Is a low carb diet, weight loss during Pregnancy healthy or not? a question every pregnant woman asks.
A healthy lifestyle is becoming more and more important in our society. Restaurants are catering to the needs of vegetarians, vegans, and other diets. And low carb is on the rise.
But during pregnancy, quite a few doctors recommend a low carb or keto diet.
Are pregnant women have to eat for two? is low carb really not suitable for pregnant women?
During pregnancy, quality food is important, not quantity
A healthy diet during pregnancy should provide mother and child with the following components:
- efficient proteins, some carbohydrates, natural fat.
- Bioavailable vitamins
- Bioavailable minerals
- Higher dosages of pregnancy vitamins and minerals such as folic acid and iron.
During pregnancy, a woman’s body has different needs due to the growing child. But she does not need more energy, even though it may feel that way.
The additional requirement of a pregnant woman is extremely low. Doctors recommend 400 kilocalories more than before from the 4th month until birth, but no more.
Besides, the expectant mother needs higher doses of certain vitamins and minerals, sometimes just for the baby. DAH, Folic acid, and iodine are essential.
And iron can boost blood formation and prevent the typical iron deficiency during pregnancy.
Low carb in pregnancy: Does it make sense?
An expectant mother should not plan a drastic reduction in carbohydrates after a positive pregnancy test. Her body is too attuned to the previous diet and must now invest its energy in more important things than a diet change.
However, it is different if the woman is on a low-carb diet before. She does not need more carbs and the additional need from the 4th month is manageable.
However, pregnant women get cravings for hormonal reasons – mainly for sweet or salty snacks such as snacks, chocolate, or wine gums.
So a cyclical ketogenic diet can be the answer. And cheating now and then in your low low-carbohydrate diet is not a problem.
Besides, If the pregnant woman eats high amounts of carbohydrates, she may be feeding the body too much and risk unnecessary weight gain during pregnancy.
Weight gain is normal during pregnancy
Experiancinggain weight during the most beautiful is normal. The baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid make up some of it. Children weigh birth weight from 2,500 to 4,000 grams on average.
So in the last trimester, any weight gain will be mainly due to the baby’s growth. Women gain an average of 10-15 kg throughout their entire pregnancy.
Besides, if the woman is under that weight and everything is fine with the child, the lower weight gain is also considered healthy. However, if the pregnant mother gains more necessary weight than, she may not get rid of the extra pounds as quickly after the pregnancy.
Can a pregnant mother lose weight?
Expectant mothers will have to accept certain gain weight gain. Of course, a large part of this weight is because of the baby, the amniotic fluid, and the placenta.
Tempting as it may be, women should not try to lose weight during pregnancy. A healthy and balanced diet is important for the babe and the mother.
Besides, losing weight is often associated with stress for the body and can harm both the mother and the child, which should be avoided altogether.
Low carbohydrate during breastfeeding – does it make sense?
For expectant mothers, a low-carb diet is not wrong, as long as they do not entirely give up carbohydrates.
However, during breastfeeding, a woman still needs a lot of energy because she has to produce breast milk and take care of a newborn. That is exhausting!
Besides, Her diet affects the quality of her breastmilk. And Since low carb methods like the also rely primarily on high-quality vegetables and protein, her baby gets only the best and gets nutrients that she needs.
With a healthy low carb diet, the breastfeeding mother takes many vitamins and minerals.
So this diet helps her stay fit and healthy when she takes on the challenge of breastfeeding. So she doesn’t need to change anything now either.
