Any reason not to go low-carb while pregnant?

[Smokering]

I'm just shy of 30 weeks pregnant. My flatmate and DH are both wanting to lose weight, and want to start a low-carb diet (probably as close to no-carb as we can reasonably manage).

I wouldn't mind joining in - not for weight loss purposes, but eating fewer carbs and more protein, fats and veggies certainly seems like a good idea while pregnant, on the face of it anyway. Carbs convert to sugar, which isn't good for me or the baby - right?

So is there any medical reason not to? I don't have to join in on their diet - I'll make low-carb dinners (and other meals for DH, he works from home), but I can easily add a slice to bread to soup, or make rice just for me, or whatever.

We also have a three-year-old - any reason she couldn't/shouldn't be low-carb? This is sort of new territory for me...

[LSUtwinMama]

Low carb/no carb diets put your body in ketosis. Ketones while pregnant supposedly effect the fetal brain development in a negative way.

If done properly with lots of green veggies and whole grains, a moderate low carb diet can be super health and good for your developing baby.

[newcastlemama]

I have done a TF paleo diet for over 4 years and even though I was eating some berries, honey, and lots of veggies I still had ketones in my urine when I was pregnant with DD. It was the only way I could eat and feel good so I did not worry about it. It was a very healthy pregnancy and baby. My midwife was not worried at all.

[Bokonon]

It is my understanding that low-carb diets can be taxing on the kidneys, which is especially concerning during pregnancy.

[weliveintheforest]

I think low carb is good for pregnancy, as long as we are just talking about refined carbs (bread, pasta, sugar) and not limiting fruit and veggies.  You could always keep an eye on your ketones if that worries you.  I think it would also be fine for your dd.  I would prefer to eat low carb or even paleo but I have no will-power to avoid sugar and grains unless it is convenient.

[erigeron]

I wouldn't do it. Low-carb is counter-productive for a pregnant woman's metabolic needs. Carbs=sugar=bad is somewhat oversimplistic; carbs do indeed convert to glucose, but glucose is the metabolic fuel your body runs on and is great in appropriate amounts. Your body will make glucose out of carbs if you eat them; in the absence of carbs it'll make glucose out of protein; in the absence of either, it'll start working on your body fat. That may be what a non-pregnant adult wants, but in pregnancy, you don't want to be burning your protein for fuel unless you're eating soooooo much protein you have plenty to spare. Your body needs that protein to make baby. Same for a child like your daughter--she needs the protein for body growth. If you reduce your carb intake you want to make sure you and she are getting enough calories overall so your bodies have enough protein available for growth.

The main premise behind low-carb diets is that protein and fat are more satiating, leading to the consumption of fewer calories overall, and that's not what you want. It is true that it's easy for a person to eat a lot of white bread, sweets, etc., which burn quickly, make them hungry again, and they end up eating more calories overall. Further, these products don't tend to have much nutritional value apart from calories. So reducing one's intake of those foods is generally smart. But giving your body some of the calories it needs in the form of brown rice, whole-grain pasta/bread/cereal, etc. provides vitamins, some protein, and fiber as well, and burns longer so you aren't having unpleasant spikes and dips in your blood sugar.

[Smokering]

Well, that makes a lot of sense! From what our flatmate was saying - he's following the official Atkins diet - the first few weeks are an "induction" phase, during which you cut out carbs completely, and after that you can add some back in. So I'll definitely add some carbs for me and DD during the induction phase, and see just how low-carb the diet is after that.

I will use this as an opportunity to cut back on sugar, though. We eat too much of it, mainly in the form of home baking and ice cream. If I'm getting my carbs from wholemeal bread and brown rice instead, well, so much the better!

Thanks for the thoughts. :)

[KittyKat]

I agree that going super low-carb is not a good idea while pregnant.

Cutting out refined sugar and eating more whole foods/whole grains IS a good idea. Most low carb "diets" restrict the intake of fruits, and I do not agree with that for pregnancy.

My hubby and I were eating lower carb last year to get in better shape, especially for him, he's got a major family history of type 2 diabetes, and all the other risk factors as well. I've continued to try to avoid sugar and eat more veggies while I'm pregnant. I don't think I've been shedding ketones, my midwife hasn't made any mention of it, but at close to 17 weeks I have yet to start gaining weight, despite "cheating" on the sugar here and there, and not exercising as often as I should (I'll go 3x in one week, and then the next week it will be cold and rainy and I won't do any vigorous exercise beyond the usual trips up and down stairs for laundry).

[HawaiianBlesing]

I would steer clear of Atkins diet pregnant or not pregnant.  It's very taxing on the body and if done improperly could lead to kidney problems. 
 

I see a nutritionist and he's of the school of thought what is right for John isn't necessarily right for Mary or Mike.  Everyone's bodies are different and require different things nutritionally.

DH and I are on the same lifestyle change but eat a little bit differently.  He's can have 2 carb meals a day and is permitted to have raw dairy.  His body is different than mine and so is his metabolism (we had our hair analyzed for mineral content, deficiencies, heavy metals etc about a year before  I got pregnant)

I'm on a "low carb" lifestyle.  I'm allowed 1 carb meal a day but it has to be "healthy" carbs--nothing processed, no white flour, preferably not a potato.  I make gluten free bread or sprouted bread and that is acceptable.  We eat brown rice pasta or brown rice.  We are permitted to have fruits and vegetables.  Fruits are a bit limited and to be eaten whole not juiced but not restricted (10x the amt of sugar in juice vs whole fruit).  We can have unlimited vegetable juice which we make in our Vitamix.  Salads or vegetable are encouraged at every meal. 

We practice a method called food combining.  It's very interesting and make a lot of sense for us.  Basically the food groups weren't designed to digest simultaneously in your digestive system.  So we eat proteins with vegetable but not with carbs or fats.  Carbs are eaten with vegetables but can be eaten with fats.  Dairy should be raw and consumed alone.  Fruits should be consumed alone.

It's an interesting methodology if you can get into it.  It was difficult at first but once we got the hang of it, it was very easy to do.  DH dumped 50lbs in 90 days and I dumped 30.  Weight loss was a side benefit for us.  We mostly made this change because we didn't like the way food was making us feel--dumpy, lethargic, headaches etc.

I was a chronic migraine sufferer until I made this change.  Now I only get the occasional headache.

[lifeguard]

HawaiianBlesing hit the nail on the head imo. Every body is different & we need to find what our body needs & can handle. Ds & I are also both seeing a nutritionist. The most shocking thing to me is that he is eating more than double what I am & we have similar goals. I always ate less but certainly not that much less - my 2 year old now eats more than me. But you know what I do feel a LOT better. We've also cut dairy, all sugars & all refined carbs. In the process I've learned that I really do suffer from a carb addiction when I have them - but dh doesn't have this problem at all - which means he can have some & be ok whereas it takes very little to send me into a total tailspin.

[fertilemyrtle]

Originally Posted by weliveintheforest 

I think low carb is good for pregnancy, as long as we are just talking about refined carbs (bread, pasta, sugar) and not limiting fruit and veggies.  You could always keep an eye on your ketones if that worries you.  I think it would also be fine for your dd.

I agree with this.   I think lower "bad" carbs, but keep some whole grains, and certainly fruits and veggies!   These will give you the nutrients (vitamins and minerals) that are so lacking in our modern food supply, which is what you want to start your baby off with.   I always worry when low-carb means no fruit - doesn't seem right to leave out those powerhouses of nutrition!

[lifeguard]

Accept that, Fertilemyrtle, for those of us with blood sugar concerns fruit is quite high in sugar & often is not worth what it does to our blood sugars. Again, it's knowing what you're body can handle.

[fertilemyrtle]

Lifeguard, that's true.   I thought of editing my comment afterwards - when you have a GD issue, looking at the glycemic load of a fruit may be prudent for you.   But for me, in general, I think 1-3 servings a fruit for the average pregnant woman is a nutrition boon.  

[Smokering]

I should probably confess that I hardly ever eat fruit. I don't like it. Well, I do like some fruits, but I have a mental block about them or something. I do eat lots of veggies! Anyway, DH and Flatmate have started their regime, and I've been eating more or less what they eat, with "extras" - Flatmate added carrots to my dinner last night, and I'm currently munching on some homemade apricot bread before DH gets up and wants his bacon and eggs. :p

Thanks for all the advice!

[Shami]

I was eating Atkin's style and got pregnant. They recommend you go directly to the last phase when pregnant or nursing. Last phase includes, greek yogurt, tons of veggies, legumes, low glycemic fruits like berries, starchy veggies like squash and sweet potatoes. Excellent diet in my book. Protein is normal amount...about 4-6 ounces per meal. Actually the nutritionist on the atkins website said 150 grams of protein while pregnant. Atkins is not HIGH protein. It is high fat, moderate protein, and controlled carbs meaning mostly from veggies. When i started atkin's i could not believe how many veggies i ate in a day. I'd put my daily menu up against any vegetarian and i bet i eat more veggies. there is a new book that is called The New Atkins for a New You. it is more updated and backed up by research. atkins is not about meat eggs and cheese. On my plate, every meal, i ate mostly veggies with my 4 to 6 ounces of protein and a 1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil or butter on my veggies. i never felt healthier or more energized. The reason they don't recommend you to go into ketosis while preg. is because there isn't enough research proving if it is healthy or not. they don't know enough to have a clear recommendation. i suspect it is okay because pre agriculture the hunter gatherers weren't eating grains. But i am on the cautious side. Just add the right kind of carbs in the form of whole, unprocessed foods.

[Shami]

I meant to put this link...the official atkin's website complete with an onsite nutritionist named Colette.  You can write attn: colette in your thread and she will answer.

http://www.atkins.com/Homepage.aspx

EDIT:  if you eat more than 50 grams of carbs you will not be in ketosis...less than 50 and you are automatically in ketosis.  Some good free online trackers are fitday.com and fatsecret.com

[Smokering]

When i started atkin's i could not believe how many veggies i ate in a day. I'd put my daily menu up against any vegetarian and i bet i eat more veggies.

You're not kidding! I had to go out shopping again today... I was expecting to have to buy heaps of meat, but I'm amazed by the quantities of produce we're going through.

Dinner tonight is Brussels sprouts, broccoli, wong bok and green beans steamed in chicken stock and then sizzled in a bit of duck fat; and steak. Unfortunately my usual marinade is no good - it has brown sugar in it. Yesterday we had steak for lunch, and I tried making a sugar-free marinade with red wine vinegar, mustard and tomato paste. Yeah... no. It was vile. So today I've marinated mine in my usual recipe, and DH and Flatmate can just have plain old unmarinated steak.

Apparently DH is liable to get crabby during the next two days while he gets used to low-carbing. Won't that be fun! :p He's been pretty good so far, just pitifully moaning for chocolate or marshmallows every so often. He watched a documentary about the evils of sugar this afternoon, though, and kept coming out and telling me all these factoids... to which I was all "I KNOW, I've been telling you that for months, you need to read Nourishing Traditions!". But hey, at least it's sinking in. :p At 3PM he came to the staggering conclusion that Coke is bad for you. Yes, dear.

[Shami]

Yep, my frig is stocked full of....veggies! my dh is complaining there is no room in the fridge due to all the veggies. Check out this website for easy recipes. You'll probably have most ingredients on hand or at least easy to get. Simple yummy recipes. http://www.genaw.com/lowcarb/index.html The cravings will pass soon and your hubby will be amazed at all the energy he has. To help...give him at least 2 cups of chicken broth to drink everyday or 1/2 an avocado daily. He needs to keep up his salt intake and potassium. He will lose a lot of water and electrolytes in the first week. This can make a person feel fatigued and crabby and head achy, but it only lasts a few days. Sugar is like a drug...there are withdrawal symptoms. So glad he's eating all his veggies because some people think it's a low veggie diet...so not true. I lived on the Atkin's website for weeks and learned a lot. The two most common problems for people not losing on atkins was not enough veggies and not enough fat. Fat is your friend. Cook with enough fat that it doesn't stick to the pan. Then add a tablespoon of butter or olive oil to your veggies. Fat is his main fuel source. Here is another great documentary. It's political, funny, and informative. It's called Fathead. you can watch if free on HULU. Another great author to learn why fat is your friend when combined with a low carb diet is Gary Taubes. His latest book is Why WE GET FAT. It's good for laypeople. if you like more scientific details you can check out his other book, Good Calories, Bad Calories. There is a couple who have done a lot in this area...Eades is their name. Oh and love Nourishing Traditions!!! Did you see the latest Weston A. Price media release countering the latest USDA guidelines? In the US the government comes out with guidelines for how we should eat and they force it on the public school system. The guidelines are horribly unhealthy for children and Weston A. Price foundation experts KICKED BUTT with all their info. They gave their rebuttal with the best guidelines for nutrition especially for children...so fascinating.