ncoughlin Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 Hi my name is Nicole. I'm very interested in doing a whole30 but wondering if now is the right time.... Or if there is ever really a right time. I have a 2 month old daughter who I pump and feed. I would want to start Monday 10/17. I'm concerned about a few things.... 1) I go back to work 11/7 around day 21 of the program 2) I suffered from severe baby blues/ possibly PPD shortly after birth.... I'm concerned the stress of new baby + carb flu + stress of meal prep/new diet may send me over the edge again. Does anyone have experience doing a whole30 in a similar situation? I know if I start and need to stop/fail it will be more detrimental than me waiting to do the program at a better time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators ladyshanny Posted October 12, 2016 Administrators Share Posted October 12, 2016 Only you know if this is the right time for you or not. You would probably want to assess your reasons for undertaking the program and the results you are hoping to get. If you do end up taking it on, know that the "3 meals/day no snacking" does not apply to people who are breastfeeding. There are quite a few articles on Whole30/Whole9 that discuss pregnancy and nursing. Whole30 is not a low-carb plan but many people inadvertently go too low-carb when they start and this can lead to worsening of anxiety or depression in those prone. Make sure you are getting at least one fist sized serving of starchy veggie a day. Consider more than that due to your history of depression and the fact that you are pumping. There are lots of people who have done Whole30 with small children and tonnes of those do it while also working. Check out the Whole30 with Kids and Whole30 for Pregnant/Nursing sections of the forum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen_Suep Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 I am breastfeeding my son and I did the whole30 when he was about 3 mos (i kept saying 4 but I realize that is how old he is now. I started when he was 2.5 mos). it's doable. As far as PPD/PPA you may find that incorporate more starches (sweet potatoes, potatoes, other root veggies, winter squash, etc) and fatty fish and foods high in tryptophan will help. Ultimately it's up to you if now is the right time. I found that I kept saying soon but my husband actually encouraged me to start when I did. I did a lot of research and meal experimenting beforehand so I wouldn't be too overwhelmed and then eased my way in. You can totally do it. I still eat mostly whole30 with the occasional off plan foods. It was great because I found out my son is probably sensitive to avocado and maybe dairy (not to the point it's unbearable, but I'm aware of it now). I love the structure from eating 3-4 meals a day and it helped me learn to meal plan. I batch cooked a lot so that I'd have easy to grab leftovers for future meals. I also bought a lot of precut veggies to help with my sanity. (And primal kitchens mayo. I think I bought a jar every week!) its completely doable, even as a mom of a young one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncoughlin Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 Thanks for the quick responses! I would definitely plan on including more starchy vegetables and would be totally on board with the multiple small meals or snacks instead of 3 big meals.... Not exactly easy to eat a big meal with a baby around anyway as for the reason I'm considering whole30 it is mostly to cleanse my body and improve my relationship with food. I stress/emotionally eat and ate terribly while pregnant. This carried over into the first few post partum weeks too. I just feel icky and need to kick the cravings I now have. Loosing the last 20 lbs to get to my previous pregnancy weight won't hurt either but I'm more interested in the mental and internal changes... Which is why I want to make sure I'm choosing a time that sets me up for success. I'm also considering easing into a cleaner diet... Removing certain bad items slowly, focusing just on eating more fruits veggies and protein without having a strict regiment to maintain and doing a full blown whole30 in January. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karen_Suep Posted October 12, 2016 Share Posted October 12, 2016 @ncoughlin that's pretty much how I did it. I'd make whole30 meals as I could until I got to the point I could start and maintain for 30 days Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncoughlin Posted October 12, 2016 Author Share Posted October 12, 2016 @Karen_Suep that sounds a whole lot less scary and stressful than jumping in full throttle right away! I'm glad to see that approach has been successful for others figuring out this whole raising a child schedule while simultaniously maintain your sanity is such a trial and error process! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrsStick Posted October 13, 2016 Share Posted October 13, 2016 Just a warning, though - don't stress about weight. Honest. You specifically mentioned 20 pounds to lose, but that worries me. Your baby is only 2.5 months old, your body takes a while to get everything back together again. Also, your hormones are still going crazy right now since you are pumping/feeding your baby, and a lot of women's bodies hold on to an extra 5-10 pounds until they're done nursing. I'm 8 months postpartum, not eating W30 but eating close to it (maybe 80% W30) and nursing my son. I'm still over my weight when I got pregnant, but can zip my pre-baby jeans now (in the last 2-ish months). They don't fit right and aren't comfortable but I can put them on my body and close them. I've been working out (more earlier on, it's a bit harder now that my son is mobile), eating mostly clean, and nursing away calories but I'm still not down to my earlier weight, and my hips are still a different size than they were. All that to say...don't think about your weight. Your body took a while to gain the weight, it's going to take a while to get rid of it. If you drop the weight too fast/early you can risk losing your milk supply. Do what feels right to you, and give yourself some room for mental health. It's hard being a mom to a little, it's harder being a working mom to a little, it's harder being a working and pumping mom to a little, and it's even harder doing all of that and a W30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators SugarcubeOD Posted October 14, 2016 Moderators Share Posted October 14, 2016 On October 12, 2016 at 3:51 PM, ncoughlin said: would be totally on board with the multiple small meals or snacks instead of 3 big meals.... You may have misunderstood what was mentioned about 3meals a day/no snacking. What that means is that while non pregnant/breastfeeding Whole30'rs are encouraged to eat 3 meals large enough to get them 4-5 hours between with no snacking, that's not the case for you. Often pregnant or breastfeeding women will find they need four meals and possible snacks. We still recommend that your meals follow the template and if you were to snack, to not rely on nuts and dried fruits but to eat two of the three macros (fat, protein, veggies). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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