Archive for January, 2011
Throughout your second trimester of pregnancy, you probably have a good idea of what to eat when pregnant. By now you are managing your caffeine addiction, have most likely beaten your early sickness, and have made fundamental changes to your diet to improve your health, and the health of your baby, during pregnancy.
However, the second trimester carries its own unique set of problems. It is during this time that your baby grows most rapidly, and you begin to gain body weight.
You may experience cravings. If you have a family history of it, gestational diabetes may be an issue. So there is actually a lot to learn about what foods to eat while pregnant, specifically during the next three months.
How to Handle Cravings
Throughout the second trimester, you may start experiencing cravings. No one really understands what causes the cravings, though some experts feel they could point to a deficiency in your diet. Some pregnant women crave the traditionally odd pairing of pickles and ice cream, while others crave spicy foods, peanut butter,citrus fruits, or ice.
Consult with your healthcare provider if you feel your cravings are too much to control, so that he or she may run a check on your blood and check for any deficiencies. Feel free to indulge your cravings on a occasional basis. For example, if you yearn for chocolate, allow yourself a small taste of it daily, and incorporate the caffeine into your daily quota.
Dealing with Weight Gain
These three months will mark the real test of your weight gain during pregnancy. While some weight gain is expected, the more you gain during pregnancy, the more you will have to work to lose weight after you have your baby.
So be mindful—just not obsessed—with your weight gain. Stay active by indulging in healthy activities like walking, water aerobics, and prenatal yoga. Snack when hungry, but opt for healthy alternatives like fruit and vegetables.
Drink half your weight in pounds in ounces of bottled water to stay satiated and maintain regular digestion. A gain between 5 and 10 lbs is acceptable during this stage of pregnancy, so aim for staying within those parameters.
The Importance of Protein
During this stage of your pregnancy, when your baby is undergoing so much growth, you must consume the proper amounts of amino acids. The most efficient way to do that is by consuming protein with every meal. You can incorporate protein by eating eggs at breakfast, lean organic protein at lunch and supper, and have nut butters or raw nuts as a snack.
Eating plenty of protein will also help keep you feeling full throughout the day, and help keep your energy levels high. Once you are over morning sickness, eating enough protein becomes a much simpler task.
A Word about Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes usually surfaces during the 2nd trimester if it becomes a problem at all. If you have a family history of diabetes or if gestational diabetes is common in your family, then you should be especially careful. Your healthcare provider will probably administer a blood sugar test dur