How Do Pregnant Women Stick To This Diet?

[ValyntineM]

I'm at a total loss right now and feel completely defeated.

I got through 2 pregnancies as an undiagnosed celiac. My first son was born 7 weeks early for no known reason and I was on constant and complete bed rest for the majority of my pregnancy with my second son. He was not premature, thankfully, but a little underweight.

I am now offically diagnosed with celiac disease and 10 weeks pregnant... totally an accidental pregnancy as I really didn't have plans to have any more kids... and I'm trying SO hard to stay gluten free but it's as if my motivation has completely left me. I have awful morning sickness and can barely keep anything down... except bread. And muffins. Pancakes. Pie.

It is all. I. Want.

And I feel like a total failure as a mother because I know I'm making myself sick and probably hurting my baby as well. I've tried gluten free substitutes for these things, but they make me violently ill. I just don't know what to do. My skin looks terrible... I have bleeding sores on my face and scalp. I'm hugely bloated... I swear, I look 5 months pregnant. And it just feels like a repeat of my last 2 pregnancies when I really hoped this one would be different. I just KNEW that if I could do it completely gluten free, it would be so much better... but I suck at this.

How do people fight the cravings and aversions? I'm completely miserable!

[pricklypear1971]

I don't know, I wasn't gluten-free when I was pg.

Can you pinpoint of its a particular flavor that makes you sick, when eating the gluten-free baked goods? I ask because I was very sensitive to sugar/sweets in the first trimester.

So, a biscuit was great but not a whole grain or sweet biscuit (whole grain tasted sweet to me)..... Milk also made me sick. Milk with fat in it, particularly.

My point is, if its a taste or smell thing we may be able to provide some alternatives.

[tarnalberry]

Keep looking for other things. You probably aren't drinking any alcohol, or eating lunch meat (other no-no's during pregnancy), so think of this just the same way.

I mostly lived off avocados my first trimester. And eggs.

If you're using store bought gluten free breads and muffins, try making your own (or have your SO make them for you). It may go much better.

Also, consider similar, but naturally gluten free things like rice cakes, some cereals (kix).

[kareng]

One thing to do would be to not have these foods around you. Don't have them in the house.

[ValyntineM]

It is VERY hard to not have it in the house. I have 4 children under the age of 7 (2 stepchildren and 2 biological) and they're not gluten free. I struggle with the diet to begin with due to that... and I've tried making us a totally gluten free household... but then I'll take one of them to the store like an idiot and then one of them starts crying for croissants or goldfish crackers or whatever and I feel bad and give in.

It's not the taste that's bothering me... it's the consistency. Something about the texture of the breads just grosses me out. I do bake my own gluten free things for the most part... but the pizza crust for example just feels so gummy... Usually, I like it. But not right now.

I'm eating a lot of fruit, eggs, vegetables. I LOVE avocados. Most of the food I eat normally is naturally gluten free. But I'm desperately craving bread. Real bread.

I did a massive psoriasis treatment on my scalp and face tonight to try and get motivated to go back to totally gluten free. I think I just need to slap myself in the face and remind myself that the cravings are all in my head.

[pricklypear1971]

I did a funny thing with pizza crust. I accidentally put half the normal amount of water in it....and it was wonderful. I do not use rice flour -I use sorghum, potato starch, tapioca starch. Anyway, I love thin pizza crust and that's what I got. Finally.

As far as breads and texture go I'm of no help. I toast the crap out of gluten-free bread. But if you crave sweet stuff like cupcakes I suggest trying almond flour or coconut flour. I highly prefer the texture to gluten-free grain baking, unless im trying to convert a glutenous recipe.

And leave those kids at home when shopping. Tell Dad to take them out for their fix and to hose them off...

[Juliebove]

I didn't have any cravings whatever when pregnant. But I find that when I do have cravings it means I am deficient in some sort of vitamin. Can you eat white rice? It is what I turn to when my stomach is bad. Either that or a plain potato. I simply do not eat foods that make me sick. I do not like being sick. As for buying stuff for the kids... You could try doing what I do. Tell myself that the food is not mine. And to take what is not mine is stealing.

[jebby]

Congratulations on your pregnancy! It sounds like you have your hands full. I am a mom of 4 small ones as well. I agree with the others to try to keep all of the gluten filled food out of the house. My little kids whined and complained a ton when our household went gluten-free, I can't even keep track of how many times they rejected my gluten-free meals (living off of basically fruits, veggies, and gluten-free breakfast cereals for while), called me a "bad mommy," etc. until one day they didn't.

With my 4th baby, my biggest motivator to stay clean with my eating was to think about all the bad effects that my gluten ingestion would have on my baby (poor growth, increased risk of prematurity and stillbirth, etc). I feel like it is much like having to avoid alcohol during a pregnancy, I may have missed having a glass of wine from time to time, but the effects on a baby are not worth it.

If you really need bread, can you get the Against the Grain baguettes in one of your local shops? It is as close to "real" bread as I was ever able to find and I devoured it during my last pregnancy.

[shorebird]

I'm at a total loss right now and feel completely defeated.

I got through 2 pregnancies as an undiagnosed celiac. My first son was born 7 weeks early for no known reason and I was on constant and complete bed rest for the majority of my pregnancy with my second son. He was not premature, thankfully, but a little underweight.

I am now offically diagnosed with celiac disease and 10 weeks pregnant... totally an accidental pregnancy as I really didn't have plans to have any more kids... and I'm trying SO hard to stay gluten free but it's as if my motivation has completely left me. I have awful morning sickness and can barely keep anything down... except bread. And muffins. Pancakes. Pie.

It is all. I. Want.

And I feel like a total failure as a mother because I know I'm making myself sick and probably hurting my baby as well. I've tried gluten free substitutes for these things, but they make me violently ill. I just don't know what to do. My skin looks terrible... I have bleeding sores on my face and scalp. I'm hugely bloated... I swear, I look 5 months pregnant. And it just feels like a repeat of my last 2 pregnancies when I really hoped this one would be different. I just KNEW that if I could do it completely gluten free, it would be so much better... but I suck at this.

How do people fight the cravings and aversions? I'm completely miserable!

I know how you feel. When I was pregnant with my son, I got the worst cravings for Taco Bell burritos (how cruel is that?!). Luckily eating beans on a corn tortilla did the trick, but I did often crave foods that were definitely not gluten free. During the first trimester, everything made me sick or made me throw up so I pretty much lived off of banana smoothies, popsicles, and gatorade for the first several weeks. When I thought I was past that stage I tried some gluten free pasta and it made me projectile vomit (tmi). It's just one of the sucky things about pregnancy, you get cravings that just won't go away because they're for foods you can't eat! I made it through four months of vomiting and nine months of burrito and sandwich cravings, so I know you can too! Have you tried any other brands of bread? Udi's bread is really good. It's the same consistency of wheat bread and tastes very similar to it. Since you say you're craving pancakes/bread/pies, that tells me your body may actually be craving carbs. I'd say to try carbs in other forms, such as rice, potatoes, beans, or fruits and veggies. Many pregnancy cravings come from what the body needs to nourish baby so if you eat an alternate source of carbs, it may help your cravings. Remember, to have a healthy baby, you must eat completely gluten free. Having celiac disease means being gluten free for life. It does get easier, I can tell you that much. I've been gluten-free for five years and I don't even miss "regular" food. 

[OleMissLass]

I can completely sympathize with your cravings because even though I'm newly pregnant I've been trying to stick to a very strict gluten-free diet for months now to prepare my body for pregnancy. 

 

I would definitely recommend trying Pamela's gluten-free baking mix - it's great for pancakes and waffles and I think your kids might like it, too. My spouse loves it and the taste and consistency are just like regular pancakes.  I'd also recommend getting some of the frozen gluten-free English muffins (again, good consistency, not powdery).  You can also make gluten-free cornbread with regular (not self rising) cornmeal by adding some baking powder and salt along with oil or buttermilk.  When I need a sweet snack or quick breakfast I just spread some jam on the leftover cornbread.

 

Best of luck with the cravings!  I am not looking forward to that part of pregnancy because I have very little willpower.

[GFinDC]

I don't know about the cravings. But I did want to mention dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) since you said you are having a skin reaction to gluten ingestion.  DH is a skin condition that people with celiac sometimes get.  I don't know if this will help but sometimes they avoid shampoos and such with gluten in them.

[julandjo]

I went through my first two pregnancies undiagnosed too.  I needed fertility tx to conceive.  Both of my babies were born 5 weeks early in emergency c-sections due to pre-eclampsia, and I stayed sick for a long time after each birth.  Both kids had intrauterine growth restriction and spent weeks in the NICU to catch up.  So I got my tubes tied after the second pregnancy when the dr. said getting pregnant again would be life-threatening.  Two weeks after the tubal ligation I found out I had Celiac...

 

Fast forward 3 years.  Aside from the occasional unintentional glutening at a restaurant (about once a year), I've been 100% gluten free.  As a result I've lost 70 pounds.  My high bp is gone.  My cycles are finally regular.  I no longer have DH rashes, neuropathy, anxiety attacks, etc.  Five days ago I found out I'M PREGNANT.  DESPITE my tubal ligation and previous infertility.  (Note: this is extremely happy news - we've been trying to adopt for 18 months without luck.  And I'm absolutely convinced that now that I'm not poisoning myself like my first 2 pregnancies, this one will be a healthy one.)  I'm having a lot of food aversions, which is pretty difficult for me as I only have eleven safe foods.  But never once would I even consider eating gluten.  Just knowing not only how sick it made me, but how sick it made my babies, makes it about as appealing to me as a spoonful of cyanide.

 

I'm not trying to lay a guilt trip on you.  But you need to understand just how counterproductive eating gluten is to you.  Do whatever it takes to keep it out of your house.  You're #1 right now and the family is just going to have to deal with it to keep mom healthy!

[Celiac Mindwarp]

julandjo

This is very good advice.

But more importantly right now CONGRATULATIONS!!

That is amazing not to mention miraculous news. The very best of luck and best of health to you and little one for a safe and happy pregnancy and delivery.

[arocchio]

I'm at a total loss right now and feel completely defeated.

I got through 2 pregnancies as an undiagnosed celiac. My first son was born 7 weeks early for no known reason and I was on constant and complete bed rest for the majority of my pregnancy with my second son. He was not premature, thankfully, but a little underweight.

I am now offically diagnosed with celiac disease and 10 weeks pregnant... totally an accidental pregnancy as I really didn't have plans to have any more kids... and I'm trying SO hard to stay gluten free but it's as if my motivation has completely left me. I have awful morning sickness and can barely keep anything down... except bread. And muffins. Pancakes. Pie.

It is all. I. Want.

And I feel like a total failure as a mother because I know I'm making myself sick and probably hurting my baby as well. I've tried gluten free substitutes for these things, but they make me violently ill. I just don't know what to do. My skin looks terrible... I have bleeding sores on my face and scalp. I'm hugely bloated... I swear, I look 5 months pregnant. And it just feels like a repeat of my last 2 pregnancies when I really hoped this one would be different. I just KNEW that if I could do it completely gluten free, it would be so much better... but I suck at this.

How do people fight the cravings and aversions? I'm completely miserable!

I am right there with ya!  It's the texture!  I have been craving a grilled cheese with avocado and mint chutney.  I almost threw up after a few bites.  It was like the gluten-free bread grew in my mouth.  Not sure how to explain it.  I have normally liked the bread.  If you do find gluten-free things you like good luck.  Honestly I have found 1) oranges are helping me not want sweet breads.  And 2) Juicing every morning is helping with cravings as well.