...happened to me today at work, for the second time. Today I was in a training from 9-1, which actually ran until 1:30. Just before that time, I started to feel really crappy, so at least I had the good sense to sit down. Once my vision was almost totally black, I turned to the person next to me (whose face I couldn't make out) and said, "I am feeling really faint and I think maybe I need something to eat." A glass of juice, a couple of tablespoons of peanut butter, and a few minutes later, I was feeling much better.
I've always tended toward low blood sugar and feeling crappy when I don't eat at really regular intervals, and evidently pregnancy has really exaggerated this tendency. I think it was also worsened by the fact that I'd felt myself getting shaky earlier, but the only thing around was a mini-Twix, which I'd hoped would bolster my blood sugar until I could get home and eat lunch (which I usually do around 11, even when I'm at work). I think it probably caused an insulin spike which just made things worse, especially since I've more or less done my best to cut out refined sugar since I've been pregnant, and so it's not something my system was especially used to. Luckily, I was surrounded by maternity nurses at the time, who took great care of me and who didn't seem especially concerned-- the reaction from most people, when I told them, was "Well, duh, you're pregnant, and you waited too long to eat!" Still, there are few things worse than that terrible feeling you get before you're going to faint!
The game plan: drink even more water and eat even more protein, to keep my blood sugar levels steady. I have also always tended toward swelling easily (in heat, in cold, after exercise) and that too seems to be worsened by pregnancy, but I've read it can also be improved by adequate intake of protein, fluids, and salt (so that fluids stay in the cells where they belong, instead of seeping out into the extracellular space). The Natural Pregnancy is a wonderful book by a midwife and herbalist which contains tons of helpful information on nutrition and all kinds of pregnancy topics, and she recommends dandelion tea for help with circulation and swelling (and it's also a great source of all kinds of trace vitamins and minerals).
The extra protein has been a challenge for me because I've never been a voracious meat eater, and it's appealed to me even less since I've been pregnant. I'm just getting to the point where I can eat eggs again, and I drink 2-4 big glasses of milk a day, and try to eat plenty of cheese and nuts. Still, I know I could be doing better--the incident today is a reminder of that. Tomorrow is another day!
I've always tended toward low blood sugar and feeling crappy when I don't eat at really regular intervals, and evidently pregnancy has really exaggerated this tendency. I think it was also worsened by the fact that I'd felt myself getting shaky earlier, but the only thing around was a mini-Twix, which I'd hoped would bolster my blood sugar until I could get home and eat lunch (which I usually do around 11, even when I'm at work). I think it probably caused an insulin spike which just made things worse, especially since I've more or less done my best to cut out refined sugar since I've been pregnant, and so it's not something my system was especially used to. Luckily, I was surrounded by maternity nurses at the time, who took great care of me and who didn't seem especially concerned-- the reaction from most people, when I told them, was "Well, duh, you're pregnant, and you waited too long to eat!" Still, there are few things worse than that terrible feeling you get before you're going to faint!
The game plan: drink even more water and eat even more protein, to keep my blood sugar levels steady. I have also always tended toward swelling easily (in heat, in cold, after exercise) and that too seems to be worsened by pregnancy, but I've read it can also be improved by adequate intake of protein, fluids, and salt (so that fluids stay in the cells where they belong, instead of seeping out into the extracellular space). The Natural Pregnancy is a wonderful book by a midwife and herbalist which contains tons of helpful information on nutrition and all kinds of pregnancy topics, and she recommends dandelion tea for help with circulation and swelling (and it's also a great source of all kinds of trace vitamins and minerals).
The extra protein has been a challenge for me because I've never been a voracious meat eater, and it's appealed to me even less since I've been pregnant. I'm just getting to the point where I can eat eggs again, and I drink 2-4 big glasses of milk a day, and try to eat plenty of cheese and nuts. Still, I know I could be doing better--the incident today is a reminder of that. Tomorrow is another day!
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For more information about Dandelion Tea please visit www.dandeliontea.org. Thanks!
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