11 Sep Can Pregnant Women Do Intermittent Fasting?
Pregnant women require additional calories to help with a healthy pregnancy. Some might be worried about the excess weight they will be gaining after giving birth to their babies.
It could affect your eating habits and might even prompt pregnant women to go on a diet or try intermittent fasting.
Intermittent fasting is done by eating a bulk of calories in a window of time. For example, you might do a 16:8 approach to your meals. It would mean that you will be eating within the 8-hour window and will be fasting for the remaining time of the day.
People at the peak of their health can do this without problems.
Pregnant Women and Intermittent Fasting
Although there isn’t much data about intermittent fasting and pregnant women, it is not recommended for those going through pregnancy.
Sudden changes in your dietary practices can have adverse effects on your baby such as nutritional deficiencies and other health concerns. It might also have an impact on your baby’s birth weight.
One study on pregnant women during Ramadan noted that risks of doing intermittent fasting while pregnant include:
There are also risks of doing intermittent fasting while pregnant such as:
- Low glucose levels from fasting in pregnant women cause them to have a significantly longer amount of time to detect fetal movements.
- There might be an insufficient amount of nutritional value when you restrict your eating to a certain time window.
- Iron deficiency is also common among pregnant women, which may cause anemia in the baby if they do not get enough iron.
Your Diet During Pregnancy
Ensure that your diet consists of healthy proteins, fruits, vegetables, and calcium-enriched foods. You should get your vitamins and minerals from the food you eat.
If you have health concerns while pregnant, talk to your doctor to discuss your options.
SOURCE:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8912128/
https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/have-a-healthy-diet/