I’ve got food on my mind, and this post will be discussing just that! How to Eat Well as a Nurse while Pregnant. We’ll walk through a 12-hour shift full of nutritious snacks and filling meals to fuel your busy workday and your baby’s development.
My first blog post of the second trimester! Blogging has always been a creative outlet for me; but amidst any times of stress, my creative hobby is unfortunately the last priority. This season of a second pregnancy is accompanied by caring for an ambitious toddler, a full time nursing career, and graduate school! I’m working towards my MSN to be a Family Nurse Practitioner. Working as a Nurse and Grad Student while Pregnant has brought on new challenges, yet this second time around, I’m even more prepared.
I look back to my first pregnancy with Stella, and how much time I had on my hands to jot down every little thought, feeling, meal, outfit and experience of each trimester. That’s just not the reality this time around. And that’s ok! Our family and our level of responsibility is growing, and that’s never a bad thing.
RELATED POST | THE SECOND TRIMESTER WITH STELLA
NUTRITION AS A NURSE WHILE PREGNANT
I, do, however, want to briefly share a nutritional ‘day in the life’ of a pregnant nurse in her second trimester! A Full Day of Eating as a Nurse while Pregnant. I’m finding myself allowing more flexibility in my diet. I’m eating when I’m hungry, even if that’s every hour. Which it honestly is, some days! I’m acknowledging the loss of control over your body that is pregnancy, and doing what I can to support the process of growing baby boy! At the end of the day, though, by body is going to do what it need to do. And I can’t get upset about that.
RELATED POST | WHAT I EAT IN A 12-HOUR SHIFT (NON PREGNANT)
Let’s dive in to a sample day of eating for this busy ER nurse! Working as a nurse while pregnant certainly takes some planning when it comes to meal prep. I’m 17 weeks now with baby boy, and still loving the busy mid shift that I’ve worked for years. Noon to Midnight. I’ll start my day with a workout and a 50g protein shake before driving to the hospital.
GOALS FOR EATING AS A NURSE WHILE PREGNANT
1g of Protein per Lb of body weight, this is 150g at baseline.
1 gallon of water intake, that’s only 3 of my Stanley Quenchers!
Intuitive eating and allowance for a craving, like a trip to the candy drawer in the nurses lounge or a Girl Scout cookie.
No more than 200mg Caffeine in 24 hours.
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TIMELINE OF EATING AS A NURSE WHILE PREGNANT
12pm | Shift start, frequent sips of water or Gatorade Zero
2pm | Zero Sugar Chobani + 1/4 cup almonds
5pm | Starbucks Via instant coffee + Premier Protein Shake
7pm | Greek Chicken with Lentil Salad (check out the recipe card below)
9pm | Apple + 1/3 cup dried edamame
11pm | Costco Quest Bar
12:30am | Carrots + Cherry Tomatoes in the car on the drive home! I need a crunch to keep me awake.
RELATED POST | SIMPLIFY YOUR MEAL PREP + A TRADER JOE’S SHOPPING LIST
THOUGHTS ON THE DAY + RECIPE TO SHARE
I love this day of eating as it includes a source of Protein every few hours, lots of fiber rich foods, and some fruits and veggies! Many weeks in the first trimester, there weren’t ANY veggies.
Check out the recipe for my Greek Chicken and Lentil Salad here. This held up well in the fridge for 3 days, and was an easy meal prep!
Second trimester mamas, what does a typical day of eating look like for you?
Nurses, could you see an eating schedule work like this in your current unit?
Nurses and mamas, please join in my community on Instagram .
