Preg & Low carb.....?

[reneed70]

I read some of a lot of the posts and such in the main thread but I had a few questions that I didn't see many answers to.

Can you have Splenda if pregnant? I know other sweetners are discouraged.

Why is caffeine supposed to be eliminated?

I also read to avoid deli style lunchmeats? Why? I tend to love deli turkey breast which is virtually no carb!

I know growing babies needs complex carbs for brain development. So if pregnant what kind of carbs would you add? I was thinking brown rice, whole grain breads, oatmeal, lots of fruit, but no white flour junk!

Just keeping current incase I get lucky soon

Renee

[jestey]

You may want to ask these questions of your OB-GYN (have you talked to him /her yet about "getting lucky"? They may haev a whole bunch of advice for you pre-conception). Mine, who is a high risk pregnancy specialist, was not against caffeine, though he did ask me to limit my intake to no more than 16 oz of coffee a day. He said in all his years of practice he had seen no negative effects from caffeine other than the potential for heart burn. And in my case, I just did not want to get the caffeine headaches - though most of my friends said they couldn't stand the smell of coffee when they were pregnant.

I don't remember anything from him about limiting sweeteners, so I can't help you there.

If I had to do it over again, I would do just what you plan to do - get rid of the white flour and concentrate on fruits, veggies, good protein and whole grains. A caution here: in the What to Expect When You Are Expecting Book, the authors promote the "Best Odds Diet". It does talk about whole grains, and wholesome foods BUT, IMHO it goes completely overboard in avoiding most "normal" stuff and condiments, etc. I swear, if I followed that diet while pregnant, I would still be waiting for lunch! It took forever to find the ingredients, make the recipes, and it was bland, bland, bland.

Good luck and I hope you get answers to your questions.

[cowgirl1973]

I read an article in Reader's Digest about the dangers of Listeria lurking in processed and deli meats. Listeria does alot of damage to a developing fetus....including death. Not gonna chance it.

[CushieButterfield]

I don't know about some of your questions but I know that when I was pregnant all advice given to me was, pregnancy is not a time to diet. Of course watching what you eat and not depriving yourself is not the same as being on a "diet". But you need to be sure your baby gets everything he/she needs as far as nutrients/calories. I was breastfeeding up until a couple weeks before I started this diet. I was told not to low carb while breastfeeding so I decided to wait. I too decided it was better safe than sorry. I think it was because I may not have gotten the nutrients I needed just from vitamins and that may be the reason why you are not suppose to while pregnant. There may be some women that can do LCE with all the proper nutrients but I think to be safe and stop those that would go overboard the [experts] use a blanket statement.

You should talk to your OB/GYN or midwife (I had a midwife and loved her). Maybe you can just do lower carb. But it's best to get advice from some one with some medical knowledge of pregnancy. I do know that you should start taking folic acid in large quantities before you get pregnant and thoughout.

[reneed70]

Thanks for the info ladies.

Renee

[Lawbooks]

Renee,

I *did* use Splenda while pregnant, but in VERY strict moderation as it has not been around long enough and there aren't any good studies on its effects on the fetus. When I needed to, I just used real sugar, but in VERY small and limited quantities! :o
I avoided Aspartame (Nutrasweet) like the plague as the studies on that are not good at all. Ditto Sacharine. If you HAVE to use something, sugar is possibly the least evil IF you can control your use of it!

Lunchmeat is a no-no for the *safety reasons* mentioned above (Listeria and the like) and because they often contain nitrites/nitrates which are known carcinogens. Anything that is a known carcinogen is doubly dangerous for a developing fetus. But, again, MODERATION IS KEY. Also, there was a study done a few years back -- and I do not understand the *science* of it -- that said that if a pregnant woman REALLY wanted to eat lunchmeat (or a hot dog or bacon, etc.) that contained these things, she should drink a glass of orange juice IMMEDIATELY following. I wish I had time to locate the article and direct you to it... maybe you could do a search? Anyway, when I *did* indulge in some deli ham or a hot dog while pregnant, I always tried to drink some OJ afterward.

Caffeine does not have to be eliminated, but it should be VERY, VERY limited (one cup of coffee per day or one or two cokes per day, etc). Caffeine (like our moms always said!) really CAN stunt growth and development when it is taken in large doses and even in moderate doses, caffeine can act as a uterine stimulent and can cause miscarriage or pre-term labor in some women, so you want to avoid using too much. I drank a cup of 1/2 caffeinated, 1/2 decaf (naturally decaffeinated, using the *water method* -- NOT chemically decaffeinated!!) coffee every morning with heavy cream during my entire pregnancy.

For complex carbs during pregnancy, I ate UNLIMITED fruits and veggies and occasionally enjoyed things like popcorn, oatmeal and rice. I avoided bread and sweets, empty calories and starches like potatoes.

Hope this helps and I'm still crossing my fingers for you! Best of luck.