TF and pregnant mama's thread

[ema-adama]

I remember seeing one of these ages ago, and wonder if we should start a new one, or stick with the old one? Is there anyone else interested?

[peaceful_mama]

SURE why not? (another home waterbirther here too by the way!)

[ltlmrs]

I'm not pregnant yet, but we're praying about it right now so I'll join.

This is a great idea!

[ema-adama]

Oooh, yay. I forgot I had started this thread.

At the moment I am brainstorming ways to get my FCLO down. I gag and it's just not going down. I am actually terrified of trying again Any tips?

Also, I am interested to know how often pregnant mums are eating liver.

I am not taking prenatals, and am relying on my liver consumption to meet my folate needs, as well as my zinc needs. I got so sick taking prenatals with my last pregnancy that I stopped at about 6-7 weeks. I also prefer folate to folic acid after doing some reading. So I decided to just not take them this time around. My diet is really good now - grain free, organic. Kinda Paleo, but I think I'm closer to 150- 200 g carbs as I do have two pieces of fruit a day, and the yoghurt.

I am also very ambivalent about milk. I am making 24 hour fermented yoghurt from organic pasteurised, homogenised milk. I know that is considered a most evil transgression within TF circles, however, I only have access to raw goat milk, and I have no idea how I would get that down. If I made yoghurt and then cream cheese from that yoghurt, is there still any benefit to the raw milk? I really REALLY do not like the taste of goat milk. I would need to have lots of garlic and fresh herbs to disguise it.

Thankfully so far my nausea is really mild, but I'm only in my 6th week... so early days. Last time I really suffered horribly with morning (all day) sickness.

[dentmom]

Hi. Newly PP and nursing here!

[chattyprincess]

Due in July here with #2. I am really struggling with my protein amounts! I just do not feel any call to eat it. I am a usually avid meat eater and find this bothersome. Beans don't appeal and eggs can only make up so much of my slack. This is really stinky having to purposefully THINK about eating something! I am craving grains like crazy and I know its from all the sugar/grains I have been consuming lately(thank you junk food gods...not!) I don't neccesairly eat grain free but I try not to eat more then say 1-2servings of wheat a day...I find if I eat more I crave more sugar and the evil cycle begins!
I bought some high powerd pro biotics today and started taking those and am attempting to break my own self made evil cycle!
I usually love cooking but I am finding that with this pregnancy I have not imagination or motivation to cook/make anything. It really stinks!
How are you ladies all doing?

[ltlmrs]

Chattyprincess and ema-adama, I totally understand where you're coming from! Last time around I was sick all day and couldn't hold anything down. I'm so scared that this time it will be the same. I'm hoping that if I eat well now, pre-conception, it will help some, but oh I'm so worried. Everything spiralled out of control last pregnancy and now I have a kid to take care of! I also have a problem with sugar and the last time around I craved big macs constantly (ew ew ew!).

I'll definitely send some good vibes along your way!

[abharrington]

another preg mama here anyone have a rec for a prenatal? i know lots of th TF mamas pass...but i thought there was one brand that those who take them like...does Rainbow lite ring any bells? i am trying, but the TF diet is not its best these days.


for the op making yogurt...there are lots of benefits to raw milk even if you cook it!! the ultrapasturization is so damaging to the proteins, as well as is the homogenization. so i would go for it if it is avaliable...and making yogurt is a great way to get it down. i can do the yogurt but not the milk so much, right now.

[suzukiaustin]

Originally Posted by ema-adama

My diet is really good now - grain free, organic. Kinda Paleo, but I think I'm closer to 150- 200 g carbs as I do have two pieces of fruit a day, and the yoghurt.

I'm eating the same way, but I can't even get the fruit down. I was feeling great at first but now I'm feeling pretty tired and crummy. I'm wanting some grains but I haven't had them in so long and I know I'll feel even worse if I eat them.

Used to take my liver daily but gag at the thought now. Hopefully I'll want to again soon. I'm 10 weeks right now.

I'm eating some protein for every meal and I'm trying to eat a veggie with every meal too. I don't want much food...just don't like it right now. I hope I get over this soon.

We can try to keep motivating each other to keep up this way of eating. Just give me a few weeks to get back to normal. I hope you stay sick-free this first trimester!!

Congratulations, everyone. Looking forward to our TF pregnancy journey together.

[CSS]

I am almost paleo but I do high fat dairy. Just found out I am due in December which was completely unplanned. I am taking my FCLO, but I completely understand what you mean about the gag. I need to eat more liver, but haven't yet. I have a lot of lamb hearts in the freezer and a few more chicken livers I believe, so I will get on with the eating of those. I'm also taking vit D and adding minerals to my water and so far feeling great. But I'm only 5 weeks, so lots of time for that to change. Actually today I had some soy free dark chocolate and that made we feel off-so now I'm done with that "treat". My husband is type 2 diabetic, so we monitor our glucose carefully. Glad to have other pregnant mama's to discuss healthy diet with!

[lakeruby]

I'm not pg yet either (hi ltlmrs!) but I'm hoping to be sometime this year. I'm also kind of new to TF, but have been doing the raw dairy thing (almost exculsively) for the past year, and now I eat soaked oatmeal most mornings, but so far I have always forgotten to plan ahead and soak other grains, like rice or quinoa, for dinner. I've been really busy with my job and when I get home at night I just kind of crash and ignore all the lists I've made during the day of what I need to do at night to prepare meals for the next day!

I have been decreasing my sugar intake, and have quit my coffee habit (I do drink a cup of black tea a day still, though...) and started drinking daily herbal infusions of nettles or oatstraw. I also have been taking CLO (and now FCLO and butter oil) for about a year. I also have recently started eating some meat, after being a veg for 15 yrs. So... big changes! But I know I still have a long way to go. I still feel that something is missing, so I'm continuing on this TF path. Thanks for all the inspiration and support that I find here!

Next on my list of things to tackle: Liver (I'm thinking of trying the Raidant Life Co Liver pills...any thoughts?), soaking grains, and bone broths!

[ema-adama]

Hi CSS - you're in the same DDC as me?

Tiredness has set in - and my brain is just not working....

I have thought about liver capsules - but can't get them here, and I am not sure they would get trough customs. Toinight I am going to try mix them in with the mince and herbs I am using to stuff my bell peppers.... first time I am trying it, I hope they are yummy

I need to be making bone broths, but can't get organic bones, so I keep putting it off (although I make a weekly chicken stock from my organic chicken).

I am loving the 24 hr fermented yoghurt, and playing with the idea of making yoghurt from goats milk, and then making the yoghurt into cheese with lots of herbs, garlic and olive oil. There is a local cheese made just like that... I just don't have any way to eat it, as I don't eat grains.... hmmm. I'll no doubt be procrastinating some more on that.

I was vegetarian for 10 years, and then ate meat in tiny doses when eating out of our home for 7 years and now I am eating a lot more of it - including preparing it at home. It is quite weird for me. I still haven't quite wrapped my head around it - other than that I feel much better physically eating like this.

Oh, and I have been forgetting to eat my kimchi and haven't ordered my probiotics yet. I do have a simpler one that I am taking at the moment

Way to go on reducing the sugar lakeruby, that's such a biggy, and I reckon half the job when it comes to improving your nutrition.

suzukiaustin, I am not terribly hungry at the moment, and feel really guilty if I miss a meal as I am just too tired to prepare it/have fallen asleep. How often do you plan to eat liver?

ltlmrs , I hope things do not spiral out of control this time for you. Last time I lived on pasta during my first trimester - anything carb every couple of hours was the best at keeping the ms at bay.

abharrington, I have no advice about the prenatals. Last time I tried and they made me so sick. This time I am relying on my diet. I hope someone comes along who can advise you

chattyprincess, that's so hard to break the cycle with carbs/processed food. I hope the probiotic helps you

Hi dentmom. I'm nursing too....

[skyerae]

Perfect time for this thread. I'm 11 weeks along and due in November. I've known about TF for almost a year and have been making many small changes. Had a backtrack when we moved out to the lake as we now share a kitchen and meals with our parents. I cannot always control what they buy/cook, and as they tell me they are older and set in their ways. *sigh* They do better than most would do, I'm grateful for that.

We'll be moving back into town for the winter (am not going to attempt a newborn in cloth diapers in a shack with no running water, bathroom or reliable heat). So, I will be able to avoid some of the pitfalls I've been struggling with soon. The biggest of which is that I can avoid buying foods very easily and will only cook with good food, but when I am hungry for a snack and theres a bag of Kettle Chips my mom bought just sittting on the counter I have a hard time saying no. My sister was visiting for a few days and that was hell, she is a junk food junkie and brought home treats every time she went to the store. ACK.

I was taking a prescription prenatal for a couple of weeks, because this was a bit unexpected and I was worried about how much I was still nursing. I ordered Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Prenatals and am taking those now, along with FCLO (I put my dose in a small bowl of applesauce) and HVBO. I will also soon start on Floradix I think. Haven't done research on it since learning about TF, but used it when I was anemic after delivery. I try to eat grass fed liver or other organ meats once a week. Luckily my FIL likes liver, though he would prefer I buy the cheaper stuff. LOL The only other thing I should work on for sure is a good source of probiotics. We eat a good store bought yogurt, but that's it.

I found out today that I have a little bit of a bladder infection. My Dr. was pretty good about letting it slide for a few days while I try to get rid of it. But she gave me the prescription for the antibiotic just in case. Anyone got remedies for a bladder infection? I'm looking some up now. At the moment I'm drinking plenty of water, cranberry pills with d-mannose, cranberry juice, blueberries, and I will try a little baking soda in my water this afternoon. Otherwise I will take the antibiotics and find a good probiotic with them. Though that might be tricky where I live. Very rural, redneck Canada.

Looking forward to sharing the journey with you all.

[Vaquitita]

i'm due in august. this pregnancy was a surprise and there are some things good and some things bad about it. on the good side i have been eating tf for 4 years now, which is a plus. there will be 3 years between this baby and my last, so my body has had more time to recover, a plus. on the down side i was not doing too good at eating tf over last summer while we were doing some kitchen remodeling. another minus, money has gotten tighter and tighter. i'm not drinking any raw milk this time around. and while sometimes i can get organic or pastured meat, lots of times we're eating tj's cheap stuff. sigh...

i have started taking a few liver 'pills' each day again. I'm also taking FCLO and HVBO (I was off these for a month or more while too nasueas) and a whole foods multi prescribed by my chiropractor. it is tempting to take the free prenatal and iron the medi-cal clinic gives out, rather than spend money on the good stuff.

[APBTlover]

Hi, mamas! This thread is perfect. I'm due with our first in October, and although I was really getting into the TF thing (also trying to go low grain, but not eliminate them altogether), morning sickness and general revulsion toward anything formerly recognized as food kind of derailed that for several weeks. I'm feeling better now, but still haven't managed to get my diet where it needs to be.

chattyprincess, I'm right there on the protein thing. I know, intellectually, that I need it, and I admit I often feel better when I get it down, but it is just not one bit appealing to me most days (other days... find me a steak! lol). I am also not big on milk or yogurt so pretty much the extent of my dairy intake is pastured butter and small amounts of cheese. I sometimes manage to sneak some yogurt into a smoothie, too. It's just not enough and I know it. Blah.

I am cooking a turkey breast tonight, though, with plans to eat plenty of it for lunches (on soaked rolls... I am going to experiment with the "Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" recipe). I will probably taper off on the grains later on but for now I'm lucky just to get adequate calories.

[chattyprincess]

APBT...gald to have a company on my anti protein boat. Its really stinking!
skyrae...Yeah I totally hear you. If its not in my house I do NOT eat it, I won't buy it or eat it at a friends. But if its presence is detected in my house down the hatch it goes! My self control was FAB until I got pregnant! Hows the bladder infection going? I am a huge proponet of treating bladder infections while pregnant...(with abx) I just am to scared to do anything else. There are alot of things you can try but when pregnant they tend to skyrocket out of control faster then when your not. But good luck and let us know what you do and how it works out!!! Btw I am in ontario and found "natural factors" double strength probitotics and am loving them!

I take rainbow light prenatals but couldnt' take ANY brand of vitamins (of any type) my first 14 weeks or so...they made my nasuea so much worse! After that I started taking them every other day and worked up to every day. It was awful. I also just ate anything that appealed to me, even junk. I could barely eat anything and was so happy when food would actually sound good!

I am still super struggling with the junk food/sugar thing. Tomorrow I am cracking down on myself and saying NO MORE! Got that self? got it!
Attempting to find the motivation to cook/be prodcutive in my kitchen as well...sigh..

[ema-adama]

I have just gone off meat and eggs.... Which leaves me with my veggies, yoghurt, cheese, nuts and fruit.... I hope this does not last long... I am craving sweet (dates), which makes me think carbs are just the best comfort food when you are feeling miserable.

[Gladiolus]

*waves* I'm due in July.
I've been doing TF for about a year (well, as much as I possibly can - sometimes the pastured meat is too expensive but we get it when we can) The only thing I'm still struggling with is the white-flour pasta. Especially when the kids want homemade mac and cheese! It's so tasty how can I refuse. I'm trying to do no more than 1 white pasta meal a week but even that is hard some weeks.
I'm going to try to make cottage cheese soon with our raw milk (very curious how this will turn out since I love cottage cheese but I don't want to buy the pasteurized store stuff anymore). I've also been eating egg salad (made with NT mayo) like it's going out of style.
In the beginning with the sweet-tooth I found some local raw honey and would have a spoonful whenever I needed a quick pick-me-up or a sweet craving - worked very well for me on both accounts.
I have like 3 quart size jars of homemade beef bone broth that I'm assuming will go bad sooner than later but I don't know what to do with it anymore! Any ideas?

[tanyalynn]

Originally Posted by abharrington

another preg mama here anyone have a rec for a prenatal?

Consider Thorne. Available lots of places online, generally good forms of vitamins and minerals, easy to absorb, and they have real folate instead of folic acid. Folic acid seems ok for some people, but others absorb real folate a lot better, and it's hard to tell which you are til after you start having folate-related health problems. They've got mineral supps too, if you want more minerals than the prenatal or the regular multivit (Basic Nutrients is what they're called).

Just lurking, really, back to your regular crew...

[tribord]

Pregnant with #2 here, and been moving into traditional foods for the last year and a half or so (ever since DD started solids). Before I got pregnant (unplanned and a big surprise but very much wanted) we were probably about 80% TF.

First trimester was a disaster for me and my family. I couldn't even stand to open the refridgerator let alone cook anything. We ate out a lot and at home were very light on the veggies and meat due to my food aversions. DD is still asking for spaghetti months later!

Trying to get back on track and a little nervous about how much I will be able to keep up with TF with a new baby in the house. I'm not a great cook and I don't like cooking... huge problem when trying to do TF!