Pregnancy isn't the time to cut the calories

By Christina Ching and Carole Beck

The trend among celebrity mums to squeeze back into their pre-bump outfits straight after giving birth has led to pressure on normal mums to do the same… What we don’t see are the behind-the-scenes armies helping these celebs shape up ? from dietitians to personal trainers.  Babies whose mums diet in pregnancy are not only usually born smaller, making them more vulnerable to illness, they are also more likely to become obese and develop diabetes and heart disease as adults.  Experts think their tiny bodies become programmed to cope in “famine conditions”, storing fat instead of burning it off.  Stick to the recommended daily calorie count for women ? that’s 1,800 to 2,000 ? adding 300 calories in the final trimester. That means taking an extra of about 2½ glasses of milk or orange juice, or slightly more than a bowl of rice a day.  “The extra weight you put on provides energy for labour and breastfeeding. And most of the weight gained in pregnancy isn’t fat but water ? the average weight gain is 12kg, and just a third of that is fat.”  Experts suggest that a healthy pregnancy weight gain is 10 to 16kg, but a lot depends on your pre-pregnancy weight. If you were underweight, aim to gain slightly more, and if you were overweight, a bit less.

Pregnancy used to be seen as a blessed reprieve from weight-watching, an excuse to indulge in forbidden foods. But these days, more and more women continue to diet during pregnancy in an attempt to avoid piling on the weight and regain their figures quickly after birth. 

For some women, an old eating disorder can resurface. Tormented by their expanding figures, dieting may seem the only way to maintain control. For others, the trend among celebrity mums to squeeze back into their pre-bump outfits straight after giving birth has led to pressure on normal mums to do the same. After all, Nicole Kidman stepped out of her home with no sign of a baby bump just 10 days after delivering daughter Sunday Rose. Even Zoe Tay, the Queen of Caldecott Hill, looks fitter than ever with a trim tum and buns of steel. 

“A lot of celebrities seem very proud of only having a little bump,” says Fiona Ford, a research dietitian at the Centre for Pregnancy Nutrition at the University of Sheffield in the UK. “They then have an early Caesarean and get their figures back within weeks.” Rumour has it some stars even get to a tummy tuck along with their Caesareans.

Of course, what we don’t see are the behind-the-scenes armies ? from dietitians to personal trainers ? helping these celebs shape up post-baby. While we envy how Katie Holmes barely took five months to shimmy into her skinny jeans after 2-year-old Suri’s birth, she was not magically blessed with weight loss powers. Her personal trainer’s strict diet and rigorous workouts are the secret to her sleek shape. 

“Unfortunately, the pictures in magazines give ordinary women the impression they should also slim down that quickly,” Ford notes. “Some women make it happen, perhaps by dieting during pregnancy to keep their bump smaller. We have no data on how many women actually do this ? some wouldn’t admit it, while others do it almost subconsciously or don’t think they’re doing anything wrong ? but it isn’t normal.”

CUTTING BACK
Karlie Mesenas, 31, mum to Darcy, 3, and Kasey, 6, began cutting back when an underactive thyroid caused her to balloon.
“During my first pregnancy, I didn’t put on much weight, but the second time around, the weight kept piling on, even though I wasn’t eating any extra,” she says. “I also felt exhausted and kept going hot and cold. I had no idea what was wrong, but the doctor blamed it on running around after Kasey.” 

Karlie became so depressed with her figure, she started dieting. “I skipped breakfast, gave up chocolate and ate smaller portions,” she says. “I also went for long walks every day. But by the end of the pregnancy, I was still 13kg heavier.”
It wasn’t until Darcy was 4 months old that Karlie was diagnosed with an underactive thyroid - the reason for her weight gain. “That was also why I was so tired,” she says. “Luckily, Darcy was fine since she took all the nutrients she needed from me, but I shudder to think what could have happened if I’d dieted more drastically.” 

For Sally Goh, 32, mum to Jack, 6 months, and Lola, 2, it was her doctor who pressured her to watch her weight. “I found eating regularly helped me cope with morning sickness, but it made me put on far more weight than was recommended,” she says. “At each antenatal appointment, my gynae commented on my weight and would tell me off. He battered my confidence so much I started to cut my food intake in the few days before I saw him. I crossed my fingers that it wouldn’t harm the baby as it was only for a short time. But I certainly didn’t listen to my body’s nutritional needs.”

DIETING DANGERS
It’s easy to think that a small weight gain is a good weight gain. After all, the problems associated with piling on the pounds are well-documented, from high blood pressure to stretch marks. Yet dieting in pregnancy is extremely dangerous. It can contribute to poor health, vitamin deficiencies and possibly, a more difficult labour for you. It can even put your baby at risk of developing life-threatening diseases later on. 

Research shows that babies whose mums diet in pregnancy are not only usually born smaller ? making them more vulnerable to illness ? they are also more likely to become obese and develop diabetes and heart disease as adults. Experts reckon that their tiny bodies become programmed to cope in “famine conditions”, storing fat instead of burning it off.
Dieting in pregnancy puts you at risk of poor health too. You may become deficient in certain vitamins, as your body can’t meet the demands of both you and your baby. If you were already dieting before pregnancy, your iron stores could be low, making you more likely to be anaemic. 

“Anaemia increases the risk of your baby having a low birth-weight and becoming anaemic himself,” points out Claire MacEvilly, a nutritionist at the Medical Research Council in the UK. “Both anaemia and dieting will also make you more tired and affect your ability to exercise, and lack of exercise can make labour far tougher.” 

If you’re cutting back on dairy products as well, you may also become calcium deficient, which increases your risk of osteoporosis later.

HEALTHY BALANCE
So, what should you be eating during pregnancy? Experts say you should stick to the recommended daily calorie count for women - that’s 1,800 to 2,000 calories ? and simply add another 300 calories in your final trimester. This means taking an extra of about 2½ glasses of milk or orange juice, or slightly more than a bowl of rice a day, Gleneagles Hospital dietitian Rehana A Wahid notes. 

The majority of your daily food intake should be made up of healthy, balanced foods that pack a nutritional punch, including at least five portions of fruit and veg, protein (meat, fish, beans, pulses, eggs), carbs (rice, pasta, bread) and milk. That still leaves room for the occasional treat, and certainly doesn’t mean you have to go hungry. 

Any post-pregnancy diet should wait until you’ve stopped breastfeeding. You’ll need an extra 500 calories a day during this period to ensure that you get plenty of energy as well as to maintain a good supply of milk. During this time, you should take three main meals and two snacks, such as two slices of wholemeal bead with tuna or low-fat cheese, and one meat or vegetarian bao, suggests Raffles Hospital dietitian Nehal Kamdar. 

Sure, watching your waist expand may be tough. But just remember, your weight gain is for a good reason and it isn’t “just lard”.
“The extra weight you put on provides energy for labour and breastfeeding,” explains consultant obstetrician Doris Campbell. “And most of the weight gained in pregnancy isn’t fat but water - the average weight gain is 12kg, and just a third of that is fat. Be assured that the weight increase is for a reason.”
And what better reason than the good health of your unborn baby?

The Big Issue The skinny on pregnancy weight gain.   Experts suggest that a healthy pregnancy weight gain is 10 to 16kg, but a lot depends on your pre-pregnancy weight. If you were underweight, aim to gain slightly more, and if you were overweight, a bit less. Gleneagles Hospital dietitian Rehana A Wahid recommends putting on 2 to 3kg over the first 20 weeks of pregnancy, and thereafter, about 500g a week until you deliver.  If you gain 12 to 13kg in total, on average, your baby will account for 3.2kg, with fat stores making up another 3.2kg. The rest goes to the placenta (500 to 900g), uterine enlargement (900g), amniotic fluid (900g), breast tissue (900g), increased blood volume (900g) as well as the fluids in your tissue (1.8kg).

If you have any comments or practical suggestions, write to us at editor@family.sg

- Mother & Baby
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