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Originally Posted by ManOnMoon
My wife is due in December and we are seriously considering LCing. We both have seen what LC can do, but we are so nervous to do this durring pregnancy because we have been wanting this for so long. PLEASE help me by soothing my concerns.
1. What is so important about whole grain wheat? All I hear about is the fiber, but if you look at WW bread it only has a couple more grams than white bread. My wife eats more veggies than anything and i know she gets her fiber from them. Is there something she'll be missing?
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She doesn't NEED wwbread, unless she wants it. You can get plenty of fiber from green fibrous veggies, berries, avocado. Lots of fiber will help with constipation, one of the fun side effects of pregnancy hormones.
But some ww bread won't hurt, especially if she's eating it with some protein and fat.
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2. I'm sure she shouldn't eat induction levels of carbs, but is there a limit you guys would keep yourself above?
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I wouldn't go lower than 60g total, lower than that can, in some people, mess with the thyroid. Most experts will recommend a pregnant woman eat enough carbs to stay out of ketosis, which would be at least 100gC. That is important if you are worried about ketosis--see my last point.
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3. Are there any kinds of fats she needs to get? Avoid?
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Avoid trans-fats like the plague--nasty stuff. Not good for YOU either,
Fish oil supplementation is actually a really good idea for both pregnancy and lactation. The growing fetus will get his omega 3 needs filled at the expense of your wife, so she'll need extra. Part of the reason for "Mommy Brain", IMO. She should make sure to get it from a reputable brand to avoid contaminants, etc. For this same reason, the experts suggest pregnant and lactating women limit if not eliminate their actual fish intake.
Since the omega 3's can affect blood clotting, it's wise for a pregnant woman to stop taking supplementation a few weeks prior to delivery, just in case.
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Basicaly she was going to eat fresh meats, lots of veggies, some fruit (mainly apples and pears), and get her dairy from cheese. We get milk from WIC, and since her family comes from dairy farmers so she wants to get skim milk and make her own cottage cheese. I also mentioned making flax seed bread (that'll put some fiber in your diet). Does anyone see any problems with this?
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Nope! Although full fat milk is better, IMO--slows down the rate of carbs to the bloodstream, and there is evidence that the fat in dairy helps with the absorption of the calcium.
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Lastly, what are the arguments against LCing durring pregnancy? I am not looking for what I want to hear, I'd like honest answers. Thank you all so much for your help in advance. God bless!
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No one really knows what the effects of ketosis is on the fetus because no one can ethically study it. So all they can do is guess, and rather be safe than sorry, the docs will caution against ketosis while pregnant.
The thing is, a lot of women are in ketosis frequently in the first trimester due to morning sickness, etc., and babies turn out fine. I was in deep ketosis when I got pregnant with #2 and #3, and they're totally healthy. As Lisa above mentioned, ElleH has written a lot about her experiences with low carb pregnancies, too.
My opinion on this is I would prefer to not be in ketosis while pregnant, but if I happen to be, I don't worry about it--just increase my carbs a little.
Good luck to you, your wife, and your impending wee one!