What to do if pregnant woman is hungry at night

We all know that after a woman becomes pregnant, her body has a particularly high demand for nutrition, and she will always feel hungry. However, hunger in the middle of the night will seriously affect the sleep of women, which is particularly detrimental to their health. So, it is common for pregnant women to feel hungry in the middle of the night. How should we alleviate it? Let’s find out what to do if pregnant women feel hungry in the middle of the night.

What to do if pregnant woman is hungry at night

As your pregnancy progresses, you may find that no matter how much you eat or how many meals you eat, you are always hungry at any time of the day or night. This isn't surprising, since the baby growing in your belly needs calories of its own. While that doesn't mean you should eat anything you want (remember, you're not eating for anyone else, you're eating for you and a baby), it can explain why you often wake up hungry at night.

In fact, after pregnancy you only need to consume an additional 200 to 300 kcal per day. In the early stages of pregnancy, this amount can be even less. However, due to the rapid metabolism, your stomach may growl with hunger or you may feel uncomfortable. You can check out our guide to a healthy pregnancy diet to find out how much extra protein, calories, key vitamins and minerals you need each day.

Principles of eating late at night for pregnant women

(1) Pregnant women should chew food slowly when eating late at night

Chewing more when eating can make pregnant mothers feel full, thereby reducing food and energy intake. You can choose some foods with high elasticity: such as konjac, cuttlefish, octopus, etc., or choose some foods rich in dietary fiber such as bamboo shoots, fungi, seaweed, etc. The editor recommends cooking food at night.

(2) Choose foods that are easy to digest

If expectant mothers choose easily digestible food at night, their blood sugar levels will not rise or fall sharply, and they will not suffer from indigestion. It is recommended to choose porridge or soft pasta.

Foods that pregnant women should not eat late at night

1. Lots of milk

Some pregnant mothers believe that milk is healthy and nutritious, and it is best to drink a cup of milk in the middle of the night. Although milk can help you fall asleep, is rich in nutrients, and is a healthy hunger reliever, you should not drink it without moderation.

Some research reports indicate that the calcium and tryptophan in milk have a sleeping effect. Once one becomes psychologically dependent on these sleeping foods, it is possible to consume too much of them. If you drink too much milk at night, not only will pregnant women have to go to the toilet in the middle of the night and affect their sleep, but they may also feel anxious about whether they will have to go to the toilet in the middle of the night before going to bed, which will affect their sleep quality.

But if you drink it in moderation: Drinking milk before going to bed improves sleep quality

1. Pregnant women drinking milk before going to bed has a calming and hypnotic effect

Because milk contains a biochemical substance L-tryptophan that can make people tired and sleepy, as well as trace amounts of morphine-like substances. These substances have certain sedative and hypnotic effects, especially L-tryptophan, which is the main raw material for the brain to synthesize serotonin. Serotonin plays a key role in brain sleep. It can temporarily inhibit the brain's thinking activities, making people want to sleep, and it has no side effects. Moreover, milk sticks to the stomach wall and is well absorbed. The calcium in milk can also remove tension. Some pregnant mothers become emotionally nervous because they are worried about the fetus, so drinking some milk can calm the nerves for pregnant women, which is beneficial for pregnant mothers to rest and sleep.

2. Pregnant women drinking milk before going to bed can promote calcium absorption

Drinking milk before going to bed is beneficial for pregnant mothers to absorb and utilize calcium. Most of the calcium consumed at dinner is absorbed and utilized by the body before going to bed. After sleeping, especially after midnight, the calcium level in the blood will gradually decrease. The decrease in blood calcium promotes hyperparathyroidism. Hormones act on bone tissue, causing part of the calcium salts in the bone tissue to dissolve into the blood to maintain a stable balance of blood calcium. This dissolution effect is the body's self-regulating function. Over time, it will become one of the causes of osteoporosis. Drinking milk before going to bed at night, the calcium in the milk can be slowly absorbed by the blood, and the blood calcium is replenished and balanced throughout the night. There is no need to dissolve the calcium in the bones, thus preventing bone loss and osteoporosis. Therefore, it is good to drink milk before going to bed.

In addition, the tyrosine in milk can promote a large increase in happy hormones, allowing pregnant women to maintain a good mood; the iron, copper and vitamin A in milk have a beauty effect, making the pregnant mother's skin smoother and more delicate; the calcium in milk can enhance bone growth, which is good for the baby's development. Therefore, for pregnant women, drinking a glass of milk before bed can be said to have many benefits.

2. Heavy-tasting food

Some ladies like strong-flavored food, and pregnant mothers are no exception. When they can’t sleep in the middle of the night, they will want to try some stimulating food: spicy chicken feet, spicy bamboo shoots. However, it is very bad for pregnant women to eat heavy-tasting snacks to satisfy their hunger late at night.

Heavy-tasting foods refer to foods that are rich in salt. When eating at night, you must pay attention to controlling your salt intake. If you consume too much salt, the sodium concentration in the blood will increase, which will cause cells to lose water and increase urine volume, resulting in the same effect as drinking a lot of water before going to bed. This may cause you to be woken up by the urge to urinate during sleep and have to run to the toilet, affecting your sleep quality. It is easy to get tired during pregnancy. If you don’t get enough sleep, both the pregnant woman’s body and the fetus will protest.

3. Greasy food

Some pregnant mothers would think that if they wake up hungry, they can have a good meal before going to sleep, while some pregnant mothers would choose greasy food.

Greasy food contains a lot of fat and energy, which takes a long time to digest, so the body may maintain a high blood sugar state for a long time. If a pregnant woman eats greasy food at night, she may experience heartburn when she wakes up the next day, so she should control her intake of greasy food before going to bed.

4. Sweets

Some pregnant mothers love to eat sweets, even late at night. They think sweets can make them more resistant to hunger and replenish energy, so it is natural for them to eat them. In fact, eating sweets at night is a big taboo for your figure and is also bad for your health.

Eating sweets late at night will cause the energy that could have been consumed to be stored as fat because the body cannot consume it when it falls asleep. In addition, eating sweets before going to bed will increase blood sugar levels. If high blood sugar levels are maintained for a long time, it will cause damage to the kidneys and even nerve endings.

The above are introductions to what pregnant women should do if they are hungry in the middle of the night. After understanding it, we know that this phenomenon is also relatively normal, so pregnant friends should try to eat small meals frequently in daily life, especially before going to bed, you can eat some staple food. Diet during pregnancy has a direct relationship with the health of the baby, so if female friends are prone to hunger during pregnancy, try to eat more food, don’t always not eat for fear of obesity, which is particularly detrimental to the baby’s growth and development.