35 Weeks Pregnant Chalkboard + Pregnancy Comfort Food Cravings
By Kate Horney
How far along? 35 Weeks, 6 Days
Maternity clothes? You may see me in yoga pants 24/7 from this point on…. But hey, I’ve got no shame. I officially hit the 30lb weight gain mark this week, but it’s mostly belly so I can’t complain.
Best moment this week: Planning #jacksonfest 2014 (celebrating our little man with one last hoorah before he becomes a brother). It’s been so fun to celebrate Jackson, and I can’t wait to add another sweet little boy into the mix.
Miss Anything? I honestly think I spent half the week just walking to and from the bathroom… Baby H #2 loves to use mommy’s bladder as a trampoline.
Movement: Lots of movement from an active little boy! At my check up this week, we found out that Baby H #2’s head is down and I’m already 1 cm dilated, so…. It won’t be too much longer now!
Food cravings: Still eating lots of blueberries and tons of fresh fruit. Aside from that, lots of protein pancakes, protein French toast, protein pizza, etc. (Protein mostly coming non-meat sources as chicken and meat are OUT this week- BLAH!)
Looking forward to: Meeting this little boy! Only 4 weeks and 1 day until my due date- WHOA!
Biggest Struggle This Week: Eating well in the third trimester (when I’m craving comfort foods during pregnancy).
Eating well is getting harder. Or, to be it another way: I’m much more tempted to indulge in comfort foods when I’m at the end of my pregnancy. Something about being tired and being towards the “end” makes it tempting to “give in” and make less than stellar nutrition choices.
Solution: Small, healthy meals and healthy versions of pregnancy cravings.
Part 1: As pregnancy progresses, the enlarging uterus takes up more room in your belly and puts more pressure on your stomach. I’ve found that eating smaller, healthy meals and snacks helps tremendously when it comes to avoiding heart burn and indigestion.
Indigestion often seems worse during pregnancy because your body makes extra hormones estrogen and progesterone, which relax smooth muscle in many places in your body. One place is the intestinal tract, where progesterone slows down digestion to allow more nutrient absorption from the food you eat. This is good for the baby, but can give you an uncomfortably full feeling and lead to some heart burn.
Eating many small meals rather than a few large ones, and eating more slowly helps with the heartburn and indigestion….
And as far as craving comfort foods during pregnancy…
If your diet is balanced overall, you can definitely splurge on a few of your favorite comfort foods now and then, but the key is balance and moderation.
It’s when you begin to indulge on a regular basis that it becomes less of a treat and more of an expectation or habit… and THAT is the issue- both for you and for your baby.
You are worth feeding your body well… and your baby is worth you feeding your body well!
So If your sweet tooth is getting the best of you, take a moment to let this sink in…
Your health & your baby’s health is much more important than a quick fix of sugar.
I’ve found it much better to treat myself and Baby H #2 to a healthy version of my pregnancy comfort food craving instead. You’ll still satisfy your sweet tooth or that desire for some comfort food, but without sacrificing proper health and nutrition.
Here are a few of my pregnancy comfort food cravings turned healthy:
- Tator Tots = Cauliflower Tots!
- Brownies = Fudgey Squash Brownies!
- Pasta = Zucchini “Noodles!”
- Oatmeal cookies = BeyondFit Breakfast Cookies!
- Chocolate Donuts = Chocolate Baked Donuts!
- Pizza = Protein Packed Pizza!
And my personal favorite right now…..
Cookie dough = Protein Cookie Dough
BeyondFit’s Protein “Cookie Dough!”
- 1 can chick peas rinsed,
- 1 T coconut flour,
- 1 T oat flour,
- 1/8 C unsweetened applesauce,
- 1 scoop PB protein powder,
- 1/4 tsp vanilla and butter extract,
- 1 scoop chocolate protein powder,
- Stevia to taste,
- 4 T natural peanut-buttter
- 3-4 T unsweetened almond milk (add more by the T if needed).
Mix into food processor til smooth and…. ENJOY! 🙂
What were some of your pregnancy cravings?
Any healthy alternatives that you love? Comment below to share your favorites!
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P.S. Want More Fit Pregnancy Tips?
Your baby is a REASON to make a healthy choices priority… not an excuse for why you can’t!
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to a FIT PREGNANCY, join us over at the BeyondFit Life Club where I upload all of my personal workouts (100% safe during pregnancy) and share all the best fit mom recipes, tips & tricks!