Go to bed hungry or do you have ANOTHER snack?

[Mamabear12]

I’m just curious if anyone else has this issue. I usually just eat dinner with the kids around 5:30/6pm. And before I was pregnant that would be my last meal. Now that I’m pregnant I have to have a snack around 8 and then I find myself for example hungry again! Maybe I’m up too late. But I’m warm in bed, brushed my teeth and don’t want to go downstairs for a snack, plus I’m bored of all my snacks (crackers w cheese or peanut butter or humus, nuts with yogurt and fruit, avocado w olive oil and lemon squeezed on top, toast w butter and honey, or cereal). Does everyone just snack right before bed or do you go to bed hungry? I’m finding I’m going to bed hungry most nights and bc I’m pregnant i feel extra hungry. Also, any healthy snack ideas?

I used to ignore the hunger then wake up 4am sick with hunger every day. Porridge and fortified cereals are good. Also love a bagel with cheese.

I eat the snack before bed, otherwise I will have trouble sleeping. I usually have a banana.

As a mother of 12 and 14 year olds I would say you can be a loooong time battling the baby weight. If I had my time again I’d guard against putting on weight in pregnancy.

But if you’re naturally skinny it’s a different thing( and I’m too envious to give advice)

I had severe morning sickness so my doctor told me to eat whatever I wanted that I could keep down.

Her words were "I don't care what you eat - just eat a bag of haribo if it's the only thing that you don't sick back up"

I just ate shit from about 8pm-10pm every day because it was the only time of day I wouldn't throw it all back up again!

You're eating an incredibly healthy diet in comparison so I can't see any problem with you eating whenever you're hungry!

@Mamabear12
What are you eating throughout the day overall? My appetite has increased throughout pregnancy and luckily I dont have any sickness and so far no major heartburn or indigestion.

Im pretty much eating 4 meals a day at the minute at 26 weeks pregnant.

We eat dinner around 7.30/8 and I used to quite often have a snack later on when I was in the first two trimesters - normally yoghurt and granola/fruit but sometimes cheese and crackers. Otherwise I couldn't sleep or found myself waking up at 2am absolutely starving and feeling sick. I don't find I need it now (30 weeks) but I think that's because my overall appetite has decreased a lot as baby has got bigger and squashed everything!

When I was pregnant I just ate when I was hungry, and ate what I fancied.
I gained between 1.5 stone and 2 stone each pregnancy and lost it fairly easily afterwards. Listen to your body.

Ohyesiam Lol. I’ve got two kids, and both times gained 23+ kilos! Luckily lost all the weight after each (fast metabolism when not pregnant), but when pregnant it slows.

I just had oatmeal for breakfast 8am and already starving. At scan appointment waiting, so need to eat after.

NicciLovesSundays A typical day would be:
Breakfast: coffee w milk plus oatmeal
Snack: fruit, yogurt with nuts
Lunch: sandwich, crisps, piece of chocolate
Snack: toast w peanut butter and jam
Dinner: lasagna with garlic bread
Snack: avocado or yogurt or fruit or crackers w cheese

Now that I’m reading it maybe I need to eat more! I just get fed up with being hungry late night, as bored w the food we have and also, don’t want to get out of warm bed to eat. Or brush teeth again. Today I will go to store and look for more snack foods (and maybe some I can store by the bed lol).

Lol. You don’t need to eat more...you don’t generally need any more calories when you’re pregnant that when you aren’t, not until the third trimester.

Depends how you feel about weight gain. I’m not in the slightest bit bothered about being fat, I need to eat so that I don’t feel sick! That’s my priority!! 😂

Low GI foods and whole grains which are slow-release will help you feel fuller for longer...but at that time of night it probably doesn’t matter what you snack on really!! Just low sugar so you don’t wreck your teeth 😊

I’m 24 weeks tomorrow and, for the last week or so, I’ve been taking a couple of pots of yoghurt up to bed and been having one before I go to sleep and the other in the morning. We usually have dinner about 8:30pm and I go up to bed at around 10pm. I also have a stash of biscuits in the bedroom (mini packs of 2 biscuits) and have them available if I need something other than they yoghurt.

I have gained 16lb so far and that is towards the lower end of what is expected for my gestation with twins so I’m not worried about a snack here or there.

If you are feeling hungry I would maybe try combining some of your food and making a few swaps.

Maybe try eating your oatmeal, fruit, yoghurt and nuts at the same time for breakfast - you might need to reduce quantities of each a little. I have a lovely cold porridge made with porridge, oat milk, yoghurt, a dash of vanilla, dried and fresh fruit and honey.

For Lunch - swap out the crisps and replace with a cup/bowl of soup. I make a big batch that lasts for a week or so. Its best to batch this up and keep it in the fridge or freezer and use as needed.

Afternoon Snack - swap the jam for a banana.

Dinner: - add a lettuce and tomato salad or a vegetable side to your dinner.

Snack: avocado or yogurt or fruit or crackers w cheese

Lastly make sure you are getting enough fluids, being dehydrated can make you feel really hungry.

Also meant to say - for your evening snack - you could maybe have some fruit and yogurt straight after dinner as a kind of dessert and then add a hot milk or cocoa before bed?

I would but that's because if I didn't I'd probably end up in the middle of the night needing something or being sick because of an empty stomach when I woke up in the morning! I guess it depends how large your other meals are but I can't actually eat normal portion sizes at the moment so for me I doubt I'm consuming more calories with all the snacks!

I've noticed I have a hugely increased appetite but much less able to eat a whole meal. In the first trimester I had terrible nausea and just ate what I could, when I could. Now I'm having aversions to most meat and eggs but fine otherwise. I take healthy snacks to work, have a light lunch but by 4pm when I'm home I'm starving and end up snacking again, then come dinner I can only eat half my plate! It's bloody stressful, but listen to your body, it sounds like you're eating well anyway so I wouldn't worry too much.

I’ve found I’ve been eating so much more.

I had a gastric sleeve a few years ago, so I rarely feel like eating. I often can go all day without eating and then when I’m feeling lightheaded will eat something.

I’m over 9 weeks at the moment and eating constantly. I find if I constantly eat, then I don’t feel nauseous. Initially I dropped 2 kilos in early pregnancy. Now I’m only half a kilo on my pre-pregnancy weight - so sitting at 57.5kg.

Apparently you gain 1-2kg in the first 12 weeks, so I don’t feel so bad.

If I want to eat, I eat. I feel panicked if I don’t have food about and have filled the office fridge up with healthy food and my office up with junk.

I’m finding it weird eating so much, especially after trying so hard to lose weight and then developing an eating disorder post gastric sleeve. I think if I hadn’t had the gastric sleeve I would just keep eating.

I have a snack every night before going to bed. I feel panicked and nauseous and can’t sleep without it. A couple of times (when I didn’t want eat) I vomited while lying on my back in bed. It was gross.

@Meccacos do you find there is much specific support for people with experience of eating disorders during pregnancy?

I know the question wasn't addressed to me @NicciLovesSundays but I've found there is some support out there for eating disorders in pregnancy but it's a little hit and miss. Mainly it's extra growth scans and support from the perinatal mental health team with the possibility of a referral to a specialised centre (Vincent Square in London I think) if required. I'm still in treatment for my eating disorder privately and we had discussed various options if I wasn't able to maintain a healthy food intake but so far, it's not been too bad. The real danger is going to be post-birth I think but, for context, I was at my lowest weight about 6 weeks before I conceived after relapsing again so it's all very recent.

I've been known to take snacks up. I had a whole pack of bourbons on the bedside table just in case during the early days but didn't open them in the end.
I eat badly in pregnancy. I try and eat lots of fruit and veg, but my snacks tend to be of the biscuit variety. I put on about 3 stone last time. I know that's not good, but I spent 9 months losing it all and know that everyone is capable of losing it, it just takes effort. I was doing 5-7 mile walks with baby and dog

I usually have a snack before bed as it keeps my heartburn/reflux away (not sure if this is normal as I know eating triggers it for a lot of people). If I'm too full I take peptac instead but don't find it works as well. If I have neither I usually wake up really sick.

(in the middle of the night I mean)

Snack. Always a snack.