Pregnancy difficulties

[Beth]

Hi everyone,

So, I'm almost 9 weeks now, and I thought I'd pop in here for some support and advice. I am on Tex's famed diet: chicken and potatoes. Also, eggs and a tiny bit of applesauce. Anything else makes me terribly bloated and cramped-out. Thankfully, I've been able to stop the diarrhea for the past several months, but I've been following this diet since October, and every time I try something new (numerous times a week), I get the same bloating and cramping. I've been concerned about how few nutrients I'm getting, so I've been trying to drink fresh veggie juices, but that causes the usual bloating and cramping, too. I've decided to try acupuncture to help with the nausea and extreme aversion to food that's been cropping up with early pregnancy. Maybe it can help me with the colitis, too. Has anyone had luck with acupuncture?

Basically, I'm just discouraged about my (lack of) progress. I know it takes a long time to heal. Tex, did you keep trying new foods while you were on your 18 months of chicken and potatoes? Or were you really strict the whole time? My problem is that with the added (wonderful) complication of pregnancy, I am outrageously hungry, but also incredibly disgusted by the few foods I can eat. They literally make me want to gag sometimes, especially because I have to eat every 2 hours or my blood sugar drops and the nausea kicks in. Meanwhile, I am CRAVING fruit and veggies and feeling quite sorry for myself that I can't eat them.

So, here are my questions: am I preventing healing by having a fresh vegetable juice a few times a week? In other words, when I intentionally eat something that causes bloating and cramping, even if in theory it's wonderful for me, am I slowing down my healing? Or do the benefits outweigh the negatives? I really feel so alone with this whole thing sometimes. It seems like no one around me can fathom how it's possible for me to bring a healthy child into this world on chicken and potatoes. And furthermore, it seems like everyone around me eats the absolutely worst food and yet all of them have the most beautiful digestive systems. Waaah! This self-pity is so middle-class, as the dowager on Downton Abbey would say. I really do need to find a remedy for such bourgeois self-indulgence. Ha ha!

[tex]

Tex, did you keep trying new foods while you were on your 18 months of chicken and potatoes? Or were you really strict the whole time?

I didn't only eat chicken and potatoes, (though I ate a lot of them). I also ate a lot of pork, and some rice, and occasional squash, broccoli, or green beans, (cooked to pieces, of course). I tried to reintroduce items such as corn, or cheese, about every 2 or 3 months, but I wasn't successful for about a year and a half, as you noted. For a while, I had a smoothie now and then, but I finally gave them up, because they occasionally seemed to be the cause of a reaction, (I never could decide for sure).

So, here are my questions: am I preventing healing by having a fresh vegetable juice a few times a week? In other words, when I intentionally eat something that causes bloating and cramping, even if in theory it's wonderful for me, am I slowing down my healing? Or do the benefits outweigh the negatives?

That's a good question, and I'm not sure that I can answer it. Bloating isn't necessarily a sign of inflammation, (though it can certainly be associated with it). Bloating is generally caused by a failed step in the digestive process, which results in food that spoils, (it ferments - generating gas and bloating). And this is usually followed by cramps. Lactose intolerance is a good example of this. Lactose intolerance, however, doesn't typically lead to inflammation, (because it doesn't trigger an autoimmune reaction). The problem is, the food does no good, if it isn't properly digested, because the nutrients are not available for absorption, (at least, most of them are unavailable - fermentation may free up a few nutrients, but that's a poor way to go about it). Juices are easier to digest than solids, but I really don't know if they would be more likely to provide nutritional benefits, or not.

Remember that most meats contain all the essential amino acids needed for good health. If you were a vegetarian, you would have a much more serious problem, trying to maintain proper nutrition.

I really feel so alone with this whole thing sometimes.

I hear you. This disease can create a sense of extreme isolation, (and sometimes hopelessness), but we usually tend to relax and feel much better about our situation, once we gain more confidence in our ability to control our symptoms, and we're able to do more of the things that we used to take for granted.

Tex

[Beth]

Thank you, Tex. So really this is an issue of my colon being so damaged that anything with fiber is going to aggravate it, right? If I just keep sticking with my strict diet will I eventually heal? Also, it's great that I'm getting all of the amino acids, but what about vitamins and minerals? Do I need to be concerned about that? Well, now that I just wrote that my question sounds kind of silly. I just mean, in your experience on this forum can the body get what it needs with just meat and potatoes? Thanks so much for your response and your support. It's so helpful.

[tex]

It's not just your colon - the odds are pretty high that a significant portion of your small intestine is inflamed, also. But yes, careful attention to diet should get results, in the long run. The vitamins and minerals can sometimes be an issue, especially if we react long enough to have a serious malabsorption problem.

Before I figured out what was wrong, and got back on track, I ran short of many of the "B" vitamins, and probably vitamin D, and maybe some others. I've forgotten when it dawned on me, but somewhere along the line, (during my recovery), I realized that I was bruising very easily, (and I wasn't taking a corticosteroid), so I started taking a B vitamin supplement, and sublingual B-12 and folic acid, and that seemed to resolve the problem. Later, I started taking a multivitamin.

Especially in consideration of the pregnancy, you will almost surely need some vitamin/mineral supplements.

You're most welcome,
Tex

[Beth]

Yes, I'm taking a multivitamin as well as Vitamin D. Whether I'm absorbing them is another story, but I'm doing what I can!

We'll see where this diet and a bit of acupuncture and pregnancy hormones take me . . . hopefully into pure health.

Thanks again,
Elizabeth

[tex]

I forgot about the acupuncture.

Quite a few members have posted about positive results from acupuncture sessions, and I don't recall reading about any negative experiences, so it appears that in general, acupuncture is worth a try.

Keep us posted,
Tex

[Martha]

Dear Elizabeth,

You have all my good wishes for your health and that of your precious baby.

Love,
Martha

[Beth]

Thank you, Martha!

[Lesley]

Beth - according to research you get minerals and vitamins from meat as long as it's grass fed, or, in the case of chicken, totally free range and fed fresh food.
Also, I found my vitamin levels improved when I started taking them in powder and liquid form. It really helps!

Good luck with the pregnancy.

[brandy]

Hi Beth,

Glad to hear that the D has abated and congrats on the pregnancy! Love, love love Downton Abbey!

Your diet made me think of my grandmother and her food regimen. She was born in 1906 and lived for 96 years. She blames mercury treatment for migraine headaches when she was around 10 or 12 for giving her a "sensitive" stomach. The treatment for migraines around 1916-1918 was to give a child pretty generous doses of the liquid mercury that is in the old style thermometers. She claimed prior to the mercury treatment her digestion was "normal."

She had 3 pregnancies in the 1930's that lead to three healthy children on mostly a diet of meat (also turkey and chicken) and pototoes. I'm guessing she got about 70-80% of her calories from protein and potatoes and I don't think prenatal vitamins existed in the 1930's. Her diet post mercury treatment-1918 up till death pretty much consisted of meat (or chicken or turkey), overcooked peas, overcooked carrots, canned peaches, canned pears, butter and white bread or rolls (of course not recommended for us.) I never saw her eat raw fruit, salad or raw vegetables or dairy other than butter her whole life. I believe my mother weighed close to 10 pounds at birth.

My grandmother ate a fairly narrow diet even by the standards of this board but traveled to Europe, Hawaii, etc and lived a full life. Hopefully you can gradually add some more foods into the mix with time.

I totally get it that you are probably under incredible pressure from friends and family regarding diet and pregnancy. The worst thing about this disease to date has been the extreme "pressures" from friends and family and I'm not even pregnant so I get what you are going through. My guess is that diet habits pre 1950 were consistently much narrower than they are now and certainly pre 1900's diet habits were narrower than present due to seasonality of crops, no refrigeration, transportation issues of crops and meats, food shortages etc.

I think it is great that your D. has abated and hopefully you'll be able to add a few more things to the mix.

This is meant to be a postive post and hopefully Gloria and some of the other readers with narrow diets will see this post. You've given me me some wonderful memories of my grandmother!

Please keep us posted!

Brandy

[tex]

Brandy,

FWIW, I believe that your assessment of earlier diet habits for most people is right on target. When I was a kid, (in the 40's and 50's), our selection was very limited, except for spring, when the garden was productive, (except for dry years), and in the summer, certain fruits, such as peaches, pears, and plums became available. During the rest of the year, it was pretty much meat and potatoes, (until the potatoes ran out), and occasional canned fruit or veggies from the garden. We always had plenty of meat, though, because we butchered our own hogs, cattle, chickens, ducks, etc. I can't remember a meatless meal.

I'm pretty sure that actual paleo diets were also very limited. Their diet options depended on where they lived, and the season, (and the weather). A lot of people today picture the paleo landscape as a virtual garden of Eden, but I have a pretty strong hunch that they went to bed hungry, many a night. They ate whatever was available, and in good times, food was plentiful, and in bad times, the selection was mighty skimpy. And as you say, the seasons dictated the selection and quantity.

I have a hunch that meat was king, and when their hunts, or fishing trips weren't successful, they ate whatever they could find, to keep from starving, until they could make their next kill. A vegan or vegetarian lifestyle was not an option, in those days, because there were no qualifying foods with adequate protein to maintain good health. That didn't happen until well into the Neolithic period - a mere 5,000 to 10,000 years ago.

Tex

[Gloria]

Hi Beth,

A blood test would probably help answer some of your concerns about getting adequate nutrition.

As mentioned, I eat a pretty spartan diet: turkey, pork, lamb, corn flour products, almond flour products, arrowroot, asparagus and cauliflower. I take a multivitamin, calcium, vitamin D, and a probiotic. When I've had my blood tests, all of my values are in the normal range, except for potassium, which is either low-normal or borderline.

As a result of my blood tests, I created a spreadsheet with columns for most of the major nutrients. Then I entered the nutrients I get from the foods I eat. It wasn't that time-consuming because I eat the same meals every three days. You might prefer using a nutrition program. Once you can see what nutrients you're getting with each meal or day, you can see if you are low on some days.

My spreadsheet corroborated my blood tests and showed that I wasn't eating enough potassium on my turkey day. I've added some corn grits to my soup and make sure that I eat asparagus twice on that day. So far, it's kept my potassium at an acceptable level.

I understand how you crave additional fruits and vegetables. I do, too, but testing them has always shown me that I need to stay with the ones I have deemed safe. I feel for you and sympathize with your situation. I hope that you'll eventually be able to add some foods to your diet.

I'm so happy for your pregnancy. Soon you should be entering the second trimester where you'll be tired all the time. It's such a wonderful and yet physically demanding time. I hope you can enjoy it.

Gloria

[mbeezie]

Beth,

You could try diluting the fruit and vegetable juices (1/2 water and half juice) and see if that helps a bit. The truth is though that we sometimes crave the foods we are sensitive to.

Have you thought about MRT? It could guide you in deciding what to try rather than taking a shot in the dark approach.

I hope Gloria is right and that the second trimester will be easier ono you.

Mary Beth

[Beth]

Thank you so much, everyone, for your responses.

Brandy, your post absolutely made my day! I just got an email from a friend expressing her horror at my diet and telling me how much my baby needs vegetables. It upset me quite a bit because I'm certainly not eating this way out of choice. Now I feel so much better after reading about your grandmother.

Leslie, thank you for that information about grass fed, free-range meat. I've been getting whole chickens from Whole Foods that are marked a step 5, which means that they're completely pasture-raised. They probably still eat corn, but it's a heck of a lot better than the other kinds of chicken out there. We also just picked up our first meat CSA on Sunday — 25 pounds of locally raised, free range meat. So it's even more reassuring to know that all of the crazy amounts of money I spend on meat is really worth it. Thank you so much for that.

Gloria, that's a good idea to get a blood test. I think I'll plan to do that regularly throughout my pregnancy. I don't think it would work to keep a chart on my nutrition since I literally eat the same four foods every day - chicken, eggs, potatoes and applesauce. But getting checked regularly is very wise.

Tex, thanks for the reminder about what must have been quite sparse days for our ancestors. I really needed to hear that today!

In the meantime, even though I'm only eating four foods, I am eating a LOT of them. It's truly amazing how hungry I am. I have to eat at least every two hours, sometimes more, and I have to eat huge quantities of food every time. I had NO idea it would be like this. I'm hearing that for some women the first trimester is like this, and then it supposedly calms down in the 2nd trimester. I hope so! Because eating the same four foods in such immense quantities can be difficult, especially when you mix nausea and strong aversion to foods into the mix. But despite the transient difficulties, I am SO happy about this pregnancy.

Thanks again for your wonderful words of support.

Marybeth - I actually did the MRT testing, and it didn't turn out to be helpful right now since I'm so incredibly sensitive to everything except the above four foods. Maybe I could try just eating a bit of cooked carrots or zucchini, though. In very minute portions I can handle almost anything. Except for chocolate, which is just killing me!

[Gloria]

I can handle almost anything. Except for chocolate, which is just killing me!

Oh, so true!

My first baby was very colicky. I had read that when the mother eats chocolate, some babies become colicky. So...for my second pregnancy, I abstained from eating chocolate and continued to avoid it until my daughter started eating solid foods at 5 or 6 months (I was nursing her.) I didn't eat any chocolate for over a year. After all that time, the thought of eating it didn't sound very appetizing and I didn't really enjoy it the first time I ate it. I quickly changed.

When I realized I had to give up chocolate almost two years ago, I told myself that I did it when I was pregnant and could do it again. That's true, but I miss it so much more than I did then. It's probably because I had more variety in my diet (once I passed the nausea of the first three months.) I'm sure that you wouldn't miss it as much if you could eat a larger variety. At least you can tell yourself that avoiding it is making your baby calmer. It could be an old wive's tale, but my second baby was very calm and didn't have any colic.

Gloria