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Is the Whole30 safe for pregnant and breastfeeding women?


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I had a sliced banana with toasted coconut flakes and cashews drizzled with coconut milk for breakfast. Lacking protein, but was a good change of pace on a morning where I couldn't stomach the thought of meat and/or eggs for breakfast.

It also lacks in vegetables too - every meal needs to stick to the template with protein, fat and 2-3 cups of vegies.

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It also lacks in vegetables too - every meal needs to stick to the template with protein, fat and 2-3 cups of vegies.

I know that is a recommendend template...but I've never seen anywhere that every meal "needs" to follow it. In fact, if one just read the Whole 30 guidelines and not the success guide or It Starts with Food - I don't think it says anything about each meal including a protein + veggies. However, I do know it is not an ideal breakfast to start with fruit AND not include a protein. But for whatever reason, day 10 this morning, and just the thought of eggs, meat and veggies (which I have had for breakfast every morning so far) made me nauseous and gag. Had to trust my body needed something else in that moment and make up for it with a 2 course lunch including lots of meat and veggies - and a cup of homemade chicken stock to help settle my still somewhat queasy stomach.

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Hello all, my family and I did the whole30 last September. I just found out I am pregnant and have read the paragraphs referring to pregnancy in It Starts With Food. I live in the UK where folic acid is prescribed. Please can you explain what folate is and why folic acid is not advisable? I folic acid for three days but since reading the advice in the book I have held off until I find out more. I could do some research on the net but that seems like shouting the question on the street. Any credible source material you can point me to? Where would I find folate? What is the best form it comes in? Does it help prevent spina bifida?


Thank you

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Please can you explain what folate is and why folic acid is not advisable?.....Any credible source material you can point me to? Where would I find folate? What is the best form it comes in?

Here is Chris Kressor's take, and I would consider him a highly credible source. He does state that folate prevents neural tube defects, and lists a few sources (natural and supplments) for folate.  http://chriskresser.com/folate-vs-folic-acid

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  • 2 months later...

I'd really like to set myself up for success during these 30 days, but I can't find a good source for coconut milk (ironically I live in Hawaii, but cracking open a fresh coconut is a huge effort for a small amount of harvest), nor olives that aren't canned with many preservatives.

 

Aroy D brand is the only brand "pure" brand I've found - no preservatives or any additives. You can order it by the case on Amazon in either 8.5oz or 33.8oz cartons.

I've had eczema my whole life and a fairly severe tachycardia since middle school - I've seen correlations between eczema and food (specifically gluten and dairy), but it never occurred to me that the tachycardia might be triggered by food as well. Interesting stuff! Thanks for sharing.

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  • 1 month later...

I'm 6 weeks pregnant and today was day 23. I am not hungry outside of my 3 meals though it takes me a long time to eat those cause I'm not too interested in food at all these days so I have to force myself (mentally not physically) to eat them . I'm so tired I go to bed pretty early and then the mornings are hard cause it's been like 13 hours since my dinner the previous day. I did wake up at 1am the other day and had to eat some olives so the hunger pain would go away but I was so tired I didn't want to. I'm concerned with my total aversion to food while pregnant . Many people are concerned I didn't stop this Whole30 when I found out I'm pregnant but I'm sure this is better for me and my baby than my regular way of eating. Has anyone else been pregnant and just not wanted to eat? I'm not throwing up or anything so it's not like that is the issue. I also haven't experienced any cravings. I didn't even go through withdraw the first week. And I ate terrible. I think my body is confused and since both pregnancy and Whole30 are new I don't know how to hear from my body to guide me. My mind is basically never telling me to eat, I start feeling a discomfort in my stomach and make myself.

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So I am on day 2 of my Whole30 and am trying to figure out how snacking works. I don't want to eat more than necessary. 

Day 1, I woke up at 12am to nurse my 1 month old and had 1 HB egg, celery & carrots, and cashews. At 5am I had some deli ham, cherry tomatoes, and macadamia nuts. At 10am I had my first full meal, then again at 2pm, then had dinner at 6:30pm. 

Day 2, (today) I had similar meals at similar times so far. 

Am I eating too much, should I try to skip one of my nighttime feeding snacks or make it smaller?

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  • 4 months later...
  • 1 month later...

My husband and I were planning on starting the whole 30 tomorrow now that the holidays are over (it will be our third time)! I was eating paleo and juicing up until late December.... But this past week and a half has been sugar, dairy, bread heaven... Or hell.... And I feel awful and I am worried that if I start whole 30 right now it will be more of a "detox" .... So I guess my question is should I just start whole 30 and cut it all out at once or slowly wean myself off slowly over the next week/ two?

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Dearmrsarmstrong, a Whole30 isn't a detox and a week or so of sugar, dairy and bread shouldn't cause you a horrible reaction if you choose not to eat them.  Most people can avoid the "carb flu" by making sure that they eat enough starchy veggies along with adequate amounts of protein and fat.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I am down to nursing 2 times a day.  I am on day 17 of the Whole 30.  I was wondering if these "extra meal rules" apply to breast feeding women who are feeding throughout the day and those that are providing limited milk.  I sometimes feel hungry (especially in the afternoon/evening) but I'm wondering if I am misreading the signals and eating because I feel that I am "allowed" since I am breastfeeding.  Is it boredom or hunger is what I am trying to figure out.

I understand there isn't a perfect W30, but I wondered if any of these BFeeding moms are doing the 4 meals + snacks and only nursing 2X daily.  That might help me better understand my situation.    

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  • 1 year later...

I just found out I'm pregnant with #2 and I'm wanting to eat healthy from the start. I had gestational diabetes last pregnancy which I managed well with the diet prescribed by the hospital. So I am used to being strict and cutting out unhealthy foods. But I'm wondering about cutting out milk and whole grains. I usually only have brown rice, and I wouldn't have milk or fruit in the morning. So can I change a few things or do I need to do all of whole 30 to have the best results? Thanks!

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A Whole30 with dairy isn't a Whole30, and many people are intolerant to dairy without realising it, so yes, to get the best results from the 30 days you need to follow the rules to the letter.

If you're concerned about missing out on calcium you should know that dairy doesn't provide the most bioavailable source of calcium anyway - have a read at >this article< for more info.

Hope this helps, and congrats on the pregnancy!  :)

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  • 1 year later...

I am exclusively breastfeeding my 3 month old and I am on day 21 of Whole30. My milk production regulated in this period, so I think that's why I don't have that much as before. My baby hasn't gained any weight in 2 weeks so I am concerned. What should I do?  I feel good and I am loosing weight, but if this is affecting him I am not sure if I should continue? It's not my first Whole30. I did it twice before getting pregnant. 

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31 minutes ago, Priszcilla said:

I am exclusively breastfeeding my 3 month old and I am on day 21 of Whole30. My milk production regulated in this period, so I think that's why I don't have that much as before. My baby hasn't gained any weight in 2 weeks so I am concerned. What should I do?  I feel good and I am loosing weight, but if this is affecting him I am not sure if I should continue? It's not my first Whole30. I did it twice before getting pregnant. 

Are you eating 3-4 full template meals a day along with additional fat?  Maybe you'd like to list out what you've been eating including portion sizes related to the template, specific veggies, protein and fat and we can take a look but I would say in my experience with this concern, you're probably not eating enough.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hello, I am on day 2 of the whole 30. I am so excited to clean up my diet and become a healthier version of me.  I am breastfeeding a 6 month old and yesterday on day one I felt great however today day 2 I woke up jittery (like I had two pots of coffee) shaky hands and felt overall pretty crummy. I ate a breakfast of eggs, avocado, and potatoes which improved symptoms but still didn't completely resolve them. I don't think I should be hungry an hour after eating all this but maybe that is the reason. Has anyone else had this kind of reaction? I am totally willing to just ride it out but I don't want it to compromise the milk for my little one. Thanks Whole 30 pals! Looking forward to getting past this initial shock of the system! 

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1 minute ago, Ashley P said:

Hello, I am on day 2 of the whole 30. I am so excited to clean up my diet and become a healthier version of me.  I am breastfeeding a 6 month old and yesterday on day one I felt great however today day 2 I woke up jittery (like I had two pots of coffee) shaky hands and felt overall pretty crummy. I ate a breakfast of eggs, avocado, and potatoes which improved symptoms but still didn't completely resolve them. I don't think I should be hungry an hour after eating all this but maybe that is the reason. Has anyone else had this kind of reaction? I am totally willing to just ride it out but I don't want it to compromise the milk for my little one. Thanks Whole 30 pals! Looking forward to getting past this initial shock of the system! 

I'm going to take a wild guess that you didn't eat enough yesterday... As you can see from reading through this thread, we recommend pregnant and breastfeeding moms eat four meals a day and snack on fats (olives, coconut milk) throughout the day.  Did you do this?  Are you eating to the high end of the template?  Please provide additional information so that we can help.

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33 minutes ago, SugarcubeOD said:

I'm going to take a wild guess that you didn't eat enough yesterday... As you can see from reading through this thread, we recommend pregnant and breastfeeding moms eat four meals a day and snack on fats (olives, coconut milk) throughout the day.  Did you do this?  Are you eating to the high end of the template?  Please provide additional information so that we can help.

i ate three meals which I felt I really ate a lot at, much more than usual. Felt good and not hungry. Had one snack of almonds. I think you are right though I will try four meals even if I'm not "hungry" Thank you so much for your reply!

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  • 2 years later...
On 4/1/2012 at 9:27 PM, Melissa Hartwig said:

The more nutrition Mom receives from her diet, the more she is able to pass along to the little one – and there is no diet more nutritious than one that focuses on healthy protein and fat, vegetables, and fruits.

@Melissa Hartwig This general statement is obvious, but does not answer the question.  Why don't you just say that you don't know if whole30 is safe for pregnant women and the baby inside?

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2 minutes ago, Jim Baunach said:

@Melissa Hartwig "Defer" means to postpone.  You will always postpone to my doctor?  Did you mean "refer"?

"Defer" means postpone, but "defer to" means to allow someone else to choose.  Check out the definition from Merriam Webster: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defer to 

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