Question for Mears or Leese - appetite and diet in pregnancy

[cheeky]

With first pregnancy had enormous appetite. This time although i'm not at all nauseous, which is why I didn't realise I was pregnant until I was 8 weeks I am hardly eating. I'm 10 weeks now and even if I feel ravenous, I get full after a couple of mouthfuls.

Have you come across this before, is there a medical reason for it and will the lack of food affect the baby. I'm taking sanatogen pronatal tablets every day but have heard different things about nourishment in pregnancy. Some people say that the baby will get what it needs and its therefore just the mother that suffers if the diet is poor and some say that the baby needs you to eat a good diet.

I'm worried sick, especially as I wasn't taking folic acid for the first few weeks as I didn't know I was pregnant

[musica]

Don't know if this is relevant, but there was an article on appetite in pregnancy on the BBC website - apparently you are hungrier if you are carrying a boy, because they need 10% more energy than a girl baby. I wouldn't worry - I think the baby does take what it needs.

[lucy123]

cheeky - I feel less hungry with this pg too.

Did you have a boy last time by any chance? If so according to the study they had on the news the other day then you have a girl this time.

Mears or Leese will be able to offer more reassurance than me, but I have read more than once that babies are parasites - it is you who will suffer from lack of vitamins etc, not the baby (they used to say that you lose a tooth for every baby and many women did because they didn't get enough calcium)

However I wonder about the F Acid too. I also didn't find out about this pg until 8 weeks (now 10 weeks - we might have them at the same time! )
The doctor said it was nothing to worry about and that I should just start taking it now. I'm sure it is OK though and its best not to worry (I really am so much more laid back with this pg).

congratultions too!

[pie]

Don't worry about the Folic acid, I'm not recommending not taking it of course, but with DD and with this pregnancy I didn't take it all. First time I wasn't really thinking I would get pregnant as quickly as I did (got pregnant in the first month) and this pregnancy was completly unplanned, so no F acid before, non during as my morning sickness has been so bad I can't keep any medication down, have to take suppositries for most things at the moment. DD is fine and the amnio on this baby is all fine. I think that some women don't eat alot of foods that are naturally high in Folic acid, but I have always made sure I did since I was vegan for 7 years and always had problems with all B vitamins so am extra cautious. If you have a well balanced diet then I would think that the baby is fine. Keep taking it though even if you have started late.

I'm 21 weeks and I've found that (when I'm not feeling sick) and totally not hungry and when I do eat I also find myself ready to burst after 2 bites. I just figure that my appetite will tell me whats right and at least this time I won't gain as much weight as I did last time.

I've also heard the same as lucy123 about babies taking what they need and that its the mothers who miss out.

[mears]

Cheeky it is not unusual to not have an appetite at various stages in pregnancy, especially in the early weeks. Is there anyone around who can cook for you? Sometimes you are hungry until you have actually cooked a meal, then you are put off. Try to eat little and often so that you are getting some nutrition. Also drink plenty to make sure that you do not end up constipated. Do not worry too much about it. As everyone else has said, your growing baby will get what it needs. Don't worry about folic acid either, you will have got a certain amount from foods. I had all my 4 babies before we knew about the benefits of folic acid, so I never took any. Your eating pattern will change over the next few weeks. Don't worry, you are not abnormal

[leese]

Hi cheeky - as usual, reiterate what mears has said. Very common to lose appetite early in pregnancy (whether feeling nauseous or not), and this will have no effect whatsoever on the baby.
A baby is, in many respects, like a parasite(!) - taking what it needs from you, and if anyone suffers, will be you. A study I read a few months ago (sorry - can't remember where) suggested that the 'starvation phase' in early pregnancy is actually beneficial to the baby, and exactly what nature intended.
Your appetite will recover, but you may have the same problem again late in pregnancy, eating a few mouthfuls, then feeling full, as the stomach is a bit condensed! Try and eat healthily whatever you can - avoid 'empty calories' ie:high sugar/fat foods - better to have a chunk of cheese or a slice of ham - but you'll know that I guess!
And as mears pints out - don't worry about the folic acid. Lots of women don't take it in the first few weeks as they don't realise they are pregnant - as mears says, most babies were fine without the help of folic acid yrs ago - don't get hung up about that which you cannot change. Relax, feet up, enjoy your pregnancy - and eat what you like when you like!
PS. For the recored, I was very similar to you - little/no appetite in early and late pregnancy. Consultant felt dd was small - numerous growth scans prevailed (tho' I always insisted she felt fine to me!) - popped out 2 days early at 8lb

[Wills]

Have to say cheeky that what Mears and Leese describe is my pregnancy. I've not had much of an appetite throughout but have still put the necessary weight on so am not worried. If anything my legs and face look thinner but at 29 wks the bump roughly the right size according to scans and my midwife. I agree with Mears about getting someone else to cook for you. Often this was the only way I'd bother to eat. I work in a place with a good subsidised restaurant and have taken to eating a proper lunch since I only bother with toast or fruit when I get home. I take the snatogen pregnancy pills so that on bad days I don't feel so guilty.

Have you seen the news this week? Aren't they saying that small appetites indicates a little girl. Not sure how true that is but will be able to tell you in hopefully 11 weeks. With my dd I definitely had more appetite that this but still not ravenous (but liked chocolate far more last time)

[cheeky]

Thanks everyone, feeling more reassured now. Mears, my dh does all the cooking anyway; he goes to so much trouble I feel awful when I waste it but he understands. We went to a cafe the other day and I chose a children's meal and was full after a quarter but managed to have a little break and eat some more, had half of it altogether!

[cheeky]

One other thing I meant to say was why do I look 5 or 6 months pregnant when I'm not eating. I did look pregnant before I conceived but at 5 weeks, dh thought I was showing; I said I couldn't be. it was just left over from before but I'm massive now and people are asking me if I'm pregnant

[KMS]

Have you had a scan? Could there be more than one in there? I did get bigger quicker with DS2 and this time with my 3rd as I think muscles are shot to pieces and let it all out earlier. i was very sick this time round and was big quick and convinces GP to send me for early scan to check if it was twins. Only one in there so mind put to rest. Congrats!

[cheeky]

No, I haven't had a scan yet, but should be having one soon. I wouldn't have thought theres more than one though because usually you have more pg symptoms with twins don't you?

[cheeky]

Another problem I have is when I do eat, no matter how tiny an amount, I am doubled up in pain, this is several times a week every day now and I'm really getting fed up with it, its agony. Anyone know whats causing it, it can last 10 - 15 minutes up to 2 hours

[leese]

Pain where cheeky? Could it be a wind type pain? Indegestion?

[cheeky]

Hi leese its low down in my abdomen, I have also suffered from constipation with no pain so I don't think its that but a few hours after the pain, I get diarrhoea two or three times. It is like the pain I had with a bad case of food poisoning once

[cheeky]

Sorry that was meant to be always suffered from constipation, I have had bad consdtipation for as long as I can remember

[leese]

cheeky - do you think it could be something unrelated to pregnancy? Sounds like irritable bowel syndrome could be a candidate. I only mention that because your symptoms would not be classic of a pregnancy, therefore ? pregnancy related at all. Would be worth popping to see your GP to mention your symptoms

[leese]

Another secondary thought - have you started taking iron in any form (on its own, or as part of a multivitamin?). This diarrhoea (which is often accompanied by abdominal pain beforehand) can also be casued by iron intake. Just a thought

[cheeky]

Leese, a few years ago my GP suggested IBS although the pain was nowhere as bad then, but my constipation is worse when I'm pregnant and I think this is the same as the pain I had last pregnancy. I was admitted to hospital once with it thinking I was miscarrying but then an hour after I got there had really bad diarrhoea and the pain eased. I do take sanatogen pronatal rather than folic acid on its own as I am unable to eat a nutritious diet cos of my appetite, but like I said I have always suffered from constipation and don't reallywant to stop taking the pronatal

[cheeky]

I've just realised you said diarrhoea can be caused by iron, I'd thought it was constipation that could be caused by iron, not diarrhoea so maybe it is these tablets

[Oakmaiden]

My doctor once told me that diarrhoea can be caused by constipation. Apparently you can get constipated and your body tries to sort it out by inducing diarrhoea. this happens to me a lot (sometimes - goes in phases) and can be excrutiatingly painful for a short while before the diarrhoea appears.

so it may well be iron linked (or exharberated) and most people also find that their intestine slows down during pregnancy - making constipation far more common.

[2under2]

cheeky, for what it's worth, I took Sanatogen Pronatal for five weeks and felt thoroughly dreadful. Forgot it for a few days and everything, nausea etc., disappeared. It contains quite a lot of iron.

[Wills]

That's interesting - I've been taking pro-natal all the way through (now 30wks) and have also suffered diarrhea all the way through. I suffer from IBS most of the time but strangely enough not during pregnancy - this time though I definitely plagued with indigestion big time! Sometimes when I eat if feels as though I've been punched in the stomach - its like I can feel the food "dropping" into my stomach and I would agree that a few hours later I get diarrhea however that doesn't always clear it and there definitely a lot of trapped wind - so not totally like you cheeky.

[leese]

cheeky - you're right that iron will most commonly cause constipation, but for some women it has the opposite effect, causing diarrhoea.
Take my advice - ditch the pronatal.
Take folic acid separately until you hit 13 wks.
Look, you feel rubbish, ?symptoms linked to pronatal tablets, diarrhoea etc. Whats the harm in forgetting the tablets for awhile to see if things improve? Don't worry about your poor diet - like I said before, thats perfectly normal for lots of pregnant women, and its never been shown to be detrimental to the foetus in the short term (ie: usually until you start feeling less sick, often around 12 - 15 wks)

So, midwives orders - get rid of the tablets!! (Feeling bossy this evening!) Report back to us too.

[Marina]

I've packed in my Pronatal for similar reasons - v. unpleasant side-effects. Switched to Floradix plus Chanel's suggestion of the Boots fish oil/ginger/folic acid caps and find this drug cocktail much easier on my old tum.
I was on iron tabs after ds was born by c-section four years ago and frankly I thought the surgeon had sewn my bowels together I felt so ill. The fact that iron tabs can give you diarrhoea rather than constipation should be much more widely known. Because I expected to be bunged up I just did not make the connection and soldiered on for two weeks before I abandoned my inhibitions and asked my midwife.

[Wills]

OK Leese - I'm giving up the pronatal! Thanks for the advice - must admit I always thought it was funny to suffer from diarrhea instead of constipation however I've not used the same amount of apricots as last time.

[cheeky]

Hi leese, I stopped the pronatal on tuesday, was doubled up most of yesterday then terrible diarrhoea last night but suppose its still early days. Good news is got my appetite back, now eating more frequently and also eating more at each meal.