Eating habits
My eating habits were all over the place. In the first 6 months I literally ate so many carbs and sugar it was unbelievable. I used to consume quite a lean high protein diet with lots of veggies and wholegrains. That was gone, and surprisingly I was ok with it. I had a new-found love of cereal. I would never have eaten cereal before and now I was having it every day. Sometimes twice a day. Other than that, anything cold was a good thing. Fruit, fruit juice, milk, ice and then carb wise, cereal, bread, potatoes, pasta and rice and not much else. I wasn’t that good with raw meat for a while either, the smell just made my stomach turn. My meals were very bland.
Blood tests
This change of diet was actually reflected in my blood test results which I just find fascinating. I’ve never had a problem with my haemoglobin levels. As I regularly donate blood they check your levels every time so I was pretty aware of how normal they were. However, at my booking in appointment around 11 weeks they take your bloods and mine had dropped from a regular 144 to 125. And the likelihood of this is due to the fact I wasn’t eating very well, barely any foods rich in iron and baby was taking a lot of nutrients from me. I’m pleased to say when my next blood tests were done in November they had gone up to 129 (not massive but still a slight improvement), chances are as my diet had improved by then. All of these figures are still in the normal range, just a bit more on the low side.
Third trimester onwards
At the start of the third trimester it just started becoming unpleasant to eat in the evening, I was really full and there was just no room left. I would tend to eat most of my meals before about 3pm and then have half of what I’d normally eat in the evening.
I was scared my appetite and love of food wouldn’t return. Being an absolute food lover and with it forming a large part of my life it worried me that I’d just never get that spark back. Cooking wasn’t as exciting when you couldn’t eat it or didn’t fancy it.
From about week 30 I noticed my nausea returning on certain mornings for just a few hours. It was different this time, not hunger related, it was just there, like an annoying little niggle. It wasn’t everyday and nothing in particular triggered it. However, compared to the beginning it was really nothing.
Then, at week 37 my spark for eating how I used to just returned randomly one day. I was still a cereal fiend but I was back eating higher protein meals, more veggies and salads and it helped. I started to get excited about after baby was born and getting back to eating well and looking after myself, my way, again.
Post birth
Now our little baby has arrived I can honestly say most of my eating has returned to normal although I have been indulging in things I fancy when I want them. I don’t believe in snapping back or getting your body back. Our bodies are amazing, I am in awe that I grew a human being and I am also excited to be eating relatively healthy again. This will support me in getting to where I want to be and support bubs too as I’m breastfeeding him.
