You may notice a few more paleo recipes around here in the coming weeks. At the beginning of January, I knew I wanted to do something. I wanted to change my eating habits. I started by trying to eat more ‘clean’. I cut out processed foods and added sugars.
This seemed to really help the way I felt.
But I kept reading. And the more I read, the more I knew I needed to do more for my health.
Paleo While Pregnant
I found the paleo lifestyle. If you want to read up a bit on what paleo eating or primal eating means, follow the link. There would be too much for me to explain here.
My goal is to share a little information about why I chose to go paleo while pregnant and whether it is safe and healthy or not for mom and baby. Below you will find several links to resources where I have found some great information.
Carbs and Morning Sickness
I know that every time I have been pregnant and felt a little sick, I have craved carbs and starches such as mashed potatoes and crackers. In this article, it explains how carbs worsen morning sickness symptoms instead of helping us get over it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t start out this pregnancy eating paleo, so I can’t tell you if it truly did help with morning sickness or not. If you have experience with it, I would love to hear about it!
This article from the Paleo Pregnancy Guide gives some great examples of foods to eat when you are feeling sick during pregnancy.
Nutrients and Vitamins
Calcium during Pregnancy – If you’re following the paleo diet, you won’t be eating dairy. You may want to read this article with some great information about getting calcium on a paleo diet. If you follow the primal diet, it doesn’t matter since you are still consuming dairy products.
Iron during Pregnancy – In this article about the benefits of eating paleo for mom and baby, Nicole explains how iron deficiency is combated eating a paleo diet by encouraging “consumption of red meat and other high-iron animal products” and by restricting “the intake of iron-inhibiting foods, such as dairy and grain products”.
Paleo While Breastfeeding
My hope is that by eating such a healthy diet filled with good fats that my story will be similar to Peggy from The Primal Parent:
According to every single nurse that came through my room in those four days, I produced an inordinate amount of colostrum. Most women produce little dribbles of it. Colostrum is so high in fat that it doesn’t take much to satisfy a newborn. I seemed to produce the “liquid gold” in bulk.
Other Resources
At Growing Up Paleo, you can find a few testimonials of women who have gone through pregnancy and childbirth eating a paleo diet.
There are several great articles you can find at the Paleo Pregnancy Guide.
I’m still researching and learning as I go. But, I do know that since I have started eating healthier (eating paleo/primal) I have felt wonderful. I am 31 weeks along now and eating healthier has eliminated the few episodes of heartburn I have had, all of the stomach discomfort and so much more.
I wish I had known about eating paleo when I was pregnant. I may have given it a try–especially since i had “morning sickness” for eight months and painful heartburn the whole time too! I still find it intriguing even now and wonder if I could do it. Interesting post!