It is a universally acknowledged fact that pregnancy brings about several changes in a woman’s body. Of course it is completely understandable to have a lot of hormonal adjustments. You are obviously preparing for labor and the onset of motherhood, so pregnancy is a means of getting you prepped up. While your baby is growing inside you, you’re bound to notice symptoms of pregnancy that may make you panic or frustrated. Especially if you’re a first-time mother, dealing with seemingly sudden changes in your lifestyle may be far from comforting. Pregnancy can spell out nausea or morning sickness for months on end; dealing with sore feet and cramped muscles on a regular basis; and a sudden craving for sweets. It may not come as a surprise if you’ve probably tried minimizing your sugar intake before pregnancy in an effort to maintain a good figure. Taking that into consideration, it’s hardly flattering to witness yourself gorging on chocolates or ice cream every chance you get. Here are a few ways to deal with a sweet tooth when you’re expecting:
Know the cause
Among food cravings, a strong compulsion to indulge in sweets is usually on the top of the list during the course of pregnancy. If you’ve always watched your diet before, it’s certainly unnerving to discover that you’re suddenly prying the refrigerator open at odd hours of the night just to sneak up on some chocolates or ice cream. It might help to note that, according to some experts, pregnancy causes serious hormone fluctuations – and that results in what can be a seemingly irrational desire to gorge on sweets. Another possible reason is that your body is somehow clueing you in on the nutrients you need when you’re expecting a baby. For example, you need calcium so you’d get the urge to have ice cream.
Be aware of the risks
Indulging in too much of anything during the course of pregnancy is likely to be bad, not only for you but also for your unborn baby. Having too much sweet as one of the symptoms of pregnancy is certainly no exception. For instance, you may gain 25 to 35 pounds more. Aside from obviously affecting your figure, the increase in weight may also likely cause problems such as diabetes, blood pressure, and higher risk of C-section.
It may be very challenging to control the urge to have chocolates or cakes at any stage of your pregnancy, but it’s a very sensible idea to at least keep your cravings at a moderate level. Your best motivation under these circumstances is to do everything you can to help your baby develop properly.
