Not a few pregnant women complain of no appetite. In fact, pregnant women need to consume nutritious food sufficiently to meet the nutritional needs of their own body and the fetus. If pregnant women feel a lack of appetite, let's try the tips to increase the appetite of pregnant women in this article.
Loss of appetite during pregnancy is a natural thing experienced by some pregnant women. The causes also vary, ranging from hormonal changes, morning sickness, stress, to the side effects of drugs that may be consumed by pregnant women.
This change in appetite is quite common in the first trimester of pregnancy, but pregnant women at a later gestational age can also experience it.
Tips to Increase Appetite for Pregnant Women
Although loss of appetite during pregnancy is common, this condition should not be allowed to drag on. The reason is, if left for too long or not handled properly, this can make pregnant women and fetuses become malnourished.
In fact, adequate nutrition plays a very important role for the health of the pregnant woman and her fetus and their growth and development.
To increase appetite during pregnancy, pregnant women can try some of the tips below:
1. Choose the food you like
One way to increase the appetite of pregnant women is to eat foods that pregnant women like. However, that doesn't mean pregnant women eat food carelessly, right?
Even though pregnant women may like junk food or sweet foods, such as ice cream or cakes, pregnant women still have to prioritize nutritious foods that can provide nutrition for pregnant women and their fetuses.
2. Eat small portions but often
To reduce nausea and improve appetite, pregnant women should eat smaller portions, but often.
You should avoid consuming large portions of food at once because it can make pregnant women nauseous and vomit. As a result, the food consumed will be wasted, so that the nutrients in it are not absorbed by the pregnant woman's body and fetus.
In addition, pregnant women can also complement their daily menu with healthy snacks, such as yogurt, assorted fruits, nuts and cheeses.
3. Find alternative food
If pregnant women lose their appetite for certain foods, choose other foods that appeal to pregnant women. For example, if pregnant women are bored or have no appetite to eat rice that contains lots of carbohydrates, pregnant women can replace them with other foods, such as bread, potatoes, sweet potatoes, or rice. oatmeal.
4. Make the menu more varied
Consuming the same food for days continuously can certainly make pregnant women bored and reduce their appetite.
So that pregnant women are excited to eat with gusto, try to make the menu more varied every day. However, make sure that the diet that pregnant women make contains nutritious food, yes.
5. Stay away from strong-smelling foods
So that the appetite does not decrease further, pregnant women are advised to stay away from foods that have a strong aroma, such as spicy foods, petai, jengkol, onions, or shrimp paste.
Because they have a very strong aroma, some of these foods can actually cause pregnant women to feel sick and vomit, which in turn makes pregnant women not have the appetite to eat.
6. Exercise regularly
When exercising, the body will burn calories as a source of energy. Well, when calories are burned, pregnant women's appetite will increase. This is the body's natural response to get energy and nutrients from food, so the body doesn't lack energy.
Not only good for increasing appetite, exercise is also good for pregnant women and fetuses. However, choose the type of exercise that is safe and can be done during pregnancy, such as yoga, swimming, leisurely walking, or pregnancy exercise.
7. Reduce stress
Excessive stress can reduce appetite. Therefore, in order to be more appetizing to eat, pregnant women need to reduce stress and control it well.
There are many ways you can do to deal with stress during pregnancy, namely by getting enough sleep, bathing or taking a warm bath, or just taking time to relax. me time.
Those are some tips to increase the appetite of pregnant women that you need to know. In addition to applying the methods above, to complete nutritional needs during pregnancy, pregnant women are also recommended to regularly take prenatal vitamins as recommended by doctors, yes.
In order for the health and development of the fetus to be good, pregnant women need to maintain an ideal weight gain during pregnancy. If pregnant women still have no appetite even though they have applied the tips above, especially until the pregnant woman loses weight, you should consult a gynecologist about this.
