Pregnant and Nursing with THM
Mar 3, 2014 6:30:28 GMT -5
Blessed Beyond Measure, thinkspeak, and 2 more like this
Post by steffanie3 on Mar 3, 2014 6:30:28 GMT -5
Pregnancy and Nursing with THM
As moderators of the Pregnancy and Nursing group, we wanted to list out some differences in eating this way during these seasons of our lives and address common questions and concerns. These are simply our opinions put into words, so please remember (as always) to check with your doctor or midwife about any questions you have.
Frequency of Eating
One of the biggest things we hear is how hungry Pregnant and Nursing Mama’s are and how quickly we get to that ravaging stage. While in weight loss mode it is important to wait the 3 hours between meals and snacks so that your body can use the fuel you ate, and then pull from your own to finish the job. When pregnant or nursing our bodies are already pulling from our own reserves constantly to give the baby a flow of what it needs without pause. You can continue eating S and E meals but you don’t need to wait the full three hours to eat again after your last snack or meal. You might feel ready at about the two to two and a half hour mark to eat again or slightly there- after. You can eat a fuel pull snack then or eat from the same fuel you last finished with if you don’t want to have a crossover effect. But speaking of Crossovers…
Adding in S Helpers and Crossovers
It is important to watch not only your weight progress but also how you feel. If you are dragging or feeling spent before lunch, you might need to up your carbohydrates and go to at least one S Helper a day, or all the way to a Crossover.
More S Helpers
An S Helper is defined as 10-15 net carbs of starch added onto a regular S meal. So that might be one piece of plan approved bread with your S meal or a small piece of fruit or ¼ cup serving of rice. This S Helper approach may help stabilize your blood sugars if you have a ravenous nursing baby or if you are pregnant and feel you need extra carbs at times to fuel both you and your baby.
Occasional Crossovers
If you started THM trying to lose weight but now you are pregnant, starting to include crossovers is something that can be hard to grasp at first. As THM’s we all have it in our minds to separate fuels each time we eat (not just making sure they don’t touch on the plate... haha). Constantly separating fuels is for weight loss mode, and pregnancy is not a time for weight loss, even if you are overweight, and we will talk about that later. We are in baby growing mode! Woohoo!
One of the biggest things we need to learn with THM is listening to our bodies and doing and giving it what it needs (not just what it wants).
If you were anywhere close to goal weight (within 10 lbs) at the start of your pregnancy then you need to plan for gaining approximately 20 lbs. (And a couple more is no problem!)
I know personally it was very hard to switch my mind over to “growing baby” instead of “trimmer figure” like I had been focusing on for almost a year. But crossovers are NOT cheats! They are still very much on plan; giving your body good fats and energizing carbohydrates in the same meal! In the beginning it will feel like you are cheating! It’s not cheating, it’s wonderful.
Crossover Frequency
Each woman and each pregnancy is unique. Some women will need very few crossovers during pregnancy to ensure adequate weight gain. But while the core S and E plan does provide all the nutrients needed for pregnancy it does cause weight loss for most people. Some women with very speedy metabolisms may need to make almost every meal a crossover during pregnancy to ensure there is healthy weight gain. Consider how fast or slow you are gaining and how you feel. You may not have to eat crossovers daily or even every other day, but for most of us, we need to start incorporating them somewhat regularly to ensure we are growing a healthy, fat-brained baby.
We feel the need to mention whole milk. It is mentioned in THM as good for “growing kids” and since we are in essence “growing kids” then it may occasionally be allowed as a crossover. Daily milk drinking may cause too much weight gain though and milk drinking is not necessary for a healthy pregnancy. Be aware that drinking a glass of milk will eventually start to hit your thighs more than just “hitting the spot” and can also hit your blood sugar harder. At least eat some other form of protein also (maybe a scoop of Swanson’s whey isolate) to help blunt it.
Starting a pregnancy with previous baby weight…
If you are starting this pregnancy 30-50 lbs overweight, you have probably already heard that you don’t have to gain as much and that even a little weight loss is ok. Please, be aware that weight loss should not be your goal right now.
Over and over we see the initial loss of water/carb weight (pregnant or not) when starting THM, and that is going to be expected if you start THM while pregnant. If you happen to lose some weight initially don’t freak out, it should stabilize but please don’t have a mindset that pregnancy is a time to *try* to lose weight.
We have seen many Mamas who start their THM pregnancies above their desired weights reporting they maintain for much of the pregnancy, which is a great goal while overweight. That means you are in essence losing body fat while baby (placenta, blood volume etc) is gaining. You may still need the occasional crossover if you do find you are losing, or losing too quickly.
Nursing
This is going to be split into two categories that are quite different. Establishing milk supply and maintaining milk supply.
Establishing Milk Supply
This is an interesting time frame, and it can be different for everyone, but at least the first 2 and even 3 months post-partum should be devoted to building the amount of milk that will carry on as long as you and baby want or need. This almost always appears to be the hardest phase for most new mama’s because the baby is out, so we want the weight gone!
Since we are still very much in charge of nourishing our baby at this stage we need to be careful that we don’t change our complete focus to losing weight yet. So for the upcoming menu’s we really do categorize the first few months postpartum in with pregnancy. It is still advisable to stay away from sugars and off plan carbs, even if it is just because of how much worse we feel with them in our bodies!
We encourage you to take it very easy (at least for the first 2-3 weeks). As humans we need those loving relationships and if you are blessed with friends and family who are kind enough to bring you meals in the first couple of weeks enjoy them. (It can’t hurt to mention THM though, and see if they want to bring a plan approved meal!). You could say something about avoiding wheat products and sugar. Maybe even mention paleo meals, as those are much more common and many fit well within THM S guidelines.
Maintaining Milk Supply
This is the point at which you feel milk supply is sustaining well, and doesn’t require as much “insurance” from daily Crossovers. We have noticed that there is the initial post baby loss, hopefully around 10-15 lbs (but you know we all cross our fingers for a few more) and then it seems that while we focus on milk supply we sometimes maintain for a while, often 3 months or more!
Those 3 months may seem like forever when you are ready to see the scale dropping but I encourage you to think about the fact that the baby has been growing inside you for 9 months. Let’s just give this little one 3 more months and round it off to a good year of major self-sacrifice!
After this initial post-partum period you will probably feel comfortable adding in more FP snacks and returning to more core S and E meals vs including S Helpers and Crossovers if you still have weight to lose. You will still need to eat more frequently because, although you have established your milk supply, the baby’s unscheduled nursing could cause you to use up the energy you have from the foods you have eaten.
At this stage you can feel free to go back to the core weight loss plan of only S and E meals, but please remember Mama’s milk is so much more important than losing a few lbs faster (Because we all know what we’ll get these extra lbs off eventually, right?!?). So be aware of your baby’s nursing needs and if your milk supply seems a little light in the afternoon have a good snack, and why not go for a good skinny chocolate and protein smoothie for an afternoon snack instead of just a FP snack. Or add in that crossover if you are losing too fast or feeling depleted.
The last 10 lbs!
There is much controversy on this topic but there really is some kind of connection in some nursing mom’s whose bodies cannot let the last 10 or so lbs drop. It’s like the body is clinging to them to keep a good supply. If you really are eating enough, but not too much, switching fuels, exercising, and your body still won’t drop the last bit of weight, then take a deep breath and let it go. It will come off, maybe not right now, but someday soon and then you can have something to look forward to during the bittersweet times of weaning.
Specialty Foods
There is always more concern when we are growing a human and want to make sure what we are putting into us (and them) is the best quality and not causing harm. Regarding your own personal convictions, there may be “plan approved” items that you are not interested in, no problem, avoid them. Please be kind in your words and not judgmental towards those who choose to use them. These are personal decisions and Pearl and Serene have always encouraged people to do their own research and come to their own conclusions.
Gluccomannon
We have not seen any connections to worry about but since it binds up excess water in your body, make sure you are highly hydrated (especially when nursing). The scare blogs that expose the “dangers” of gluccie are concerning taking multiple capsules for weight loss purposes and not in the scant teaspoon measurements for whole recipes that THM uses always in the presence of liquid.
Whey Protein Powder
In her wonderful postings on this subject, Serene has listed the benefits of whey isolate protein and its safety during pregnancy and nursing. Please check out the files in the Library area for those listings.
Truvia, Stevia, and other Plan Approved Sweeteners
Above all, please remember that Pearl and Serene have done their research and in all of their findings, nothing has been enough to convince them to remove any items from their “plan approved” list. There have been many scare blogs out there concerning sweeteners, do your own research and follow your mama instinct, but live in peace and not in fear.
This plan is to help our bodies (and our little baby’s bodies) not be ravaged by the rising and crashing of blood sugar. There are many alternatives that accomplish this and are not artificial or harmful. Remember that even “natural” sweeteners (like honey) still cause that rise and crash.
First Trimester Woes (If you are doing well and staying On-plan, SKIP this section!)
This is a hard topic… So many of us hope and pray that THM will help all our previous pregnancy dilemmas (and we *have* seen a decrease in fatigue!) but many still face morning sickness and food aversions during this time. I also think there is a major amount of guilt that comes (not imposed by THM in any way!) because with the wisdom we now have on THM, we KNOW what these cheats and cravings are doing to our bodies. It can be very upsetting to have cravings for things we know we shouldn’t eat and food aversions to things that we know are so good for us and for baby. (I couldn’t crack an egg without losing it in my first trimester!)
Our best advice comes from living this first hand. Do not let guilt ruin your first 3 months. Know that there will be a blood sugar crash soon after a cheat and that it will in all honesty make you feel worse. If you are having nausea combined with food aversions to healthy foods and you actually find something that will stay down (usually simple carbs) then something in your body is better than nothing in your body (you may like to try rye crackers instead of soda crackers).
Try to get protein every time, in any form (like a spoon of sugar free peanut butter, or a small bowl of beans) to help blunt the sugar spike and get your protein count above 100 grams a day.
And a Crossover snack (Ezekiel bread, sugar free PB and plan approved sweetened Jelly, or a small bowl of buttered brown rice). This is SO much better than that cheat that you *think* will give you what you want.
Cravings
It is important to note that some things you crave are the body crying out for a certain mineral or nutrient. When you want a big glass of milk, it’s most likely the calcium you are craving. Try a big bowl of cottage cheese with berries and stevia (which will help you avoid the liquid carbs hitting your system so hard). Same for red meat, if you just can’t get enough red meat then you might want to get your iron levels checked (although red meat is on plan).
We don’t want to give a long list of bad cravings here (because sometimes just seeing the words can trigger that in our minds, right?) But Look at WHAT you are actually craving. Is it really boxed cereal? Or just something cold and creamy (where an overnight oatmeal could hit the spot)?
Is it really potato chips? Or is it just the salt and crunch? (Go for some salted nuts and a big glass of water!). Evaluate what it is that your body wants it gives you hints, so follow.
Calorie Counting
THM is very open about not wanting us to be tied down to numbers and counting all day long. Usually those things are very negative, making you count so you don’t go *over* a certain amount.
We have found there is an appropriate time to count during pregnancy or nursing, and that is to make sure you are eating ENOUGH! Isn’t that a wonderful twist?!
There is much research showing milk supply can drop rapidly if we eat less than 1500 calories a day. For this reason The Fuel Cycle is not recommended for pregnancy or until after nursing babies are 5-6 months old.
We feel a good number is around 2000 calories per day, and hopefully many days you go above that. Some like to count calories one day a week, some count calories for a few days a month. Just find what is best for you. We don’t want you to feel trapped by numbers, but ensuring we aren’t starving ourselves or our little darlings is important. If you are struggling to get enough calories, adding several more pieces of Skinny Chocolate per day can up your calorie count considerably without causing weight gain.
The Bradley eating plan has proven it is impossible to have preeclampsia with 100 grams of protein a day (which fits well with THM) as well as helps swelling and many other things. Keeping a mental (or written) log of protein count can be very helpful. If you just aim for 20-25 grams of protein with every snack or meal it will add up nicely to 100-120 a day.
Serene’s Story
One of my favorite parts to read in this book is Serene’s story of her ups and downs and lessons learned and shared with us. On page 451 she starts her “edit” from when they first started the book. She had 2 pregnancies during this time and gained a healthy 23 lbs with the first, but then only 13 with the next which she attributes it to too many Fuel Pulls. She was craving them and giving in to the temptation.
While she mentions that sticking to S and E can help overweight mama’s maintain for a long time she says “Please feed your growing baby with wonderful superfood fat for its optimal development, but balance with some lighter fare from Uncle Fuel Pull. Don’t indulge in excessive heavily laden S meals constantly or Crossovers too often.” Pg 453.
Hydration
Drinking enough is just as important as eating enough. There are many different inputs on this, drink to thirst, drink a minimum 8 cups a day of water, drink 16 cups of liquid a day, and more!
The most important aspect is to watch what you are drinking and how often; you can set a timer and drink a cup every half hour or hour, or fill a quart jar and make sure it is empty by noon and then empty by dinner, or fill a gallon jug and try to have it empty by bedtime.
During pregnancy your placenta is replacing your amniotic fluid as frequently as every 30 minutes! So you want to have a good supply in your body ready to fill that baby back up again!
This is where some of the THM drinks are a great benefit!
Good Girl Moonshine (1 Quart)
This recipe is fabulous for pregnancy and postpartum. It can benefit a plentiful milk supply, and the Apple Cider Vinegar can help with swelling, nausea, morning sickness and kidney function too!
The Shrinker (1-2 Quarts)
The full recipe of the Shrinker comes in just under 200 mg of caffeine (the daily recommended maximum during pregnancy). And if your baby can handle caffeine then it is fine for when nursing also.
If you still like to have morning coffee or large amounts of chocolate (The Skinny kind, of course!) then you could split the recipe over 2 days. Best not to have full 2 quarts of Shrinker as well as coffee.
The Singing Canary (1-2 Quarts)
This one is just a little trickier but it is a fabulously healthy drink and helps get in 8 cups of liquid!!! If you have concern over the Turmeric and amount of Vitamin C causing contractions, you can drop these down to ¼ to ½ amounts to get the full 8 cups in daily, or you can split the regular recipe between 2 days.
~Facebook Pregnant and Nursing Mods
As moderators of the Pregnancy and Nursing group, we wanted to list out some differences in eating this way during these seasons of our lives and address common questions and concerns. These are simply our opinions put into words, so please remember (as always) to check with your doctor or midwife about any questions you have.
Frequency of Eating
One of the biggest things we hear is how hungry Pregnant and Nursing Mama’s are and how quickly we get to that ravaging stage. While in weight loss mode it is important to wait the 3 hours between meals and snacks so that your body can use the fuel you ate, and then pull from your own to finish the job. When pregnant or nursing our bodies are already pulling from our own reserves constantly to give the baby a flow of what it needs without pause. You can continue eating S and E meals but you don’t need to wait the full three hours to eat again after your last snack or meal. You might feel ready at about the two to two and a half hour mark to eat again or slightly there- after. You can eat a fuel pull snack then or eat from the same fuel you last finished with if you don’t want to have a crossover effect. But speaking of Crossovers…
Adding in S Helpers and Crossovers
It is important to watch not only your weight progress but also how you feel. If you are dragging or feeling spent before lunch, you might need to up your carbohydrates and go to at least one S Helper a day, or all the way to a Crossover.
More S Helpers
An S Helper is defined as 10-15 net carbs of starch added onto a regular S meal. So that might be one piece of plan approved bread with your S meal or a small piece of fruit or ¼ cup serving of rice. This S Helper approach may help stabilize your blood sugars if you have a ravenous nursing baby or if you are pregnant and feel you need extra carbs at times to fuel both you and your baby.
Occasional Crossovers
If you started THM trying to lose weight but now you are pregnant, starting to include crossovers is something that can be hard to grasp at first. As THM’s we all have it in our minds to separate fuels each time we eat (not just making sure they don’t touch on the plate... haha). Constantly separating fuels is for weight loss mode, and pregnancy is not a time for weight loss, even if you are overweight, and we will talk about that later. We are in baby growing mode! Woohoo!
One of the biggest things we need to learn with THM is listening to our bodies and doing and giving it what it needs (not just what it wants).
If you were anywhere close to goal weight (within 10 lbs) at the start of your pregnancy then you need to plan for gaining approximately 20 lbs. (And a couple more is no problem!)
I know personally it was very hard to switch my mind over to “growing baby” instead of “trimmer figure” like I had been focusing on for almost a year. But crossovers are NOT cheats! They are still very much on plan; giving your body good fats and energizing carbohydrates in the same meal! In the beginning it will feel like you are cheating! It’s not cheating, it’s wonderful.
Crossover Frequency
Each woman and each pregnancy is unique. Some women will need very few crossovers during pregnancy to ensure adequate weight gain. But while the core S and E plan does provide all the nutrients needed for pregnancy it does cause weight loss for most people. Some women with very speedy metabolisms may need to make almost every meal a crossover during pregnancy to ensure there is healthy weight gain. Consider how fast or slow you are gaining and how you feel. You may not have to eat crossovers daily or even every other day, but for most of us, we need to start incorporating them somewhat regularly to ensure we are growing a healthy, fat-brained baby.
We feel the need to mention whole milk. It is mentioned in THM as good for “growing kids” and since we are in essence “growing kids” then it may occasionally be allowed as a crossover. Daily milk drinking may cause too much weight gain though and milk drinking is not necessary for a healthy pregnancy. Be aware that drinking a glass of milk will eventually start to hit your thighs more than just “hitting the spot” and can also hit your blood sugar harder. At least eat some other form of protein also (maybe a scoop of Swanson’s whey isolate) to help blunt it.
Starting a pregnancy with previous baby weight…
If you are starting this pregnancy 30-50 lbs overweight, you have probably already heard that you don’t have to gain as much and that even a little weight loss is ok. Please, be aware that weight loss should not be your goal right now.
Over and over we see the initial loss of water/carb weight (pregnant or not) when starting THM, and that is going to be expected if you start THM while pregnant. If you happen to lose some weight initially don’t freak out, it should stabilize but please don’t have a mindset that pregnancy is a time to *try* to lose weight.
We have seen many Mamas who start their THM pregnancies above their desired weights reporting they maintain for much of the pregnancy, which is a great goal while overweight. That means you are in essence losing body fat while baby (placenta, blood volume etc) is gaining. You may still need the occasional crossover if you do find you are losing, or losing too quickly.
Nursing
This is going to be split into two categories that are quite different. Establishing milk supply and maintaining milk supply.
Establishing Milk Supply
This is an interesting time frame, and it can be different for everyone, but at least the first 2 and even 3 months post-partum should be devoted to building the amount of milk that will carry on as long as you and baby want or need. This almost always appears to be the hardest phase for most new mama’s because the baby is out, so we want the weight gone!
Since we are still very much in charge of nourishing our baby at this stage we need to be careful that we don’t change our complete focus to losing weight yet. So for the upcoming menu’s we really do categorize the first few months postpartum in with pregnancy. It is still advisable to stay away from sugars and off plan carbs, even if it is just because of how much worse we feel with them in our bodies!
We encourage you to take it very easy (at least for the first 2-3 weeks). As humans we need those loving relationships and if you are blessed with friends and family who are kind enough to bring you meals in the first couple of weeks enjoy them. (It can’t hurt to mention THM though, and see if they want to bring a plan approved meal!). You could say something about avoiding wheat products and sugar. Maybe even mention paleo meals, as those are much more common and many fit well within THM S guidelines.
Maintaining Milk Supply
This is the point at which you feel milk supply is sustaining well, and doesn’t require as much “insurance” from daily Crossovers. We have noticed that there is the initial post baby loss, hopefully around 10-15 lbs (but you know we all cross our fingers for a few more) and then it seems that while we focus on milk supply we sometimes maintain for a while, often 3 months or more!
Those 3 months may seem like forever when you are ready to see the scale dropping but I encourage you to think about the fact that the baby has been growing inside you for 9 months. Let’s just give this little one 3 more months and round it off to a good year of major self-sacrifice!
After this initial post-partum period you will probably feel comfortable adding in more FP snacks and returning to more core S and E meals vs including S Helpers and Crossovers if you still have weight to lose. You will still need to eat more frequently because, although you have established your milk supply, the baby’s unscheduled nursing could cause you to use up the energy you have from the foods you have eaten.
At this stage you can feel free to go back to the core weight loss plan of only S and E meals, but please remember Mama’s milk is so much more important than losing a few lbs faster (Because we all know what we’ll get these extra lbs off eventually, right?!?). So be aware of your baby’s nursing needs and if your milk supply seems a little light in the afternoon have a good snack, and why not go for a good skinny chocolate and protein smoothie for an afternoon snack instead of just a FP snack. Or add in that crossover if you are losing too fast or feeling depleted.
The last 10 lbs!
There is much controversy on this topic but there really is some kind of connection in some nursing mom’s whose bodies cannot let the last 10 or so lbs drop. It’s like the body is clinging to them to keep a good supply. If you really are eating enough, but not too much, switching fuels, exercising, and your body still won’t drop the last bit of weight, then take a deep breath and let it go. It will come off, maybe not right now, but someday soon and then you can have something to look forward to during the bittersweet times of weaning.
Specialty Foods
There is always more concern when we are growing a human and want to make sure what we are putting into us (and them) is the best quality and not causing harm. Regarding your own personal convictions, there may be “plan approved” items that you are not interested in, no problem, avoid them. Please be kind in your words and not judgmental towards those who choose to use them. These are personal decisions and Pearl and Serene have always encouraged people to do their own research and come to their own conclusions.
Gluccomannon
We have not seen any connections to worry about but since it binds up excess water in your body, make sure you are highly hydrated (especially when nursing). The scare blogs that expose the “dangers” of gluccie are concerning taking multiple capsules for weight loss purposes and not in the scant teaspoon measurements for whole recipes that THM uses always in the presence of liquid.
Whey Protein Powder
In her wonderful postings on this subject, Serene has listed the benefits of whey isolate protein and its safety during pregnancy and nursing. Please check out the files in the Library area for those listings.
Truvia, Stevia, and other Plan Approved Sweeteners
Above all, please remember that Pearl and Serene have done their research and in all of their findings, nothing has been enough to convince them to remove any items from their “plan approved” list. There have been many scare blogs out there concerning sweeteners, do your own research and follow your mama instinct, but live in peace and not in fear.
This plan is to help our bodies (and our little baby’s bodies) not be ravaged by the rising and crashing of blood sugar. There are many alternatives that accomplish this and are not artificial or harmful. Remember that even “natural” sweeteners (like honey) still cause that rise and crash.
First Trimester Woes (If you are doing well and staying On-plan, SKIP this section!)
This is a hard topic… So many of us hope and pray that THM will help all our previous pregnancy dilemmas (and we *have* seen a decrease in fatigue!) but many still face morning sickness and food aversions during this time. I also think there is a major amount of guilt that comes (not imposed by THM in any way!) because with the wisdom we now have on THM, we KNOW what these cheats and cravings are doing to our bodies. It can be very upsetting to have cravings for things we know we shouldn’t eat and food aversions to things that we know are so good for us and for baby. (I couldn’t crack an egg without losing it in my first trimester!)
Our best advice comes from living this first hand. Do not let guilt ruin your first 3 months. Know that there will be a blood sugar crash soon after a cheat and that it will in all honesty make you feel worse. If you are having nausea combined with food aversions to healthy foods and you actually find something that will stay down (usually simple carbs) then something in your body is better than nothing in your body (you may like to try rye crackers instead of soda crackers).
Try to get protein every time, in any form (like a spoon of sugar free peanut butter, or a small bowl of beans) to help blunt the sugar spike and get your protein count above 100 grams a day.
And a Crossover snack (Ezekiel bread, sugar free PB and plan approved sweetened Jelly, or a small bowl of buttered brown rice). This is SO much better than that cheat that you *think* will give you what you want.
Cravings
It is important to note that some things you crave are the body crying out for a certain mineral or nutrient. When you want a big glass of milk, it’s most likely the calcium you are craving. Try a big bowl of cottage cheese with berries and stevia (which will help you avoid the liquid carbs hitting your system so hard). Same for red meat, if you just can’t get enough red meat then you might want to get your iron levels checked (although red meat is on plan).
We don’t want to give a long list of bad cravings here (because sometimes just seeing the words can trigger that in our minds, right?) But Look at WHAT you are actually craving. Is it really boxed cereal? Or just something cold and creamy (where an overnight oatmeal could hit the spot)?
Is it really potato chips? Or is it just the salt and crunch? (Go for some salted nuts and a big glass of water!). Evaluate what it is that your body wants it gives you hints, so follow.
Calorie Counting
THM is very open about not wanting us to be tied down to numbers and counting all day long. Usually those things are very negative, making you count so you don’t go *over* a certain amount.
We have found there is an appropriate time to count during pregnancy or nursing, and that is to make sure you are eating ENOUGH! Isn’t that a wonderful twist?!
There is much research showing milk supply can drop rapidly if we eat less than 1500 calories a day. For this reason The Fuel Cycle is not recommended for pregnancy or until after nursing babies are 5-6 months old.
We feel a good number is around 2000 calories per day, and hopefully many days you go above that. Some like to count calories one day a week, some count calories for a few days a month. Just find what is best for you. We don’t want you to feel trapped by numbers, but ensuring we aren’t starving ourselves or our little darlings is important. If you are struggling to get enough calories, adding several more pieces of Skinny Chocolate per day can up your calorie count considerably without causing weight gain.
The Bradley eating plan has proven it is impossible to have preeclampsia with 100 grams of protein a day (which fits well with THM) as well as helps swelling and many other things. Keeping a mental (or written) log of protein count can be very helpful. If you just aim for 20-25 grams of protein with every snack or meal it will add up nicely to 100-120 a day.
Serene’s Story
One of my favorite parts to read in this book is Serene’s story of her ups and downs and lessons learned and shared with us. On page 451 she starts her “edit” from when they first started the book. She had 2 pregnancies during this time and gained a healthy 23 lbs with the first, but then only 13 with the next which she attributes it to too many Fuel Pulls. She was craving them and giving in to the temptation.
While she mentions that sticking to S and E can help overweight mama’s maintain for a long time she says “Please feed your growing baby with wonderful superfood fat for its optimal development, but balance with some lighter fare from Uncle Fuel Pull. Don’t indulge in excessive heavily laden S meals constantly or Crossovers too often.” Pg 453.
Hydration
Drinking enough is just as important as eating enough. There are many different inputs on this, drink to thirst, drink a minimum 8 cups a day of water, drink 16 cups of liquid a day, and more!
The most important aspect is to watch what you are drinking and how often; you can set a timer and drink a cup every half hour or hour, or fill a quart jar and make sure it is empty by noon and then empty by dinner, or fill a gallon jug and try to have it empty by bedtime.
During pregnancy your placenta is replacing your amniotic fluid as frequently as every 30 minutes! So you want to have a good supply in your body ready to fill that baby back up again!
This is where some of the THM drinks are a great benefit!
Good Girl Moonshine (1 Quart)
This recipe is fabulous for pregnancy and postpartum. It can benefit a plentiful milk supply, and the Apple Cider Vinegar can help with swelling, nausea, morning sickness and kidney function too!
The Shrinker (1-2 Quarts)
The full recipe of the Shrinker comes in just under 200 mg of caffeine (the daily recommended maximum during pregnancy). And if your baby can handle caffeine then it is fine for when nursing also.
If you still like to have morning coffee or large amounts of chocolate (The Skinny kind, of course!) then you could split the recipe over 2 days. Best not to have full 2 quarts of Shrinker as well as coffee.
The Singing Canary (1-2 Quarts)
This one is just a little trickier but it is a fabulously healthy drink and helps get in 8 cups of liquid!!! If you have concern over the Turmeric and amount of Vitamin C causing contractions, you can drop these down to ¼ to ½ amounts to get the full 8 cups in daily, or you can split the regular recipe between 2 days.
~Facebook Pregnant and Nursing Mods
Encouraging to know that a pregnant woman can't get preeclampsia eating 100 grams of protein! I've been feeling so discouraged with my blood pressure... that's just the positive thing I needed to hear!!
