#parenting expert

Online Pregnancy Classes

The Corporate Maternity Buddy Service by Baby360degrees is a comprehensive employee benefit that supports working parents through pregnancy and early parenthood. Expert guidance helps employees feel confident, supported, and well-prepared—leading to happier, more engaged, and well-settled teams.

https://baby360degrees.com/corporate-maternity-buddy-service/

Pregnancy is often described as a time of joy and anticipation. But let’s face it, it can also be a period of baffling cravings, odd dietary shifts, and strong aversions to foods that you once loved. One moment, you’re happily tucking into a bowl of pasta, and the next, the mere thought of it makes you queasy. Food aversions during pregnancy are not only common but entirely normal. Still, when they begin to interfere with your nutrition or quality of life, it’s helpful to know how to manage them thoughtfully.

In this article, we’ll explore what causes food aversions during pregnancy, how they differ from cravings, and—most importantly—how you can cope with them while ensuring you and your baby get the nourishment you need.

What Are Food Aversions?

Food aversions are a strong dislike or distaste for certain foods, often accompanied by nausea or even vomiting at the sight, smell, or thought of that food. During pregnancy, aversions can appear suddenly and may involve foods that were previously part of your daily diet. Common culprits include meat, coffee, eggs, spicy foods, and fried or greasy dishes, though every woman’s experience can vary widely.

Interestingly, food aversions can coexist with intense cravings for other foods. You might find yourself unable to tolerate the smell of toast one day, yet desperately craving watermelon the next. This unpredictable rollercoaster is often driven by the dramatic hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy, particularly in the first trimester.

Why Do Food Aversions Happen?

The precise cause of food aversions is not fully understood, but several factors are believed to contribute:

1. Hormonal Changes

Pregnancy hormones, particularly human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and oestrogen, are thought to play a major role. These hormones rise rapidly during early pregnancy and can affect your sense of taste and smell, sometimes heightening sensitivity to certain foods and making them seem repulsive.

2. Protective Mechanism

Some researchers suggest that aversions may be an evolutionary defence mechanism. For example, if your body is suddenly repelled by raw meat or unpasteurised cheese, it may be nature’s way of protecting your developing baby from potential pathogens.

3. Morning Sickness

Morning sickness, which affects around 70-80% of pregnant women, often overlaps with food aversions. Nausea can create negative associations with foods you consumed around the same time, leading to long-term aversions even after the sickness subsides.

When Do Food Aversions Start—and Do They Go Away?

Food aversions typically begin in the first trimester, often around the 6th week of pregnancy, when hormone levels start surging. For many women, they peak during the early months and gradually fade by the second trimester. However, in some cases, food aversions can persist throughout the entire pregnancy.

While it’s common for these aversions to resolve on their own, some women find they permanently lose their taste for certain foods after pregnancy.

Practical Tips to Cope with Food Aversions

Now that we understand why food aversions occur, let’s look at some strategies to help you manage them effectively:

1. Listen to Your Body

First and foremost, be kind to yourself. If something makes you feel ill, don’t force it. Pushing yourself to eat foods that trigger nausea may only create a stronger aversion. It’s perfectly acceptable to avoid certain foods temporarily, especially if they are not essential for immediate nutrition.

2. Find Nutritional Alternatives

If you’re turned off by meat, look for plant-based sources of protein such as lentils, chickpeas, tofu, and quinoa. Can’t handle eggs? Try Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, or fortified cereals. A registered dietitian can help you find safe and effective substitutions that keep your nutritional intake balanced.

3. Eat Small, Frequent Meals

Eating smaller meals more frequently can help prevent the hunger-nausea cycle. An empty stomach can exacerbate nausea and aversions, while large meals may feel overwhelming. Aim for five to six small meals a day, and keep simple, easy-to-digest snacks on hand.

4. Experiment with Cooking Methods

Sometimes, it’s not the food itself but how it’s prepared. If the smell of grilled chicken turns your stomach, try boiling or baking it with minimal seasoning. Chilling certain foods or eating them cold may also help reduce odour and improve tolerability.

For example, some women find that cold sandwiches are more palatable than hot meals. Similarly, blending vegetables into soups or smoothies might help you consume them without noticing their texture or flavour as much.

5. Use Ginger and Lemon

Ginger and lemon are widely regarded as natural remedies for nausea, and they may help ease some of the discomfort associated with food aversions. Ginger tea, lemon-infused water, or even sucking on ginger or lemon candies can sometimes make eating more manageable.

6. Avoid Strong Smells

Pregnancy can heighten your sense of smell, and odours that never bothered you before may now seem unbearable. If cooking smells are a trigger, ask a partner or family member to help with meal prep, or ventilate the kitchen well. Cold meals, as mentioned earlier, usually emit fewer odours and may be easier to tolerate.

7. Stay Hydrated

If aversions make it difficult to eat much, ensure you are at least drinking enough fluids. Sipping water, coconut water, or clear broths throughout the day can help you stay hydrated and maintain essential electrolyte balance. Try drinking through a straw if the taste or smell of fluids is off-putting.

What If Your Aversions Affect Your Prenatal Nutrition?

Most short-term aversions don’t pose a threat to your baby’s development. Babies are remarkably good at extracting the nutrients they need from your body’s stores, especially in early pregnancy. However, if your food aversions are prolonged, severe, or coupled with significant weight loss or dehydration, it’s important to speak to your obstetrician or midwife.

You may be referred to a dietitian, or in extreme cases, your doctor might recommend supplements to help bridge nutritional gaps. Prenatal vitamins can also offer some peace of mind if your food intake is limited.

When to Be Concerned

While occasional aversions are a normal part of pregnancy, there are a few red flags to watch for:

Consistent aversion to all food or inability to keep anything down

Rapid weight loss or signs of malnutrition

Signs of dehydration, such as dizziness, dry mouth, or dark urine

Persistent vomiting, especially if it continues past the first trimester

These could indicate a more serious condition known as hyperemesis gravidarum, which requires medical attention.

Final Thoughts: It’s Okay to Be Picky for a While

Pregnancy is a unique journey, and no two experiences are alike. Food aversions can be frustrating, especially when they make meal planning difficult or keep you away from your favourite dishes. However, with patience, creativity, and a flexible mindset, most women are able to navigate this phase with minimal disruption.

Remember that this is temporary. As your hormones begin to stabilise in the second trimester, many aversions will fade, and your appetite will likely return to normal. In the meantime, focus on eating what you can tolerate, stay hydrated, and don’t hesitate to ask for support from your healthcare provider.

Pregnancy nutrition doesn’t have to be perfect – just consistent and compassionate. After all, taking care of yourself is the best way to take care of your growing baby.

This blog is written by Sonali Shivlani, Pregnancy Consultant

In a world where parenting wisdom is a sought-after treasure, TikTok has become the go-to platform for inquisitive parents. To shed light on the most asked parenting questions, we turn to Pamela Li, Pamela Li, Editor-in-Chief and expert at the parenting wellness brand Parenting for Brain. By exploring the prevalent themes on TikTok’s #parentingquestions, she helps us separate fact from fiction in…

Inspirational speaker and best-selling author, Nikki Bush, is highly regarded among parents, educators and business people alike as she helps them make sense of parenting and child development issues in a fast-changing world.

Her keynote talks, interactive workshops, books and games are fuelled by her passion for play, connection and relationships as she inspires her audiences to find creative ways of connecting with today’s children to prepare them for tomorrow’s world.

Nikki is the co-author of two bestselling books:  Future-proof Your Child (Penguin 2008), now in its sixth reprint, and Easy Answers to Awkward Questions (Metz Press, 2009), a book on sexuality development for children under 13, which was endorsed by Childline and is in its third reprint. Her third and much-anticipated book, Tech-Savvy Parenting, was published by Bookstorm in August 2014. Nikki has developed seven educational games including board games for well-known brands such as Barney, Thomas and Barbie, and she is South Africa’s foremost toy judge, running a very popular annual event called Toy Talk®.

I Am Driven By:

“The idea of changing the world in some way, of doing work that has a ripple effect through generations to come – leaving a legacy. I work with parents and educators who are influencing the next generation and it’s heart-warming to hear the stories of how my work has changed perceptions, mindsets and behaviour, which in turn is changing relationships between people.”

My Highlights:

“Continual personal growth through the work that I do and the relationships I have with my husband and my two children.  There is always another challenge, a way to do things better, self-discovery and unveiling of new talents and abilities within.

I was selected as a Rotary Youth Exchange student and spent my post-matric year (1985) in Australia. The interview process for selection was more gruelling than any job interview I have been through, and I was only 16 at the time of the interviews.

Speaking as the Rotary Youth Exchange ambassador at the 1986 National Rotary Conference in the Sun City Superbowl to over 1 000 Rotarians at the age of 18 and being offered a job on the spot by a very senior company executive. Being awarded the Murray & Roberts Best Public Relations Writing Skills award at the end of my three-year National Diploma in Public Relations which I complete at the then, Wits Technikon.

Opening my own public relations consultancy when I was 27.

Having the guts to create a new career at the age of 30 in direct selling and discovering I was a great motivator and trainer and had a very unique ability to connect the dots differently to anyone else.

Developing educational games for Smile Education and being asked to develop games for Discovery Health’s Vitality programme and for big brands such as Barney, Barbie and Thomas which were a sell out.

Changing my career again to become a full time professional speaker and author in 2005.

I have written three parenting books.  Having the first accepted and published by Penguin was a BIG deal for me – to be recognized by such a big publishing house was a major accomplishment.

Working closely with some incredible people with great minds – Dr Graeme Codrington and Arthur Goldstuck.

Helping people make better parenting choices every day.

Being able to package valuable messages in media interviews that viewers and listeners can take action on immediately.

Being offered my own online TV show at the end of 2014.

Being a mother – my children are the inspiration for much of my work.

The Difference Between Good And Great:

“People who are great at what they do are prepared to stick their necks out, be thought leaders and are the go to people in their industry. They are prepared to do what it takes to be successful and are disciplined and focused. They are visionaries in some way shape or form and are often out of the box thinkers, doing things in ways that they have never been done before. They are teachable at the same time as being inspirational.”

A Key Talent:

“Clarity of vision of how I can serve (strongly influenced by my intuition, gut feel and spiritual connection) – creating goals around this vision, but being flexible and adaptable on the way to reaching the goals. Sometimes they can be achieved in very unexpected ways through chance meetings and introductions. Do the work you need to do to become expert at something.  Hone your skills.   Build your knowledge. Be invested in your own learning – and never think you know everything. Be engaged and inspired by your own learning process.  Promote others and they will promote you. Learn from others but do not try to be like them. Network. Read, learn and listen to people on a wide range of topics – that’s how you find ways to make your own expertise more relevant.  Make sure that what you have to offer is constantly innovative, real and relevant. Today, that means, updating, reinventing, re-purposing and repositioning yourself all the time as the market is constantly changing, and at a very rapid rate. Be teachable.”

The Characteristics Of Success:

“Razor sharp focus. I am a busy working mum and I don’t have time for redo’s. So do what you do well and do it right. Having opportunity eyes – there is opportunity everywhere. Staying relevant. Being creative and doling things in unique ways. Sharing my own stories makes my work accessible and personal – being prepared to be vulnerable. Discipline. Vision. Flexibility and adaptability.”

Critical Skills I Develop: 

Raising happy children with Psychologist and Parenting Expert Sidhika Goenka.

Hi and welcome back to Doctormommyspeaks Parenting Podcast.

Raising happy children is not just a philosophical concept read in parenting books, it is soemthing that is to be learnt and lived pracriced daily. I have always given importance to mindful parenting in min talks and that is because kids do grow up on their own without your intervention, but their tiny little brain doesn’t know how to…