How to Eat
The general idea I had of a pregnant woman was that she would have no problem eating anything, ever. Of course there would be the occasional morning puke in the toilet, but after the morning the preggo would just be hungry all day and eat everything in sight.
That was the part of pregnancy that I was looking forward to. Eating things I would otherwise have no excuse or reason to eat. Things I loved to eat before pregnancy but felt guity about and would get looks from DH if I tried to eat it. Things that I couldn't wait to eat using the reason, "Don't tell a pregnant woman what she can and can not eat!". I was excited.
So now I'm confused about my problem. I never in my 26 years had trouble eating food. Even when I was so ill with flu or pneumonia, I could scarf down anything and not throw up or even feel nauseous about it. But now, at a possible (*Ultrasound still hasn't confirmed it) two months pregnant, I have to force-feed myself even a saltine cracker.
The problem isn't that I'm just not hungry, it is that my body just will not allow me to eat anything without consequence. I must eat, or the nausea will overwhelm me when my stomach is empty, but I can not eat. Not even my favorite cereal, the brownies my husband made for me, or McDonald's fries are appetizing anymore. I will crave a certain food for days and beg my husband for it... then after he buys it and I either look at it or take a bite, I realize that I just can't eat it.
What's a pregnant woman to do? I have to eat for the nutrition, and I have to keep my stomach from becoming empty, but there isn't a food in the world that I can easily force myself to eat. Baby doesn't want food, baby wants to learn the basics of anorexia early. I've lost ten pounds in this pregnancy already (not that you can tell, I look as though I've gained twenty), but apparently that's not a path I'm supposed to take.
The only thing that keeps me going are my crave-spurts. For the past few days I have been able to eat Pepper Jack Doritos and a Slurpee from 7-11. Not healthy, I know, but you try eating healthy when you can't even take a bite of a saltine without dry-heaving. I've tried all of the methods other moms and the pregnancy books say - Suck on a peppermint, drink green tea, sip ginger ale, eat saltines (HAH! more like shove them down your throat and chew while trying not to think about spitting them up)... they don't work. I know every pregnancy is different but why couldn't this one thing just be easy? Why is it so hard to eat all of a sudden after 26 years of finding it hard NOT to eat? The one time in my life when my doctor TELLS me I have to eat, I can't.
Although, right at this moment, I am craving fried chicken. I doubt I'll be able to eat any once it is in front of me, but will someone take me to Popeyes please?
That was the part of pregnancy that I was looking forward to. Eating things I would otherwise have no excuse or reason to eat. Things I loved to eat before pregnancy but felt guity about and would get looks from DH if I tried to eat it. Things that I couldn't wait to eat using the reason, "Don't tell a pregnant woman what she can and can not eat!". I was excited.
So now I'm confused about my problem. I never in my 26 years had trouble eating food. Even when I was so ill with flu or pneumonia, I could scarf down anything and not throw up or even feel nauseous about it. But now, at a possible (*Ultrasound still hasn't confirmed it) two months pregnant, I have to force-feed myself even a saltine cracker.
The problem isn't that I'm just not hungry, it is that my body just will not allow me to eat anything without consequence. I must eat, or the nausea will overwhelm me when my stomach is empty, but I can not eat. Not even my favorite cereal, the brownies my husband made for me, or McDonald's fries are appetizing anymore. I will crave a certain food for days and beg my husband for it... then after he buys it and I either look at it or take a bite, I realize that I just can't eat it.
What's a pregnant woman to do? I have to eat for the nutrition, and I have to keep my stomach from becoming empty, but there isn't a food in the world that I can easily force myself to eat. Baby doesn't want food, baby wants to learn the basics of anorexia early. I've lost ten pounds in this pregnancy already (not that you can tell, I look as though I've gained twenty), but apparently that's not a path I'm supposed to take.
The only thing that keeps me going are my crave-spurts. For the past few days I have been able to eat Pepper Jack Doritos and a Slurpee from 7-11. Not healthy, I know, but you try eating healthy when you can't even take a bite of a saltine without dry-heaving. I've tried all of the methods other moms and the pregnancy books say - Suck on a peppermint, drink green tea, sip ginger ale, eat saltines (HAH! more like shove them down your throat and chew while trying not to think about spitting them up)... they don't work. I know every pregnancy is different but why couldn't this one thing just be easy? Why is it so hard to eat all of a sudden after 26 years of finding it hard NOT to eat? The one time in my life when my doctor TELLS me I have to eat, I can't.
Although, right at this moment, I am craving fried chicken. I doubt I'll be able to eat any once it is in front of me, but will someone take me to Popeyes please?
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