As I’m entering into the last stretch of this pregnancy (7 weeks left . . . but who’s counting) I have had a lot of ups and downs with nutrition that I want to get off my chest. During the first trimester I was still juicing twice a day and felt the benefits. I had energy, I wasn’t nauseated, and I felt amazing.

When the second trimester hit I started to crave sweets. Mostly skittles. I hadn’t had them in months, but they haunted me like only a pregnancy craving can! Giving in to that one craving led me down a path of destruction for a couple of months. I ate whatever I thought sounded/looked good, and it was never good for my body. I felt gross, but kept eating it anyway.

My senses became really heightened during this time as well, which didn’t help me drink more juice. I started to get sick more often and felt tired and disgusting most of the time. I kept waiting for the huge rush of energy that the second trimester usually brings, but it didn’t happen.
Toward the end of the second trimester I slowed down on the junk food. I started juicing more and making myself drink it, which helped with my cravings a lot. I stopped eating chips all the time and if I wanted something sweet, I started baking (hence all my baking posts this fall).

We moved temporarily into my in-laws house at the farm which threw off my eating again. It’s hard not to have your own kitchen and supplies and try to eat the way you are used to. It was hard, but we ate a lot of produce and kept going. I felt better, had more energy, and drank my juice almost every day again. Since moving to our “winter home” and settling in I have felt a lot better. My body aches, but that’s because I’m growing a baby.

Health-wise, I feel awesome. I’ve been juicing and eating my Sunrider (Calli, Fortune Delight, NuPlus, and VitaShakes) like crazy and have noticed a major difference in my every day life. I have energy (until the evening when my pregnant body gives in) and have been wanting to get out and do a lot more. I have been drinking Crio Bru almost every day and have noticed a HUGE decrease in my cravings, especially at night.

I have been taking kefir daily to help with my usual pregnancy yeast issues, and it’s incredible to me how quickly that one thing takes care of a major problem. I’ve also been snacking on almonds instead of skittles! My girls love almonds and it reminds me when they fight over the bag that real, good, nutritious food just tastes so much better. I feel like exercising, even though I know my body is not in a position to do much right now. I just want to be more active every day, which feels really good.

It’s been hard. I think this pregnancy has been really tough emotionally on me because I started out so healthy and then went to such extremes to get where I am now. Being pregnant has never been easy on my body, in fact, it’s been awful. I don’t enjoy it much at all . . . which sounds horrible, but it’s true. I’m not one of those women who just glides their way through and ends up with a baby in the end. Every single day is hard and it hurts. A lot.

I am grateful for the ability to bear children, it’s just not easy on me all the time. I wish that I could have been more consistent with my eating habits this time around. Obviously for blogging purposes (I’ve been slacking big time) I wanted to do more, to inspire more, to educate more, but I wasn’t in the groove myself. I want to be open and honest on this blog and I’ve said it before, it’s not easy to completely change your ways where eating is concerned. I don’t think I was deep enough into a groove to be able to resist slipping a bit while pregnant.

I have learned a lot. Some things to know about juicing while pregnant:

• Juice only one sprig of fresh parsley per day. Parsley can stimulate uterine contractions and should be used sparingly while pregnant, especially the first and last trimesters.
• Ginger is incredible. Besides helping with morning sickness and nausea (I can definitely attest to this) ginger soothes the intestines and promotes gas elimination.
• Great fruits/veggies for folic acid (a necessary nutrient for pregnant women): citrus fruits, bananas, romaine lettuce, cucumbers, spinach, broccoli, asparagus, and peas.
• A good juice recipe for morning sickness:
  • 3 apples
  • 3-4 stalks celery
  • 1 small knob ginger (about 1/2 inch)
• Don’t attempt a juice fast while pregnant or nursing. When juice “feasting” you are cleaning toxins out of your body. Those toxins come out of your cells and into your bloodstream, which you share with baby while pregnant. It’s not a good idea to strictly drink juice for days at a time as those toxins could reach the baby either in utero or through your breastmilk.
• DO drink juice. While pregnant nutrition is more important than ever. Getting the right vitamins and minerals to that tiny growing baby is crucial. Juicing veggies and some fruits to have while pregnant is an excellent way to get that nutrition. It’s an instant dose of nutrients that your body needs. There are varying opinions on how much juice is too much while pregnant, but I have come to the conclusion that as long as I’m not strictly drinking juice and am eating a healthy diet filled with protein and other sources of fiber, juice is a great additive.