Staying Healthy Despite Having Food Aversions during Pregnancy

Food aversions during pregnancy are a common symptom that many pregnant women experience. In fact, most pregnant women will have at least one food aversion in their pregnancy. Food aversion can be described as a new sense of repulsion at a food that they may have previously enjoyed.

You may not have heard it but food aversions are as common as food cravings during pregnancy. Experts describe this pregnancy symptom as a dramatic feeling of disgust to specific tastes, foods and food smells. There are times when being in the same room with the specific food can cause nausea and vomiting.

Just like food cravings during pregnancy, experts are yet to determine the real cause of this pregnancy symptom. Some experts believe that food aversion is considered the body’s instinctual attempt to prevent you from eating foods that may be harmful to you and your baby during the course of the pregnancy. Food aversions may occur when the pregnant woman is having pregnancy symptoms of morning sickness, which associates the ill feelings with that specific food.

Food aversion occurs within the first few weeks of the pregnancy. Moreover, they usually fade during the third trimester of the pregnancy or after the birth of the baby. However, there are instances wherein the food aversion will persist long after the pregnancy has ended.

What Causes Food Aversions during Pregnancy?

According to experts, pregnancy hormones play an important role in the development of this pregnancy symptom. However, there are also speculations that this symptom is an instinct of the body to become repulsed of those foods that are not good for you. This theory works for things like alcohol and coffee, which can actually turn off regular drinkers of these beverages. However, this does not explain why you will become repulsed to healthy foods that you used to love like oatmeal.

Since you cannot fight this symptom, it is recommended that you respond to your food cravings and food aversions with reason. You have to keep in mind that this symptom is going to disappear as you enter the second trimester of your pregnancy.

What Can You Do About Your Food Aversions?

If your food aversions during pregnancy are limiting your food intake, you should consider trying out smart ways to manage this symptom. You can speak with your health care provider so you can seek smart interventions that can help you out.

  • Do Not Feel Guilty. If you are having a food aversion during your pregnancy, you should not feel guilty. Instead, you have to take note that this is a normal part of pregnancy. You have to take a positive approach when it comes to dealing with this pregnancy symptom.
  • Healthy Alternatives. If you have food aversions on foods that you previously love, you should consider seeking for healthy alternatives. If you currently hate oatmeal, you should consider eating wheat bread instead. There are a whole lot of healthy options for you. You should not restrict yourself just because you have a food aversion to a certain type of food.
  • Don’t Overdo Your Unhealthy Cravings. Since food aversions and cravings go hand in hand, you should not overdo your unhealthy cravings. For instance, you should go for a mini chocolate bar instead of eating a king sized chocolate bar.
  • Listen to Your Healthy Cravings. Most pregnant women will have food cravings and if you have one that is healthy, you should listen to it. If you are having an aversion to apples but you are craving for mango, you should listen to it and eat more mangoes instead.
  • Master the Fine Art of Alternatives. Despite having food aversions, you should ensure that you are eating healthy. For instance, if you are repulsed by the smell of egg or beef, you can get your protein from other food sources like soy, legumes, nuts, and beans. If you have milk aversion, you can get your calcium from other dairy products like yogurt and cheese.
  • Make Sure You Are Getting Vitamins. While your food aversions may be limiting your vitamin intake, you should consider taking your vitamins through supplements. You can seek consult from your health care provider and ask for a prescription for good vitamin supplements that you can take while you are pregnant. This way, you can make sure that your baby is getting the nutrients that he or she needs.
  • Avoid Foods with Weird Textures. To prevent your food aversions from escalating and avoid nausea, you should avoid those foods that come with weird textures. The preference of food textures may vary from one pregnant woman to another. Thus, it is important to determine which food textures will make you ill so you can effectively avoid them.
  • Eat Small Portions of Food. Since food aversions are often accompanied by nausea, it is important to eat small frequent feedings throughout the day. Eating small frequent feedings will keep your blood sugar from dropping.
  • Ensure that You Have Other Choices. It is important to make sure that you have other choices when you are having food aversions during pregnancy. You should not restrict yourself just because you are having a food aversion. Instead, you can find other means of getting healthy meals from other healthy food choices.
  • Listen to Music while Eating. You can do other things like listening to music while eating, as this can take your mind off the food. This should help you with your food aversion.
  • Talk to Your Health Care Provider. If you are worrying about your food aversions, you should consider talking to your health care provider. Your doctor can reassure you and suggest ways on how you can effectively deal with your food aversions. In addition, your health care provider can prescribe you necessary medications and supplements that will help you with cope with the nausea associated with food aversions.