Family: pregnancy snacks
It’s so hard to believe that we’re getting to the finish line (or starting line…)!
I’m starting to get nervous/anxious/excited, especially since I’ve been having some intense Braxton-Hicks contractions. They start in my stomach, which starts to cramp and becomes rock hard, and move all the way back to the base of my spine. I have a pretty high pain tolerance (which I didn’t know I had until I had Liv haha) and some of these have taken my breath away. I talked to the midwife last night, and she said it’s common with consequent pregnancies as the baby sits lower in the pelvis. She told me to take a warm bath, some extra strength Tylenol, stretch (cat/cow, hip circles), and call her if it got worse. It’s more prevalent at night, and wakes me up fairly often. I haven’t been sleeping much between the contractions and miss Liv, who is still coming into our room multiple times a night. (It’s great if she falls back asleep, but lately, she’s been a bit of a wiggle worm.) It’s all a warmup for the sleepless nights to come, right?
Fingers crossed that the chiropractor can help make things a little more comfortable. I feel like baby has NO more room, and is trying to escape through my belly button.
Speaking of bellies, let us talk about snacks.
During my pregnancy, per usual, I’ve had a lot of interesting cravings. Certain things have sounded fantastic at times, terrible at others, and one constant through it all: PIE.
Nothing makes me scary happy right now like my very own little pie.
Something else I’ve had to stick with: constant snacking throughout the day. During my first trimester, snacking relieved some of my morning (= all day) sickness, and into the second and third trimesters, I’ve needed to stay on top of frequent small meals to keep my blood sugar stable. If I haven’t had a snack in a while, I’ll start to get dizzy, which is no bueno, especially in the crazy heat we’ve been experiencing.
I’m a huge believer of indulging in cravings, especially when it seems like you have no control over them, and keeping moderation in mind as much as possible. Usually if I satisfy what I’m hankering for, I’m more likely to eat a reasonably-sized serving. It’s when things become “off limits” that they increase tenfold in desirability. That being said, I also like to think about why I’m craving a certain thing, and see if I can fill the void with a healthier option to get in some nutrition, and also because I feel so much more energized afterwards. (Instead of crawling into my pie/carb coma, which has definitely happened many times this pregnancy haha.)
I thought I’d share some of my favorite healthy snacks in case fellow preg mamas are looking for new ideas. I think many of us are dealing with cravings, aversions, and still trying to sneak some nutrition in there. They’re categorized into the most important categories: sweets, salty, and greasy. 🙂
Sweet
-Piece of toast with almond butter, sliced apples and cinnamon with a drizzle of honey
-Two dates stuffed with almond butter
-Trail mix with chocolate chips
-“Baked” apple with chocolate chips and cinnamon. Just place a chopped apple in a glass bowl, sprinkle cinnamon on top, and let Chef Mike (aka the microwave) handle the rest. 2 minutes, then stir in some chocolate chips.
-Greek yogurt (I love the goat’s Greek) with berries and honey
-Cereal. During this pregnancy, I’ve gone crazy for the brown rice crispies with berries and almond milk.
-Berry smoothie. A cup of almond milk, 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1/2 banana, handful of spinach, tablespoon of chia seeds of hemp seeds, and a date. I’ll occasionally add protein powder, but nothing tastes great to me since I haven’t been drinking Shakeology.
Salty
-Air-popped popcorn with butter and sea salt
-Seaweed snacks
-Chips and salsa or guacamole
-Scrambled eggs with toast and salsa
-Healthier chip options, like sweet potato chips, or tortilla chips with reduced salt
Greasy
-Cheesy pizza toast. Make your favorite piece of toast and top with marinara sauce, crumbled goat cheese and fresh basil
-Baked potato with butter, chives and Greek yogurt
-Baked sweet potato fries or butternut squash fries with ketchup
-Bagel with cream cheese. Bagels. What preggo dreams are made of.
-BLAT (turkey bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato) on a slice of toast or wrap
-Sweet potato nachos. Thinly slice sweet potatoes and season with olive oil and sea salt before baking. Top with black beans, plain Greek yogurt, salsa, and/or guacamole.
What was your #1 pregnancy craving?? With Liv, it was all about salt and vinegar chips, and with #2, it’s soft pretzels, though pie is a close second.
Did anyone else (or is anyone else) experiencing Braxton Hicks? I don’t remember them being this intense last time. We have our last ultrasound appointment this Friday, and I can’t wait to see how little miss is growing!
xoxo
Gina
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hahah those treats look SO good. I want a pie of my own and I am NOT pregnant heheh
gahhhh. i might be going on a pie mission tonight after this post
Salad! The freshest coldest salad I can get. This pregnancy has been all about the veggies. The Braxton Hicks have been quite intense this time around (3rd pregnancy). They started much earlier on. Around 20 weeks and have just been getting more and more intense. I’m 33 weeks now and they are starting to make their way to my lower back as well. Just keep breathing through them. Baths are totally awesome!
These are great ideas. With Allie, I craved peanut butter & jelly, Mexican and French fries.
I had no Braxton Hicks with my first and so, so, so many with my second. I remember having them the entire last month. When I actually went into real labor, I was sure it would stop because of the BH contractions and finally realized it was the real thing after a couple of hours of timing them. Baby was born 90 seconds after getting to hospital. I like to think the hardships of pregnancy #2 are make up for during the hopefully faster delivery!!
I’m not pregnant, however, I do crave cereal all.the.time. I’m bookmarking this page though for when the day does come! (in the way, way future!!)
I love pie! I just went on a pie making trip in Florida! haha It was so fun!
Cheese popcorn, slurpees, and skittles! Lol I threw up everyday the whole time…was not fun! I’m not preggo right now but those snacks look good!! Lol
cheese popcorn sounds amazing right now haha
I can’t blame this on pregnancy cravings because I am not and never have been pregnant, aaaaaand I don’t know if they can be categorized in ‘healthy options’ BUT they do fall under the ‘real food treats’ category, and that’s a win for me when some not-so-real snacks are staring me down. Have a batch freezing as we speak!
http://ohsheglows.com/2015/06/05/salted-almond-butter-freezer-fudge-everyday-detox-cookbook/
Thanks for the healthy alternatives! I’m 32 weeks along and I’ve been on track as far as weight gain goes but these last two visits to the doctor I’ve been up 7 lbs in a month and 5 lbs in another. She’s not worried, but it’s a lot more than what I’m used to seeing! I still have 8 weeks left to go. I just started having braxton hicks. They’re a lot more intense than I remember them being last time around, but I still wouldn’t call them painful. Just a lot more tightness.
i wouldn’t worry about it too much. i gained a lot initially (like off the charts) and it evened out. it was more than i was expecting, though, so i totally get how you’re feeling!
All those snacks look so good and I’m not pregnant! I had so many BH contractions. My stomach felt like one hard contraction all the time. Started super early with my second. I worried I’d never know when I was in actual labor. All he BH didn’t bring on labor though. I was induced at 41 weeks. Warm baths helped me relax always.
that’s good to know! it keeps freaking me out like “is this happening already? it can’t be”
Thanks for the ideas! I always want desserts! I have a little something sweet every day pretty much because if I forbid myself, I want more!
For sure tons of Braxton Hicks/cramping with the second baby. I just had mine 5 weeks ago, and from about 32 weeks onward, I was in perpetual pain at night. When I laboured, the nurse was shocked at how calm and stoic I was, and I told her, “these contractions are nothing compared to the pain I’ve endured for the last 7 weeks.”
haha i could totally see that happening! i am in so much pain at night
I have been eating chips and salsa non-stop. I can’t get enough. and generally anything Mexican or spicy: tacos, salads, nachos, you name it! I’m just reaching halfway now, so I’m curious to see if the cravings stay the same or evolve later on…
With my first I craved runny egg yolks/sushi (which I couldn’t have), mangos, and cheesecake – I at an insane of it. Im curious to know what cravings I’ll have with baby #2 (still in 1st tri) but so far savory foods aren’t sitting too well with me (just like my first).
PS, I also realized I guessed the name Phoebe for you and I don’t know why I thought your first hint was a P when it was an L. OOPS
I meant to say I ate* an insane amount* of it. My brain is not cooperating with me…
Pregnant or not, these snacks sound perfect!
Ice cream & PBJs were my biggest craves. I had to have a big bowl of ice cream every night during my second pregnancy!
With my twins I had epic braxton hicks that would take my breath away and make me sit back down. I remember my obgyn told me to have a drink (dehydration can make them worse apparently) and rest. If they kept on coming could be early labour. You are definitely getting close!
Love how you have broken this down into salty and sweet I feel like this is perfect even non pregnant.
With my twins I had some crazy and intense pregnancy cravings. Weirdest was salt which was so intense I actually tried eating my it straight from the tub. Much milder cravings with my singleton.
that’s good to know! i will definitely up my water intake (it’s been low lately)
xoxo
Chocolate covered almonds, trail mix, and nut butters…during my pregnancy…and also before and after
I’m 38 weeks 4 days pregnant right now with my first and I’ve yet to feel any Braxton hicks contractions….. I think this baby wants to stay in here well past 40 weeks. I’ve really been enjoying all your family posts Gina! I’ve been following your blog for a few years so I was happily surprised for all the mommy posts only a few weeks off my own dates.
is it your first? i didn’t feel many with liv until the very end. so excited for you!!!
Yes it’s my first : )
Oh my….. I just finished my lunch and feel hungry all over again with all those delicious snacks. Another great post for Pinning =0)
Sending you great preggo vibes!!
Thanks Gina
I love the way Bella is looking at you in the Photo lol
she is a nut, haha