I know ketosis is not safe during pregnancy, so because of this I am concerned because my husband and I are trying to conceive. Is being in ketosis dangerous while trying to conceive? What about the period of time between when I conceive and when I REALIZE I am pregnant. Will ketosis hurt the pregnancy or even prevent it?

Has anyone been in ketosis when they conceived? I am concerned and haven't found anything concrete regarding this piece of it.

Thanks!

There is no evidence that ketosis is not safe during pregnancy, it's just that doctors won't advice you to deliberately try to get into or stay in ketosis. But considering how often pregnant women end up in ketosis on perfectly "normal" diets, it's not something to worry about.

I was a high-carbing vegetarian when I was pregnant, but I was frequently in ketosis because I cycled a lot. My midwife wasn't worried, just send me off to eat a banana.

My cousin suffered from very extreme pregnancy sickness, and she was in ketosis for months on end, even when it got so bad they put her on a glucose drip. It didn't affect her pregnancies.

Basically, I'd eat a diet which you feel is healthy. Once you get pregnant, your body will tell you want you need to eat.

I agree. I would especially not worry about it when trying to conceive. For me, I was eating ala PPLP and not checking for ketosis but was ranging 20-40g carb (effective carbs) each day or so. I felt great. I was weight training and very strong. I honestly feel that my low-carb lifestyle helped me conceive...though I have no proof, having dropped all that weight and becoming so strong HAD to have had a positive effect.

Once I knew I was pregnant, I ate as I felt right doing so and stayed fairly strict LC for awhile. I couldn't see how meats and salads and veggies and fats could be bad for me. I still don't.

I will admit I started to crave things I hadn't before and couldn't tell what was going on, but I went with my body. I decided not to fight cravings. Milk was a huge one for me. In my second trimester, sugar came back to join my life. <sigh> But I've tried hard not to beat myself up about it. I just try to keep the balance, eat good foods, take my vites and hope for the best.

I just started month 9 and from the feel and sounds of it (and a couple of ultrasounds) my baby is doing well. I think if something is going to go wrong, it will and it will have NOTHING to do with whether you had sugar or were in ketosis or anything of that sort. I decided early on that fretting and worrying would do me no good and that listening to my body and accepting what it asks for (and feeling free to deny it too much of the treats but not deny it completely, haha) would be my best recourse.

At this stage in the game I can't guarantee you I was right, but I feel like it hasn't backfired yet!

I had been low carbing successfully for about a year and a half (Protein Power) when we became pregnant with our first child. Being in ketosis didn't seem to matter that early on. When you know for sure that you are pregnant, you can up the carbs a bit. Many doctors will applaud women who aren't eating a lot of sugar when they are pregnant, anyway. Of course, they don't want you to diet, or try to lose weight, but they do want you to eat healthily. I think the PP book suggested to go on maintenance-level carbs, but I should probably admit here that I went completely off low-carb once I became pregnant because I had intense morning sickness for 9 months and was just at the mercy of my body (both pregnancies). But it was worth it, for the kiddos! And I'm back to LC now.

Anyway, good luck!!!!!!!

And Lisa, good luck with your delivery! How exciting!!!!!!

I was heavily in ketosis when I conceived my last 2 kids...so that was about 6 weeks of keto (at least) before realizing I was pregnant.

They are now 3 yo and 13 months old, healthy as can be, smart, little terrors, heh.

As Helen said, the first trimester some women are sooooo sick, puking, etc., that they usually fall into ketosis anyway, with no ill effects on the baby.

FWIW, after about the 6th week of pregnancy, my morning sickness set in so heavily that all I could stomach was carbs, so I wasn't in ketosis for the majority of the pregnancy.

Thank you for all of the advice ladies. I cannot wait to join the pregnancy group! We have been married a year and are looking forward to starting our family soon.

We'll be very excited to welcome you to the group...good luck!!!!

And Sassafras, thanks for the well wishes on the delivery. I can't believe I'm in month 9. <shaking head> It's crazy and surreal and the baby isn't even out yet!

I was in ketosis when we conceived our daughter. I also attribute my ease in getting pregnant and healthy pregnancy to this diet (got pg first try!). Even though I was 12 yrs older than the first time pregnant, I gained less and felt better with this third pregnancy. My midwife was very agreeable to limiting sugars and "white" carbs, and I gained the least with this one too. My daughter was born at home at 41 weeks and absolutely perfect, 9 lb 8 oz.

Good luck with everything Lisa! If you need any help, I've become a real birth junkie over the years and would be glad to help you

I just found out today....I am PREGNANT! Guess my sixth sense was telling me something after all! I was heavily in ketosis. Today I think I will up the carbs a bit, but still make good choices. I still can't believe it. I will probably just take your advice and up the carbs a bit as my body requests, but not use it as an excuse to fall of the plan.

Yippee!!

Congrats Jenna!!!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! C'mon over to the preggo threads! All the best to you and congrats to hubby too!

Congratulations. Way to go. Have a great pregnancy.

Congratulations!! Hope your don't feel too bad the first trimester.

Wooooo! Congrats, Jenna!

Congrats Jenna - how exciting!

I am trying to conceive too!

I must be honest I went off low carb months and months before I was even "trying" because I thought it was bad for our kidneys to do Atkins while pregnant. The thing is, I didn't start trying till this month and of course, I am up 25 lbs (size 12) from where I was in April (size 8). I have lost and gained the same 25 lbs so many times that can't be good for my heart.

Right now I am eating healthy most days but I wasn't low carbing. I lost most my weight eating meat and eggs with very low carb veggies. Now a days, I will have some low carb shakes during the day but eat a normal dinner.

Do you think I should go back on low carb even while trying to conceive? Do you think it is really harmful for the baby? I am just very confused at what to do myself.

One thing I have done is given up coffee and caffeinated sodas. I am sleeping SO much better because of it and I think that makes a huge difference in my energy levels. I also gave up caffeine pills and sleeping pills. Hmm.. I sound like I have a lot of addictions but the truth is, I just want to have a healthy baby when the times comes and then of course, slim down (After I am done with breast feeding if I choose to breast feed).

Congrats to all those that are soon to deliver. I wil subscribe to some of these threads to find out more information. It is so much easier to hear of people's experiences than to read from a book what someone "thinks" we should be doing. But I agree with the other women that posted, most doctors would not advise us having tons of sugar when preggers anyway.

Goodluck and G_d bless,
love
Entropy