Often hungry during pregnancy is a natural thing and almost every pregnant woman experiences it. In order to avoid overeating, pregnant women need to know how to control their hunger without reducing their nutritional needs during pregnancy. Want to know how? Come on, see here!
During the 9 months of the baby's growth period, pregnant women will naturally experience an increase in appetite. However, don't let pregnant women get loose and eat carelessly, okay?
In order to maintain a healthy weight gain during pregnancy, pregnant women may be wondering how to control their appetite without fearing a lack of needed nutrients. Before answering this question, first know the reason pregnant women are often hungry.
Reasons for Often Hungry During Pregnancy
Frequent hunger during pregnancy can occur for several reasons. Babies growing in the womb of pregnant women and changes in the body of pregnant women themselves to support pregnancy certainly require additional calories and nutrients.
Not only that, changes in the hormones estrogen and progesterone during pregnancy also affect the level of hunger. So, it is natural that the body of pregnant women will more often demand food with hunger.
What's more, the assumption that pregnant women need to eat as much as 2 people can also make pregnant women unconsciously want to eat continuously, even to the point of being out of control.
Tips for Overcoming Frequent Hunger During Pregnancy
Often hungry during pregnancy is very normal. However, excessive food consumption without paying attention to nutrition and calories can lead to overweight, as well as causing pregnancy complications and health problems for the fetus.
Therefore, a healthy strategy is needed to reduce hunger but pregnant women and babies in the womb still get the nutrients they need. Come on, follow these guidelines:
1. Drink first
When hungry, pregnant women are better to drink water first. Sometimes, the body can interpret thirst for hunger. During pregnancy, the body must also stay hydrated so it requires more fluids than usual.
Pregnant women need to drink at least 12-13 glasses every day. In addition to meeting their fluid needs with drinking water, pregnant women can also get it through fruits and vegetables that are rich in water, such as apples, oranges, pears, and lettuce. Avoid consuming soda to prevent excessive intake of calories and sugar.
2. Consume your favorite food once a day
Instead of being held back, pregnant women can, how come, eat 1 small portion of food that pregnant women crave, be it ice cream or chocolate. This will have a much better impact than continuing to refrain from eating it.
If pregnant women choose to hold back even though they really want to, it is feared that at one point, they will let go and instead consume the desired food in very large quantities.
3. Keep your calorie intake
In singleton pregnancies, pregnant women generally need an additional 300 calories in the second trimester and 400 calories in the third trimester.
To prevent excessive calorie intake due to frequent hunger during pregnancy, pregnant women can eat fruits and vegetables that are low in calories but high in nutrients. In addition, also balance the intake of protein, such as chicken, fish, or eggs.
4. Choose fresh food
When shopping, it is recommended to choose fresh food ingredients over processed ones. Avoid taking ready-to-eat food products, or packaged foods that are mostly high in calories but low in nutrients.
5. Eat smaller portions but more often
Maybe this will sound cliché. However, eating often in small portions is an easy way to satisfy hunger rather than eating a lot at one time. In addition, this method can also prevent the occurrence of heartburn which is often experienced by many pregnant women.
6. Limit fast food
Consciously or not, pregnant women often want to eat fast food that tends to be sweet or full of carbohydrates, especially if they are tired or lazy to make food. Unfortunately, this type of food can make pregnant women reluctant to eat healthy foods.
The solution, pregnant women can eat practical healthy snacks, such as fruit, nuts, snack bar healthy, or whole grain bread spread with avocado or peanut butter. These foods have been confirmed to be high in nutrients and will help reduce the portion of other foods that are less healthy.
In addition, don't forget to balance a healthy diet by being active or exercising and getting enough rest. These two things can also help control hunger, you know, pregnant.
If you are often hungry during pregnancy, it is still not resolved even though pregnant women have implemented the methods above, even pregnant women's appetite is getting out of control and there is excessive weight gain, immediately consult a gynecologist to get the right treatment.
