What to do if a pregnant woman is hungry at night

A woman's body will undergo great changes after pregnancy, and her nutritional needs are also particularly great, especially as the fetus develops and grows day by day in the belly, so mothers will undergo great changes, but many pregnant women often feel hungry in the middle of the night, but they don't know what causes it. Some women are afraid that they will get fat after eating, but they are worried that not eating will affect the growth and development of the fetus. Let's learn about what pregnant women should do if they are hungry in the middle of the night.

What to do if a pregnant woman is hungry at night

(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.

Things to note before going to bed:

1. Severe urinary frequency will affect sleep quality, so do not drink too much water or soup before going to bed.

2. Avoid consuming beverages high in sugar, including honey, fruit juice, flavors, pigments, etc., and avoid high-salt foods and alcohol. Both caffeine and alcohol can interfere with sleep.

3. Milk is rich in nutrients and helps you sleep, but be sure to drink it two hours in advance.

4. Eating a moderate snack before going to bed can prevent you from waking up with a headache the next day.

5. Moderate exercise can relieve some insomnia symptoms, but remember to finish exercising at least 3 hours before going to bed

The above is an introduction to what pregnant women should do if they feel hungry in the middle of the night. After understanding it, we know that this is a relatively common phenomenon and pregnant women must pay great attention to it. If they feel hungry in the middle of the night, they must eat more food, because the growth and development of the fetus also needs to absorb nutrients from the mother's body to grow healthily, so mothers must eat on time when they are hungry.