Dietitian Natasha Mohan

Comfort foods for pregnancy
Dt. Natasha Mohan

Dt. Natasha Mohan

Dietitian Natasha Mohan is one of the most influential and renowned nutritionist and dietitian, with over 3 Million Followers on YouTube and 200+ Million Views and with 10+ Years of Experience. Dietitian Natasha Mohan is a transformation expert, Motivational Speaker and Lifestyle Expert. She has touched million of lives. She specializes in Therapeutic Diets Like, PCOS/PCOD, Thyroid, Diabetes, Cholesterol, Blood pressure, and other lifestyle disorder.

Table of Contents

Comfort foods for pregnancy

How comfort foods helpful during pregnancy is the smartest way

Pregnancy changes everything means how your body responds to food from sudden nausea in the morning, uncomfortable constipation during pregnancy and constant reminder to drink more water were expecting moms often feel like they’re navigating a maze of dos and don’ts.
But what if the solution isn’t complicated nutrition charts…
How comfort diet during pregnancy could be the strategy
Welcome to the comfort diet where gentle, realistic approach that helps you to manage morning sickness, constipation, and hydration with simple food choices that your body actually wants.

Understanding pregnancy discomforts

Pregnancy brings beautiful changes but also some surprising ones before we fix all discomforts, we need to understand why they happen what are causes and choose of right foods that will make easier during delivery of baby with full nourishments.

What causes morning sickness?

Morning sickness relief isn’t just for the morning, but it can happen anytime there could be multiple reason for that some are: –

  • Hormonal Shifts – During early pregnancy levels of hCG and estrogen rise rapidly these sudden hormonal shifts affect brain’s nausea centre with slow digestion which make you feel like sick but don’t worry it’s a natural part of pregnancy that usually improves hormones stabilize.
  • Sensitive Digestive System – Pregnancy slows down digestion so our body and baby can get more nutrients but during this slower movement causes bloating, acidity and nausea even after small meals this become common pregnancy digestive issue.  
  • Heightened Sensitivity To Smell And Taste – Your senses become much sharper during pregnancy like you sense smells of food, perfume and cooking from usual far distance and this increased sensitivity trigger sudden nausea or aversions and it’s your body’s natural protective response.

Why constipation is so common in pregnancy

  1. Progesterone Slows Digestion – Increase of progesterone relaxes muscles including your digestive tract muscle to get more nutrients that slower movement also leads to harder stool, bloating and constipation for many women.
  2. Iron Supplements Can Harden Stools – Iron tablets commonly given during pregnancy and excess iron isn’t absorbed by the body which binds with stool and making it dry and hard that often cause constipation.
  3. Reduced Physical Activity – As pregnancy progress many women naturally feel tiredness and heaviness in their body that reduced activity slows metabolism making constipation more likely.

Why hydration becomes more important

  • Increased Blood Volume Needs More Fluids – Our body produces extra blood to support the baby and hydration during pregnancy is essential which increased of blood volume requires more water that keep circulation of blood smooth and maintain healthy oxygen flow.
  • Amniotic Fluid Depends On Water Intake – Amniotic fluids protect cushions of baby’s body and largely made of water; proper hydration maintains the right fluid levels and low water intake reduce amniotic fluid.
  • Water Helps Regulate Body Temperature – Pregnancy naturally increases body’s internal temperature and drinking enough water helps to cool down by sweating and circulation.

What to eat for relief

Pregnancy can bring morning sickness, constipation and dehydration all at once by just your diet the comfort diet focuses on gentle, easy to digest foods that calm nausea and keep you hydrated without overwhelming your system.

Food that reduces morning sickness

  1. Dry Snacks – Eating small, dry snacks that can help to absorb stomach acid and prevent nausea from worsening.
  2. GingerFood for morning sickness and you should try to consume ginger as candies, fresh slices or add in your herbal tea that naturally reduce nausea by calming stomach muscle and improve digestion.
  3. Fruits Like Banana, Apple, Pear – These fruits are gentle nonacidic and easy to digest which provide energy without triggering nausea that help to stabilize blood sugar level.
  4. Coconut Water – I know lot of people come to you drink more water but some time it sound irritation you can replace it with coconut water which contain more nutrients than water and full of hydration.

Food that eases constipation

1. High Fiber Fruits – Fruits support good bowel movement by adding bulk and provide moisture to stool and prunes especially act as a natural laxative duet to their sorbitol content.

  • Prunes
  • Papaya
  • Guava
  • Apple

 

2. Vegetables – This also provide fiber and water together and a perfect combination for smooth digestion the keep gut active and prevent drying of stools.

  • Spinach
  • Beans
  • Carrots
  • Pumpkin

3. Whole Grains – Complex carbohydrates improve gut motility where oats and millets also soothe the digestive tract so food can move easily, making them an ideal breakfast during pregnancy.

  • Oats
  • Millet
  • Whole wheat
  • Dalia

Foods that support hydration

  1. Oral Hydration Drinks – Homemade ORS and lemon water maintain the electrolytes and prevent dehydration which is especially helpful if you are vomiting often.
  2. Water Rich Fruits – Watermelon, grapes and oranges like fruits are good hydration deliver fruits that contain water and natural sugars as well that stabilize energy.  
  3. Broths & Clear Soups – Soups are easy to digest due to high fiber veggies and fluid property it keeps digestion smooth and hydrated body as well and broth provides sodium and other essential minerals which help to maintain fluid balance and prevent dizziness.

Eating patter for maximum comfort

  • Small Frequent Meals – Large meals often worsen nausea and slow digestion and eating frequent with small portion keeps your stomach settled and prevents glucose drops.
  • Avoid Lying Down After Eating – Give your body at least 30 minutes to initiate your digestion in your stomach which prevent acid reflux and morning sickness flare – ups.
  • Choose Light And Balanced Meals – We always lack to balance the nutrients on the plate like combining carbs + protein + fibre and other micronutrients which smooth digestion.

Foods to avoid during pregnancy discomforts

Managing morning sickness, constipation and hydration that become easier when you avoid certain type of food that trigger and worsen these symptoms here are the main imposter that you need to keep distance: –

1. Greasy & Fried Foods – I know you always crave to reach out pakoras, samosa and deep-fried snacks but for your babies’ sake you need to avoid these which cause bloating and acidity, making morning sickness worse.

2. Processed Snacks & Packaged Foods – Everyone knows how packaging food like chips, biscuits and excess salt worsen our health due its preservatives content even this dehydrates out body and worsen constipation due to very low fibre content.

Some Are

  • Caffeine Contains Foods
  • Sugary Foods
  • Soft Drinks
  • Gassy Foods
  • Unripe Papaya
  • Raw Pineapple

Conclusion

A comfort diet helps you to manage common pregnancy discomforts like morning sickness, constipation and poor hydration with simple gentle food choice and expert guidance of dietitian can reduces the trigger of pregnancy common issues and planed diet chart main purpose is to support your body health and baby’s growth.

A comfort diet during pregnancy focuses, easy to digest food that help to manage morning sickness, constipation and maintain proper hydration.

Ginger and banana are best food choices for morning sickness adding them into meals are gentle on the stomach.

Not in pregnancy you should be hydrated but during pregnancy we should focus more on drinking water that maintain blood flow which help to transfer nutrients to baby

Eating small portion with frequent meals that prevent nausea and reduces pregnancy digestive issues which often become common during pregnancy.

Plain water is not only way to keep yourself hydrated there are many waters rich fruits, veggie homemade ORS, broths to maintain fluid balance.

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