SB, pregnancy and little ones

  • My DH and I are planning to have our first little one in the next 1-2 years. I am so excited!!! I'm also terrified of the weight I will gain during pregnancy. Is there anyone out there who used SB post-pregnancy? (I did see the pregnancy forum, but thought I'd check here too)

    SB has helped me to lose my weight so far. It's a great plan. I worry about losing weight once the baby is here though...I also worry that once I have kids in the house my cupboards will have no-no's like white bread and sweets in them and I won't be able to resist! Is having little ones in the house doable with SB? I am probably worrying about this way too early LOL... Well, if any of you are doing SB with infants/toddlers in the house and want to share, I'd really appreciate it.
  • Planning a baby is exciting! My hubby and I decided it was time to have a baby. I was 34. We stopped birthcontrol on April 1, thinking it would take us a year or so to conceive. I found out I was pregnant on May 3. Crazy!

    My 'baby' just turned 5. He is not having trouble with SBD. He likes basic meats, veggies and beans. I add carbs to his diet -- crackers, pasta, real pizza, fruit. I've even driven through McDonalds a couple times. So far, I've been strong. I don't want to make him feel punished because of my new lifestyle. But, in reality, he has my genes. I don't want him to fight weight his whole adult life like I have. If he thinks that a peach is a 'treat', more power to him!

    Good luck in your baby making endeavors.
  • Thanks, Chelby! I'm happy to see there is a mom out there finding SB and kids manageable. I was thinking the same thing: that you don't want your kids to feel 'punished' because of your diet choices, but you also want to teach your kids the value of nutrition. It sounds like you are able to walk that fine line - bravo! And it give me hope that I can too!

    I'm 30 1/2 and am hoping to have my first baby at 31-32. We are going to start trying this year. What a nice surpsrise it would be to only have one month of 'trying' like you and your DH. I bet that came as a total shocker to both of you!! Congrats on your beautiful son !
  • Ladies remember SBD is a lifestyle not a diet. But it is doable with children. And they can have their treats. I run a day care and for snacks my wee ones get fruit or veggies and then they get their fun stuff like cookies or popcorn or ice cream etc but they need less of it as they are full up on the good stuff. They don't seem to complain. Good luck.
  • First, don't be terrified to gain weight while you are pregnant. The baby needs you to gain that weight! You can gain too much weight, but if you are conscious of your daily intake it really shouldn't be a problem.

    I followed SB principals during my last pregnancy (my newest is 3 weeks) and gained 12 lbs. (I was overweight to begin with and 12 lbs. was right on par with what the doctors wanted). I added more grains and dairy during the pregnancy, but basically followed Phase 2.

    Now that I'm concerned about my waistline again while still concerned about my milk production I've been following a modified Phase 2 (my menu for today is posted in the daily chat for today) - I add more dairy (and use full fat yogurt instead of fat free, also 2% milk instead of skim or 1%), more grains (I try to have 2-3 servings per day), and just more food overall (I'm striving to hit 2300 calories per day) but the foods are all in line with SB principals.

    I've lost the 12 lbs. that I gained with the pregnancy and an additional 4 so far. My main focus right now is not on weight loss but on building my milk supply.

    But again, with the right selection of foods and exercise during your pregnancy (and you can exercise your entire pregnancy unless there is some complication that would prevent it - I jogged during my pregnancy) you can keep the excess weight gain to a minimum and taking it off afterwards will be so much easier!

    Also, my DS1 eats basically the same foods that I do except we just add more whole grains, fruits and full fat dairy instead of reduced fat. He gets treats, but rarely. He will often turn down ice cream or cookies - I have to wonder what is wrong with him! Thankfully for him, he has DH's genes and will forever be slender.
  • I am pregnant right now (32 weeks) with my 3rd child. I do what they call a "full SB" meaning I try to get at least 3-4 dairy a day, 2-3 fruits, and I go for 3 grains a day. I have gained 17 lbs so far and my doctor is happy with that. I feel like I eat all the time. I was put on the diabetic diet for gestational diabeties, but I chose this "diet" instead and it has evened out my sugars.

    I have 2 other kids and they eat the same way I do. I buy whole wheat, fruit, veggies, for everybody not just my self. We don't go through McDonalds, they don't need it anymore than I do. I also make sure we all get enough exercise.

    Now don't get me wrong my kids are not on "diets" and they do get their fair share of junk, but this is about teaching them to eat the right foods right from the start.
  • For the most part, my kids eat the way I do. Like the others said, they eat more grains and fruit than I do though and they do occasionally eat fast food. I try to make the healthiest daily choices for all of us so the off days aren't really a big deal. I do not keep many treats in my house that I wouldn't eat myself. I feel like we all deserve healthy food. It's too bad I didn't discover SB before my pregnancies! I'm sure that if I had I wouldn't have blown up the way I did!
  • Thanks so much for your comments...It sounds like fruit, veg and whole grains are staples of each of your households. I guess it is possible to have kids who will eat something other than mac n cheese and candy! If you ladies can do this, I can too.

    As for the pregnancy itself, I like this idea of the "full SB" - thanks Catlaur and Zeff! I will discuss with my OBGYN and see what she thinks. Congrats to both of you and your new babies !
  • Kids like familiar foods. You have the advantage that you can start your kids on whole grains, fruits and vegetables as they start solid food. My son was older when I started on South Beach but he still will eat many of the same foods that I eat. I also ask that he at least taste vegetables. Often there will be one that he does not like but a year later he will develop a taste for it. If your house is filled with healthy food then you will know that they are at least getting healthy food at home.
  • Also, be careful how you phrase this to your OB -- the very mention of "diet" sends most over the edge. Just remember that it is healthy food and you're not trying to lose weight!
  • I am also nursing while doing South Beach. I am slowly turning my families foods back over to whole wheat and healthier options. I have done South Beach twice before with good results but I didn't keep it up during pregnancy so I am back again.

    You can do it and I am sure you can find things your kids will like! My kids eat lots of stuff I make that are south beach friendly.
  • I would draw up a meal plan and then show it to your OB. I wouldn't call it any kinda of diet. Or even ask to see a nutritionist. Although at the beginning of pregnancy I eat what ever I can keep down.