Why not during pregnancy?

Hi everyone,
I haven't been on here for ages. Currently I am 4.5 months pregnant and feel in desperate need to jump back on the wagon. I have tried slimming world, but it is too slow!

I googled for info and found a cambridge diet site in the U.S that said it was safe for pg women to do the diet providing they didn't completely sole source.

Is this right? If not why not? What is it that makes this a No No?

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Hi congratulations on your pregnancy
it isn't recommended to be any type of diet whilst pregnant. Your body needs extra everything in order to support and feed the baby. You also need extra and thats why when pregnant you need to eat more and sensibly. The baby will take everything from you. Being pregnant is the most important thing in your life. No room for diets especially one that is only 4-500 cals a day.

wouldnt go anywhere near CD unless you were doing it as a nutritional supplement on top of your normal calorie intake.

CD did have some guidelines for SSing and pregnancy but have been on their website but cant find it - perhaps you could ring them or one of the CDCs could anwer it on here for you.

The other thing is you could go on the pregnancy without the pounds forum and they may be able to help on there

Good luck
Love Jess
xxx

Thanks for the reply Jess, I will take a look at the pg without punds forum. I hadn't seen that one. I wondered if I could just replace maybe 2 meals with CD and eat a balanced meal, or have the CD meals and "top up" with some protein or something.

I am going to ring the lady that was my CDC on monday (don't like to bother her on a lovely weekend) but I didn't just want a flat no, without knowing why.

I was wondering if there was too much vit A or something. If it is just a calorie thing I could work around that!

Agh, I feel really desperate as I am struggling now, I feel really unwell and unfit.

it could well be the vitamin A.. i guess if it was safe for pregnant people.. it would be allowed.. cd arent just gonna turn away a lot of customers if it was safe.. SW is the only reccomended diet by the midwife society.. that or seeing a dietician..
x x

When i was preg i was told the only one they support is SW. I know its slow but its only slow cause you are gaining baby weight. I done SW for 5 weeks whilst i was preg and managed to loose half a stone, but that was half a stone off plus another half a stone which i would probably have gained.
You have to think about your baby - i was HUGE when preg - had all ailments water retention to my thighs, carpal tunnel, list is endless but i decided the time to worry about my weight was after the birth and once i was settled into motherhood. Dont be stressing yourself about your weight now as they say your baby feels how you feel. Enjoy your preg then if you feel you want to do CD after that then go for it and as you know the weight will drop off you.
Good luck with what ever decision. Congrats on the preg - having a baby is just the best!!

This is the official guidance to CDCs:

If you have a client that becomes pregnant, the client may wish to continue on the diet as they have become established and enjoy the programme. At this stage you will need to explain to your client that she is now 'two' and that the programme is now unsuitable, as as per CHWP's medical guidelines, pregnancy is contraindicated. However, if your client wishes to take 1 product per day as a nutritional aid then this would be suitable....however, you need to follow the guidelines below: -

1. A new MRF will need to be signed by a Dr with "1 cambridge product a day for nutrition' written clearly across it. If the Dr does not sign the MRF, no product can be supplied.

2. Only supply the client with 7 products for the week (totalling 1 per day) and see the client weekly. We do not want the client to do sole source and there would be a risk of this happening if more product was supplied.

3. After they have had their baby, please remember that lactating women are also contraindicated and so should not use any programmes until the baby has its source of nutrition via other means. We would also recommend that a higher programme is used when appropiate to allow the client to settle into motherhood, ie Sole Source and new baby = very hard work!!

If the client wishes to have 3 products a day, you will need to advise her that we deem this unsuitable and that you are only able to supply her with enough product for one a day on a weekly basis, and only if the GP is in agreement.

"During pregnancy and lactation, the body requirements for protein, minerals and vitamins is increased. Moreover, any interference with the normal way of life is considered undesirable. Dieting during pregnancy is therefore contraindicated. The Cambridge diet can, however, be used as a nutritional supplement"

Thank you for that Linda and Necastle chick. I naturally wouldn't want to harm the baby it is just really frustrating! Patience is a virtue I still don't have!!

No worries. Seriously if you feel you need to diet then stick with Slimming world for now. You may think its super slow, have weeks you STS or even gain but in theory you are loosing weight and stopping yourself gaining. I gained about 3+ stone in my preganancy, and you'll be surprised how much goes after a month. So if you done SW and maybe didnt loose any weight by the end of your pregnancy, you have in theory probably lost a couple of stone as once baby is here, initially baby weight is off and then somehow other weight comes off (as you'll find or may already know if you have any children, the first few months you just dont get the chance to eat!!)
I joined WW 3 month after having Zane and got down to pre preg weight in 4 weeks (lost a stone) - since gained due to having under active thyroid brought on through preg (yeah i just loved being preg - NOT!!) and didnt realise, well that and overeating...
anyway GOOD LUCK again. Feel broody now....

I kept an eye on my weight during pregnancy, weighing every week. The week that he was born I lost 1.5 stone!! baby,placenta,water retention. Don't stress! best wishes for a healthy pregnancy. x

Hi hun- congratulations on the pregnancy. Ketones, which are produced when you are in ketosis, are thought to be harmful to the baby's brain, and could cause poor brain function. I'm sure when I was pregnant that my midwife said this hasn't been proven, but why take the risk? When you take a urine sample to your check-ups, ketones are one of the things they watch out for.

I know how much you want to lose weight, but the best thing you can do for your baby is eat a balanced, varied and healthy diet and maybe include one CD pack a day if you want. Hope you have a happy healthy pregnancy, and maybe we'll see you lurking around the CD forums after you've given birth / stopped breastfeeding