Many are accustomed to hearing that the expectant mother should eat for two. But very often a woman in anticipation of a baby and for herself alone is not always able to eat properly. A frequent and rather unpleasant phenomenon when there is no appetite during pregnancy. Why is this happening, should I be very worried because of this, and most importantly - what to do in such a situation?
Trimesters and appetite
Appetite during pregnancy is a variable and individual category. However, speaking in general, there is a certain dependence of this condition on the gestational age.
First trimester
As a rule, there is no appetite during pregnancy in the early stages. Just at this period, the first (well-known) signs of the conception of the fetus are manifested. These symptoms include: dizziness, vomiting, morning sickness. The main causes of loss of appetite during pregnancy in the first trimester will be described below.
Digestion problems
If you do not have an appetite during pregnancy in the first trimester without any accompanying digestive problems, then this is very rare. The consequence of the aforementioned ailments is a decrease in appetite, and there is nothing surprising in this: who wants to eat if the food simply does not linger inside! Although everyone calls this morning sickness, in fact, it can occur at any time of the day. Everyone has a different organism, and therefore, the initial weeks of pregnancy for each woman can go differently. It may happen that nausea will bother both in the afternoon and in the evening. It is noted that this phenomenon occurs quite often in women who carry twins in the womb, and in those who are waiting for their firstborn.
Hormonal changes
Hormonal changes that occur in the female body can cause nausea, vomiting and other ailments. In particular, the blame for the fact that in the initial stages of pregnancy there is no appetite or it is, but poor, lies with an increased level of the hCG hormone. In addition, the appearance of nausea may be genetically determined. It often happens that the mother of a pregnant woman also went through a similar test, and the nausea was very painful and intense.
Gastrointestinal tract
The gastrointestinal tract also affects the lack of appetite during pregnancy. It slows down due to a delay in the body's water and increased levels of progesterone.
Stress
Undergoing stress is also one of the reasons for lack of appetite during pregnancy. For example, the expectant mother is very worried about the health of the unborn baby, because the first trimester is often crucial for the further development of the fetus.
Second and third trimesters
It would seem that, along with the first trimester, toxicosis and appetite problems should be left behind. But this is not always the case. It happens that there is no appetite during pregnancy in the second trimester, and in the third. Why it happens:
- Usually the culprit is the same nausea that has been ongoing for nine months or appears closer to childbirth. You can feel it at different times of the day. Often this is due to the fact that the woman is hungry or, conversely, she ate too much.
- In the second trimester, the reason why lack of appetite may be the appeared sensitivity to odors, which turns the expectant mother away from food.
- If there is no appetite during pregnancy and is sick of “solid”, late pregnancy, the reason for this, as a rule, is that an enlarged uterus exerts pressure on the stomach.
- Anemia. It is found in every fifth pregnant woman. As a rule, anemia appears after the 20th week of pregnancy, when the fetus grows intensively, and he should receive everything that he needs for normal growth, even if he receives all this at the expense of the mother's body. A pregnant woman during this period increases blood volume and there is an increased need for iron, which is simply necessary for the construction of red blood cells. Therefore, it is not surprising that the reserves of this element are rapidly depleted. A slight iron deficiency does not manifest itself with any alarming signals. But when the number of red blood cells decreases, and with a clear lack of iron, the expectant mother will constantly feel tired, become sleepy, even a long sleep will not help her. The heartbeat also increases and shortness of breath appears. Loss of appetite is also one of the signs of this condition. If a blood test confirms iron deficiency, it's time to take action. However, there is no reason for panic: with the right diet, in combination with the necessary drugs, everything will fall into place. If your appetite has disappeared in the later weeks, it makes sense to look at this problem from this point of view.
It follows that if instead of a healthy appetite there is a problem with food intake or nausea, this is a reaction of the body, in most cases, is normal. More than half of pregnant women face a similar problem.
What threatens a lack of appetite
The disappearing love of food leads to a paradox: instead of eating more than before conception, a woman eats less. She becomes anxious on the scales and observes that the arrow does not move forward, and, sometimes, even vice versa - backs away. However, the expectant mother should not be particularly concerned about the lack of appetite in the early stages of pregnancy. The baby in the womb in the first trimester is still so small that it is enough for him to eat as much as his mother, the need for calories does not change at all. If her diet before pregnancy was balanced and reasonable, then it will suit the baby.
Approximately 300-400 kilocalories per day requires an increase in energy coming from food in subsequent trimesters. For the fetus, a short-term decrease or lack of appetite in the mother is not dangerous. A problem will arise when it ignores food for a long time. It should be remembered that a woman eats during pregnancy for two, and not for two. Therefore, even if she complains that there is no appetite during pregnancy, she is obliged to force herself to eat, despite the fierce resistance of the body. There is always a way out, and it consists in eating less, but much more often, about seven times a day, after an equal period of time. Nevertheless, it is necessary to eat as fully as possible, because otherwise a child may experience a lack of nutrients, he may be born with a small body weight.
Fortunately, with the right approach, the problem of a lack of good appetite in pregnant women in 90% of cases has no negative effect on the developing fetus. The only negative is the poor health of mom, which will pass over time, after nine months - this is the biggest. And yet, if the desire to eat is completely absent for quite some time and does not go away after a few days, and all this is accompanied by vomiting, then you should inform your doctor about this as soon as possible.
Indomitable vomiting
There is such a symptom during pregnancy as indomitable vomiting. On average, it happens once per thousand pregnancies. It can be really dangerous for both the child and the expectant mother. If a woman vomits for a long time, she not only loses weight, but also many valuable minerals and water. Long-lasting vomiting leads to liver damage, dehydration and termination of pregnancy. It may well happen that, in the end, hospitalization and procedures such as intravenous administration of water, electrolytes and glucose will be needed.
If there is no appetite during pregnancy - what to do?
You can independently deal with any unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy, including nausea or lack of appetite. This does not mean that the woman herself can prescribe a medicine, especially an antiemetic, which can have a negative effect on the health of the child. Both vitamins and any other medicines should be prescribed by a leading physician.
Problems with nausea and food can be alleviated by changing eating habits and lifestyle. Here are some of the tips:
- It is better to reduce the servings themselves, but to take food more often - nausea will decrease due to this
- It is worthwhile to refrain from heavy, difficult to digest food; instead, it is worth being content with lighter meals.
- The first snack (it can be crackers) is better to eat in bed (about 15 minutes before you get out of bed).
- It is necessary to consume as much fluid as possible (especially on hot days or after vomiting) in order to prevent dehydration. You should choose cool drinks. Also, desserts from the refrigerator, such as jelly, sorbets, help to cope with nausea, and hot dishes and liquids can aggravate it.
- Quick relief can come from sucking a slice of lemon or ginger.
- It is worth trying to change your plan for the day: rest as much as possible, avoid stressful situations that can aggravate nausea. Many women tend to claim that fresh air and walks also help.
It is worth doing what the future mother has a soul for, because this creates positive thinking.