry leaf is supposed to encourage contractions though it didn't work for one friend of mine. Good luck with the birth!!

I will try it. As well as curry, walking, early nights and pleading with bump.

Kayzr - try lots of fresh pineapple and pineapple juice - M&S sell a v. tasty one - and evenif it doesn't work it at least tastes nice.
Personally, somedays I just seem hungry ALL the time! Others aren't so bad. Really want v. hot spicy food though.

I love pineapple so I can do that easily.

Hi NH - I don't know why the doc kept going on at me about gestational diabetes, apart from carrying a couple of extra stone I don't have any other indicators that I might be at risk. I usually try and stick to GI principles anyway, limiting the amount of sugar I eat (even in fruit) and having whole grains rather than white bread and white rice. I've been doing it for a couple of years and find I don't get hungry so often now.

Having said that, with this horrendous cold and doing nights I've really craved salt and vinegar crisps. It's the only thing I can taste!! I've given in a couple of times because I'm on nights and a girl can only punish herself so much!! I've given up chocolate for lent and I've been really good (and i'm going to the land of chocolate next week - switzerland. Torture!! I will be good, I will be good!)

Following on from the post below.... am having a terrible time of it tonight (am on nights at the moment). I had dinner at around 8pm (salmon with cauliflower cheese and swede mash and a couple of satsumas), got to work and bought a pot of mixed crudites and a bottle of water to nibble until my break. I had to take my break about 40 mins late as we were busy, but before that I started getting a really light headed feeling. I had that overwhelming hunger that made me feel sick. I then bought my meal (low GI sandwich with chicken and chargrilled vegetables, low fat yoghurt and a couple of ryvitas with a little pot of hummous) but I still feel ravenous and light headed. I've been ill with a cold recently, and nights are never great, but I'm concerned about this. I really don't want to put too much weight on, but right now I could eat a loaf of bread. Is this normal, even though I've eated only an hour ago? I know no-one's up at this God forsaken hour, so I'll be interested to read anyone's comments when I wake up this evening. I'm not sure what I'll do until then, hang on as long as I can and then have a banana with a cup of tea (my usual end of shift treat!)

Sorry for long post, but I'm shocked at how differently my body is coping with food.

MrsM - all the way through Jan & Feb I had amzing hunger. Could have eaten for England! I know how you feel. And try as I might to eat healthy stuff, I just wanted bread and solid filling stuff, not carrots and apples and the like. Unfortunately I did consequently put on more weight than I ought, but too late to do much about it now I guess. Now that hunger's subsiding I'm trying hard to eat more reasonably, and taking heart in the fact that I lost loads last year (sorry if that sounds smug) so I can lose some again, and am already planning an all-terrain type buggy so I can have some nice country walks to help me back on track. Oh and I am swimming 3 times per week, and feeling great, so trying not to worry too much about the weight.

Am a bit worried about doc will say at my appointment on 27th though

Hi Jamantha, thanks for that. It's good to know that I'm not alone. Normally I can ignore hunger pangs, or have a glass of water to make them go, and usually I forget about them, but this is unbearable. I could tear through a brick wall to get to food right now. Just tucking in to a strawberry smoothie, a banana and a cup of tea to stop myself feeling faint. The thing is, I know I'm going to need a slice of toast before I go to bed this morning (around 10am) otherwise I'll wake up too early and starving hungry again.

I've got my booking in appointment with the midwife on sunday, so I might ask them what I can do, if anything. I am terribly worried about the weight. I feel huge! I've been so ill with this cold I haven't weighed myself for a few days, so God knows how much I've put on. I'm dreading the uphill slog I'll have to lose all the weight come September. I hope your doctor's appointment goes ok and you don't get a telling off!