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Pregnancy

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

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Original poster

How to cope with extreme hunger

32 replies

Luckyme30 · 04/04/2020 08:44

Hi all

I’m only 9 weeks pregnant and I can’t cope with this extreme hunger, I’ve already eaten weetabix, a banana and some cake this morning and it’s not even 9am!!!

I’ve gained 1 stone in weight since being pregnant and I’m really concerned, I’m doing my best to try and limit my eating but my stomach just feels constantly empty - even straight after eating!

Does anyone have any tips to help me through? Not sure what else I can try! If I’m hungry it then makes me sick if I don’t eat and gives me bad heartburn but I’m seriously concerned at the weight gain so early on :(

Would drinking fizzy drinks help? I just worry with the heartburn fizzy would not help me...

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Perch · 04/04/2020 08:46

Eat more protein in will keep you full for longer. Your breakfast is all carbs!

Cazzy198 · 04/04/2020 09:46

I had exactly the same in the first trimester but fortunately it went away by the second trimester.

I was literally hoovering up any leftover cake, chips etc at work 🤣 but although I gained weight very quickly my midwife has never been concerned about it and I'm now 33 weeks and only slightly over the recommended weight gain.

ThinkPink71 · 04/04/2020 09:48

I used to snack all the time but on veg & fruit xx

Leobynature · 04/04/2020 10:09

I put on 2.5 stones throughout my pregnancy, most of that was at the end but I remember being so hungry in the first trimester than I ate normally by the second. Funnily enough I hardly ate during the third. I slept ! The human body is amazing, it knows what it needs and usually regulates it self.
I have a fear of weight gain and I found that the most difficult part of pregnancy if I’m honest.

Crackerscheesescabbyknees · 04/04/2020 10:16

Try to increase the frequency of your eating, but not the calories. Literally become a cow and graze, graze, graze.

Use the slimming world mentality, you can't have too much of a good thing. Snack on fruits and veggies and lean meats. Anything high in protein should leave you feeling fuller for longer.

Original poster

Luckyme30 · 04/04/2020 11:21

Thank you all for the suggestions, I’m trying so hard to snack on fruit and veg but finding myself still absolutely starving afterwards!

I’m really hoping that it will even itself out, I’ve suffered with eating disorder in the past and body image issues so this is really getting me down :( I’m too tired and nauseas to go out for a walk and find myself led in bed (eating) all day every day! I actually hate this!

Really hoping I can do a bit more when the nausea subsided and my energy levels might pick up a bit too!

OP posts:

Smartanimal · 04/04/2020 11:22

Feed your child.

Mumof1andacat · 04/04/2020 12:11

More protein. This like lean meat, eggs and fish. Your breakfast is very carbs which aren't very filling. Snack on fruit, veg, eggs, ham.

sarahc336 · 04/04/2020 12:15

This normally passes once the first trimester finishes, I had this with my first, I literally ate my way through morning sickness. It will pass

Original poster

Luckyme30 · 04/04/2020 12:31

@sarahc336 I am praying it passes!! I can not handle feeling this hungry! I know there are worse things but it’s all day every day along with nausea

OP posts:

sarahc336 · 04/04/2020 12:50

@Luckyme30 it'll just be part of your morning sickness, it'll all calm down when your other symptoms do, your body does have a strange way of knowing what it needs, maybe it's needed you to put a little weight on, I know weight gain is a worry in pregnancy but we do need a certain amount of weight gain to protect the baby inside us and to give us the energy reserves to actually grow them xx

Insideallday · 04/04/2020 13:01

It’s good that you can eat. I’ve hyperemsis, I am starving but cannot keep a sip of water down. As someone else said protein is good to make you feel full, also adopt the cow grazing attitude

@Smartanimal* what do you mean ‘feed your child’, you only need 300 calories extra a day when pregnant 1st trimester and maybe 500 extra in the 3rd trimester

MichelleOR84 · 04/04/2020 20:16

I was the exact same with my first pregnancy. I literally could not stop eating and by 12 weeks I had gained 5kilo . I then gained another 5kilo by 20 weeks . By the third trimester I was up 16 kilo but the hunger went away. Actually I felt so full and uncomfortable all the time and didn’t gain any more weight before going into labour .

I’m now 8 weeks into my second pregnancy and worrying less. I’m hungry and I’m eating lots and feeling nooooo guilt !

Fatted · 04/04/2020 20:20

Just eat OP.

Pregnancy is going to really push you to your limits if you have had an eating disorder and any kind of body dismorphia. You are going to put on weight. Your body is going to change. You will probably not like it but you cannot control any of it.

It's best just to white knuckle out the pregnancy and then deal with it all afterwards.

georgialondon · 04/04/2020 20:24

Just eat. It really does pass.

devildeepbluesea · 04/04/2020 20:26

I put on 4 stone, and DSis put on 5! We soon lost it. For me it was eat or be sick, so I ate 🤷

peachypetite · 04/04/2020 20:36

I’ve been feeling starving too the last couple of days. First trimester too. I’ve been having some cheese, yoghurts, and boiled eggs to snack on as well as fruit.

sarahc336 · 06/04/2020 12:18

The extreme hunger has started for me now too, 7+5 weeks, as someone else has already said it's either eat or be sick so like with my first looks like I'll be eating my way through morning sickness again. I also don't like the weight gain but it's just part of the package isn't it xx

peachypetite · 06/04/2020 14:05

I am finding I hve to eat every 2-3 hours to avoid nausea.

Pulpfiction1 · 06/04/2020 14:10

Sounds to me like your lacking somthing so your body is telling you to eat more to try and get what it needs. When I was pregnant with dd I put on so much weight, I was an 8 before I got pregnant and an 18 after I gave birth. I was just hungry all the time. It turned out I was anemic. Once I started on iron I was OK. Mint and chocolates cravings are a sign of low iron.

Are you taking vitamins? Have you been craving anything in particular.

Nowisthemonthofmaying · 06/04/2020 14:14

I was the same - try to make sure you're getting enough protein and don't stress too much, your appetite will calm down later on when you stop feeling sick. For now just be kind to yourself and eat nutritious food! The first trimester is when the placenta and all the baby's internal organs are forming so you need good food. If you're not eating enough calcium etc the baby will take it out of your body which will make you feel even worse.

Aly92 · 06/04/2020 14:24

This is me it’s driving me nuts. I’ll eat and then I’m hungry again I just want to stuff myself constantly. It’s one of the reasons I suspected I might be pregnant. So crazy isn’t it.

LottieRose92 · 06/04/2020 14:35

I was the same put on more weight in the first 12 weeks than the last! I started exercising more to balance it as I could stop eating, used to walk every day and it started coming back off whilst pregnant! Try and do little work outs in the house I imagine your stuck in? My hunger passed hopefully yours will to - I also prepped things like carrots so they were ready when I was hungry and stopped buying crisps I'm saying all this but really don't stress about it to much there's enough going on without you guilting yourself about everything going in your mouth! Congratulations too!

Original poster

Luckyme30 · 06/04/2020 15:09

Thanks all for your replies :)

Glad to know I’m not the only one it’s just really difficult I would love to get out and do some exercises but I am also suffering with constant nausea and dizziness...

In response to your question @Pulpfiction1 I suspected I was low in Iron, I asked my midwife at my booking appt last week if that was why I was feeling dizzy and they said it was a possibility - not sure if I’m right in thinking that they test for iron levels with the bloods they do, so assume I will hear if they’ve picked this up on my bloods...
Strangely I would say I’m not craving anything in particular - I have a very sweet tooth and love chocolate but that’s been one of the things I’ve not had much of, I would say i probably crave sweets more and ice lollies?

I managed to get out in the garden yesterday which was my first trip out in the last 3 weeks, I genuinely have been to exhausted, dizzy, sick etc to go and it really helped, so much so that I then went on a bike ride, it’s the best I’ve felt in weeks!

I’m going to make an effort to go out on my bike every other day in an attempt to keep my weight down.

I also find that the I love eating carrot sticks and cucumber etc but they do not fill a hole and find myself hungry again!

I had chicken for lunch trying to get more protein in.

Lastly - I have pernicious anemia (b12 deficiency) which could also be contributing to the sheer exhaustion I am feeling!

Sorry all essay over!

OP posts:

Catherine1210 · 06/04/2020 17:38

I’m near 13 weeks and hungry is easing off but one thing I noticed and want to mention is that weetabix NEVER fills me up! If I have porridge I’m fuller for so much longer, if you like it try that instead? Can add fruit so plenty of fibre still too

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