Feeling guilty and anxious about high sugar intake during pregnancy

[Babygirl01]

Hi.
I should be almost 25 weeks and I'm struggling with moderating sugar in my diet.
I've always had lots, but never gained weight or had high blood sugar when tested.
It's the same now in pregnancy. Blood sugar levels were fine and I gained very little weight. Baby is of normal size as well.
However, I just can't help myself from having sweets. Like almost every day an ice cream/chocolate or more. Then I feel terribly guilty... other than that I think I have a pretty clean diet.
However, I started reading about how sugar can cause issues with cognitive development and I'm starting to feel terrified. Will definitely try to limit sugar from now on. But I can't change what I did so far and it scares me soooo much.
Any similar experiences and outcomes to share? I would really appreciate it.
Many thanks.

You will find negative articles about everything you do during pregnancy, its a minefield of a time so please try not to worry. I highly doubt you're having enough sugar to cause any damage apart from maybe your baby will have a bit of a sweet tooth (and I don't even think the science on this is conclusive). Easier said than done I know but the most important thing during this time is that you're relaxed and stress free. Congratulations on your pregnancy x

I was no angel with regard to sugar during pregnancy. I didn’t have GD and my children had no cognitive issues at all. Both were/are fit and healthy and never overweight as children. They have good academic qualifications and work in the professions.

It sounds as though your baby is just fine. Chill and enjoy him 💐

Or her, in utero, I mean!

I didn't know anything about this. I ate Ben & Jerry's pretty much every day I was pregnant and my DD has just had very good SAT scores. No cognitive issues at all

It feels that no matter what we do in pregnancy can have a negative effect. So just try to enjoy it and not obsess about it. Fingers crossed!

Thank you for your positive thoughts and stories. It really helps me manage better my anxiety on the topic. I'll try to relax a bit, as there will always be something to stress about...
Many thanks again for being so supportive and not judging.

Don't worry, I ate a full tub of quality street one night 😂 that's the one enjoyable thing about pregnancy right ? Being able to eat anything you want without guilt!

Eaten at least a chocolate bar everyday of this pregnancy. Sometimes Ice cream and sweets too. I’m not normally a sweet person, have a v healthy diet and lower/normal
BMI, but the sugar has really hit the spot whilst I’m pregnant. Can’t comment on long term effects as I’m 38 weeks now but im not worried at all. I needed it to get me through!

my advice would be if it makes
you happy enjoy it and don’t stress, but I’ve been so stressed about other non foodie things so i know it’s easier said than done!

If you read the research, there's also studies that say that the baby benefits from the seretonin released when you eat chocolate, producing happier, less stressed babies.

Eat the treats and enjoy them!

So long as the rest of your food intake has some nutritional value and you don't have gestational diabetes, a sugary treat a day isn't going to do any harm imo.

If you're really worried, why not bake some healthier alternatives- there's plenty of recipes out there for healthy versions of banana bread or brownies made of black beans or ground almonds or make baked oats.
Dark chocolate, fruit, dried fruit and nuts are also healthier snacking choices

I wouldn't worry too much, I had a fair bit of sugar with DS towards the end of my pregnancy as I really craved it. Was sure I'd end up getting gestational diabetes but blood sugar levels were always fine and DS is a lively 2.5 yo. I did start baking some stuff from the Diabetes website, my fave was flapjacks using agave syrup and some dark choc chips.

I'm 15 weeks with my second and all I've wanted so far is sugar, so it's much worse this time. It helps that I can't have much before heartburn kicks in but I've definitely had more so far than with my first. It seems to be the only thing that can help pull me out of feeling really sick some days though and I instantly feel better after having something sweet, so I'm just going with it but staying mindful of quantities where possible. Think I'm going to dig out those diabetes recipes again this week x

Like others have said, there is negative information on just about everything in pregnancy and honestly, if you want a chocolate bar or ice cream to get you through the day, bloody enjoy it 😂, as long as you eat a varied and healthy diet otherwise and you don’t have GD, then you will be fine. I ate a varied diet in my first pregnancy and definitely enjoyed some sweet treats throughout and absolutely nothing wrong with my little girl, she is developing great, just think of ‘everything in moderation’ and you will be just fine

I think the research that found potential cognitive impacts were more related to fizzy drinks than just sweet foods. Fizzy drinks in general (pregnant or not) have a particularly negative affect on the body so are best avoided.

I’m another who’s been craving chocolate during pregnancy. I try to eat it after a high fiber / high protein meal to reduce the blood sugar spike.

My mum has a real sweet tooth and would eat on average 1 - 2 bars of chocolate a day. Her kids are all high academic achievers so doesn’t seem to have done any significant harm.

I understand the worry though, it feels like always something to worry about when you’re pregnant, it’s hard work!