The Fat, Anemic Bummer

I had an appointment with the midwives about 6 weeks ago that was a shocker. It all started when I weighed myself and discovered that I had GAINED FIFTEEN POUNDS IN ONE MONTH. No wonder I felt like the skin on my belly was pulled SO TIGHT I felt ready to break open like a Cadbury Cream Egg. Up until then I'd been doing alright on the weight gain. Slow and steady might have been a good description, but this was a whole new ballgame. All my old fat body fears and perfectionist tendencies whipped out their blackberries and started to TWEET signs of DOOM.

Then I went into the exam room. There, my midwife informed me that my blood sugar was high (go FIGURE!). Not diabetic high, but enough to tell me that I shouldn't have any more sweets or carbs. You mean my reasons for living? Oh THOSE. Also, just in case my blood didn't know which way to come or go, it was ANEMIC as hell. Of course, anemia in pregnancy is totally common. After this appointment, I discovered that MANY former and current pregnant women I know got anemic. No big whoop, but if I wanted to give birth at the birthing center I had to be anemia free. So along with the no sugar, low to no carb diet, I needed to eat iron filled foods, as well as an iron supplement, and to be sure to not have any calcium when I ingested said iron for at least 2 hours before or after because calcium blocks iron. So I could have plenty of FAT, lots of GREENS, but hardly any dairy, or at least I could have specifically PLACED dairy. I could have whole grains, but no white flours or starches. As it turns out bread and starch slows down the digestion of iron, so I also couldn't have any whole grains WITH my iron food. It had to go the way of dairy and calcium. My one compensation? I could occasionally have 70% coco chocolate if I REALLY needed something sweet. Are you doing the calculations? There's a lot to calculate, so I'll do the math FOR YOU: It's called A DIET, people. I thought pregnancy would be a DIET FREE zone, but no.

I left the Birth Center feeling like a fat, anemic bummer. I think you probably already guessed, but I cried a little (just a little). Graham told me to buck up little camper, and that minus the iron supplement, he would be joining me on said diet in solidarity, so not to worry. Then we went to Whole Foods and bought steak, spinach, nuts, beans, and a liquid iron supplement that tastes like fruity pebbles, but finishes like liver. YUM.

Now, let me tell you that I like red meat. Or at least I thought I did. Honestly, having it almost four times a week has made me realize that I am not as big of a fan as I thought I was. I'd get depressed every time I started to even SMELL it. Over the coming weeks, Graham gave me a mantra every time I got depressed because I felt like I was eating just to meet hunger and an iron lacking blood stream, but not out of pleasure: I'm taking care of business. When my teeth turned gray from the supplement? I was taking care of business. When I wanted a cookie so bad it HURT? Taking care of business.

Then when I came back to the Birthing Center a couple weeks later to get my blood retested for iron levels, I discovered I had LOST TWO POUNDS. That's when I REALLY felt like I was taking care of business. Graham had promised me a celebratory ice cream afterwords. One ice cream in two weeks wasn't going to hurt me. Turns out that when you cut out sugar, you become a TOTAL LIGHT WEIGHT. I got HIGH AS A KITE. I giggled myself SILLY. I am sure I also immediately gained back those 2 pounds, but it was worth it.