Pregnant, unfit and miserable
Dear Donovan,
I am currently pregnant and miserable. I feel like I am derailing all my health and fitness goals, as I have been too sick to function. My days with food are all about experimenting — I eat whatever I can keep down, and not necessarily what’s healthy. But most times I can’t even keep down water. I am also unable to exercise because I am constantly sick. I am 5 ft 7 in and have gone from 140 pounds to 130. I am just in my seventh week. I have also lost muscle mass because I haven’t been eating right or exercising. None of the suggestions to avert this nausea and general ill feeling have worked, and in the meantime I have lost the body for which I have worked for years. What can I do?
Pregnancy should be one of the best times of your life, so it is very sad that you are feeling so miserable. That said, I must tell you that 70 per cent of all pregnant woman have some form of pregnancy-related sickness. In addition, some pregnant women may even show pregnancy-related sickness into their third trimester or even for the entire pregnancy. These pregnancy-related sicknesses may include nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, heartburn, diarrhoea, etc. These are usually brought about by a change in hormones, especially oestrogen. Increased levels of oestrogen during pregnancy can cause a heightened sense of smell, low blood sugar, excess stomach acid and exhaustion. In addition, the hormonal changes can sometimes cause your digestive system to slow down and this sometimes can lead to diarrhoea.
Usually pregnancy-related sicknesses will start at about six weeks of pregnancy, peaks at about eight weeks, and usually starts to reduce after 12 weeks. This might be good news for you.
Pregnancy-related sicknesses should be taken seriously because they can cause you to lose weight and also become dehydrated and may even reduce the nutrition and health status of mother and child.
I am going to make some suggestions which you can try which will hopefully help your condition.
First thing I would suggest is to make a journal of the time of day you feel sick. In addition, you should note what you ate, what you were doing, and also where you were. This might help you to pinpoint some of your pregnancy sickness triggers. Once you found out you were pregnant you should have started making an effort to change your diet to a healthier one. However, in some cases the body may not see these foods as healthy and may want to get them out quickly. In a way this might be the body trying to protect the child. Also, because of the heightened sense of smell it’s important to try to not eat any foods that the smell makes you feel sick. Also, make sure that the food you are eating does not have any pathogens. It is very easy for pregnant women to get food poisoning which may lead to diarrhoea, vomiting, etc.
Many pregnancy-related sicknesses occur when the stomach is too full or too empty. It is best during pregnancy to eat more frequent, but small meals. In addition, water should be taken with meals to help the digestion process. It is also important to avoid fried and fatty foods, and it has been found that most pregnant women can digest foods such as grapes, crackers, fruits, mashed potatoes, etc. Foods which are high in fibre might digest easier. Periodically settling the stomach with ginger tea or lime tea might also be helpful.
Along with what I am suggesting, continue with your experimenting because each person is different and each pregnancy is different, so part of it is to find what works for you. But make sure to keep your doctor and nutritionist in the picture. Most pregnant women do feel better in the second trimester, and before you know it you will be holding your beautiful child and you will get back your great looks.
Good luck!
We will answer your weight-related questions
Are you struggling to lose weight or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, 39 Lady Musgrave Road. Call him at 876-286-1363. E-mail questions to clarkep@jamaicaobserver.com .
