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Mindful Eating During Pregnancy Realistic tips for eating well while pregnant
MindfulEating MindfulEating During Pregnancy
By Sara Halcumb, RN
Eating a healthy, balanced and nutrient-dense diet while pregnant directly impacts your health and the health of your baby. However, oftentimes information about what to eat while pregnant can be confusing, outdated or feel far too limiting when a craving strikes.
During my two pregnancies, I really did my best to be mindful of what I ate. Of course, from time to time I would give in to my desire for a bowl of salted caramel ice cream or some yummy Pad Thai takeout. Intuitive eating during pregnancy is ultimately about balance and letting yourself have a treat once and a while. For the most part, I followed the guidelines and ate how I knew best as a nurse and nutrition enthusiast.
This isn’t to say that everyone will automatically know what to eat while pregnant. I recognize that I had the nutrition information because of my background in healthcare. And even then, guidelines evolve. So what should pregnant women eat? And what shouldn’t they? Recently, I spoke to two local women to get their perspective.
Meet the Midwife: Naomi O’Callaghan, MSM, LM, CPM Naomi O’Callaghan is a licensed midwife and owner of Vancouver Community Midwives. She is also a clinical herbalist and specializes in botanical medicine for the childbearing year. Here’s what she had to say about healthy nutrition during pregnancy.
What are the types of foods you advise your clients eat during pregnancy? When choosing foods, pregnant women should think in terms of “eating the rainbow.” They should fill their plates with reds (beets, strawberries, radishes, tomatoes), greens (spinach, broccoli, kale), purples (blueberries, grapes, plums, eggplant), yellows (apples, squash, bananas) and oranges (carrots, oranges, apricots). They should also include healthy proteins such as legumes, fish, chicken, beef and seafood and whole grains such as barley, brown rice and oatmeal. Be sure to include plenty of water, about 10 cups a day. This helps to support healthy amniotic fluid levels and the natural increase in maternal blood volume.
Are there any foods you advise your clients avoid during pregnancy? Foods that pregnant people should avoid during pregnancy are sushi, highmercury fish such as albacore tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, deli meat, raw eggs and unpasteurized dairy products.
Why is it important to eat a balanced diet during pregnancy? There are many reasons why a pregnant person should eat mindfully during their pregnancy:
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• Grow the healthiest teeny human with the best building blocks • Positively influence the baby’s food preferences for life • Be better prepared for birth • Build healthy tissue for less tearing/ scarring • Experience a good start to breastfeeding • Make for easier postpartum recovery
O’Callaghan meets her clients where they are in their food preferences and guides them toward making the heathy choices. She wants to break the misconception that “when people choose midwifery care they have to be crunchy hippies and eat flowers and drink spring water only.” O’Callaghan accepts all patients, regardless of their health story. She realizes that not everyone is privileged enough to have access to whole, organic foods. For example, if one of her clients eats fast food a lot, she will discuss the healthiest choices available at their favorite restaurant. She does not attempt to completely change an individual at such a vulnerable time as pregnancy or pass judgment on their choices. She simply encourages her clients to be mindful of not only food nutrition, but to be nurturing of their bodies and spirits as well.
Lastly, she acknowledges that moderation is key. “Let’s face it. Ice cream tastes good. Chocolate cake tastes good. French fries are the bomb! In the age of ‘mommy wars,’ it is very easy to feel guilty if we step one toe out of line and enjoy something decadent. An occasional bowl of ice cream is fine. A bowl of ice cream a night, now that’s a different story.”
Meet the Mom: Maria Halcumb, MA Ed Maria Halcumb is a teacher, reading specialist, wife and mother. She was recently pregnant and gave birth to her second child this past summer. I picked her brain on how she approached nutrition during pregnancy.
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How was your nutrition different from your first pregnancy compared to this last one? With my first pregnancy I was more concerned about my nutrition. Why wouldn’t I be? I had way more time! However, when cravings arrived, I gave in. I was teaching in a middle school during my first pregnancy and I loved eating the school lunch. Unfortunately, school lunches in this country are usually cheap, high in protein, fat, sugar and salt but low in fiber. Exactly what I was craving! I only allowed myself a few weeks of school lunch, and then I got back on track.
Did you learn any lessons or change anything about your diet the second time around? I learned to give myself a break. I gave into cravings more often this second pregnancy but didn’t create any real habits. For example, if my husband made nachos, I ate nachos. Did I go get a Dairy Queen blizzard one night exhausted? Yes! Did I enjoy every bite of it? Yes!
I also made sure to eat enough protein. Since I normally eat a mostly plant-based diet, eating more meat was a bit of a challenge for me. There are ways to eat plant-based proteins, but it took a lot of prep work, and I wasn’t willing to put in the time. I simply added a bit more protein from meat sources. I also allowed myself to get protein from dairy products, a food I eat very little of when not pregnant.
How did you balance cravings with eating healthy during pregnancy? I made a special outing with my daughter around the craving and had fun with it. We also eat a lot from home. I rarely go out to eat, and I always grocery shop with a list. I can make my grocery list pretty healthy, and I’ve found if it’s not in my home, I don’t eat it as often. I don’t really buy junk food.Sometimes the occasional tub of ice cream is in our freezer, but if I wanted cookies or sweets I’d have to make them. Usually I was too exhausted to think about making desserts.
The key to mindful eating during pregnancy is to maintain an overall nutrient-rich diet, while also enjoying an occasional treat. You’re growing a human after all!
Consult with your midwife or OB-GYN about how many calories they recommend you eat at each trimester and what their guideline is for you personally. Everyone is different, so be sure to check with your provider when you have questions or concerns about what to eat.
Sara Halcumb is a registered nurse with more than 10 years of experience in healthcare. She also writes for the Southwest Washington blog Literally Simple, which she co-owns with her sister-in-law, Maria. Sara was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest and currently lives in Battle Ground with her husband and their two children. Most days you can find her enjoying the beautiful outdoors with her family and their dog Bandit.
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