LCHF while pregnant
Options
Replies
-
@tlflag1620 Thank you so much for sharing your stories! This is m very encouraging. Ha geriatric indeed. Im turning 40 in September...that would make mine a 'one foot in the grave' pregnancy according to the 'experts'! ;-)0
-
I've had 2 pregnancies, my first was way before I ever heard about keto. It took me a long time to get pregnant with my second, so I went to a fertility doctor who suggested keto, since I have PCOS. I was keto for ~6 months before getting pregnant with my second baby.
Unfortunately I suffer from hyperemesis in the first trimester (both pregnancies) and wasn't able to stay keto during the pregnancy. I just ate what I could, which did not include meat or eggs or many keto friendly things at all! My baby was a good size (8lbs 11oz) but I didn't have GD.
I've had supply issues with breastfeeding so I didn't bother trying to go keto again until just recently, when my baby turned 6 months. Hopefully I will be able to lose the rest of my pregnancy weight this way, I'm stil up 20lbs over my pre-pregnancy weight.0 -
I am not a doctor and I've never been pregnant so these thoughts are only worth the paper they are printed on...
Prior to 10,000 years ago, every pregnancy was LCHF. Over the last 50 years of the SAD or so it seems the prevalence of many illnesses has increased for children and adults. Autism, childhood diabetes, ADD, ADHD, Epilepsy, CF, MS... Many of these illness respond well to an LCHF diet.
I'm sure that changing your diet after becoming pregnant might add more complications, however I have seen a few stories of ladies who stayed LCHF during their pregnancy and were raising their kids in LCHF. I haven't heard any negative stories yet but I haven't been looking either.0 -
We just found out last week but we're 9 weeks along tomorrow. I've had pcos since at least college and I'm 35 now. I have no doubt that I can thank cutting out carbage for this.
I expected my doctor, who I met for the first time last week, to be really against this. I also expected a lecture about my weight (not ideal but I thought this would take longer than it did because of my history with ttc) but I didn't get one. She said "let's focus on being healthy and the scale might not be the best way to determine that alone."
I am thrilled she has given me the all clear to stay between 50-100 gm of carbs a day, and really supports it as a way to stave off gestational diabetes. She cautioned against getting into ketosis (I've never been keto so I didn't ask her to elaborate) but said there's no reason to change what I'm already doing. Loved my "heart-healthy" avocado intake and said to keep on using hwc in my coffee (her words: "if you can only have one cup a day, I say make it count! Fat is not the enemy!"). I think I've found a unicorn of a doctor
0 -
@dtobio Congratulations that's amazing news! Just so you know being in ketosis is a state where you are burning fat (whether from food or body) as fuel instead of from carbs. Not sure why she would be against you being in ketosis. As long as your body has fuel (stored body fat which it sounds like you have) being in ketosis would just mean you and your baby are using that fat.
Either way your doctor sounds amazing and I wish she were here in Austin!0 -
We just found out last week but we're 9 weeks along tomorrow. I've had pcos since at least college and I'm 35 now. I have no doubt that I can thank cutting out carbage for this.
I expected my doctor, who I met for the first time last week, to be really against this. I also expected a lecture about my weight (not ideal but I thought this would take longer than it did because of my history with ttc) but I didn't get one. She said "let's focus on being healthy and the scale might not be the best way to determine that alone."
I am thrilled she has given me the all clear to stay between 50-100 gm of carbs a day, and really supports it as a way to stave off gestational diabetes. She cautioned against getting into ketosis (I've never been keto so I didn't ask her to elaborate) but said there's no reason to change what I'm already doing. Loved my "heart-healthy" avocado intake and said to keep on using hwc in my coffee (her words: "if you can only have one cup a day, I say make it count! Fat is not the enemy!"). I think I've found a unicorn of a doctor
Congrats!!! And congrats on the doctor too. Sounds like a gem.0 -
Thanks!I am not a doctor and I've never been pregnant so these thoughts are only worth the paper they are printed on...
Prior to 10,000 years ago, every pregnancy was LCHF. Over the last 50 years of the SAD or so it seems the prevalence of many illnesses has increased for children and adults. Autism, childhood diabetes, ADD, ADHD, Epilepsy, CF, MS... Many of these illness respond well to an LCHF diet.
I'm sure that changing your diet after becoming pregnant might add more complications, however I have seen a few stories of ladies who stayed LCHF during their pregnancy and were raising their kids in LCHF. I haven't heard any negative stories yet but I haven't been looking either.
My doctor pointed out the same thing!@dtobio Congratulations that's amazing news! Just so you know being in ketosis is a state where you are burning fat (whether from food or body) as fuel instead of from carbs. Not sure why she would be against you being in ketosis. As long as your body has fuel (stored body fat which it sounds like you have) being in ketosis would just mean you and your baby are using that fat.
Either way your doctor sounds amazing and I wish she were here in Austin!
Now I'm curious, but I'm willing to bet it's that she might not really know enough about it to advise me to go that course.0 -
I can only hope when I get pregnant my OB is wise like yours!!0
-
If I remember right, there is a fear of a form of ketoacidosis (similar to the diabetic one) that can be very harmful for the baby, but by doing a high fat diet in conjunction with the low carb, along with all the things for it (electrolytes and such), it's much rarer than for someone who doesn't really know what they are doing. Of course, this is based on ages-old recollection. Maybe someone with newer info will jump in.
And if you're low-carb/fat adapted PRIOR to pregnancy, the adjustments are supposed to be minimal.0 -
-
emilybeaver wrote: »I can only hope when I get pregnant my OB is wise like yours!!
I got so so lucky! In case your Dr. isn't as "wise," tell them something like "I eat mainly veggies/ dairy/ meat/ whole grains (whatever your diet includes) . . ." instead of whatever you eat that you know they never want to hear.
I decided that since I already had to change doctors (I was ready to kill my old one), I was going to find someone who would be more educated and supportive of this. I got lucky and there she was at my first appointment. If I had a doctor who was educated about it and advised against it, I would take it under consideration but I'm not going to take dietary advice from a doctor who says it's great to have four English muffins or bagels a day because you need your whole grains. Gestational diabetes is no joke and I'm a prime candidate, so I'd rather just head it off with diet now if possible.0 -
I really think my OB would be supportive. He is more "laid back" and doesn't care if you eat deli meat while pregnant or cheese sauce from Mexican restaurants. So I think he would be okay with low carb. I'm hoping when we start trying (Aug-Sept) I'll have enough common sense and have this WOE down that I won't eat too many carbs. Last pregnancy I ate sugar non stop and carbs. McDonald's was my friend. I'm quite surprised I didn't have GD.0
