5 Tips on Food for Your Pregnant Wife.
The minute she found out she was pregnant, your wife's diet went crazy. There's a list of foods she should and shouldn't eat (and sometimes they make her cry), she's wanting strawberries one minute and puking the next, and she can't seem to eat more than a few mouthfuls at a time. Hope this helps you figure it all out and, more importantly, helps you both get through it relatively unscathed.
1. I've heard of morning sickness, but why is she puking at night? Morning sickness isn't just in the morning! It can last all day. Thankfully, it often goes away at the end of the first trimester.
Helpful hint: Keep her fed! She is a lot less likely to feel sick if she has a little something in her belly. So keep a granola bar or some string cheese handy (I was totally into string cheese for the first trimester).
You see... There is such a thing as "pregnancy brain!" She has a lot on her mind, causing her to forget things she would normally remember- like granola bars and string cheese. So that responsibility may fall on you.
2. Are all of these diet restrictions for real? Yes, they are. More than likely, your wife's doctor has given her a list (or she's found a list online) that tells her what she's NOT allowed to eat, so don't be surprised if she stops frequenting your favorite deli or coffee shop.
Helpful hint: Don't challenge her if she says, "I can't eat that." Coffee, bologna, swordfish, feta cheese... the list goes on and on! And what's more helpful? Don't eat it in front of her if you know it's her favorite.
You see... She may actually be craving the very thing she's not allowed to eat! I hadn't thought about salami in years... until I got pregnant and wasn't allowed to eat it.
3. Shouldn't she be eating a lot more? She's eating for two now! Yeah... but one of her is teeny-tiny and doesn't need a whole lot of food. The average pregnant woman should only eat about 300 more calories per day. That's it!
Helpful hint: Don't encourage her to eat more than makes her full. It will just result in a grumpy wife and she may start to feel sick.
You see... That little baby is taking up some valuable real estate in her belly, crowding her stomach and making her feel full with smaller meals. As time goes on, she'll start eating more and more little tiny meals all day.
4. Why won't she stop talking about folic acid and Omega-3's? I know it can be annoying to hear your nutrition facts over dinner, but be happy that she cares so much about your new baby! Those are two of the main things she needs to be eating in order for your baby's brain to develop right. In fact, she should be eating a lot of those as early in the pregnancy as possible.
Helpful hint: Just listen when she gives you her daily nutritional tally. Encourage her when it's good and encourage her when it's bad. ("Don't worry- it's only one day.")
You see... She spends as much time thinking about this as you do about your March Madness bracket or your fantasy football team. Omega-3's are one of the reasons she forgot to pick up the dry cleaning.
5. Where are these cravings I keep hearing about? or... Will she ever eat anything normal again?! Cravings (like morning sickness) are different for every woman! I barely have any cravings- just urges towards certain foods. But some women eat ice cream and pickles or even crave really weird stuff, like chalk.
Helpful hint: Get her whatever she wants! (within reason) It's kind of a fun adventure to go out in search of the city's best onion rings! If she wants to eat any non-food items, though, like grass or chalk, tell her to talk to her doctor.
You see... There are a lot of crappy things about pregnancy - I'll tell you some of them in later articles, I promise. But if you can provide one fun, bright spot, all those crappy things are a little less uncomfortable.
Bon Appetit!
By Laura Lee Anderson, a mom-to-be.
Check out the other articles in this series here.
