Younger Kids with Pregnant Mom's.

I have 3 kids and that never happened to me and I haven't heard of that happening. Could something else be going on in this child's life or is he be stressed out because you are preg?

Hi C.---I think you need to try to get to the bottom of this. I also wonder if he is expressing his anxiety about the big changes that are about to happen in the family.

First, be sure he is eating nutrient dense foods, fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans/legumes, nuts and seeds. Minimize animal protein and dairy, as those contain mostly saturated fat and calories. Also minimize the amount of prepared and fast foods that you eat. These contain chemicals and additives, while the nutrients have been removed. The vitamins and minerals that are added during the manufacturing process are NOT the same as the ones in the food that were there before processing. Packaged foods are food products, not real food. When you eat real food, you simply cannot eat too many calories as the fiber will fill you up.

The second thing I would recommend is that the family do some sort of physical activity together. Walk every night before/after dinner. Calories in=calories out. Exercise is also very good for the baby. Research shows that babies of mothers who exercise have stronger hearts. Mothers who have lowfat diets without added cholesterol have babies who do not have fatty streaks in arteries at birth. There was an excellent article in the Oct 4 Time magazine that talks about the relationship between what your mom and grandmother ate and what your health outcomes might be.

You simply have to limit what your son eats and if hungry all of the time, offer him a grazing try filled with veggies and some fruit, along with some dressing for dipping. Be sure the salad dressing does not contain harmful ingredients such as MSG or partially-hydrogenated fats. Give him choices you want him to have and nothing else. And it's ok to say NO. We have to be parents first and friends second. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about anything I've suggested. I am working with a Naturopth who has her PhD in Nutrition. I'd be happy to share what I'm learning, or to email you a copy of that Time article. Good luck and have a great day. D.

Around age three my oldest would go through spurts, where he would eat much more than he usually did. Within a few months, he would have a big growth spurt. He has always been taller than other kids his age. We would notice he would get a bit wider in the waist and then (I know it's not possible, but it seemed like overnight) he would shoot up in height and the weight was evenly distributed again. This whole process took 3 to 4 months.

Just another thing to think about. You know your son better than anyone, so go with what feels right in your gut.

My daughter (3 years old) recently started eatting way more than she probably needs so our approach that is going well is this:

give an appropriate amount of healthy foods for each meal
if seconds are requested, find a reason to wait at least 5 minutes.
If requested again then, give another 1/2 portion of one of the foods
repeat above as needed

So far, my daughter has actually only needed more to eat once. The rest of the time, she's just liked the flavor so much that she wants more. We don't withhold food from her in any way but are trying to teach her to listen to her body and stop eating when she's satisfied.

We also have tried to make meal times and snack times more clear. Meals are 3 times a day and then there's a morning snack between breakfast and lunch. She wakes from nap about an hour before dinner so we don't offer a snack then most days.

One thing to consider with your son is also activity level. If he's not very active then get him moving! Even if you're not able to be super active with him, just going for a walk around the block is good for both of you. Let him ride his bike while you walk along or take him to the playground.

It could be a psycological thing, but definitely take him in case this is a thyroid issue.

I have found with all three of my kids that their behavior totally changes when I am pregnant, even if they are too young to know what is going on. Now I haven't had any of them get food cravings but I am sure it is not out of the question. He is probably seeing you eat more and it triggers him to eat. What I would do is limit his TV (food commercials are out of control) and make sure that everything he snacks on is healthy and low sugar. Also make it so he cannot just go get food himself so you can regulate his intake. It is very typical for kids to amp up on food and then eat nothing then amp up again. I have times when my kids just eat non-stop then I can't get them to hardly take a bite of anything. It drives me nuts. My daughter especially will look very skinny then a few weeks later get chubby when she eats a lot. Just keep it in control, that is what us parents are here for. = )

Good luck.

I just read an article (don't remember where) that men can go through the food cravings and gaining of weight while their wife is pregnant. Maybe it can happen with kids too?

It could also be the beginning of a growth spurt. My oldest tends to eat a bunch, then slow for a while, then grow, then eat, slow, grow. It seems to be a cycle and she does get a little chunkier (she is pretty skinny most of the time) and then it evens out.

I wish I could get my 3 year old to eat.

I like what Monica L. mentioned, to try to wait a few minutes before giving seconds and see if they still want it.

have him checked by the dr. As gross as it sounds, worms can trigger a feeling of hunger. .....I'm sorry! I know it sounds really yucky.

I am pregnant with my fourth child and I have not noticed this in any of my children. Sorry that I can't be of more help but I would suggest putting him on a schedule where he eats something healthy every two-three hours.

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I am pregnant with my fourth child and I have not noticed this in any of my children. Sorry that I can't be of more help but I would suggest putting him on a schedule where he eats something healthy every two-three hours.

Just start eating grapes, apples, oranges, bananas. Lots of veggies , drink water. Just watch what he is eating. What ever your eating he will follow. What are your cravings? He's going to be big brother soon maybe he is anxious a bit. Good luck!

Is he mimicking your eating habits, are you eating alot more lately because of cravings? I have never heard of anything like that so I'd assume there's something else going on. Monitor what he's eating, and keep an eye on him. Is he stressed about something? Try talking to him, and nip it before it becomes a big problem

Kids can be so strange. My son would not use a potty because he knew that was a big boy thing. Big boy meant getting older. Getting older meant dying!(We had a pet that had died of old age.)Wow!I dont even know how I figured that one out.But finally I did and he is now potty trained.
Maybe your son sees you getting bigger and wants to keep up. Make sure he knows that after the baby comes you will get thin again(hahaHeres hoping,right) Also maybe he thinks he needs to be a BIG brother.He's doing his best!Gotta love them! good luck!