5-Reasons-To-Eat-Chocolate in Pregnancy
5 | Reduce Complications
Researchers (and our newfound besties) at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine recently published a study on the effects of chocolate on pregnant women which was carried out on 129 different moms-to-be who were between their 11th and 14th week of pregnancy.
This study challenged the idea that chocolate leads to a higher risk of preeclampsia, and gestational hypertension and to the delight of chocolate lovers everywhere suggested “chocolate could have a positive impact on placenta and fetal growth and development”.
The marked improvement of the pulsatility index observed in the two chocolate groups used in the experiment, might suggest that chocolate effects are not directly due to flavanol content (so not directly due to whether you consume milk or dark chocolate). Simply put, eating chocolate may improve the quality of your baby's progress in the womb.
4 | Reduce the Risk of Miscarriage
A US study of 2000 women suggested that daily consumption of chocolate reduced the chances of a first trimester pregnancy loss by about 20%.
3 | Reduce Stress
If that’s not enough for you to feel fully justified while nibbling on your Kit Kat, a study on early human development showed that women who ate chocolate regularly during pregnancy, rated the happiness of their 6-month-old baby significantly higher than those who hadn't eaten chocolate while pregnant (also known as aliens.) These scientists believe that this is because the women who ate chocolate daily tended to be happier and less stressed during their pregnancy. If you’re finding it hard to fit in your hypnobirthing practice promise yourself a square or two of your favorite chocolate treat right after you finish your session and you’ll have a double whammy of feeling calm and connected today.
2 | Improve your Baby’s Health
Chocolate not only makes you feel good after a long day of, well, just generally being pregnant; it also makes your newborn baby feel good too. Stress impacts your baby’s development in the womb and his mental health after birth - happy mom = happy baby. It really is a win-win situation.
1 | Healthier Weight Gain (for you and baby).
If you eat your chocolate mindfully and really savour it instead of inhaling it on the go you can reduce your own stress even more and those calories don’t count (kidding about the calories). Moms who eat mindfully in pregnancy stay within healthy weight gain recommendations and so do their babies! Although it’s a little trickier with chocolate chewing your food more can reduce pregnancy heartburn too.
So the next time you curl up to binge watch the next big thing on Netflix or decide to re-watch The Notebook for the 102nd time, feel free to dip your into your chocolate stash. If you want to be a little more adventurous, you could even try baking your own chocolaty piece of heaven. Either way, as long as it is eaten in moderation, and is combined with daily exercise; ditch the guilt. After all, who could blame you for trying to improve your baby’s health and happiness?
What’s your favorite chocolate? Tell us in the comments below!