Pregnancy and histamine: Trimester development & nutrition
Pregnancy is a super exciting and transformative time for every woman. During this period, the female body undergoes numerous changes in order to create and nourish a new life.
But what are actually the first signs of pregnancy? How does the body develop over the course of the three trimesters, and what should expectant mothers know about nutrients, promoting breast milk, and the link to histamine intolerance? In the following blog article, we share the most important aspects with you and provide valuable tips for a healthy pregnancy.
These are the first signs of pregnancy
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Nausea including vomiting, changed sense of smell and taste, forgetfulness, mood swings, growth spurts in hair and nails, sensitive breasts and darker nipples, frequent urge to urinate
- 4th week: Implantation pain & breast tenderness
- 5th & 6th week: Nausea & vomiting, mood swings & cravings
- 7th & 8th week: Nausea, circulatory problems, low blood pressure, frequent urge to urinate
- 9th & 10th week: Breast changes & shortness of breath
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11th & 12th week: Constipation & feeling of fullness
Ideal time for a pregnancy test
A pregnancy test is based on the detection of the hormone Beta-HCG (= Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin) in the blood or urine. This hormone is responsible, among other things, for the continued release of estrogens and progestogens from the corpus luteum in the ovary.
If a pregnancy exists, hormone detection can be carried out as early as 6-8 days after fertilization.
A distinction is made here between a blood test and a urine test. However, HCG detection is successful in the blood earlier than in the urine.
Especially at a time when much is changing in the body, a balanced and varied diet plays an important role. Our organic grain muesli combines gluten-free whole grain oat flakes with date pieces and selected seeds like flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, and chia seeds. Rounded off with psyllium husks, cinnamon, and cardamom, it is an uncomplicated and delicious choice for your breakfast. The organic muesli is vegan, gluten-free, and suitable for a low-histamine diet.
Lieferzeit: 2-3 Tage
The three trimesters at a glance
1st Trimester (1st–12th week)
In the first phase, the embryo begins to develop. The nervous system of the brain and spinal cord grows, blood and lymph vessels, the musculature, the skeleton, and the internal organs begin to form.
The first heartbeat is also usually heard from the 9th week onwards. In this phase, special attention should be paid to a low-histamine diet.
2nd Trimester (13th–27th week)
In this phase, everything revolves around the child's senses. The first taste buds are formed. From the 23rd week, the unborn child consciously perceives sounds, voices, and even music.
In addition, the organs continue to grow, hair begins to form, and from approx. the 20th week, the expectant mother will feel the first movements. From the 13th week, the DAO value in the body multiplies and the breakdown of histamine is promoted.
3rd Trimester (28th–40th week)
In this phase, the unborn child mainly grows and gains weight. It also slowly changes into a different position and rolls up into the typical fetal position. Furthermore, the brain continues to develop significantly.
Histamine and pregnancy: What happens before, during, and after pregnancy
It is now known that 80% of those affected by histamine intolerance are female. This in turn confirms a clear link between hormones and a histamine intolerance. As a biogenic amine, histamine has a similar effect to hormones. The symptoms of histamine intolerance can decrease during pregnancy.
Getting pregnant with histamine intolerance
To protect the unborn child, the female body produces large quantities of the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO) in the placenta from the 2nd trimester onwards, which is responsible for the breakdown of histamine. If you suffer from histamine intolerance, it is quite possible that your symptoms will improve significantly during pregnancy.
For this reason, many women can consume histamine-rich foods without symptoms from approximately the 13th week of pregnancy until delivery. Caution is still advised in the case of mast cell issues.
What happens after pregnancy
In both cases, a low-histamine diet should be used. In a few cases, the histamine problem disappears after pregnancy once the hormones have regulated themselves.
Tips and foods for breast milk production
The more often you breastfeed your child, the more you can stimulate milk production.
These tips can help you:
- If possible, always offer your child both breasts.
- Direct skin contact during breastfeeding leads to increased oxytocin production. This also stimulates milk production.
- It is better to breastfeed your child for a short time than for a long time at one breast.
- Warm your breast.
- A breast massage or even a classic back massage.
- Kale, broccoli, fennel, Swiss chard, carrots, beetroot, sweet potatoes, apricots, apples, blackberries, and nuts
- Fennel seeds, anise, coriander, verbena, caraway & dandelion
Nutrient requirements during pregnancy
- Folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, calcium, vitamin E, B vitamins, vitamin D
The intake of dietary supplements during pregnancy and breastfeeding should, however, only take place after consultation with a doctor or midwife.
For pregnant women, this means:
- 2nd Trimester: approx. 250 kcal more per day
- 3rd Trimester: approx. 500 kcal more per day
An adequate supply of protein is also part of a balanced diet. Our organic protein powder combines three plant-based protein sources from hemp, pumpkin seed, and rice and contains 72 g of protein per 100 g. It can be used in a variety of ways in shakes, smoothies, porridge, or for baking and is vegan, organic, and suitable for a low-histamine and low-fructose diet, as well as being gluten-free and lactose-free.
Lieferzeit: 2-3 Tage
Conclusion
Over the course of the three trimesters, the female body goes through intensive developmental phases. A balanced and nutrient-rich diet is essential during pregnancy and breastfeeding for the health of mother and child. With the right tips and foods, milk production can also be optimally supported so that the time after birth also passes harmoniously.
