MORNING SICKNESS & PROTEIN
Morning sickness or all day sickness! Can be a very real and overwhelming part of pregnancy. 70% of women experience morning sickness in the first trimester and it can be such a wipe out! All women are different, ranging form no nausea at all, to sick the whole way through.
I remember the feeling in early pregnancy being pinned to the couch with waves of nausea and feeling very dizzy. For me it was intense, but also a push to slow down and be with my body and babies needs.
As I digested the news of an unexpected but very welcome pregnancy after only being with my man for 4 months, I often felt overwhelmed by the physical, emotional and spiritual reality of being pregnant. On an emotional/ spiritual level I found the more I was able to integrate and process this new life, as well as move through fear, the less sick I felt.
Second time round I was very conscious around conceiving and must more climatized to the role of mother and felt a lot less impacted by morning sickness. Besides there being less emotional components to process in the second pregnancy my diet was very different!!
With my first pregnancy I was a Vego and probably didn’t have enough fat and protein. At the time I thought I thad a great diet but in retrospect I am not sure me and bub were getting what we needed. With my second pregnancy I broke my staunchly vego life of twenty years and could not resist a good ol’ organic sausage or spag bol. I couldn’t get enough of meat!! The drive to eat it was was purely for this short term need of pregnancy and postpartum time.
I am not saying that you must eat meat during pregnancy, but it is my belief that significantly increasing your nutrient, protein and good fat intake can really support your body through morning sickness and provide a strong nutrient foundation for bub’s that they will carry through life.
“According to a study done in 1999 study, high protein meals reduced nausea and normalized gastric motility. In a more recent 2010 study, women in their first trimester who consumed a diet high in protein experienced less nausea and vomiting, while women who consumed a diet high in carbohydrates experienced more nausea and vomiting.’ Abbey Sharp
During my pregnancy I had a birth supporter that pointed me in the direction of the western price’s diet which is very pro protein and good fats also (I will write another article shortly about the western price diet) It was such a blessing to be more informed this time round so I could have a more pleasant experience of pregnancy.
How can we eat more protein:
Eggs for breakfast
Add nuts or seeds to smoothies
Add coconut oil to a hot drink like chai or turmeric latte
Put some nut butter on sliced apple
Try some salmon or chicken on avo on toast
Hummus and veggie sticks
Organic yogurt with berries and paleo muesli
Chia Pudding
If we snack on protein regularly throughout the day this can prevent us getting to the point of feeling sick and keep our blood sugar level’s stable. Pregnant or not I am not a pleasant person to be around when I am hangry and can always do with a go too emergency bag of nuts when I am out.
Other go to’s for morning sickness are ginger ( ginger tea is very nourishing or add some to a juice) and B6 (which is found in fish, potatoes and non citrus fruits). Hmm is that why I craved hot chippies during pregnancy?
Nourishment for the mind, body and soul during pregnancy supports women to have an easier and empowered pregnancy where their baby is fed and nourished on all levels. So it can have an optimum start to life, knowing deeply that is being met.
How has morning sickness impacted you? Do you have a favourite protein packed snack?