An appetite loss during pregnancy is a common thing. One should not worry about it unless the nausea, vomiting and discomfort lead to nutritional imbalance in the body. It is necessary for a pregnant woman to consume up to 300 extra calories to meet the nutritional requirements of the growing child. Do not worry about the health of the baby unless these extra calories lack nutritional value. Appetite loss usually cures by itself after the first trimester; in the second trimester a pregnant woman experiences an increased appetite where at times she feels that no matter how much she eats it is never enough. Wherein the third trimester again a pregnant women experiences a loss in her appetite. Irrespective of what trimester a woman is in, she can have cravings at any point of time during 9 months. There can also be urges for unusual combinations like pickles and ice-cream.
Increased Appetite Pregnancy
These suggestions might work well to cope up with the lost appetite while maintaining the nutritional requirements of your body. Ways to Increase Appetite in Pregnancy Meals: Small and Light A pregnant woman’s diet should include food items that are easy to digest and high in nutrition. To maintain energy level at all given times, food intake should be in small portions and must be healthy to take care of the body needs and the health requirements of the growing baby. Green and leafy vegetables, fruits, salads, juices should be consumed for an enjoyable pregnancy experience. Increase Frequency of Meals A pregnant woman can have as many as seven meals in a day. When consumed in small quantities, meals are easy to digest and will not cause nausea or vomiting. Also the heaviness of the food will not be felt. It also helps balance the weight during the pregnancy period which is healthy for the mother and child. Exercise and Brisk Walks Avoiding activity and laziness can also be a cause for lost appetite. Exercise and brisk walks keep the pregnant women fit. It aids in movement of the baby inside the stomach and at the same time help in digesting the food thereby inducing hunger.
Pregnant Always Hungry
It is also important for a pregnant woman to be active to improve her chances of having a normal delivery. Drink Plenty of Water It is necessary to keep you body hydrated during pregnancy. While dehydration can cause several problems, an increased and timely intake of water improves body’s metabolism and increases the appetite. Water also has minerals which make up a little for the lost appetite. It also helps a pregnant woman stay away from the commonly occurring urinary infections during pregnancy. Avoid Fast Food Junk food fills the stomach but has a high sodium content which causes loss of appetite. Besides being low on nutritional values the high sugar and fat content can lead to illness of the baby and obesity in the mother. There might be a craving, but fast food should be totally avoided during pregnancy. Take Prenatal Vitamins When the appetite is lost manifold, the main concern should be of the needs of the body. It is necessary to take prenatal and nutritional supplements to increase the appetite and fulfill the vitamin, mineral and micro-nutrition needs of the baby. A gynecologist should always be consulted before the intake of any form of medicine during pregnancy.
