Weight gain during pregnancy is a natural process associated with fetal growth. It should be borne in mind that the weight during the period of bearing a child grows gradually. To be sure of their state of health, ladies can compare their kilograms with body mass index (BMI). If during pregnancy a woman still encounters the problem of being overweight, there is one effective way to deal with it - these are fasting days, which must sometimes be arranged. So that the fetus does not suffer from diets, it is necessary to develop a diet these days.
BMI calculation methods
To determine if you gained extra pounds during pregnancy, you need to use a ready-made BMI table for women in position.
Many ladies often wonder about why fasting days are needed for pregnant women. During the period of bearing a child, significant changes occur in the body of a woman. Several factors provoke an uncontrolled gain in excess weight in the first weeks of gestation, as well as in the later stages, already before childbirth. They are listed below:
- The weight of the fetus is gradually increasing. If a large fetus weighing 4 kg or more grows in your stomach, then the weight of the placenta will be exceeded in comparison with the average value.
- Twins in the womb increase weight gain.
- Edema is a common occurrence in women during pregnancy. The reason for this is gestosis, it is he who leads to fluid retention in the body. This can be one of the reasons for being overweight. If you notice swelling of your limbs, you should immediately consult a doctor.
- Polyhydramnios is another factor in weight gain in women in position. Most often it occurs in expectant mothers suffering from diabetes, as well as with multiple pregnancy. A large amount of amniotic fluid inevitably leads to an increase in body weight. In this case, it is necessary to be under close medical supervision.
- In many women, doctors observe weight loss in the first trimester, which is caused by chronic toxicosis. In the second and third trimester of pregnancy, toxicosis disappears. The body is again gaining the necessary amount of nutrients, body weight reaches normal values. If a woman has a desire to arrange fasting days during toxicosis, it is necessary to focus not on statistical BMI, but on body weight before pregnancy.
- The age of the woman who carries the baby. If the first-born in the family appeared at the age of 30-40 years, then the likelihood of weight gain in late pregnancy increases.
Often women ask a question about how to organize a fasting day for pregnant women (daily menu). According to the recommendations of nutritionists, girls in position need to divide the daily food intake into several receptions (usually 5-7). In order to choose a diet for pregnant women, it is necessary to consult a physician monitoring the course of pregnancy. Not every diet can benefit you. Fasting days can be arranged 1-2 times a week.
Weight gain during pregnancy
Forum users often ask if they need fasting days for pregnant women in the 2nd trimester. To answer it, you need to make some calculations. Normal weight gain for the entire pregnancy period is from 8 to 15 kilograms. When calculating, it should be noted that the physique of each woman during the bearing of a child is different, in addition, other factors also affect weight - heredity, age, and much more.
The fastest weight gain occurs from the 20th week of bearing a child. The following are reasons for weight gain:
- The fruit weighs an average of 3 to 4 kilograms.
- The placenta reaches a mass of up to 1 kilogram.
- The uterus on average weighs from 0.7 to 1 kilogram.
- Amniotic fluid add to the weight of a woman up to 1.2 kilograms.
- Blood weighs from 1.5 to 2 kilograms.
- The mammary glands and adipose tissues during the period of gestation add to the total weight of 4 to 5 kilograms.
After the baby is born, excess weight will not disappear instantly. On average, it is 3-4 kilograms in the first months after the birth of a new family member. In order to restore your body and return to its previous state, it is necessary to periodically spend fasting days for pregnant women. To reduce weight, exercise and diet should be introduced gradually, because a woman may experience problems with lactation due to a sharp change in diet.
Organization of fasting days
How to organize a fasting day for a pregnant woman to reduce weight? When scheduling fasting days, safe for mom and baby, you should follow a few tips:
Tip 1. Before you follow a diet, talk with your doctor. He must make sure that you have no contraindications.
Tip 2. Do not worry that during the unloading of your body, the baby will receive less nutrients from breast milk. During the period of gestation, the woman’s body accumulates a sufficient amount of useful trace elements for feeding the child.
Tip 3. A diet for weight loss after pregnancy requires prior preparation. A few days before its start, it is necessary to eat easily digestible food products - these can be vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy products and more. The last meal should be no later than 6 pm. If you want to eat before bedtime, you can eat a small apple, drink fruit drinks or direct-squeezed juice.
Tip 4. It is important to observe the daily routine. Get enough sleep, try not to think about problems, think positively.
Tip 5. Once a month, you can do an enema to cleanse the intestines.
Body preparation
Necessary for pregnant women fasting days to reduce swelling. Specialists prescribe to eat in small portions, all food should be approximately equally distributed in six meals. Eating should be done after an equal amount of time during the day, while do not rush to eat everything at once. It is important to chew food thoroughly. So you not only simplify the work of your body, but also quickly feel that you are full.
Eat spicy seasonings, as well as sugar and salt in minimal amounts. It is best to refuse them altogether in order to avoid the development of an allergy in the baby. If you want sweets, you can eat a teaspoon of honey daily.
On fasting days it is better to save yourself from household chores and intense physical exertion, and in order not to think about food, get creative.
Fasting days for pregnant women with edema do not exclude the use of fluid. On the contrary, clean and still water, fruit drinks with a minimum amount of sugar, fruit drinks, as well as natural juices are welcome. To prevent a feeling of hunger, drink liquid 1 hour before a meal.
If during unloading you feel unwell, you feel very sick, dizzy, or have pain in your temples, stop fasting immediately and return to your daily diet.
Maternity Menu
To cleanse the body of harmful substances and excess body fat, it is necessary to organize fasting days in the 3rd trimester. For pregnant women, there are several diets developed by specialists:
- Curd diet. Its essence is the use of low-fat cottage cheese. About 0.5 kg of this dairy product should be eaten per day, after dividing it into six servings. In the morning and evening you can eat an apple. During the day, you should drink a liter of water.
- Diet on the squirrel. A woman needs to prepare 0.6 kg of boiled dietary meat (chicken or beef). To quench your thirst, you should drink a liter of kefir during the day with a fat content of 1-1.5%.
- Pumpkin Diet. Unloading on this vegetable is good to carry out in the cold season. You must select a pumpkin weighing about 1.5 kg and bake it in the oven. The beneficial substances contained in this product are able to cleanse the body, remove harmful substances, excess fluid, and cleanse the intestines. To fill the body with liquid, drink water (not more than a liter per day).
- Watermelon day. In the summer season, you can peel the pulp of watermelon. On the day it is necessary to eat 1.5 kg of pulp of this berry. You can quench your thirst with 1.5 liters of water.
- You can also unload the body by eating only apples all day. To do this, wash 1.5 kg of fruit. You can use them both fresh and baked. Drink 1.5 liters of liquid to quench your thirst.
In addition to the listed diet options, there are a number of interesting ideas for organizing fasting days for pregnant women. For example, cleansing the body with fermented milk products, freshly squeezed juice or compote.
Meat day
For pregnant women in the 1st trimester, fasting days are prohibited. However, for them there are more gentle diets, for example, you can eat low-fat and unsalted meat (400 grams). Each of the six servings should be washed down with green tea without adding sugar. Raw vegetables (about 800 grams per day) can be added as a side dish.
Fish menu
Low-fat varieties of aquatic inhabitants should be eaten. In addition, it is allowed to eat stewed vegetables, and you can drink food with a decoction of wild rose. With a lack of iodine in the body of a pregnant woman, marine fish is especially useful, which experts recommend consuming 2-3 times a week.
Potato diet
Another option is the use of boiled potatoes during the day (total weight - 1 kg). To quench your thirst, drink 0.4 l of kefir with a fat content of 1-1.5%.
You can also unload your body by eating 150 grams of rice in a whole day. It should be boiled and divided into three portions.
Varied menu
In addition to fasting days for pregnant women, experts often recommend a regular daily diet. Below is a sample menu for a pregnant woman for every day:
- For breakfast, eat 150 g of cottage cheese, apple and tea.
- For lunch you can cook boiled vegetables, carrot salad seasoned with olive oil.
- In the afternoon you can eat an apple, cookies. Drink a glass of compote or juice, water.
- For dinner, it is recommended to eat a steamed cutlet, a small portion of cottage cheese (150 g). You can add berries or fruits to the diet.
- Shortly before bedtime, you can drink kefir or eat a small apple.
When choosing fasting days for pregnant girls, the fact of the presence of various diseases in a chronic form should be taken into account. If any, edit the menu. For example, fermented milk products, as well as fruits with a high acid content (apples) are contraindicated for people with gastrointestinal diseases. Cucumber diet is not recommended for people with hypertension. Women with kidney problems are not allowed to eat apple and watermelon diets.
Doctors Recommendations
The attending physicians in reviews of fasting days for pregnant women recommend and support the idea of periodically cleaning their body. The diet will benefit not only the expectant mother, but also the actively growing and developing baby. As a rule, specialists allow cleaning only at a later date, especially when the examination showed excess weight, swelling was detected, or other signs of gestosis appeared.
According to doctors, unloading the body is necessary for its cleaning and recovery, therefore, all women who feel heaviness in the abdomen, headache and weakness after eating, need it.
Feedback on the results
According to the reviews of the girls, after food unloading, ease of movement is felt, the test results improve, the appearance of the woman noticeably changes for the better, even the mood of the future mother becomes much better. It is especially important to do periodic cleaning for those ladies in whom doctors found swelling.
Although swelling of the extremities is observed in almost all expectant mothers in late pregnancy, symptoms need to be addressed. The delay of a large amount of fluid in the body harms the work of all its systems. Cleansing the body helps not only reduce body fat, but also remove excess fluid.
Rules for unloading
For pregnant women, fasting days in the 3rd trimester for quick cleaning of the body can be arranged no more than once a month. It should also be remembered that the above diets can be entered only after the 30th week of gestation. By this time, the baby will have fully formed all organ systems.
For pregnant women, fasting days should not be spontaneous and unsystematic. Be sure to talk to your doctor to avoid health problems. A specialist who monitors the course of pregnancy can develop an individual diet for a woman. It is also important to periodically change the menu to unload and cleanse your body. Adhering to these rules, it is possible to achieve that the body will receive various beneficial substances in sufficient quantities.