Before intermittent fasting in pregnancy, let us discuss what is intermittent fasting?
Intermittent fasting (IF) is a diet plan in which a person has to stay hungry for a long time. This means skipping breakfast, lunch, or dinner. People following intermittent fasting keep in mind when they have to take their meal (when to eat food). Many people who follow intermittent eat food within 12 hours or do not eat anything for 14 to 18 hours.
In the intermittent diet, more attention is paid to the number of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. Carbohydrates, proteins, and fiber help reduce body weight or keep it balanced. In such a situation, should intermittent fasting be adopted in pregnancy? What are the effects of intermittent fasting during pregnancy on pregnant women? Does intermittent fasting during pregnancy harm the unborn baby?
Let us try to understand the questions related to intermittent fasting in many other such pregnancies.
Is intermittent fasting or not eating for a certain period right in pregnancy?
People who are following intermittent fasting in pregnancy take care of when they have to take their meals. Many people who follow an intermittent diet eat food within 12 hours or do not eat anything for 14 to 18 hours, but for pregnant women, following an intermittent fasting diet during pregnancy is very beneficial for the pregnant woman and the unborn baby. can be harmful. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), pregnant women who fast during Ramadan faced physical problems. Even in the time of Ramadan, people have to fast for 12 to 13 hours, and even during intermittent fasting, people do not eat anything for 12 to 18 hours. In such a situation, the pregnant ladies have faced the following problems. These include-
- premature birth
- stillbirth
- hypersensitive disorder
- gestational diabetes
- low birth weight
And in some cases, the pregnant woman has also died.
Along with all these problems, there can be other problems as well. Now in such a situation, the question arises that it is not right to eat after a long gap during pregnancy, so what should a pregnant woman do?
If a woman is thinking about intermittent fasting in pregnancy, then first of all she should understand the types of intermittent fasting.
What are the types of termite fastening?
Intermittent fasting intermittent diet is followed in the following way. like:
Avoiding eating for 12 to 18 hours
Not eating food for 12 to 18 hours means that if you have had dinner, then the next day you will have straight lunch. No breakfast is served during this time. You are only allowed to have lunch and dinner and there is a gap of 8 hours between lunch and dinner. In such a situation, lunch is done at noon and dinner by 7 pm. Even during intermittent fasting in pregnancy, you may have to starve for a long time.
A balanced diet should be taken for two days a week-
While following intermittent dieting, a person should consume 500 to 600 calories for the remaining 2 days of the week following a normal diet for 5 consecutive days.
The eating gap should be 20 hours
According to health experts, a gap of 20 hours is also kept during this diet. During these 20 hours of fasting, you can consume a balanced amount of fruits. When you take a diet after 20 hours, then green vegetables, protein, and fat should be consumed. If you feel frequent and intense hunger, then carbohydrates can be consumed.
Keep fast for one day
While following this diet, one has to keep fast for one day (24 hours) a week and the normal diet is followed for 6 days.
According to these different diet charts, intermittent dieting may not be right for a pregnant woman but, if you want to start an intermittent diet, you should consult your health expert about it.
According to research, intermittent fasting or intermittent diet is not recommended. This type of fasting is required by most Muslim women during Ramadan. Fasting has to be done for 30 consecutive days, which harms the health of pregnant women or lactating women. The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) kept 31374 pregnant women under observation during fasting, out of which 18920 pregnant women were fasting during the month of Ramadan. This report did not reveal anything troubling, but the weight of the newborn born due to maternal fasting was seen to be slightly less.
However, some things must be kept in mind during pregnancy. like-
- Keep the baby healthy in the womb
- Nutritious foods must be consumed so that the brain and body of the unborn baby develop properly.
The effect of sudden changes in diet during pregnancy can be harmful to both the pregnant woman and the unborn baby. Eating intermittently or over a long period can cause changes in hormone levels. If there are more changes in the hormones than normal, then it increases the risk and the chances of miscarriage can also increase.
The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) advises pregnant women not to lose or maintain weight during pregnancy, but to gain weight for a healthy pregnancy. If seen, nowadays people are very cautious about body weight, including women. Weight gain during pregnancy is important for mother and baby. According to the gynecologist, there should be an increase of 11 to 16 kg during pregnancy, but if the weight increases very fast then there can be a problem. If the weight of a pregnant woman is balanced according to her age and height, then an increase of 11 to 16 kg can be considered a sign of healthy pregnancy, while if the pregnant woman is underweight then the weight should increase more and if the pregnant woman is overweight then Weight gain should be less than 11 to 16 kg.
Can intermittent fasting before pregnancy start any problem during pregnancy?
If you are doing intermittent fasting and pregnancy occurs, do not delay in contacting the doctor. Give accurate information about your diet to the health expert. At such a time, do not be afraid of gaining weight, rather pay attention to your diet and enjoy pregnancy. Nutrients such as folic acid, iron, vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, omega-3, omega-6, and fatty acids are needed during pregnancy. Due to the consumption of foods containing these nutritious elements, proper development of the pregnant woman and the unborn baby can be possible.
Can Intermittent Fasting Diet Plan Increase Risks During Pregnancy?
Intermittent fasting diet plan in pregnancy has been seen especially associated with Muslim pregnant women. That too only women who remain pregnant during Ramadan. Any pregnant woman adopts the option of intermittent fasting in pregnancy and fasting or consuming less food than necessary can reduce the glucose level in the body. In such a situation, there may be less movement in the fetus growing in the womb and oxygen may not reach the fetus.
If the fetal movement is less, then you need to be alert especially if the delivery date is near. A healthy baby makes about 10 movements in the womb in half an hour, which can be easily felt by pregnant women.
There are many such foods in intermittent fasting, which are recommended to be consumed to a minimum. It can be harmful to a pregnant woman and the unborn baby.
Iron deficiency can occur in women during pregnancy, which starts the problem of anemia. Therefore, the diet of a pregnant woman should be rich in iron. Low iron levels can lead to premature birth and low birth weight. According to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG), pregnant women need 27 milligrams of iron a day.
Can intermittent fasting and pregnancy be considered?
If seen, during an intermittent fasting diet, a person has to keep fast for a long time. However, if you are following the IF diet chart, according to research, if you are a victim of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) or obesity, then there is an increase in the luteinizing hormone level. Luteinizing hormone stimulates ovulation. Due to which it becomes easy to conceive, whether the pregnancy is there or not, a balanced and nutritious diet is needed to keep the body fit, due to which the weight also remains balanced. Instead of adopting intermittent fasting or any new weight loss options, eat nutritious food. Exercise during pregnancy, do yoga, or walk. If you want to do intermittent fasting in pregnancy or want to know the answer to any question related to intermittent fasting in pregnancy, then it would be better to understand from experts.