Blogging Pregnancy

Is Weight Loss OK During Pregnancy?

Most women should focus on gaining weight, not losing it, during pregnancy. Pregnant women need to consume an extra 300 calories each day during their second and third trimesters of pregnancy. This helps provide your baby with the vitamins, minerals and nutrients he or she needs to thrive and grow.

Some women will lose a little bit of weight rather than gain weight during their first trimester. Often this is associated with severe morning sickness, which can reduce a woman’s ability to eat. Frequent nausea or vomiting may contribute to weight loss.

Losing a couple of pounds during your first trimester is probably not a problem. Sometimes however, morning sickness can develop into a more serious condition. Some women will develop hyperemesis gravidarum during pregnancy.

This condition is distinct from ordinary morning sickness. It can result in complications including severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances in the body. Many women with this severe form of morning sickness will need hospitalization to recover. Sometimes this condition results from other problems including liver disease, kidney infections or even pancreatitis during pregnancy.

The good news is most women will experience ordinary morning sickness that resolves itself after roughly 12 weeks pregnancy. After this time you should focus on increasing your dietary intake to help you gain the recommended 25 to 35 pounds necessary to support a healthy pregnancy.

Dietary Changes To Help Promote Healthy Weight Gain
During pregnancy it is important you eat well balanced meals to help promote a healthy weight gain. Your doctor may recommend you eat a diet rich in whole foods while consuming as little processed food as possible.

During your second and third trimester you should try to eat at least 300 high quality extra calories each day. Good choices include whole grains, dairy products like cheese and yogurt, vegetables and fruit.

If you are still experiencing mild nausea during pregnancy, try sipping some fizzy water with lemon or ginger ale to help settle your stomach. Most women find eating several small meals per day is much better than trying to eat three large ones.

Keeping your stomach from getting empty can also help combat morning sickness. If you have to consider carrying around some small snacks or crackers so you never get the chance to get too hungry, which may contribute to morning sickness.

Remedies for Nausea During Pregnancy
Aside from keeping your tummy full and eating several mini meals each day, many women find supplementing with small amounts of vitamin B6 helpful during pregnancy. Studies suggest taking 10 to 25 milligrams of vitamin B6 each day helpful for reducing the signs and symptoms of morning sickness. As with any vitamin or mineral supplement or over the counter medication, you should always consult with your doctor before trying this or other remedies.

Also consider staying away from greasy and fatty foods during pregnancy. For some women the mere thought of greasy foods inspires nausea. Fatty and greasy foods are also more likely to result in heartburn during pregnancy. The last thing you need is another reason not to eat when trying to eat healthily.

Still other women find sipping some mild ginger tea helpful for improving digestion and alleviating morning sickness. Remember that any side effects you are experiencing during pregnancy will soon pass after you deliver your baby.