Pregnancy is a difficult time for most women. A number of women suffer from morning sickness especially during the first trimester. During the second trimester, the woman’s body starts making adjustments in order to accommodate the developing fetus. Due to the nausea and vomiting, most of the pregnant women lose their appetite. In general, this appetite loss during pregnancy is quite normal and there is no need to panic. However, if the nutritional requirements of the developing fetus cannot be met due to this loss in appetite, then the condition needs to be treated.
The main reason for appetite loss during pregnancy is nausea. Due to the nausea, the desire to eat is greatly reduced. The digestive system becomes extremely sluggish during the second trimester. This happens due to the pressure that is exerted on the lower bowel due to the enlargement of the uterus. Hence, this may lead to constipation and a loss in appetite during pregnancy.
During the early stages of pregnancy, there are increased levels of progesterone in the woman’s body. This causes sluggishness in the digestive process. Due to the increased levels of water absorption in the colon, the digestion process slows down. Since there is increased intake of iron during pregnancy, it leads to further constipation and this is another reason for appetite loss during pregnancy.
In some women, there is appetite loss during the third trimester of pregnancy. As the fetus develops and grows in size, the women tend to feel full very quickly. This is due to the fact that the growing baby puts a lot of pressure on the stomach. Hence, it leads to appetite loss during pregnancy.
Since this is such a common problem, there is really no need to panic or worry too much about the baby getting inadequate nutrition. The best remedy for this would be to eat smaller portions during pregnancy. When you eat smaller meals throughout the day, it will help in keeping the stomach full and this will in turn reduce the nausea as well. If you feel nauseated, you should avoid forcing yourself to eat. Wait for the feeling to subside and then eat smaller meals.