Baby on board: 'My body is shouting at me to ‘slow down’, but I can’t seem to find the brakes'

The final weeks of Operation Transformation were really busy and I can’t remember the last time I had two days off together. My body is shouting at me to ‘slow down’, but I can’t seem to find the brakes. I did manage to get to the chemist to pick up a stash of Galfer to boost my iron and hopefully energy levels.

It’s easy not to think about how you are going to feed yourself and baby when you are pregnant with so much focus on either being pregnant and /or childbirth. But it is a great time to get into some healthy eating habits, so that they are second nature when baby arrives. Understanding that healthy behaviours are just as important as eating healthy food will help you to establish successful health goals for you and your family.

Let’s look at some of those good habits that will stand to you as you become a mother...

Make the healthy habits easy to do:

Think of the ‘triggers’ that make your healthy habits easy to maintain. Even with very low motivation, if the changes you make are easy and you feel better for doing them, you will most likely keep doing them. For example, leave a water bottle on the kitchen counter each night before you go to bed so you don’t forget to bring it with you in the morning. If you have your water bottle with you, you will be more likely to drink water.

Move away from the all-or-nothing attitude to eating:

Persistence rather than perfection is what is needed for wellness. Everyone has a bad day, bad weekend, bad week with food. Forget about it — it’s over with. The most important thing is to get back on track as soon as you can.

Planning is key:

It is good to get into the habit of planning meals for the week — make a shopping list to match your meal plan, do one big food shop each week, and stick to your list.

Enjoy treats in moderation:

All too often people feel so guilty for what they are eating that they never get to actually enjoy the chocolate or biscuits that they eat. So the ultimate goal is to be able to enjoy a piece of cake at a party, or an ice cream on a hot sunny day without having to have two or three more that day.

Keep ‘treat’ foods out of the house — or at least out of sight:

This will help avoid mindless munching bags of crisps/chips, chocolate or biscuits. It is also a good idea to warn visitors not to bring biscuits/brownies etc or else ask them to take the leftovers with them. These type of foods are all too easy to snack on, especially when sleep deprived with a new baby.

Eat regularly:

Never ever skip meals. You should aim to eat within an hour of getting up in the morning. Each day should consist of three main meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and two snacks (mid morning and mid-afternoon). Snacks are a really important part of a healthy living plan as they will keep your energy levels topped up.

Choose quality over quantity:

Make sure to have healthy nourishing foods in your house that are easy to access and in plain sight.

Now, Let’s translate all of these tips into real-world terms. Here are some of my top tips when choosing what to eat:

• 1. Carbohydrates are not the enemy. But it is important to be smart about your carbohydrate choices and portions. We find carbohydrates in bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, fruit, fruit juice and milk. Aim to have wholegrain/wholewheat varieties (high in fibre) in place of refined / white varieties. Some great high fibre carbohydrate choices are: wholewheat/wholegrain bread/crackers/pita breads/wraps, wholewheat pasta and potatoes. For maximum energy, team your carbohydrate with protein at all meals and snacks.
• 2. Choose lean sources of protein. Protein is essential to build and repair the body. So as you can imagine protein is essential before, during and after pregnancy. The best choices are chicken, turkey, lean red meat, lean pork, tofu, eggs, nuts, peas and beans. Make sure to remove skin and any visible fat from meat choices.
• 3. Get your seven-a-day. We are recommended to eat seven portions of fruits and vegetables each day. Aim for two pieces of fruit and five portions of vegetables each day all of which are all packed with power nutrients to ensure good health for you and your baby.
• 4. Limit foods with added sugar. While sugar is not the villain it is often made out to be it is smart to limit foods/drinks such as regular fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits and sweets should be kept for special occasions. It is a good idea to keep these foods out of the house as they can be very tempting when you are low on energy and sleep deprived — instead have a fruit bowl on the counter.
• 5. Drink fluids regularly. Being well hydrated is even more important when you are pregnant and also in the weeks and months after your baby is born. Making milk is thirsty work. Water is best, aim 1½— 2 litres daily.

Once you are on maternity leave, use those last few weeks/days before baby arrives to build up a stash of healthy meals in the freezer. This will make life a lot easier, especially in the first few weeks of your new addition.

But by far the best tip I can give you is to invest in a good pizza cutter. This will ensure you can cut anything with one hand and baby in the other and will ensure healthy snacks are just as easy to grab as a biscuit!