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It's natural for pregnant women to feel hungry all day long, no matter how much or how often food gets into their mouth.
Actually, pregnant women don't need extra calorie intake for the first six months because the body becomes more efficient in dividing and expending energy. However, when the womb is in the last three months, the new mother needs an additional 200 calories a day.
Since your body is working harder to convert your calorie intake into energy, don't be surprised if you wake up at night hungry. Nausea due to an empty stomach also often accompanies this hunger.
What to do if you are hungry at night?
Instead of forcing sleep on a hungry stomach, try taking some snacks. Make sure the fridge and cupboards are full of healthy snacks that are easy to serve, such as:
- A slice of toast or whole wheat bread
- Fresh fruit and vegetables
- Boiled eggs
- Cheese
- Dried fruit
For those of you who tend to have indigestion at night, avoid consuming sour-tasting fruit before bed.
For lunch, choose whole wheat or brown rice bread over white bread or white rice. Foods that contain whole grains are more filling and have more fiber to prevent constipation. Avoid consuming fat or spicy foods and sweets. The reason is, spicy food can cause indigestion, while candy is not filling.
If hunger comes in the middle of the night, choose healthy foods that can satisfy your hunger. Try drinking milk, herbal tea, a bowl of cereal with milk, toast with peanut butter, or some crackers with cheese.
Some foods contain a natural sleep-inducing amino acid called tryptophan. Tryptophan can be found in turkey, banana and certain types of fish. However, don't be tempted to take tryptophan supplements as these are not safe for pregnancy.
