Pregnancy Calorie Tracking

rwooten666

This is NOT for weight loss/maintenance. I'm 20 weeks pregnant and still haven't gained back all the weight I lost from morning sickness (I'm 140 now, which is very healthy normally for my frame/activity level). I am tracking my intake for a few reasons. The first is to ensure I am getting enough for healthy weight gain during this time (don't know about other pregnant women, but I can't feel hunger the same as I used to - I don't feel anything till I'm almost to collapsing and I just need a schedule again). The second is to be in the habit of tracking food/exercise for after this little kid decides to make her appearance so I can lose the weight properly. The third and last reason is something I noticed when I first started using this app - when my daughter would get sick (VERY sick) after breastfeeding and sometimes get a rash I could look over the food I'd consumed and attempt to find where her sensitivity may be (it was walnuts, which she is now deathly allergic to). I'm hoping that this time I can have the same advantage by tracking what I eat.
If anyone else is pregnant and has any of the same reasons/goals I'd be happy to help.
***PLEASE TAKE NOTE: I will NOT support people, especially women that are pregnant, starving themselves. It makes me sick. You are your baby's world and I don't care if you have to blow up 200 pounds to support them - you better freaking do it.***

MorningWhispers

Congrats on the pregnancy! Sounds like a good plan - keeping track of your food so you know you are feeding your baby the nutrients it needs now.

Is your daughter allergic to all nuts or just walnuts?

rwooten666

Thank you! Very unplanned, but definitely great timing for us.
Our daughter does fine with peanuts (she tried peanut butter from Daddy, who didn't know any better lol) and has had many peanut products. I've been afraid to push the limits with other nuts, but walnuts we expected. Twice she's had products with walnuts touch her lips and her poor face swelled, she broke out in hives, and was gasping for air. We'll find out as we go along, I suppose.

rwooten666

Bump

PikaKnight

OP, I just wanted to stop by and give you 2 thumbs up. Excellent post, great mind frame and love how you have priorities straight :flowerforyou:

Factory_Reset

OP, I just wanted to stop by and give you 2 thumbs up. Excellent post, great mind frame and love how you have priorities straight :flowerforyou:

QFT

riccoismydog

This is NOT for weight loss/maintenance. I'm 20 weeks pregnant and still haven't gained back all the weight I lost from morning
If anyone else is pregnant and has any of the same reasons/goals I'd be happy to help.
***PLEASE TAKE NOTE: I will NOT support people, especially women that are pregnant, starving themselves. It makes me sick. You are your baby's world and I don't care if you have to blow up 200 pounds to support them - you better freaking do it.***

^^^^^^^^This. I have a great deal of respect for you. I was a measly 89 lbs when I got pregnant with my son. The doctor made it clear I had to put on weight. I may have gone a little overboard, and I have the stretch marks to prove it...but the most important thing is...I had an 8lb 9ounce big boy who was 24 inches long. He is now 14 and about five eleven. He needed every bit of food I put in my mouth ( I ate healthy but had a poor understanding of portions as I had never been able to put on weight before as I was super active and had a poor appetite before becoming pregnant)

I know so many women who made sure they gained the bare minimum. They fit right back into those skinny jeans right away. Their babies just seemed so much more fragile.

Good for you for using this system to make sure you get everything your body and baby needs.

Jessimaaka

Great job! This is exactly why I will be logging during my next pregnancy.

rwooten666

My sister decided that the "starvation" technique during pregnancy was a phenomenal idea. Her poor son was born severely underweight (though she was overdue) and so, so lethargic (not just from jaundice). I won't do it and won't support it.
Thanks for the support! I think most pregnant chicks don't want to know how much they're actually eating. :laugh: And that's okay. I'd rather people just eat when they feel they need it than guess. Still hoping maybe a few fellow preggers are around!

oldbitty

i'm not pregnant. but when i was pregnant with all 3 kids, i was gestational diabetic. i wish i had known about this back then. it really gives you a reality check of what your intake is. i gained 40 with my first. 20 with my 2nd ... and the 3rd... i gained 3 lbs till the last 4 weeks. then i gained an additional 6. that was crazy. also remember that old wives tail about eating for 2, is very outdated. 300-400 calories extra a day is just perfect. but you are pregnant and it is said your body will crave what it needs. if you need more salt, you may want french fries, that kind of thing. if you don't get the hungry feeling, you need to make a point to eat regularly. even small snacks periodically will keep your blood sugars in a more normal range and not huge spikes.

AllonsYtotheTardis

I like you OP. Lots.

*thumbs up for excellent post*

rwooten666

oldbitty, I have to agree. When I am having some kind of deficit my body pushes me towards the right thing (low iron and I want to chase down the nearest cow and chow down). I strive not to overindulge (sometimes I want dark chocolate - I have to remind myself the store only has so much for all of, say, Portland) since I have had a tendency to go on "feeding frenzies" when not pregnant (I swear it's like a shark when they catch the scent of blood - nothing is safe and I literally zone out and just demolish the meal, plate and all). I am currently taking in between 250 and 350 more a day (second trimester - shifting to third and it'll go up to the 300-400 range) and have felt pretty good today.

MyChocolateDiet

It is about fracking time someone used this online tool to it's best advantage. OP your baby is a lucky one! Go get 'em. :flowerforyou:

SRH7

It is about fracking time someone used this online tool to it's best advantage. OP your baby is a lucky one! Go get 'em. :flowerforyou:

QFT. I can but hope that if I'm ever lucky enough to get pregnant that I'll have the same attitude

CoderGal

This is NOT for weight loss/maintenance. I'm 20 weeks pregnant and still haven't gained back all the weight I lost from morning sickness (I'm 140 now, which is very healthy normally for my frame/activity level). I am tracking my intake for a few reasons. The first is to ensure I am getting enough for healthy weight gain during this time (don't know about other pregnant women, but I can't feel hunger the same as I used to - I don't feel anything till I'm almost to collapsing and I just need a schedule again). The second is to be in the habit of tracking food/exercise for after this little kid decides to make her appearance so I can lose the weight properly. The third and last reason is something I noticed when I first started using this app - when my daughter would get sick (VERY sick) after breastfeeding and sometimes get a rash I could look over the food I'd consumed and attempt to find where her sensitivity may be (it was walnuts, which she is now deathly allergic to). I'm hoping that this time I can have the same advantage by tracking what I eat.
If anyone else is pregnant and has any of the same reasons/goals I'd be happy to help.
***PLEASE TAKE NOTE: I will NOT support people, especially women that are pregnant, starving themselves. It makes me sick. You are your baby's world and I don't care if you have to blow up 200 pounds to support them - you better freaking do it.***

What MyChocolate said. This is the most beautiful pregnant lady post I've ever seen on this site. I hope your kid turns out to be as beautiful as you inside and out.

zinatara

***PLEASE TAKE NOTE: I will NOT support people, especially women that are pregnant, starving themselves. It makes me sick. You are your baby's world and I don't care if you have to blow up 200 pounds to support them - you better freaking do it.***

I'm not for starving yourself during pregnancy, but if you are obese it can sometimes be good to try to not gain weight during the pregnancy if your doctor thinks it's all right. In my last pregnancy I had pregnancy diabetes and by eating right I got very good results and didn't need to use insulin. I gained maybe 2 lbs during my pregnancy and after my daugther was born I was about 17lbs less than when I got pregnant. But I did it in a healthy way without starving myself, I had lots of checkups and my doctor and midwife wanted me to change my diet because of the diabetes. My daughter was born at a healthy weight and we went home 12 hours after her birth.

rwooten666

That's why I say "starving yourself." I know there are many women who start a pregnancy already overweight/obese (or with some kind of medical condition) and they are encouraged to gain less weight since their body can already sustain a pregnancy. Also, I'm so happy that you and your daughter did well even with the preexisting issue! It is proven that gaining too much weight is bad for you and baby, also, but I meant more to say that IF it was needed for your child's health your first concern should be their health and not your body image. Yes, I have stretch marks from my first pregnancy and yes, my hips are now wider, but I can't even care when I look in my daughter's beautiful eyes and I feel that's how every woman should feel - the desire to be your best for you and your child, but to accept and love yourself for who you are because your child certainly does.
And again, thanks for all the support. I actually shared a link on my birth board to this site yesterday letting the ladies know how it could be used for breastfeeding/food sensitivities. Most people hadn't thought of that - one lady mentioned trying to write everything down, but she quit after a few days. Simply scanning the prepackaged foods and typing in those that are fresh sounded much better!

_snowwhite_

This is such a great post. I am almost 7 weeks (I know it's really too early to be saying anything, but we are so excited!) and have the worst morning sickness. I like to track what I eat to make sure I am eating enough calories and so that I can see which foods make the ms worse or better.

junejadesky

I just found out I am preggers with baby #3 and am about 6 weeks along. I have set my calorie goal to my maintenance amount because we should only be eating our maintenance calories for our first trimester and then in the 2nd and 3rd we are only to add about 300 cals per day to support baby.

My question for all you preggers out there.... I plan to continue to exercise with the guidelines my doc gave me. So, I should be eating those back.... how about you others out there?

pepperdove

I am 10 weeks pregnant with #4 (!!!) and am starting to use the counters on here to track my carbs and sugars. I had gestational diabetes with my youngest son, so I expect I should start eating that way right away this time.

I have intentions to exercise a lot this pregnancy, but I have been SO TIRED yawn. I need to get it together and get into a routine!

rwooten666

MS sucks, but it can definitely be reduced if you learn what you're sensitive to and/or what helps you feel better. I learned that I am similar to many women in the fact that simple carbs helped reduce my sickness at the beginning.
You DEFINITELY eat back the calories. And even in the first trimester you should be eating 100 calories extra (or more) per day. Your body is doing a huge amount of work the whole time, but especially in those first 12 weeks. You're supporting the highest rate of cell division (growth) physically possible, or that any of us will experience in our lifetime. That is one reason many women find this time so draining and "just need a nap" (when I would say this to my husband during this pregnancy and the last he knew full well it meant, "Going to bed for 4+ hours - if I am disturbed I'll eat your soul" lol!). In the third trimester it is more fattening the baby up (and of course last stage development to the lungs and fine tuning of other essential parts . A good rule of thumb is if you are hungry, eat!
pepperdove, at 20 weeks I JUST found the energy/ability/desire to work out again. Don't feel bad. Prior to that point if I even stood too fast I'd get sick. Walking/lifting my daughter really was the extent of my physical exertion. Working out during pregnancy is great for so many things (has been said to create a healthier baby/pregnancy, to help with an easier time during delivery, a better recovery, and an easier time losing the weight after), but don't overdo it. It is nine months of your life. Even if you were put on bedrest the whole time with the proper mindset you could bounce back after the baby was born.

stephysd

This is such a great post. I am almost 7 weeks (I know it's really too early to be saying anything, but we are so excited!) and have the worst morning sickness. I like to track what I eat to make sure I am eating enough calories and so that I can see which foods make the ms worse or better.

I had horrible morning sickness with both of my sons. Things that help me were lemon drops. I would carry a package with me and whenever I felt like I was going to get sick pop one in. It helped with the salivating and distracting me from the fact that it was occuring. I know the wives tale is salt or sour are suppose to help morning sickness, think pickles or saltines. Sour foods worked for me. I ate a large dill pickle with every meal. Was the only way it would go down. Ginger is another thing that is suppose to help my doctor said, but I could never stomach it. She always drank ginger tea. Occasionally I would have a Ginger Ale if nauseous.
If it gets really bad, they make motion sickness bands that you can pick up almost anywhere. You wear them on your wrists and there is a bead that puts pressure on the inside of the wrist. I had a lot of relief from these, but I also suffer from motion sickness when in vehicles. I had them on hand and the doctor said to give them whirl as she used them during her pregnancy.

*Edit for spelling error. Would have drove me crazy.*

stephysd

This is NOT for weight loss/maintenance. I'm 20 weeks pregnant and still haven't gained back all the weight I lost from morning sickness (I'm 140 now, which is very healthy normally for my frame/activity level). I am tracking my intake for a few reasons. The first is to ensure I am getting enough for healthy weight gain during this time (don't know about other pregnant women, but I can't feel hunger the same as I used to - I don't feel anything till I'm almost to collapsing and I just need a schedule again). The second is to be in the habit of tracking food/exercise for after this little kid decides to make her appearance so I can lose the weight properly. The third and last reason is something I noticed when I first started using this app - when my daughter would get sick (VERY sick) after breastfeeding and sometimes get a rash I could look over the food I'd consumed and attempt to find where her sensitivity may be (it was walnuts, which she is now deathly allergic to). I'm hoping that this time I can have the same advantage by tracking what I eat.
If anyone else is pregnant and has any of the same reasons/goals I'd be happy to help.
***PLEASE TAKE NOTE: I will NOT support people, especially women that are pregnant, starving themselves. It makes me sick. You are your baby's world and I don't care if you have to blow up 200 pounds to support them - you better freaking do it.***

Sent you a request. Not currently pregnant, but we will be trying for baby number 3 in two weeks. But who's counting.... Everything you stated is what I planned on using this site for as well. Except the tracking for food sensitivities while nursing - GENIUS!!! I could have used that for baby number 2.

chelseaautumn

I recently had my 4th child on 7/5/13. I used this for many of the same reasons although I also used it tho track my weight gain. With my 3rd, I gained 60lbs because I simply didn't ''care'' what I ate... he was 8 lbs and 2 weeks late. This time around I gained a healthier 30lbs and my little man was 10lbs 4oz!!! Three weeks out and I am 7lbs away from pre-pregnancy weight which feels great because my weight gain was appropriate.
Now that I am nursing, keeping track of my food will help track baby's sensitivity and help me continue journey to healthy weight while doing it wisely. Thanks for all the support!!!

mommy3457

I gained 40 lbs. during my pregnancy, including the weight of my baby boy. So, more like 32 lbs. I didn't over-eat for the most part. I ate pretty normally. Looking back, I wish I ate more healthy though so you have a good plan. I think next time I am pregnant, I will do it differently. I had a c-section. It took an hour. My stomach will never look the way it did before I was pregnant, but it looks pretty good thus far. I had ab separation, and it was a big accomplishment for my stomach to no longer look pregnant (this is after the swelling went down). Anyways, eat a few hundred calories that you normally would. I was blessed with no problems whatsoever during my pregnancy, but a hard birth.

DJ478

hello I just had a baby bou who came out to weigh in at 8lbs 3 ounces I used mfp pal and food journal during my pregnancy started during 2nd trimester when I gained weight I was worried about my weight since doc gave me a hard time due to thyroid condition but support from my husband and family help me realize it didn't matter what doc said as long as me and baby are healthy in the end I gained 37 lbs I went from 155 to 192 yeah got scary to almost reach 200 lol but if you have strong support group it wont matter as long as your healthy I am now down to 167 breastfeeding helped shed those 25 lbs btw I gave birth end of april

cmstirp

If anyone is interested, this report from the Institute of Medicine shows updated recommendations for weight gain during pregnancy:

http://iom.edu/Reports/2009/Weight-Gain-During-Pregnancy-Reexamining-the-Guidelines.aspx
(click on the "Report Brief" PDF)