So I was thinking about this morning sickness thing.
Originally, I was on board with the doctors, and KNEW I had to take in 2300 calories a day to reach my weight gain goal for this trimester. After all, ketones, released when your body burns fat, can brain damage the developing baby! Then I got really vomit-y and gave up. I am now relegated to eating a bowl of plain cooked pasta with salt.. per day. And I'm lucky if I keep down my whole 20 oz. Dasani. And I don't care. I like to think that my body, with its countless years of evolution all written down in every strand of DNA, knows more about making a baby than some 20-something man with a general medical degree.
Over half a decade ago, babies were taken immediately from their birthing mothers and put into incubators and left there, alone, for lengthy amounts of time. Doctors meant to protect newborns from the newly-discovered microorganisms in the world... they meant well. However, the catastrophe that ensued speaks volumes about medicine interfering with natural processes like childbirth.
Many newborns got sick, lethargic, and even deathly ill. Some babies literally died from loneliness. From this debacle came the studies that Attachment Parenting would bloom from, and even today, psychoanalysts are working miracles with Attachment Theory.
But doctors, haven't you learned your lesson?! I know you want to fuss at me for losing weight while my baby is wanting to pack on tons of fluid and such, but have you been pregnant? My body quite obviously does not want to gain fat right now. And I think it may know what it's doing. After all, the world is filled with toxins (don't I know it- I wrote a 6-page outline on toxin awareness for the Green & Granola business plan) and right now my baby is at its most vulnerable. I'm sure it doesn't need high-fructose corn syrup or bleached wheat or preservatives. Unfortunately, they're in every damn thing and my body knows it! So slow your roll, doc. I'm going to trust my body over you.
While we're at this, I'm going to say a bit about drinking during pregnancy. I got to wondering about why my friend's glass of Chardonnay smelled so blissfully amazing while every other smell makes me want to barf, and did some Googling...
Actually, I'm not going to say anything; I'm going to link you this article: Lies That Women Are Told.
You can bet that as soon as I make my 2nd trimester I am RUNNING to Whole Foods for some Chardonnay!
I'm with you on agreeing that the US particularly really promotes a fear mentality with pregnant women. I'll be having that occassional glass of wine and sushi as well.
ReplyDeleteAnd good luck with eating well, despite the nausea and do that for yourself rather than the doctor's mandatory calorie. That sounds like bogus. Your body will hopefully take care of it's needs.
Good luck!
This is an interesting article about weight gain and pregnancy: http://www.weightymatters.ca/2010/01/obesity-weight-gain-and-pregnancy-are.html.
ReplyDeleteOn another side of losing weight,
If women get pregnant who can lose a few pounds and start to eat healthy and take care of themselves and in turn, lose fat, they are doing their bodies much better.