Just got back from a week in France skiing with a great bunch of friends. I am a true convert to off-piste skiing – I have come back to rainy Scotland mourning the mountains. Alas, no more skiing (and no apres ski!) for me given the baby bump.
Beyond the slopes it was a tasty reminder of how those French do stodge well! It proved to me that we are all products of our environment. Sure, if the health food shop is just down the road and your are surrounded by friends and family to whom good eating is important then it is a lot easier.
Get yourself halfway up the Alps where everyone is enjoying croissants and bacon for breakfast, hot chocolate and frites as a warm up to a cheese laden lunch then a full on 3 course dinner – and high tea of cakes and more hot chocolate mid afternoon – and it is rude not to join in!
Mind you, on holiday, skiing takes care of the exercise so it’s all part of the experience but take away the mountain air and exhilaration of skiing and that’s a heck of a daily diet.
For sure though, next time someone comes to me for a consultation and starts to list the kind of menu we were served this week I will take more time over asking about their living circumstances!
I could, of course, use the old ‘I’m eating for two’ argument. Sadly, it just ain’t true!
I want to blog about this myth since my protruding belly seems to be inviting these questions!
So, here goes for all you pregnant, soon to be pregnant or hoping to be, the truth about your baby-growing needs.
It is true that you need extra calories from nutrient-rich foods to help your baby grow, but you generally need to consume only 100 to 300 more calories than you did before you became pregnant to meet the needs of your growing baby. That equates to a mid-sized banana and a couple of slices of toast at most. I crave more protein when pregnant – even red meat every now and then although for me it’s lamb or venison over beef every time.
When it comes to weight gain, if you were average weight for your build before pregnancy (those who have been on a retreat know your body type!) should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. Underweight women should gain 28-40 pounds during pregnancy. Overweight women may need to gain only 15-25 pounds during pregnancy.
But where does the extra weight go? To be-bunk yet more myths about being ‘fat’ rather than ‘pregnant,’ take a look at the table below.
|
Baby |
8 pounds |
|
Placenta |
2-3 pounds |
|
Amniotic fluid |
2-3 pounds |
|
Breast tissue |
2-3 pounds |
|
Blood supply |
4 pounds |
|
Fat stores for delivery and breastfeeding |
5-9 pounds |
|
Uterus increase |
2-5 pounds |
|
Total |
25 to 35 pounds |
Right, now that I have got that off my rather inflated chest I will bid you all goodnight! Pregnancy is a great time to bag some extra sleep.
