Is it safe to have a calorie deficit whilst pregnant?

LizN63

According to my GP you only need a couple of extra calories in the third trimester. Otherwise eating at maintenance while pregnant seems a good idea.

I presume you already know what to avoid, and to take folic acid :-) If you're trying, it's a good idea to take the folic acid now.

When I say 'a couple of extra calories' I mean 'a couple of hundred extra calories', sorry - stupid phone!!

If you are taking multivitamins I personally would take only those aimed at pregnant women or those trying to conceieve - I believe too much vitamin A, for example, can be problematic which is why pregnant women are advised to avoid liver. As with everything, check with your GP :-)

Don't be too worried about it anyway. When I got pregnant I was so determined to eat healthily! Then the sickness took over and for 6-8 weeks all I could eat was rich tea biscuits and salted chipsticks. Perfectly healthy baby boy born at 42 weeks. :-)

claudiakendall98

Just no , eat healthy and think of making a beautiful healthy baby.

bluestarlight19

If you need advice on battling insane morning sickness, I can dole out what worked for me. I only ever made it back to my pre-preg weight when I neared delivery with both girls. I was sick til 20 weeks, could hardly keep anything down, and had severe food aversions the whole pregnancy. Talk to your doctor, learn your cycle, start a pre-natal now (they make gummy ones, those were the only ones I could tolerate). You can diet and exercise now, but once pregnant, stop the diet and lighten the exercise if you need too. Honestly, for both my girls (my second I was on bedrest) I really didn't have the energy to exercise from being able to keep down food. Everyone is different, you never know how pregnancy is going to treat you (*cough* both my mom and sister had easy peasy pregnancies with hardly any sickness*cough* jealous!!)

Branstin

Please consult with your doctors and follow their advice. Unless there is a medical reason, enjoy your preganacy and baby then deal with any weight issue later.

decblessings

Prenatal vitamins made me really sick and I was talking to my OB about the importance of them. My doctor first of all said I could take children's chewable vitamins, such as Flintstones, twice a day (spaced out to help me not get sick from them). He said in all honesty, the baby is going to take from you what it needs to grow and thrive, and unless you live in a third world country, most babies would be able to get the nutrients they need - even if you lived solely on fast food. Of course he said he didn't recommend that, but the body is made to provide the baby with what it needs first and foremost - at least when it comes to nutrition for development.

I was actually most successful at losing weight after I had my second child (I didn't try after my first). I was breastfeeding and the weight fell off easily for the only time in my life. I wish I could say the same after I had my third!!!

I would say eating at or just above maintenance would be sufficient. And like someone else said - it's never too soon for folic acid! My mom was born with a form of spina bifida and was told that had her mother had more folic acid in early pregnancy she may not have had the back issues she has today. According to her/him, the greatest benefit from folic acid happens before you even know you're pregnant.

easjer

Prenatal vitamins made me really sick and I was talking to my OB about the importance of them. My doctor first of all said I could take children's chewable vitamins, such as Flintstones, twice a day (spaced out to help me not get sick from them). He said in all honesty, the baby is going to take from you what it needs to grow and thrive, and unless you live in a third world country, most babies would be able to get the nutrients they need - even if you lived solely on fast food. Of course he said he didn't recommend that, but the body is made to provide the baby with what it needs first and foremost - at least when it comes to nutrition for development.

I was actually most successful at losing weight after I had my second child (I didn't try after my first). I was breastfeeding and the weight fell off easily for the only time in my life. I wish I could say the same after I had my third!!!

I would say eating at or just above maintenance would be sufficient. And like someone else said - it's never too soon for folic acid! My mom was born with a form of spina bifida and was told that had her mother had more folic acid in early pregnancy she may not have had the back issues she has today. According to her/him, the greatest benefit from folic acid happens before you even know you're pregnant.

A three month supply of folic acid reduces the risks of neural tube defects drastically.

A regular multi-vitamin is 100% fine before pregnancy, and actually probably better because of the low calcium, low vit A and increased iron in pre-natals (not that pre-natals are terrible to take if you are not pregnant, but they aren't ideal). Regular vitamins contain the recommended daily dosage of folic acid (400 mcg). Additionally, folic acid is naturally occuring in many foods (dark leafy greens, asparagus, broccoli, beans/peas/lentils, citrus fruits, avocado, okra, brussel sprouts . . .), and it is a common additive to processed grains (cereals, bread, rice). Pregnant women are advised to double the recommended daily allowance to 800 mcg. You don't need more, your body won't process it. You definitely should not take more than 1mg unless under the direction of your doctor (who will prescribe Folgard or the constituent components of Folgard - what I take - which balances b vitamins so that you don't end up with a b12 or b6 deficiency). Women who need higher levels of folic acid will be women with histories of neural tube diseases, who had recently been prescribed methotrexate (strips folic acid from the body), and women with MTHFR (me!) who do not process folate efficiently.

Lleldiranne

It depends on where you are starting out. If you are quite overweight, it *may* be safe to have a very small deficit in the first trimester. Generally, though, the recommendation is to switch to maintenance once you are pregnant. But talking with the doctor about it is always the best bet. How much weight you should gain is, to some degree, determined by your starting weight (if you're overweight you can gain less and have a healthy baby).

If you are thinking about getting pregnant, now is the time to start taking a multivitamin (if you aren't already). You can ask for a prenatal, but most OTCs are good, too. Check the folic acid and the iron, those are the two big ones, and it should have 100% RDA for each. Also make a habit of eating lots of nutrient dense foods now; calories are important when pregnant, but so are the micronutrients.

:flowerforyou:

IronSmasher

OK, we're straying here, drastically to the point of prescribing levels of folic acid (when she may need far more depending on her history) and getting her to avoid potentially the wrong things.

I deliberately didn't go into further detail, because I want the OP to see her G.P. - which I'm sure she will do anyway.



Just out of interest, American guidelines actually have levels of recommended weight gain during pregnancy according to starting weight.
In the UK, pregnant women are not encouraged to diet at all.

postrockandcats

This is a case-by-case thing that needs to be handled by a doctor. There are times when it is appropriate to eat at a deficit, and times when it's not. No one can make a blanket statement about this.

IsaTexDesigner

It depends on your weight. If you're obese, then you dont need to gain weight at all. You can if you want, but my Dr said the people who need to gain extra weight are those with a normal bmi. That being said, I ate about 1600cal/day with my son, and I still gained 15lbs! I was overweight when I got pregnant with my son as it was. Im now at a healthy bmi, so if I get pregnant again, I will most definately increase my calories.

But I will say, no matter how much you weigh, avoiding weight gain during pregnancy is tough!(I tried!)

bumblebeez86

Thanks again for the advice. I actually work in A+E so have been asking the nurses/doctors for advice when i have had the chance

mycupyourcake

This is touchy. Consult a doctor, not a bunch of *kitten* on the internet.

This!