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Monday, March 12, 2012

An Eat-Clean Pregnancy


I am excited to have another guest blogger today. Her name is Sara Zanotto. She's one of our fabulous Eat-Clean Diet Success Stories & she's also a regular on our great little community, The Kitchen Table. She is a new mommy and wants to share with you how she managed her pre- & post-natal care by maintaining a clean & healthy lifestyle.

Here's Sara Z & her cutey, Bella!
As I see it, there are three categories of pregnant women: 1) ones who see pregnancy as an excuse to eat anything and everything, 2) ones who used to eat anything and everything, but now that they are responsible for the nutrition of a little baby they Eat Clean, and 3) ones who eat clean before, during and after their pregnancy. I’m proud to say that I fall into the third category. What about you?

I have maintained an Eat-Clean lifestyle for long enough now that it’s just natural, so when I found out that I was pregnant, it was a no-brainer for me--I was going to Eat Clean for my baby too.  However, I have to be honest...the terrible morning (who am I kidding?  It was all day!) sickness made it very difficult.  I was ashamed that my body was craving carbohydrates, and not the good kind.  I wanted comfort foods, especially bagels for some reason, and couldn’t even look at a fruit or vegetable.  Not to mention, I was so tired it was so hard to get any exercise besides just walking.  I was not a happy camper, but I knew that I needed to listen to my body.  Through the 16 or so weeks of sickness I tried to make the cleanest choices possible while still comforting myself (with Ezekiel bagels) to help ease the nausea.


Once the sickness was a distant memory, I was right back to what I am familiar with--Eating Clean.  It felt great to know that not only was I taking care of myself, but I was providing my baby girl with the best nutrition possible.  I enjoyed reading about her stages of development and discovering what foods were best.  For example, brain development is in full force during the third trimester, so I made sure to have foods that were high in Omega 3s.
Here's Sara's clean & healthy progression through pregnancy.
Look at that almost non-existent post-baby bump!
Towards the end of my pregnancy, I was so sick of hearing everyone telling me that I was “eating for two.” Especially since my doctors advised me that an extra 300 calories per day was all my little girl needed from me.  Of course, I was tempted a lot during my pregnancy and gave in on occasion; however, it almost seemed even easier to resist because I wasn’t just taking care of myself anymore.  It was always a good feeling to know that my baby was getting a healthy start.


It has been an easy transition since Bella’s birth (January 16, 2012).  I am breast feeding, so she is still eating what I’m eating.  It sucks that I need to be careful not to eat too many “gassy” foods, like one of my favourites--broccoli, but it’s so worth it!  I’d do anything for that little girl!


It’s the best feeling in the world to know that for the rest of my life I will be a mother to my beautiful daughter and I will continue to Eat Clean, exercise and stay committed to the health of my family!

12 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing this!! I am a mom of two, soon to be three (due end of July), and I fall into that last category too. I totally felt the same way my first trimester- my body couldn't handle much else other than carbs. My usual egg whites and oatmeal breakfast literally made me vomit. So sad! But I'm feeling better now!

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  2. I am due any day with baby # 2 and was in category three for both my babies. I agree that eating clean is the best for everyone but to say that you were ashamed of craving carbohydrates??? I had to increase my carbs and fat because I have a terrible time gaining weight and have had scares of loosing my babies or having a too pre-term birth. I only gained 15lbs with my first, she was 6 lbs 14oz and born 4 weeks early. I have gained 25lbs with this baby but haven't put on anything in the last 6 weeks; though baby is growing healthy. I am anything but ashamed of giving into cravings every once in a while, even if it's a sweet treat. Shame is a word that is thrown around a lot in this community and I don't think that is healthy thinking, I have seriously stopped encouraging people to join this community because of that fact. Congrats on your healthy baby and healthy you, but perhaps you and most others in this community need to rethink the concept of shame. The negativity Shame brings is not something you want to be passing on to your family.

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    1. I too agree with you Amber. I ate clean (extremely clean) with my second pregnancy. I gained 50 pounds with my first and was determined to not to the same this time. I gained 35 pounds with my second however she was 5 pounds full term and took 2 months to out ANY weight on her. She also had severe acid reflux. I am not sure that is due to the Clean Eating I did, but I sometimes wonder.

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  3. Pregnancy brings with itself a lot of never-felt-before moments. One of them is to feel your baby kick. But do you know that the baby’s kick means that her mental growth has begun! Watch this video to discover the joy of a baby’s kick.
    Found this funny video which shows a pregnant mum bonding with her baby. Did you know that 70% of the baby’s brain growth occurs during pregnancy!

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  4. A pregnancy calendar can be a useful guide to learn about what is exactly happening inside your body at a particular time. There are many useful pregnancy websites online that provide accurate information regarding the stages during pregnancy and the corresponding development of the baby.

    Kavinace

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  5. Most women worried about what is safe to eat in their pregnancy. Here is a list of some basic pregnancy food facts to help you know about suitable food for your pregnancy.

    pregnancy after miscarriage

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  6. wow, good post. Ya, we should concentrate more on our daily diet during pregnancy. Healthy mummy can keep her baby healthy.

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  7. very many women (in my country :D) worried about what is safe to eat in their pregnancy.

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  8. hey very nice post....you look beautiful during your pregnancy..thanks for sharing the pics..
    Food for Pregnant Women


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  9. These drinks replace functions lost electrolytes substance when the body sweats. So, if you're active, sports drinks can indeed be an option. But, if you are not a lot of moves, this drink is not necessary.

    Dr. Maureen Muoneke MD

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