No matter how much you read about pregnancy or hear about it from friends before you actually get pregnant, nothing will prepare you fully till you deal with the real thing.
I used to see pregnant women stuffing themselves with lots of food - an entire packet of duck rice for a teatime "snack", cakes, pastries, Starbucks frappuccinos (with extra whipped cream, no less) - it was like an excuse to go on an eating binge. Literally eating "for two" - 2 adults, that is. In fact, someone once told me that she really enjoyed her pregnancy because "You can eat whatever you want!" Honestly, I was quite disgusted - no wonder these women balloon, I thought.
According to pregnancy experts, you don't need to increase your caloric intake at all in the first 6 months, and after that only an extra 200-300 calories a day, which is equivalent to a slice of toast and a small banana. (To see what 300 calorie meals look like, click here)
I swore to myself that if and when I got pregnant, I would not eat indiscriminately. I would exercise self-control. I would not overindulge. I would manage my eating habits. I would be sensible and stick to the recommended caloric intake.
I planned on a pregnancy whereby I would put on minimal weight - any weight gain should go to the baby and the amniotic fluid, placenta, etc. My role models were the women who were pregnant but still slim - and with that in mind, I decided that I would do whatever I could to be the same.
Oh ho! But how very different the reality of pregnancy is!
When the waves of nausea start crashing over me, there is only one solution, and that is to EAT, and the most effective of all foods for this purpose is CARBO.
I found myself gorging on dry biscuits, breads, rice. All other recommmended foods, like fruit, yoghurt, milo, milk, etc did not work. Those did nothing to sooth my gnawing stomach and the stomach acids that stubbornly insisted on ejecting themselves out from my already raw digestive tract.
By all means, the food I eat cannot be considered junk - mainly bread, wholemeal crackers and biscuits, or small meals (rice with meat & veggies). I'm not into any fatty stuff (like desserts, pastries, ice cream and what not) at all, so that helps at least.
And THAT is when you realise that your body (and baby) has a mind of its own, and your body does not just belong to you, anymore.
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2 comments:
What did I tell you about bodies knowing EXACTLY what we lack?
I was eating like a man then! Sheesh!
:P
It's a growing mystery- the taste buds and the appetite of a pregnant woman. And it changes through the course of the pregnancy so don't be too surprised about that too. :)
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