15 weeks pregnant and only just managing nutritious meals

[LCL88]

Hello. I’m new here and a little anxious about posting but I was told by my MW it was a good forum to use. I’m a bit of a worrier so here’s my worry- I’m coming up for 16 weeks pregnant. From about 7 weeks Iv been unable to eat much due to sickness, the sickness is finally (!!) subsiding and I am only now able to eat more nutritious meals. I was eating a little and often before of what I felt like, mostly bland food but forcing myself to have fresh fruit smoothies and oats and milk for breakfast but other than that my meals haven’t been particularly vegetable
Filled and have been eating mostly
Cold food as it doesn’t smell of pasta salads with lemon juice etc. I am now panicking that my baby will not be strong and I just wanted some advice/reassurance on whether or not I am being reasonable by thinking this. I had my first real meal tonight and I felt okay afterwards so I’m
Hoping this is an onwards and upwards path but I am just anxious that my baby won’t be healthy and I’d hate to feel I haven’t been able to give it what it needs up to this point. At my booking appointment snd 12 week scan everything was okay I’m just needing a little help between now and my next MW visit and scan. I’d appreciate any help at all thank you so much.😌

Don't worry. Your baby will take all the nutrition it needs. Your needs come second! Bear in mind it's quite rare to live in a time when all nutrients are available all year round. There are vitamins in your fat for example.

Thank you. I do take the pregnancy vitamins but I just panic when u read the books that tell you you must eat this and that etc and then I can't eat it because Iv been so sick! I'm hoping I can now gain some ground if the sickness is subsiding a little. I think I may be deficient in something as I've noticed vertical lines on my nails but this could be me worrying again lol. Sorry if my worry seemed trivial I just feel quite alone and needed some advice!

Well I hope more people will post. But there it is - your nails might be suffering, because the baby will take its needs from you.

@LCL88

Hello. I’m new here and a little anxious about posting but I was told by my MW it was a good forum to use. I’m a bit of a worrier so here’s my worry- I’m coming up for 16 weeks pregnant. From about 7 weeks Iv been unable to eat much due to sickness, the sickness is finally (!!) subsiding and I am only now able to eat more nutritious meals. I was eating a little and often before of what I felt like, mostly bland food but forcing myself to have fresh fruit smoothies and oats and milk for breakfast but other than that my meals haven’t been particularly vegetable Filled and have been eating mostly Cold food as it doesn’t smell of pasta salads with lemon juice etc. I am now panicking that my baby will not be strong and I just wanted some advice/reassurance on whether or not I am being reasonable by thinking this. I had my first real meal tonight and I felt okay afterwards so I’m Hoping this is an onwards and upwards path but I am just anxious that my baby won’t be healthy and I’d hate to feel I haven’t been able to give it what it needs up to this point. At my booking appointment snd 12 week scan everything was okay I’m just needing a little help between now and my next MW visit and scan. I’d appreciate any help at all thank you so much.😌

I could have written this (in 2017 and 2019!) I couldn't stomach anything except pregnancy vitamins for 4 months at the start of my pregnancies (even worse second time- sorry!) but in second trimester it eventually subsided and I had healthy babies! Both normal weights too!

I also completely went off fruit and vegetables my entire pregnancies- I craved mostly carbs, cheese etc. I always took my pregnacare plus an omega 3 and my 2 and 4 year olds are well developed and perfectly formed 😀

I couldn't really ear either pregnancy I lost weight and got told off by the doctor!, both kids bouncing on the bed instead of sleeping atm so seems ok haha
You'll be fine x

I lost a lot of weight first trimester.

At one point could only stomach mac and cheese 🙈

Had a 10lb plus baby at 38+4 🙈 he was completely healthy.

Yes don’t worry - the baby mainly takes nutrients from what’s already in your body so it’s more important to have a healthy diet before pregnancy

Humans are very unusual in that the fetus basically acts as a parasite; consuming all nutrients first. For pretty much all other mammals the mother is prioritised.

Your baby will be fine. I had (undiagnosed) HG my entire pregnancy, could barely eat (couldn't even brush my teeth because the smell made me sick), lost lots of weight, felt generally awful but my daughter was absolutely fine and now a very healthy almost 8 year old.

Take whatever advice the healthcare providers give you as it's the most reliable source.

If it eases your mind, you can get blood and urine tests done where they look at the important nutrients for pregnancy like your folate and iron levels.

Just make sure you get a doctor to interpret the results for you rather than Google everything yourself or it can get stressful.

My blood test found some vitamin deficiencies I had no idea about, the solution was just to start supplementing what I was deficient in. They didn't even suggest adding any particular things to my diet, just supplement and it will be fine. I felt very reassured and just added the supplements they told me to.

Thank you all so much. That really reassures me. It's horrible the sickness isn't it! God I hope second time isn't as bad! Just going to focus on this time just now though! I also have just been craving crap food like carbs and crisps since Iv wanted to eat and although the fruit smoothies make it easier to make loads of fruit in without have to get too full I just worry it's not much! I'll maybe need to phone the dr about my nails if that could be a deficiency. Nice to know both of your children are happy and healthy

Don’t worry, very common. Your reserves may be depleted but baby will be just fine, it’s all being directed their way

I can still remember the weekend when, at around the same stage as you, I could finally eat again. It was 26 1/2 years ago. Friends took us out to eat at Martha’s Vineyard in Suffolk. I wolfed down sea trout and samphire in record time and everyone had to sit and wait for pudding whilst I ate a second plateful .

Really, don’t worry.

I was the same, basically lived off breadsticks and fruit ice lollies for the first few months, just had the vitamins to make sure I had some goodness at least. Anything you eat goes to baby first then you which is why you will b noticing it on your nails etc. I ate pretty poorly through my whole pregnancy tbh and my 4 month old is a perfectly healthy little chunk so I wouldn't worry 💙

I lost weight with Ds2 but was reassured by the midwife that he would be getting everything he needed from me. I started drinking those milkshakes that help build you up after illness just because they were full of vitamins.

My sister was hospitalised with HG and eventually ended up on a drip. Her son is now 22 and over 6 feet tall and perfectly healthy. Ds2 is 15. Completely fine. It is normal to worry about these things, do the best you can, it is really all you can do.

Fruit and milk isn’t a bad start, vitamin-wise. Add a handful of nuts or an egg and that’s a pretty good balance of nutrients.