Is pregnancy hunger real?
I’m just-past 3 months pregnant, and here’s what I have to say about it.
stereotypes
- “You’re eating for 2 now”.
- “Baby must be very hungry”.
Ever heard something along those lines?
Well, something that is not-so stereotype, is that weight gain during pregnancy is REAL.
Whether you eat the healthiest all throughout, you will NEED to gain weight to support to growth of baby.
That idea makes me very uncomfortable since I do absorb some body confidence and general confidence from it (as much as it’s trendy to embrace your body type, we all have preferences right).
I’m touching on body weight and confidence, since apart from my curiosity for whether other girlies experience an unimaginable level of hunger during pregnancy too, I also consider the consequences it may have on my body image and health; and consequently general wellbeing.
So curious I lightly mentioned appetite as one of my “weird” symptoms during the first trimester in one of my other posts (weird to manage because of my tremendous lack of understanding and loss of my usual routines with food haha).
my hunger levels
I’ve got to say that first month of pregnancy went by swiftly, no major changes to appetite whatsoever.
From week 5, I woke up a NEW WOMAN (not quite literally but for the sake of humour).
From 1 day to another, my appetite was on level: RAVENOUS.
I would usually have 1 lunch during my 9 to 5 and maybe a snack, but from my second month I NEEDED:
- 2 lunch meals (big hot meals like full plates)
- a few snacks
- a more filling breakfast before leaving the house
- some more snacking once home after the 9 to 5
I know, WOW. (at least for me, it was a big change)
I was shocked at how hungry I was, but also how unpredictable my hunger was.
I would literally be full, and then after 2 hours or less, be extremely hungry, and it would hit suddenly, not the usual slow transition of building up your hunger.
From month 2 to end of month 3, my hunger was on level RAVENOUS, but from month 4 / second trimester (currently where I am at) my hunger calmed down… a little tiny bit.
I can now cope with only:
- 1 lunch meal
But, I still need my snacking during and after my 9 to 5 shift, as well as my full breakfast to not get hangry.
this is where it gets interesting…
Besides the literal level of hunger, I have to say I feel quite animalistic with how hungry I get, and how I interact with food since being pregnant (HAHAH I know how that sounds, wild right?!)…
The way I react to food is beyond what I ever imagined!!!
a few humbling examples:
- I spend my days addicted to food videos on Instagram and Tiktok (kind of a hobby that backfires ahaha)
- I get INSTANT FOOD CRAVINGS
- Food cravings are much HARDER to control
- When I have a food craving in front of me, I see nothing else in front of me! Like the other day I was craving birria tacos, ordered home, and absolutely SCOFFED it down so quickly by the time I finished I was like woah… this was intense. I completely forgot my favourite TV show was on and everything!
- I spend a lot more time thinking about food (most of my days)
- I will switch food cravings like 3 or 4 times in a day, plan to cook it when home, and then be too tired to actually cook anything at all
THIS.
THIS, is what really shocked me.
THIS, is what REALLY had me wondering “is it normal to feel this hungry in pregnancy?” or “is it common to have such early pregnancy hunger?”.
proclaimed foodie
Now, at the same time, I have always been a foodie.
I love food! I get excited over food! I am curious about food! I love exploring new food places and adventuring with different foods from all over the world!
So, now the question became well “am I experiencing pregnancy hunger or am I just a foodie on the loose?”
“Have I just let myself go and allowed myself to engage in my foodie-ness BECAUSE of my pregnancy?”
When scavenging the internet, I came across a lot of different searches (similar to mine) such as:
- Pregnancy hunger
- Early pregnancy hunger
- 4 weeks pregnant and hungry all the time
- Pregnancy hunger second trimester
- Is my baby hungry when i’m hungry during pregnancy
- Pregnant and always hungry boy or girl
- Why hungry all the time in early pregnancy
- Hunger in early pregnancy When does it start
- Why hungry all the time in early pregnancy baby
- Is pregnancy hunger real
- Is pregnancy hunger real at 4 weeks
- Is it normal to be extra hungry in early pregnancy
CLEARLY, it can’t just be ‘foodie on the loose’ but has to be a bit of both OR just hunger as a pregnancy symptom.
the conclusion
Going back to the start of our chat “you are eating for 2 now”.
Well, even though I don’t believe ALL of the food is going to such a tiny baby, I do believe MORE in the fact that our body is requiring a lot more energy because of the process of growing a baby, and therefore increases our appetite to supply energy for such an intensive development; happening within our bodies.
But, what does Google have to say about this?
I compiled a few different reasons for why we experience pregnancy hunger from these searches:
- changing hormones (recurring reason as I also found in one of my other posts)
- associated with growth spurt of baby
- increased uterus size, blood flow, and body changes in general take up more of your energy, so you need more fuel (food)
Some searches even refer to pregnancy hunger as “hunger pangs”.
The verdict; pregnancy hunger: is it real or am I just a foodie on the loose?
The answer is YES, it is real. Pregnancy hunger is very real and is the sole cause for such rapid increase in appetite!
“foodie on the loose” has simply come as a result of my increased hunger during early pregnancy. It has increased my chances of being a foodie since the appetite is there to supply it, a lot more often.
So, if you are also having extreme appetite increase during pregnancy, don’t worry! It is normal, common, and a healthy sign that your body is communicating to you its very different needs now that you are entering a new phase of your life (creating a new life).
♡
Thanks for reading girlies, and I hope that has been somewhat reassuring in the chaotically wild ride of emotions that is digesting an unwanted pregnancy, to thriving and becoming stronger as a girlie in my 20s.
I release blog posts every Friday at 2pm (UK time/ I’m a london-based girlie), dishing on all-things unwanted pregnancy, taking control of my narrative, being a girl in my 20s, and achieving my dream life and succeeding as an entrepreneur.