Increased Hunger during Pregnancy. Pregnancy is a process that women experience many changes both physically and mentally. The level of hormones in women’s body also increases in pregnancy. Changes in hormones make themselves feel like nausea or over-eating. The baby begins to grow especially after the 4th week of pregnancy. After the baby grows, it is necessary for women to pay attention to their eating habits. Preparing a nutrition plan from the first month of pregnancy is essential in terms of regular and balanced nutrition. It is necessary to have a diet list with healthy and natural foods. In this period, it is necessary to avoid consuming pastries and over oily foods more. Normally, a pregnant woman should gain a maximum of 10 or 12 pounds until the end of the pregnancy. Gaining weight more than this affects both the woman and the baby’s health adversely. In pregnancy, increased appetite is seen constantly and causes weight gain to a large extent. In this article, the causes of increased hunger will be explained to find a solution with some tips below.
Increased Appetite in Pregnancy
Due to the growth of the abdomen and gaining weight during pregnancy, the differences in the physical appearance of women begin. In order to prevent to gain weight too much during pregnancy, it is necessary to have a regular and healthy diet and exercise such as walking. These exercises are good for the rest of the body. Nausea is seen in the first months of pregnancy. Increasing nausea interferes with eating appetite. Since the sixth month of pregnancy, nausea leaves the place of feeling hungry. The pregnant woman eats as much food as she likes whenever she gets hungry, inescapably gain weight. Therefore, it is necessary to have a diet in pregnancy. A mother who has a healthy diet will get used to this in a very short time.
Causes of Increased Appetite
Mother and baby’s health status has to be checked during pregnancy. All women who have had a pregnancy experience know the feeling of hunger. Causes of increased appetite in pregnancy:
- Growing baby in the womb needs food to grow healthy and should be fed properly in pregnancy. As you know that feeding of the baby is done entirely through the mother. Therefore, these needs of the baby cause lead you to feel increased appetite during pregnancy.
- Consuming food without being chewed is a factor that affects increased appetite during pregnancy. Therefore, the mother should consume the foods slowly and with chewing. Because 15 to 20 minutes after people start eating can feel the feeling of fullness.
How to Control Increase Appetite
There are some ways that you can manage your increased hunger in pregnancy. These are:
- Frequency of meals is essential to manage increased appetite in pregnancy. You should eat light and healthy foods or beverages between meals.
- When you do not get enough fluid intake, you will experience increased hunger in pregnancy. Therefore, you should drink enough water, especially in the summer months.
- Excessive spicy and salty foods should be avoided. Such foods trigger a sense of hunger.
- Regular daily exercise can suppress a feeling of hunger.
- Unhealthy foods and acidic beverages should be avoided. Instead, home-made beverages should be preferred. Thus, you will both not only suppress increased appetite but also manage your weight in pregnancy.
- In order to prevent excessive eating outside of the diet plan, it is necessary to find different activities within the house.
- In order to suppress the sudden feeling of hunger, it is always necessary to have light snack foods. Snack foods such as hazelnuts, walnuts, and pistachios must be consumed during pregnancy.
