If you are a pregnant mom asking, “Why am I feeling so tired?” this is what you should know.
It is normal to feel slightly tired during pregnancy for two reasons. First – the hormone progesterone slows you down. Second – a lot of your energy is diverted by your body towards baby making.
However, if you feel exhausted all the time – it could be due to the following reasons:
Blood sugar fluctuations
If your pregnancy diet consists of a lot of processed sugary refined food, your blood sugar is probably peaking and crashing. The crashes are probably making you feel exhausted. But there are certain foods, you will need to avoid. Read our blog on avoiding hunger pangs during pregnancy.
Protein deficiency
A large quantity of protein is needed to make new cells for the baby. If your diet is not protein rich, that could be causing you to feel weak.
Lack of good fats in the diet
Good fats are essential for various body functions including the production of hormones and the transmission of nerve signals. Fat deficiency could be making you feel irritable and unenthusiastic. To understand how you can add good fats to your diet in depth, read our blog here.
Iron deficiency
The mineral, iron, is required to carry oxygen to every cell in the body. Without oxygen the cells cannot produce energy. If you are iron deficient this could cause tiredness.
Dehydration
Water is required for every body function and that is why dehydration can make you feel tired because your body is not working properly.
How to eat energy boosting foods during pregnancy –
A: Eat these foods to keep blood sugar stable:
Eat sprouted Ragi dishes for breakfast. Click here to understand why having a healthy breakfast during pregnancy is important.
You can make porridge, roti, dosa or pancake.
Eat whole grain rice with whole grain dal and ghee for lunch and dinner.
Opt for brown rice or red rice and give preference to whole moong, whole masoor, kabuli chana, rajma, chawli, matki etc.
Eat millet khichdi, moong dal cheela, dhokla, idli and dosa as snacks.
B: Foods to prevent protein deficiency:
Eat dal at lunch and dinner.
Eat paneer mixed with fruits when snacking.
If you are non-vegetarian, eat egg, chicken and fish.
C: Foods to prevent deficiency of good fats:
Eat a handful of dry fruits and nuts every day.
Cook in ghee and add ghee to your rice and rotis.
Make coconut laddoos and eat coconut chutney.
D: Foods to prevent iron deficiency:
Eat some greens with every meal. Greens from amranth, beet, cauliflower, keerai, mustard, parsley, radish and turnip are all rich in iron.
Make aliv laddoo or aliv sattu paratha for snack-times. Check the recipe here.
Eat amla murabba in between meals.
If you are non-vegetarian, eat egg as a snack.
E: Foods to prevent dehydration:
Drink a glass of coconut water every day.
Drink some chaas.
Sip nimbu paani with mint through the day in addition to water.
F: Foods to promote a feeling of well-being:
Seasonal fruits like jamun, seetaphal, etc.
Seasonal vegetables like pumpkin, bottle gourd, beetroot, raw banana, drumsticks, etc.
Curd by itself or as a raita.
Spices like turmeric, jeera and hing to temper your sabjis.
Eating the right food is important to boost your energy when you are pregnant. However, also remember to eat small frequent meals and avoid tea and coffee to avoid energy crashes through the day. For a detailed daily meal plan, check our blog here.
By
Dr. Debmita Dutta MBBS, MD
Dr. Debmita Dutta MBBS, MD is a practicing doctor, a parenting consultant, and the founder of WPA whatparentsask.com She conducts online and offline workshops on parenting for schools and corporate organisations. She also conducts online and offline prenatal and infant care classes. She is a well-known thought-leader in parenting and an expert on play, learning and eating habits. She is the author of 6 books on parenting published by Juggernaut Books and her books are among their most read books. She is frequently quoted in national and international publications of repute for her empathetic and compassionate approach to parenting and her application of physiology and brain science to parenting.
