1. Low Carb, Whole Foods Eating is Not Unhealthy - This of course is still widely debated online, but the science says low carb eating is the healthiest way to go. If you wouldn't trade eating right (low carb) for eating a low fat, low calorie diet when you're not pregnant, why would you be willing to fall back into a non-optimal way of eating when carrying a growing life in your womb?
2. Low Fat Diets are Dangerous to Mother and Child - Just as the low fat diet craze is dangerous and unhealthy in a non-pregnant state for a woman, think about how disastrous it is for a baby! Eating grains, sugars, and a diet low in fat robs the baby of key nutrients it needs to grow. In fact, you could be setting your offspring up to be obese and unhealthy for the rest of their lives by doing so. Here's a study that may be of interest to you: High Protein, Low-Carb Diet During Pregnancy Improved Triglycerides, Fat Metabolism In Offspring
3. Being Obese and Becoming Pregnant is a Dangerous Proposition - While obesity can be an issue with fertility in the first place, if an overweight woman does manage to get pregnant she runs a higher risk of developing preeclampsia and gestational diabetes, especially if she's not eating a proper low carb diet. It's best to lose weight before trying to become pregnant, but that's not because low carb is dangerous to follow while you're pregnant. It just means that you run a greater risk of problems with trying to get pregnant and complications for mother and baby if you get pregnant if you are not eating properly to begin with. So, if you are able to plan ahead, follow a low carb eating plan and get into the optimal range weight for a healthy pregnancy beforehand. By the way, a low carb diet is beneficial in helping women with PCOS, one of the main reasons why overweight women have fertility issues. Just more low carb food for thought. Another helpful link: My PCOS Journey: Low-Carb Eating as a Natural Cure
4. Losing Weight While Pregnant CAN Be Okay - But it depends on how it's done. Eating a low calorie, low fat diet to lose weight during pregnancy means starving yourself and your baby, and that's why it has always been recommended that women not lose weight or "diet" during pregnancy. Eating a diet rich in meats, vegetables and good fats, while shunning grains, starches and sugars (which is a low carb diet) means lacking for nothing nutritionally. If you are overweight and pregnant while eating low carb it could mean you will lose fat while you are pregnant. This does no harm to mother and baby, as a low carb diet is not lacking in nutrients, it simply means your body is using excess fat stores. Here are some excellent links on the subject:
Low-Carbohydrate Diets and LOSING Weight while Pregnant
Optimal Diet and Nutrition for Healthy Pregnancy
5 Primal Superfoods for Fertility and Pregnancy
5. Low Carb Eating During Pregnancy May Help with Morning Sickness - For many, adhering to a low carb way of eating may help deter morning sickness. For anyone who has suffered through this during pregnancy, this is truly a godsend!
Low-carb gynecologist
High Carb Diets Can Cause Morning Sickness
The bottom line: Do not fear good, whole, low carb foods while pregnant. This is your chance to bring a healthy, happy, beautiful new human into the world. Go low carb and give your child, and yourself, every advantage of good health!
ETA: A commenter in a Facebook group where I posted this link suggested pregnant women explain their diet to their doctor's like she has: tell them you "focus on whole foods, low sugar, variety of meats, veggies, dairy, etc...they are in total agreement with the description of what I actually eat, but not with the 'low carb' label."
I think that's a very sound idea!
Labels: fertility, healthy pregnancy, infertility, low carb pregnancy, paleo pregnancy, PCOS, pregnancy, primal pregnancy
