Archives for January 2012

Although I was super excited when finding out I was pregnant…I soon had moments where I didn’t know if I could take another second. I was one of the lucky little ladies who got morning sick. First came nasea, then came actual throwing up.  Which at first was a relief because that meant for a while after throwing up I wasn’t naseated. However soon I found myself on an emotional roller coaster as the morning sickness ebbed and flowed. Some days I would be perfect with not even the slightest thought that i would throw up and thinking “Yay, it is finally going away!” but then the next day it would be nearly impossible for me to hold anything down. Eventually i figured out that for me at least I would have good days and then bad days and i would just have to deal with it. I started associating my bad days to certain foods but mostly compared it to how much sleep I got the night before. Days where I had got 8 hours of sleep the night before where bad days. Those where I got 11 to 13 hours of sleep I felt much better. Although just to be confusing every once in a while my body would switch things around where that wasn’t even an acurate guess as to how to keep the morning sickness at bay.
It started getting worse. Till I found myself not even being able to keep saltine crackers down. It isn’t that I would throw up all day..just when I ate. So I felt that I was starving. I wanted to eat but had lost hope that I would be able to keep it down. so what was the point of eating anymore. If anything the hope that my body would get a few seconds to absorb what it could before rejecting it.

At about 14 weeks.. and the end of my first trimester I went to a birthing class. One of the first things she addressed is how to keep the morning sickness at bay. although I was already nearing my second trimester when it usually subsides anyway I felt that mine was getting worse and I really didn’t want to have morning sickness my whole pregnancy as i had seen happen to others in my family. I was just praying that it would go away.  So whether the morning sickness faded naturally or if the tips I used from the class did the trick…I am  beginning to hope that the morning sickness has gone away. (knock on wood) It has been about a week since the class and I haven’t thrown up in 5 days.

So what was the trick? Again it is vitamin and mineral deficiencies because of all the vitamin and minerals that the baby is taking from me. The first deficiency that starts to cause problems is low salt intake. Crazy huh because usually you hear that you shouldn’t because it causes bloating and swelling… (Although at this point I’d rather bloat than be starving because my body rejects everything I eat.)

According to dietician Amanda Leanard  “The medical community used to suggest limiting salt (sodium chloride) during pregnancy because they thought it contributed to water retention and bloating. Now most experts believe that some increase in body fluids is necessary and normal during pregnancy, and that a moderate amount of sodium is actually beneficial because it can help maintain adequate fluid levels.”

In the class It was stated that the amniotic sac is made up of salt water. by the end of pregnancy the amniotic sac makes up about 6-8 pounds of the weight that is gained. So it seems natural to assume that the body will need more salt and more water to maintain that. Not to mention the extra 4 pounds of blood volume.
Although I wouldn’t go completely crazy on the salt levels I wouldn’t limit it too much either.

In the weight-loss clinic that I work at we limit sugars greatly on the diet. One of the side effects of this is headaches because of a drop in blood pressure. We aren’t limiting salt but sugar. So in turn to remedy this we recommend a greater salt intake. Salt is a mineral that is needed in the body as an electrolyte… Sugar functions the same in retaining water but provides many more extra calories. (I’m not saying lower sugar intake…because the baby will be needing carbs…that was a tangent but you might want to check out this site it gives a little insight as to whether salt is really that bad for us or not…)
http://www.good.is/post/is-salt-actually-bad-for-you-new-research-adds-to-the-confusion/

Back to how to get rid of morning sickness. First salt is needed because it aids in making hydrochloric acid. (stomach acid: essential to digesting food) In my case I guess if I had trouble digesting it I would simple get rid of it.  Salt also aids in the absorption of calcium, along with sugar…(hence the age old craving of pickles (salt) and ice cream (calcium with sugar). So that is what I did.

Anyway so I came home from the class and bought a bag of salt and vinegar chips and powerade and ate as my little heart desired. I knew my body was low on salt because I had been craving really salty foods but had done nothing to go get any. I was even drinking pickle juice. (I know..typical pregnant girl). These definitely helped me replace some needed electrolytes in my body as I started feeling stronger. I figured it had to be at least some good because my body wasn’t rejecting the chips. After replenishing my electrolyte stores my body started craving wendy’s crispy chicken sandwich and a chocolate frosty. I got some needed iron from the chicken and the calcium from the ice cream. (Although I’m sure yogurt would have been a healthier option)
As I said before I am now on my 5th day of eating again and keeping it down and it is great because now I can eat fruits and veggies as well as my Wendy’s chicken sandwich. One thing that I’ve learned is that my cravings guided me right back to being able to eat again. Which I know has to be healthier for the baby than deficiencies everywhere I look.  Although my craving don’t include vegetables I try to make sure I am getting them along with the cravings. I also plan on keeping track of my blood pressure and making the needed adjustments to not get into any bad habits.

I wanted to add a little graph here to help you see if you were deficient in any of the vitamins and minerals that were discussed:

If you are deficient

You’ll feel like this:                                If you don’t have enough of This:
Overwhelmed,                                                       Magnesium
Low self esteem

Teary,                                                                      Salt
Hopeless
Weak
Lousy

Like you can’t take anything more                           Potassium
Weak
shakey
Skippy heart beat
Lack of appetite

Angry                                                                    Calcium
Short Tempered