If you recently found out that you are pregnant, you might be feeling anxious about making the right food choices for the health of your growing baby. Perhaps you’re wondering whether or not intuitive eating during pregnancy is actually healthy. Your OB or midwife may have provided you with a list of “foods to avoid,” but might not have offered much additional guidance around how nutrition can benefit you and your bebe (it’s no fault of their own, they aren’t dietitians after all!). 

Feeling like you’re left to your own devices, you might choose to consult Google or a pregnancy forum and find yourself overwhelmed with the cacophony of conflicting voices and long lists of rules to follow. Not to mention the scary propositions about what might happen if you don’t. 

Eating intuitively during pregnancy is not something that is often talked about or encouraged. It can sometimes feel like everyone is telling you not to listen to your body when it comes to nutrition. Instead you find yourself feeling like you must eat a perfectly nutrient dense diet every day – or else (god forbid you have morning sickness or food aversions). 

Trying to achieve perfection with nutrition during pregnancy is not the answer, and is more likely to leave you stressed than satisfied.

Keep reading to learn why I support an intuitive eating approach during pregnancy, and how you can get started.

What is Intuitive Eating and is it Safe for Pregnancy?

If I am the first official person telling you that you do NOT have to eat perfectly (what does that mean, anyway?), that you have full permission to eat what you want and that you can learn how to trust your body throughout your pregnancy, welcome!! I am so glad you’re here. 

Now, let me make sure you understand where I’m coming from. Of course I believe that nutrition is important. Food can be a powerful tool for supporting a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. There is so much we could talk about when it comes to gentle nutrition strategies for pregnancy (and we will!). But I absolutely do not believe that you have to bend over backwards in all areas of your life in order to try to achieve a “perfectly healthy” diet while you’re pregnant in order to have a healthy baby.

In fact, if following a set of external guidelines for eating is leading you to sacrifice your mental health, *spoiler alert* it’s not all that healthy.  

Eating intuitively through pregnancy is about acknowledging that your health is about more than your intake of nutrients. It’s about nurturing internal awareness so that you can care for all of your body’s needs when they arise. To your body’s relief, this can ultimately reduce stress body-wide. 

I get it. Pregnancy can be a time where you feel unsettled in your body. You may find comfort in turning to guidance that offers security and structure. “Letting go” and trusting your body doesn’t happen overnight. This is why working with an Intuitive Eating dietitian like myself can be so helpful!

Keep reading for my top 10 tips to get started with intuitive eating throughout pregnancy. 

10 Ways to Embrace Intuitive Eating During Pregnancy

Tip 1: Practice listening to your body

It can be difficult to recognize what your body needs during the hustle and bustle of day to day life. But pregnancy is typically a time when your body is communicating with you about its needs loud and clear. Intuitive eating is all about using these internal cues rather than external rules to help you make decisions about how to care for yourself. Pregnancy can be a great opportunity to practice flexing this muscle. Let go of any pressure you feel to get it perfect right away. While perfectionism is diet culture’s BFF, intuitive eating is about embracing the process and learning along the way. 

So how can you practice listening to your body while pregnant? Consider all the different ways your body is communicating with you. What does it feel like in your body when you need to go to the bathroom what feels like 10 million times a day? How does your body tell you when it needs to slow down and rest? How does it feel in your body when you need more energy from food? Practice responding to your body when you notice it telling you what it needs. Stay curious – there is no right or wrong here.

Tip 2: Stay away from restrictive diets

The first principle of intuitive eating is entitled “Reject the Diet Mentality.” One really big way to live that out is by avoiding restrictive diets altogether. The diet mentality is the way of thinking that equates thinness with health. Diets, and diet culture, prioritize pursuing thinness (or avoiding weight gain) above all else. The diet mentality undermines your health when it leads you to cut out major food groups, ignore your hunger, feel stressed and anxious about eating, and predisposes you to disordered eating behaviors. 

During pregnancy, your nutrition needs are increased for almost every nutrient. Your body also needs more fuel (calories) to build a baby (or babies) and maintain your body systems. This is definitely not the time to start limiting your intake of carbohydrates or cutting other foods out. Beware of nutrition advice that encourages you to follow a rigid plan in order to limit weight gain during pregnancy.

Limiting food groups and cutting out entire foods can lead to nutrient deficiencies and exacerbate uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms. Ultimately, restrictive diets are more likely to lead to binge eating and weight cycling than they are to improve your long term health or the health of your baby [*]. 

Tip 3: Cultivate self compassion

Remember how I mentioned that perfectionism is diet culture’s BFF? Well, intuitive eating’s best friend is self compassion. While perfectionism can lead you to beat yourself up and be your own worst critic, self compassion paves the way for self acceptance and body trust. 

Think about how it feels to be in a relationship with someone who constantly berates you. Do you feel empowered, accepted, or safe? Probably not. The relationship you have with yourself is ultimately the longest one you’ll ever experience. If you don’t feel safe with yourself, you are likely living with a whole lot of chronic, unaddressed stress. Expressing compassion for yourself as an imperfect human trying her best can go a long way in reducing stress. This, in-turn, gives you space to make self care choices that actually honor your health. And let me tell you – building this skill before you have a new baby in your life is priceless.

Tip 4: Get to know your hunger

Hunger during pregnancy can feel a lot different than hunger before you were pregnant. And – how fun – it can morph and change throughout the course of pregnancy and your postpartum experience. But learning to recognize your hunger while pregnant is a skill you can use for the rest of your life. Hunger is your body’s primary way of communicating its need for more nutrition for you and your baby. Eating when you are hungry nourishes you and fosters body trust.

Try taking stock of how your body communicates hunger for a few days. Do you feel lethargic and out of focus? Do you feel nauseous or experience more morning sickness symptoms? Does your stomach growl or feel painfully empty? Are you finding yourself daydreaming about food or visualizing what you will eat for your next meal or snack? These are all examples of ways that your body might tell you that you need to eat. 

Tip 5: Ride the waves of cravings with permission

Not every pregnant person will experience the same food cravings. In fact, some people find they don’t crave anything for the entire course of their pregnancy. If you finds yourself worrying that your cravings will be harmful for your baby, give yourself some grace. Your body is wise, and it can handle fluctuation in intake day to day. Many women find they can’t stomach much in the first trimester, when morning sickness symptoms tend to be at their worst. Yet, almost all of these women will go on to have healthy babies who grow into healthy kids. (Morning sickness is extremely common, while neonatal complications are rare). 

Consider cravings like strong messages from your body about its needs, and pay attention to patterns. Find yourself craving lots of sweets at the end of the day? Satisfy that sweet tooth, but also consider that this could mean you may not be eating enough carbohydrates earlier in your day. Is there nothing that sounds better than a peanut butter and pickle sandwich? Many pregnant people find they crave salty foods and this may be related to the increase in blood volume that occurs during pregnancy. 

Above all, give yourself permission to eat the foods you crave. Using willpower to swerve away from cravings often (ironically) results in overeating. Depriving yourself of something usually leads you to want it more. This can lead you to be more likely to eat it in large quantities when you have a chance. Think of this as taking away a toy from a toddler. Do they easily occupy themselves with something else or do they become preoccupied with the toy you took away?

I do need to mention that if you find yourself craving inedible things like dirt, laundry detergent, cotton balls etc., to mention this to your healthcare provider (and do not eat these things!) This is called Pica and is typically the manifestation of a nutrient deficiency.

Tip 6: Make peace with your changing body

I’m sure you’re thinking “easier said than done,” and you’re not wrong. Making peace with your body can be an incredibly deep and complex process that takes lots of support and time. I’m definitely not saying that you should be able to go from hating or feeling out of place in your body to suddenly loving and embracing every change. That’s not possible for anyone. Rather than expect yourself to make a 180 with your body image right away, call a truce with trying to control your body and accept that it will change. Every change has a purpose, and your body knows exactly what it needs to do. Of course, things can go haywire and complications can arise in any pregnancy. But hating your body won’t make them any less likely. 

Tip 7: Tune in to what feels good

Chances are, you don’t feel your best when you have a poor night of sleep. Or when you eat so far past the point of fullness you experience pain. These uncomfortable, undesirable experiences are actually helpful. They can help you learn how to take care of yourself in order to feel your best. Try to get enough sleep and respect when you’re feeling comfortably full. 

“What feels good” is subjective, meaning I can’t tell you exactly what to do in order to expect this outcome. Tuning in to what feels good allows your body to be your compass rather than a set of external rules. You’ll find that your body has your back. 

Tip 8: Find ways to move your body that give you energy

General guidelines recommend consistent exercise during pregnancy, and I’m certainly not disputing the importance of movement for overall health. Incorporating consistent movement during pregnancy is associated with reduced risk for gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm birth [*]. Movement can help ease some pregnancy symptoms like back pain and constipation, and can help improve sleep quality. 

The type of movement that’s most supportive for you is movement that helps you feel your best. Pushing yourself to your limit is not necessary, and could be harmful. What feels good to you during pregnancy will probably be different than what felt good when you weren’t pregnant. Give yourself space to discover what type of movement suits you now.

Gentle, slow movement like stretching and yoga can help ease aches and pains while also preparing your body for labor. Walking, gentle strength training, pilates, and stair climbing may give you energy and help build strength. 

I definitely recommend seeking individual guidance for exercise during pregnancy to be sure you’re engaging in movement that is safe for you and your baby. And if you’re finding it hard to slow down, it’s okay to seek help – I am here for you!

Tip 9: Follow your satisfaction 

The dietitian creators of intuitive eating dub satisfaction as the “hub of the wheel” of the intuitive eating paradigm. And for good reason! Satisfaction is a feeling achieved when both your emotional and physical needs are met. This is what intuitive eating is all about. 

Embracing satisfaction makes eating more enjoyable and leaves you with fewer lingering cravings throughout the day (because you’ve already satisfied them). Satisfaction is usually associated with having improved blood sugar balance which itself is associated with positive fertility and pregnancy outcomes. Everyone’s meter for satisfaction will look a little different. But in general, meals and snacks that contribute a balance of food groups (carbohydrates, protein, fats and fiber) with an enjoyable combination of flavors, textures and temperatures, will leave you feeling most satisfied.

If you find yourself feeling constantly hungry or like you are “missing something,” consider what you might not be allowing yourself to enjoy.

Tip 10: Know there is no one-size-fits-all approach

Despite what traditional prenatal nutrition recommendations suggest, there is no ONE right way to eat for pregnancy. There is also not a way to eat that will completely prevent complications from arising. We still don’t fully understand what causes things like gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and preterm birth. Two pregnant people could eat exactly the same things their entire pregnancy and have two completely different experiences. We are all different, and our bodies and life experiences are incredibly complex. One of the biggest reasons why I believe in intuitive eating during pregnancy is that it emphasizes nutrition as just one part of the big picture of overall health. Of course, nutrition is important. But so is your mental health, your social support system, your ability to manage stress, your sleep quality… I could go on and on. Sacrificing your mental, emotional, and social health in order to achieve a “perfect” diet will land you far away from whole health, not to mention burdened with a stressful relationship with food that will persist postpartum and beyond.

An Intuitive Eating prenatal dietitian (like me!) will give you personalized guidance to support your physical AND mental wellbeing for pregnancy and postpartum. But don’t feel like you have to have it all figured out during your pregnancy, either. Learning to intuitively eat during pregnancy is a journey. Pregnancy can be a the perfect time to jumpstart a trusting relationship with your body that will last a lifetime.

If you’re feeling ready to approach your pregnancy with the support of intuitive eating, I invite you to reach out today! I can’t wait to hear from you.