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Increased Hunger During Pregnancy: Reasons and Remedies

A lot has been said about pregnancy cravings. All of us are familiar with the image of a pregnant woman wanting to eat something that she did not previously like. At the same time, the urge for eating that particular thing is so strong that the pregnant woman wants it right then and there. However, the fact remains that there is indeed a lot more to it than what meets the eye. Although none of us can deny the pregnancy cravings for some food item that is unexpected, the fact is even at a general level there is a greater hunger pang. There might be times when the pregnant woman just feels that she needs to eat something right then and there.

This lesser spoken about aspect of pregnancy is what we are going to discuss in this article today. This sudden increase in appetite is observed mainly in the second trimester. By then the morning sickness of the initial months must have faded away and your body is not uncomfortably huge yet. The exact point in the second trimester when this excessive hunger strikes varies from women to women. In fact, in extreme cases, some women start experiencing this right from the first trimester itself. We shall talk about the causes for this and suggest you measures to deal with the same.

hunger during pregnancy first trimester

Reasons for increased hunger during pregnancy

As is obviously the case here, the fact that you are now sustaining another life within yourself means that your body needs a greater amount of nutrition. The usual dose of food and other vital nutrients that you took is no longer enough. The body's way of telling you to increase your intake of food is through the hunger pangs. This is nature's way of ensuring that you and your baby get all the nutrition that you deserve.

Remedies for increased hunger during pregnancy

  • Plan Your Calorie Intake
  • Break Your Meal
  • Practice Healthy Snacking
  • Check Your Calcium Intake
  • Eat Slowly
  • Do Not Skip Breakfast
  • Drink Enough Water

• Plan Your Calorie Intake

It is understood that since you are sustaining more than one life now, it is important for you to eat more. However, you should know how much more to eat. That is why it is a good idea to plan your calories. In your first and second trimester you will need 300 extra calories whereas in the last three months you will need about 450 more. Thus, make a diet plan keeping this in mind and have the self control to stick to your plan.

. Break Your Meal

Instead of having three large meals in the entire day, it is advisable that you opt for 6 or 7 smaller meals. Doing this will ensure that your meals are not spaced very far apart from each other. This will not leave much time for your hunger pangs to build up to that of severe hunger. Naturally, this will save you from the discomfort associated with the same and make sure that you do not eat more than what is necessary.

• Practice Healthy Snacking

It is natural that when you experience the pangs of hunger, you will end up eating. Make efforts to ensure that what you eat is healthy and that you are not putting on unnecessary calories. Keep things like yogurt, fruits and sprouts handy at all times to help you deal with your sudden hunger pangs. At the same time try to ensure that you do not stock things like chips, cookies or other food items. Doing that will tempt you to consuming that and that is not healthy either for you or your baby. Realise that when you are hungry you will not have very good self control and that is why it is important for you to be prepared of the same.

. Check Your Calcium Intake

One of the possible causes of excessive hunger pangs in pregnancy is calcium deficiency in the diet. Thus, one of the best way to deal with the excessive hunger is to increase your intake of dairy products. If you are someone who is lactose intolerant, you may opt for goat milk products in order to meet your daily dose of nutrition. Once the calcium content is taken care of, chances are that your excessive hunger pangs will go away on its own.

• Eat Slowly

This has nothing to do with pregnancy and is true in the case of any human being. The fact is that when a person eats very fast, the human body does not realize that it is full until it is quite late. By then a lot of extra food would have gotten into the body that was not necessary. In pregnancy since the occurrence of hunger pangs are all the way more common, it is advisable for a person to eat slowly in order to ensure that she does not end up eating more than what is necessary. Thus, it will be wise on your part to make conscious efforts to slow down your pace of eating.

. Do Not Skip Breakfast

Due to conditions like morning sickness and nausea, pregnant women often end up skipping their first meal of the day. This not only takes a toll on their health but also make them feel weak and lethargic throughout the day. This is also one of the most common cause of hunger pangs that are experienced throughout the day. Thus, if you want to deal with the severe hunger that pregnancy brings along, the first step would be to ensure that you have a nutritional breakfast irrespective of how sick you feel.

• Drink Enough Water

As strange as it sounds, one of the most common causes of excessive hunger during pregnancy is the fact that the body lacks fluids. Also, drinking of water will make you feel full which will in turn stop you from overeating. A pregnant woman should ideally consume 10 cups of fluids. This includes water, tea, coffee or any other beverage. Make sure that you stick to this so that your body does not lose out on the essential nutrients that are needed for a healthy pregnancy.

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