I always thought that when I was pregnant I would take the gap to gorge myself on doughnuts and soft serve and creamy pasta and the warm little rolls in restaurant bread baskets and Lunch Bars and Creme Soda and bunny chows and four-cheese pizzas and all manner of other delicious treats I usually forego.
And because I lost a fair amount of weight in the first 3 months and then was hit with the Virus of Doom, I’ve got a bit of catching up to do now that I’m in the 2nd trimester: I need to start picking up at least half a kilo a week for the rest of the pregnancy.
Easy game! What a luxury! Being obliged to eat *more* in order to be healthier! Awesome! Hooray! Bring me a tray of doughnuts, dammit!
Except, no.
Pregnancy books are very quick to tell you that ‘eating for two’ is a myth. They say that in the first 3 months you don’t need to eat any more at all. And from the second trimester you only need about 300 extra calories a day.
That’s one Lunch Bar or one plain doughnut (one without any jam, even). And both of these snacks give your growing baby around zero nutrients and will probably give you a big bum that in a year’s time you will kill yourself in the gym over. So despite all my hedonistic intentions, gorging on junk food is out.
Here’s what the books say you should eat to get the extra 300 calories: a glass of 2% milk mid-morning, a mango and banana smoothie with your usual breakfast, and half a red pepper with a bit of low-fat hummus mid-afternoon.
Sounds nice, right? But being office-bound all day means I’d have to wake up half an hour earlier to make the bloody smoothie, and I’d have to pack half a pepper and a tub of hummus to take to work along with all my usual paraphernalia (3 pieces of fruit, my lunch, my cereal, and my lame soy milk). The thought of all of this makes me feel very tired.
So I’m currently taking suggestions for how I can get 300 extra calories a day without having to pack an entire picnic basket in my handbag for work, without consuming a lot of cheese or milk (after the Virus of Doom, the Lemon *really* hates dairy) and without having to resort to chocolates from the dodgy corner shop. Anyone?
My Bump 
Ands
/ October 25, 2011Nuts! Easy to pack, energy boosting – full of nutrients and essential fats 🙂
Oat so easy sachets? Also easy, healthy etc
Ax
miche17
/ October 25, 2011Yes! A handful of nuts will be about 300 calories, actually! The thing is, I find it very hard to stop eating them once I’ve started!
Oats-so-easy: yes. Apple and cinnamon flavour, ftw!
Thanks a lot. 🙂
Dylan Edwards
/ October 25, 2011Thought you already figured this out with the addition of one non-jammy doughnut? Certainly sounds a lot more appealing than a bit of red pepper and low fat hummus!
miche17
/ October 25, 2011Dyl, confectionary is not the answer! I don’t want too much junk in my trunk once I’ve popped out the Lemon! 🙂
Nikki
/ October 25, 2011I find that thinking about junk food usually leads to putting on weight for me.
Its a bit of a downer if you are trying to manage your weight in any way, but have just been exposed to the golden lining – if I am one day pregnant, I can put on the necessary weight without having to wake up early and fiddle in the kitchen: I can just think of Steers chips, or a creamy hot chocolate, and BAM – 300+ calories ‘healthier’… Bring it on.
Sorry – this ramble probably does not help you much!
Luff, luff, luff
miche17
/ October 26, 2011You make me laugh! When/if you’re pregnant, and can handle cows’ milk, I will *insist* that you drink the creamy hot chocolates. Your baby will need the calcium and you will need the mood lift. Sadly, soy hot chocolate is disgusting. So that avenue of pleasure is closed for me. xxxxx
Linda
/ October 25, 2011My suggestion is to stop reading those books and just enjoy being pregnant. And if that means a Lunch Bar or two, so be it!
miche17
/ October 26, 2011I’m really hoping that I can start enjoying being pregnant from now on – apparently one does, in the 2nd trimester! 🙂
Vicki Edwards
/ October 25, 2011Have a peanut butter and syrup sarmie! Worked for me!
miche17
/ October 26, 2011You’ll be proud, Vick – I’ve started only eating white bread! With peanut butter! No syrup, but still!
Shane Andersen
/ October 26, 2011I’m still hovering on the cusp of the 1st & 2nd trimesters (it’s still like having smashed a bottle of Tassies and several cane shots the night before – all the after-effects with none of the fun) so eating any random carbs I can stomach – yesterday it was 4 banana muffins and toast. Will get back to you when I break through to the 2nd and get feeding!
I also have teenage acne which is GREAT.
miche17
/ October 26, 2011Shane, that’s awful! So far I seem to have avoided getting zits, but my skin is pretty dry usually and has got even drier and more sensitive. It’s fun.
I know exactly how you feel re being hungover despite having slept for 9 hours and not had a drop of booze (*sob*). For the last week, though, it’s been much easier to get out of bed, and I don’t feel like I need to pass out over my keyboard anymore in the afternoon. Still not brimming with energy but staying awake has got easier. So hang in there – I’m sure once you’re 14-15 weeks it’ll be the same for you.
Someone asked me yesterday if I was going to start exercising properly now that I’m in the 2nd trimester and I was like, “Are you insane?! Just getting to work and making it through the day leaves me totally depleted. So, no!”. But I also met a woman who’s at 21 weeks and she gyms every day. She says it makes her feel much better, but I’m dubious.
Shane Andersen
/ October 26, 2011Ja … not ideal! Hopefully it’s also a 1st trimester thing. Hopefully!
Eish, exercise – seriously, there have been times when I haven’t even seen even prenatal yoga ever eventuating. But I have started walking … just a stroll, nothing hardcore, for about 20mins or so every day. And that is definitely helping me sleep better (less restless at night) and let’s face it, a few endorphins never go astray!