Tell me your comparisons of TF vs no TF w/ pregnancy

[CookAMH]

I'm curious to hear many stories of those who had a TF pregnancy after a non TF pregnancy. I know there are many good differences! I have been converting to TF for the last month with more effort, though I've been drinking raw milk for about two years and haven't had much processed food during that time too. We may be TTC in 6 mo or so, and I know now is the time to fully change to TF.

With my first pregnancy, I always drank raw milk and followed the bradley diet off and on after the first trimester. I had regular nausea during the 1st try, gained 20lb cuz I ate starches and easy (ie bad) foods and had heartburn the entire time (I took zantac pretty regularly). I gained 50lb total and 30 came off within three weeks after the birth. I had a 9lb 2oz boy at 38w3d with great labor but it ended in an unplanned (and now as I see it, unnecessary) c-section because after two hours of transition he wasn't coming down, I tried pushing and that ended up him not coming down, looking posterior, me probably swelling, etc etc.

I've seen people mention having liver to build up B6 stores...did I recall that correctly or can someone expand on that? I might try organ delight in the short term as we try to incorporate eating liver into our diets.

Did you have less m/s if you had a TF diet before becoming pregnant?

[lakeruby]

subbing, 'cause I'm interested in this too!

[velcromom]

Well I wasn't fully TF with my last pregnancy but even so, there were some differences...

Ds (non TF but mostly whole foods during pg) has moderate tongue tie -a midline defect as I understand it - and it is affecting his teeth, turning in the lower bottom incisors. He also snores, which I suspect may be due to the same slight defect by causing something irregular in the structure of his sinuses. I had mild m/s with that pregnancy.

Dd (moderate TF, otherwise whole foods during pg) has no tongue tie at all. I had nothing beyond nausea during first trimester. She rarely snores. And for some reason her kneecaps are developing a lot earlier than ds's did, although I have no idea what causes that.

[gardenmommy]

I am on my second TF pregnancy. I am not super strict, by any means, but we do fairly well. Grass-fed beef, pastured poultry, raw grass-fed milk, raw cheeses, plenty of fats, local eggs, homegrown/local produce, etc. On the other hand, the only ferments I regularly eat are kefir and yogurt, mostly because I'm not in love with the sour taste. We still eat white flour (gasp!), the occasional bowl of cereal, and some unsoaked grains, and other junk food.

My first TF baby was 9 lbs. (my biggest baby), and very solid. Not fat, just bone and muscle solid. His was an easy pregnancy (nearly no nausea, felt good throughout, gained a TON of weight), but due to a lot of traveling (lots of sitting in the car), he was not positioned the best. I think the excessive weight gain was due to all the traveling we did, as well as the lack of control I had over all the different foods I ate. It made for a hard birth. However, he is pretty laid-back, has lovely facial structure, nicely spaced teeth, and is generally very healthy. He is still quite sturdy, and overall, is very handsome. Strangers often tell me how attractive he is.

Oddly, this pregnancy I've had more nausea and heartburn than with any of my other babies, which, compared to many women is still hardly any. I've gained about 30-35 lbs. at 32 weeks. Mostly, it's been an easy pregnancy, and I am expecting an easy birth.

[durafemina]

gained the same amount of weight with both pregnancies - about 16lbs - but TF baby was 1lb heavier (6lb10oz - a good size for me).

[PreggieUBA2C]

Originally Posted by CookAMH

Did you have less m/s if you had a TF diet before becoming pregnant?

This is my second TF pg, and the first of eight pgs that I've had m/s. It lasted from 4 weeks until the end of 10 weeks and I ate almost nothing during that time, losing 12 lbs. I'm almost 17 weeks and I am eating well again, but I have a cold now for a week that doesn't seem to want to budge, no doubt because I am depleted from so long fasting. I was taking a B complex in addition to eating b-rich foods, but that didn't help the nausea.

I have now gained those 12 lbs back and I'm measuring really big. Not sure what to think of all of this. I've been back to my TF diet for 6 weeks now and have been making up for lost time with way more broth, ferments, and organ meats than I would normally eat- and loads of leafy veggies too. I'm not putting on fat, except maybe in my boobs. They seem to be the only part getting all the butter I eat. Oh, and of course the baby too!

My first two babies didn't have the lovely jaw and tooth structure that ds3 (whole foods, lots of raw vegetable matter, raw dairy, fish, but not fully TF, though definitely leaning) and ds4 (fully TF pg) both have, but I began to give them lots of bone broth and their faces changed within 2 months. They changed shape completely from heart-shaped to square and it took longer for their teeth to space out, but they have and now ds1 has many adult teeth coming in with lots of hard, clear enamel (his milk teeth were pitted and brown) and straight with lots of room. Our friends couldn't believe their eyes when that two month face-change was happening, so we had to show them pics to validate their memories!

For my non-TF pgs, I did eat the Brewer amounts for protein and just ate animal fats and salt to taste, as well as veggies and fruits; I didn't keep track of that at all.

I eat much higher fat content foods now than I did when my others were born and in utero. I wonder if that is why I am not putting it on as much this time- no need to store what comes in regularly. But I have also been incidentally eating very low carb because of a serious aversion to anything sweet.

My non-TF babes were unnecaesarian section births and my freebirths of my almost TF and fully TF babes were easy and the babes weighed respectively 10lbs 3oz and 10lbs 8oz. The fully TF babe had a lot less chub and was very dense feeling- more like an older baby. All of my babes have had excellent muscle tone and held their heads up immediately, even my preemie (1st c/s oops )

Even despite m/s this time, I have never had this much energy while pg. Except for the waddle and big belly, I don't feel physically slowed down at all. I had no lead-head-stuck-to-the-pillow experience in the first trimester at all.

I wish you well TTC, op!

[Koalamom]

Pregnancy 1:
Vegetarian and finally eating meat in the last few months

Sick, sick, sick for months!
I was anemic and had no energy. Leg cramps all the time, and just wished the whole pregnancy was over. I woke up all night having to snack all 9 months to keep from throwing up.
Long labor too for days, pushing for hours.


Pregnancy 2:
Eating meat, and very TF. Cutting out allergens and supplementing better too.

No morning sickness and felt great the whole pregnancy!!
Not anemic either but close. Still I had so much energy. And I could go the whole night without eating!! No leg cramps.
Labor was fast and easy. My water broke at 5pm, midwife arrived when labor picked up at midnight. and baby arrived by 2am. Only a few pushes!


Going TF is so worth it!!

[ps4624]

nak

i'm saving this post for my hubby to read, but have a question first. what does m/s mean?

thanks

[CeciMami]

m/s = morning sickness

my 1st pregnancy (semi-whole food, not very TF) was great except I had to eat constantly to not throw up for about the first trimester. this pregnancy (waaaaay more TF (raw milk, liverwurst, nothing processed, all home-made) although not perfect...(don't eat out but do cook with white flour mixed with WW) i felt nauseous maybe for a couple days...that's it. other than a cold that I couldn't shake my whole first trimester, I've felt great overall, though just as tired during the 1st/2nd trimester as last time. I really think that being more TF this pregnancy has made a noticeable difference!

[AJP]

My pre-TF and TF pregnancies were virtually identical. The only significant difference was the with the pre-TF one, first-trimester nausea made me not want to eat at all, but with the TF one I felt the need to eat constantly to keep the nausea at bay enough to function (I never actually threw up either time, just felt like I was on the verge of it all my waking hours for the first trimester). Consequently I gained a little more weight the second time. The babies were nearly the same size at birth, 8 lb. 8 oz. and 8 lb. 13 oz., both births were uncomplicated, 12 hours start to finish, unmedicated. Pre-TF diet was mostly whole foods and organic, not SAD. Both babies had very bad enamel on primary teeth, older child has normal enamel on adult teeth (youngest still only has primary teeth).

[ginnybee]

I'm 36 weeks into my third pregnancy, first TF pregnancy. Changing my diet (on advice of my midwife) has made a world of difference! This was the first time I had m/s, but otherwise has been much, much better. My first 2 pregnancies (I was eating mostly organic, lots of whole foods, but not TF) were very uncomfortable. Both times I had to go on bedrest for the last 6 weeks due to low amniotic fluid. I also had really bad SI-joint pain that physical therapy couldn't relieve. My first was a c/s (breech) - 7 lbs. The second was a VBAC (4.5 days early labor, 29 hours active, pitocin, epidural, OP...) - 8 lbs, 12 oz. So glad I switched from OB to midwifery!
This time around my kid is measuring on track-big, and no evidence of low amniotic fluid. My SI joint bugs me and is only now becoming debilitating (as opposed to at 7 mos. the first 2 times around). We also can't afford copays on physical therapy this time around, so I'm really glad the hip probs showed up so much later. I gained about 35 lbs my first two pregnancies, and am coming close to that again. But I look much better - a lot less flab so the weight must be serving a better purpose this time around.

[treehugginhippie]

subbing