Anyone have trouble eating meat while pregnant?

[mydaddysjag]

I'm 9 1/2 weeks pregnant, and have a very queasy first trimester stomach. I've noticed that my biggest problem seems to be red meat. I know, I know, one of the most important things in my diet right now. I usually have no problems with things that aren't exactly super nutritious for me. Veggie pizza with light sauce, bread sticks, pasta with light sauce, baked potatoes, salad... But when it comes to meat, I get down right sick. Heck, I even get sick thinking about it. Chicken I can usually eat, might get a little queasy and not finish it all, but I can get most of it down. Eggs are a no go unless they are hard boiled and pickled, and even then I can usually only eat one without getting sick. Red meat? Forget it. I cant eat hamburgers, steak, meatloaf, etc. I know I need this for both iron and protein for the baby, and im at a loss for what to do. My doctor has prescribed me a medication called Zofran for the nausea, but even it is no match for the red meat. I'm wondering if maybe theres a way to prepare the meat that would be easier on my stomach, or if anyone else has had this issue with red meat? I was thinking I might be able to eat a roast made in the oven with just carrots and celery in water, but that takes hours to cook, so it isnt really an everyday option.

I am taking a prenatal vitamin and try to eat as much chicken and peanut butter as I can, but I know that none of that is a substitute for real red meats nutrients.

Any ideas?

 

[ThreeCFarm]

I didn't have a problem eating the meat (except for one time when we went out for steaks...sigh...I ended up eating a salad

), but I had a very hard time cooking meat! I had to stand at the stove with the air freshener within reach. I guess it was mostly the smell, although the sight of it was kind of gross too. However, if I would saturate (okay, my husband said he expected to see it dripping off the walls and ceiling, LOL) the air with the air freshener, I could usually get through.

 

[mydaddysjag]

The smell is terrible. I work in a restaurant, and my position is directly next to our grill and the oven where we make bacon. I've been caught with my head hanging out the window, but hey, what can ya do? I'll try the air freshener, not sure how much it will help, I usually get sick even if someone else cooks.

 

[Bess Kelly]

With one child it was pizza, the other crab meat......quess what their favs are?

You may have more problems since you smell it all day -- a thought. Have you considered soy for the proteins the meats provide? I suspect you can get most of what you feel you will lack from meats by talking with a nutritionist about these things. Does the doctor have one on staff? Possibly the hospital you will use does -- most will. Any other things -- amino acids/vit/min -- could probably be supplemented or found in other foods.

Hey, it's tough being pregnant ---

But worth it. Hoping the nausea will soon pass

 

[LindaL]

Hamburger and eggs were the worst for me during my 1st pregnancy...4 months of

anytime I would smell it cooking and I didn't even try to eat it...

When I was pregnant the 2nd time, I wasnt sick at all...and could smell/eat anything...weird how that works...lol

Hope your "morning sickness" ends soon!

 

[Katiean]

I never had too much problem with nausia durrung pregnancy. But, my sister couldn't even touch raw hamburger. I won't tell you what she did end up eating (by accident) with her 3rd Compliments of her 2nd.

 

[wildoak]

I don't think I had trouble eating much of anything LOL. It was - and still is - the smells that get to me. Working in a restaurant and smelling meat cooking may be what's giving you grief, maybe let someone else do the cooking at home for a little while and see if it passes.

Jan

 

[Annabellarose]

Beans. Beans are a great source of protein and iron. Do you like spinach? Spinach is very high in iron.

 

[FoRebel]

If you PM me your email addy I can send you over a fact sheet on protein enriched items. Spinach is good for iron... I STILL have problems eating hamburger and I've got 10 weeks left of my pregnancy. The other thing that you can try is essential peppermint oil on the bottoms of your feet to help curb the nausea. Be sure that it's 100% natural oil or it may not work. I can pass along some other tips too if you want them.

 

[shorthorsemom]

I had what I called "food phobias" even to foods I loved. Couldn't eat turkey or bananas which I love, but I was eating weird foods I normally hate like salsa. I found it amusing. I didn't get morning sickness, came on at night so I ate big breakfast's and crackers for supper. Best wishes...

 

[Keri]

Aw...the joys of pregnancy!

Mine was yogurt and pudding (which I loved before being pregnant). Think it was the consistancy/texture in my mouth. I gagged every time. So I quit. Still can't eat it after 3 years....Who knows???

 

[Bunnylady]

Morning sickness - ooh, been there done that! I remember with my first, telling my doctor that I seemed to be living off nothing but the prenatal vitamins and chocolate milk.

Someone told me this theory that says that the fetus is most vulnerable to environmental toxins during the first trimester, and morning sickness is nature's way of protecting it from any that the mother might ingest, to which I responded, "How? By starving her to death?!"

One of the B vitamins ( I think it's B-12,) can help to curb the worst of the nausea. It certainly helped me the second time around (as always, run this by your doctor first!) Some moms-to-be actually have trouble with iron, perhaps a vitamin without it might be in order. Fat takes a lot of work to digest (it's also where toxins are more likely to be concentrated in animals, see theory, above) so going easy on fatty foods may make things go smoother, too. As others have pointed out, your nose is much more sensitive when you are pregnant. I found that, if I could stand the smell of something, I could eat it. If I didn't like the way it smelled, better not to try!

Try not to get too hung up on the "shoulds." A 9-10 week old fetus is very small, it doesn't require a whole lot. If you can manage an even reasonably balanced diet, you are probably doing enough. We humans are very dedicated mothers! Our bodies will see to it that the baby gets what it needs, even if it means pulling it out of our own stores to do it. That's the real point of a lot of these dietary directives - to make sure that your body doesn't get dragged down by the process of making the little one. Fortunately, by the time the baby starts doing some serious growing, you should be able to eat again.

 

[dgrminis]

I had horrible morning sickness (well in my case -- all day sickness) for the first 4 months of my pregnancy and I couldn't eat alot of things -- I could eat meat but I didnt WANT to eat it -- it wasnt appealing at all.. The dr told me that it was not a huge concern because your body knows what you need and will take care of you and the baby... So basically if it makes you sick to eat it you shouldnt because you are just going to get sick and throw it back up anyways... I ate alot of fruits and veggies during that time... I saw someone mentioned Iron and that is so true... I never knew iron made people sick until I was 6 months along -- the iron in my prenatal didnt bother me -- but I became anemic around 6 months so I was put on an iron pill and it made me very ill... I had to take it in the evening as you are not supposed to take them at the same time as your prenatal (i took my prenatal in the mornings) and I was sick EVERY evening after I took it...

My son is just over a month old and he is perfectly healthy and happy -- so my not eating a bunch of meat didnt hurt him any... Good luck... I hope that you feel better soon -- I know it is NO fun to be sick like that...

 

[Mellis815]

My first trimester was a breeze, no issues at all throughout the pregnancy. I was just in labor for 50 hours before haveing a c-section. Guess I made up for it all at once!