Eating during pregnancy

[Shammeyuk]

Hi all, I'm struggling with healthy eating during my pregnancy and the other half is on at me for eating healthier. I just don't fancy or enjoy anything other than carbs, potatoes, crisps, things like that. I'm eating bananas and trying to have some veg but even just the smell of some things turns my stomach. I feel bad as I wanted to eat healthy but I'm having to eat on the hour to stop sickness and heartburn and veg and fruit just don't help. I've never smoked and stopped drinking alcohol and caffeine as soon as I knew, I'm not eating anything I shouldn't, laying off anything that I don't need to use product wise etc but I can't sort out the diets
How is everyone else doing or do you have any tips? Does this pass after a whole. I'm 10+3
Thanks

Should say while not whole

Maybe some warm, creamy soups could help get veg in? Or sweet potatoes, parsnips etc they can feel quite stodgy and satisfying but are veg.

You are at the stage of pregnancy where you just manage what you can. You aren’t in control of the aversions and nausea so don’t feel guilty about it. Presumably you are taking the vitamins etc you need. I am 13 weeks and still have lots of aversions, but everyone tells me it will improve soon! It is hard when all the pregnancy advice includes plenty of veg etc but you just can’t manage it. It’s normal for many women though at this stage, and the baby will still get what it needs. Hopefully things will improve for you soon and you will manage a more varied diet

Goodness me you are growing a human! Eat what you like and tell your OH to stick it! Obviously you want to try to have some veg and fruit but at this stage with my first pregnancy I lived on ritz crackers as I couldn't stomach anything else. Nothing. This time round (I'm 9 weeks) I'm feeling better and able to have a bit more balance but really don't beat yourself up about it. The nausea usually passes by about week 12. It was week 20 for me last time but I'm already feeling good this time.
Congrats and honestly don't worry about it! Just try to do what you can but if you can't stomach veg then just have things you can stomach.

I'm 8+4 and in a similar situation. Much easier to snack and eat what you fancy. Might not be the best but I am really struggling with healthy food at the minute!
Manage a banana each day and did manage an apple today (had one the other week and it made me sick so put me off for a while) I've just bought some grapes as they're easy to snack and hopefully get some goodness into me... I've bought fresh orange and fresh apple juice too as they count as one of your 5 a day and then I'm just trying to bulk my teas up with veg or having something that's one of my 5 a day for lunch i.e vegetable ravioli or certain soups (or beans and sausages on toast). It is tricky though! I don't manage it all everyday but hoping the fruit juice helps.

In the first 12-14 weeks I’d say just eat what keeps the sickness at bay and what you fancy. I was eating tons of biscuits to keep my sickness at a reasonable level and nothing else helped.
Once you’re past that you can start eating more healthily and it’ll come much more easily when you’re fancying more food

I am surviving on toast with cream cheese and the occasional satsuma at the moment

Thank you both. I'm taking a pregnancy multi vit and having lots of milk.
I went down the soup route and although I enjoyed it, it didn't stay down too long!
I will try and get some more fruits, I was away recently and had a mixed fruit desert and enjoyed that but it's not that practical having 10 different fruits to sort and store but I will definitely try that and give the soup another go.

Thanks everyone, your replies are making me feel much better and more confident that eating will return to being a bit more normal.
OH is trying to look after me, I know that..I just can't tell my stomach that haha

I also have quite a busy day with a full time job and a horse to look after so I have to have things to keep me going

Really, if it turns out you can’t manage soup at the moment don’t force yourself. Seeing your meal twice is so depressing. Eat what you can manage with the aim of getting through the day with minimal discomfort, and hopefully your range of foods will widen again in a few weeks

I’m 25 weeks and have been dreadful recently. I’m just so tired - we have had takeaway last three nights in a row. My 15 month old is ill and I’m feeling a bit off so I’ve been surviving on sandwiches/ toast/biscuits and takeaways basically. Must do better tomorrow. I take my pregnacare but I do know what you mean about feeling guilty.

My midwife said as long as I was taking vitamins and drinking plenty of fluids, not to worry about what I ate too much. Just have what I fancied. I had far more aversions than cravings but ate a lot of pasta, pizza and chocolate. I worried thinking I needed to nourish the baby.

My son is now a thriving 8 month old, and a solid little size.

Your baby will take what it needs from you. Cut yourself some slack and eat what you fancy, you're going a little person don't forgot. Congrats on your pregnancy

In both my pregnancies I have been the same. Currently 28 weeks and it’s alll about the carbs.
Baby’s nickname is after a type of crisp I just can’t get enough of.
I can’t eat any veg other than sweet corn but can eat most fruits.
Eat what you can. I’ve been told your body will crave what it needs. Don’t be too hard on yourself - it’s a tough time.

Thank you all, I am very excited about baby but it's hard not to worry

I lived off just marmite on toast for 15 weeks,beef hula hoops and ice Lolly that was it.
Even now at 22 weeks . I cook the veg and can't bring myself to eat it at all.
I've never eaten so many carbs as I have recently.. Pizza mainly and lots of cheeses

Beef hula hoops are a new one for me but I love them and marmite on toast, I wonder why!

Have you tried mango? I know it's a fruit but I had Hyperemesis and it was the only fruit that didn't make me feel sick or I didn't throw back up. Trust me when I say I tried a load of different foods.
At the end of the day, if you can manage to eat carbs and stuff and you're keeping it down, then good on you. Ignore anyone else. I survived on sausages and ice lollies for 14 weeks before I could even stomach anything else. (This is when the mangos were discovered)
I'm now 37 weeks and smells still put me off things and tastes have changed constantly but I've eaten whatever I can keep down. If your midwife is concerned then you need to be concerned but other than that, do the best you can with what you know works.

When I suffered with bad morning sickness, my midwife would say to me, “any food is better than no food”. Eat what you can stomach and try to have a piece of fruit a day. Don’t feel bad about it and tell your OH to shush xx

I wouldn't worry just get a good pregnancy vitamin and eat what you're happy with.. I was exactly the same x

This was sooo me when I was pregnant!! The second I found out I was like ‘yasss fresh fruit and veg drink so much water keep this baby and body healthy!’ Literally weeks from like weeks 6- 15 i was like a possessed carb crazy she-beast! I did cram in a banana each day also but no water, only apple squash?! Ate a lot of pasta, liked me some fresh white bread... nothing on it... ate it’s insides out so it was a hollow loaf!! Hahah! During those weeks your energy all goes into developing a baby once they’re fully formed it’s all about gaining healthy weight inside but whilst your body is rapidly growing a tiny human you need the carbs and the energy of higher sugary foods, especially whilst working when as an adult it hits you half way through the day that it might not be ‘completely unacceptable’ to take a power nap under you desk. You eat what you and baby can stomach right now, at about 18/20 weeks you’ll reach the beautiful peak of pregnancy where your bumps not toooo big but still enough to show, you’re more in control of your feelings towards food ( not humans ) and everyone starts picking up on ‘the glow’ then weeks 32-40 you become bus like in size and you wish people wouldn’t mention that you’re pregnant to your swollen tired face. ENJOY LREGNANCY I LOVED IT!!! Congratulations and good luck x

I would really try not to stress about it at this point. Do your best to eat healthy foods when you can, but it will get easier soon. Once you have more of an appetite again, then you can focus on eating healthier. The first few months are so hard, but I always felt back to normal in 2nd tri.

At the moment it feels like I'm subsisting on hula hoops, fried egg sandwiches, occasional cups of tea and pints of orange and mango juice. Which is what it's been like in all my pregnancies up to the 12-week stage! I usually find I can manage a more normal diet after that, but in the first trimester it's less important exactly what you eat, and more important to just keep up the calories as much as you can as long as you can still manage the multivitamins and folic acid.

I've noticed a certain theme here regarding hula hoops - glad I'm not the only one!