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The Low-Carb Craze

Should Pregnant Women Participate?

By Heather Johnson Durocher

Pregnant with her second child, Kelly Muzyczka found herself feeling more and more irritable and less focused as the days passed. Because her negative mood often showed up after eating certain foods, particularly those higher in carbohydrates, the Pittsburgh woman figured a diet change was in order.

"It seemed a logical step that if I could see one set of emotional reactions to diet, then my depression might be treatable," says Muzyczka, who ultimately lowered her carb intake and began eating a higher-protein diet.

Muzyczka discovered, to her surprise, that the changes she made were right on. "I went for about two weeks where I was fighting with my husband, crying all the time," she says.

"One day I realized that although I was telling people how great I was feeling, how happy we were about the new baby, I wasn't feeling it at all. I wasn't enjoying my older child – I wasn't feeling much of anything. Changing my diet made me a different person, it was startling. The crying went away, I was happy again, it was just amazing."

Low- and no-carbohydrate diets certainly are all the rage these days. Simply consider the popularity of the Atkins Diet, which calls for consuming high-protein foods like eggs and meat and very little, if any, foods like bread, pasta and fruits to lose weight. Nutrition bars catered to such diets are more prevalent than ever, not only in specialty stores but at major supermarkets as well.

But as popular as these diets are, should pregnant women take part? Muzyczka, who says she didn't cut out all carbs and did speak with her obstetrician about her diet change, says, for her, it was a smart move.

"I have found that a low-carb diet is so good for me in general, that I didn't worry about it while pregnant," says Muzyczka, who ended up delivering a healthy 10-pound baby boy after following this diet. "I figured that if I was feeling better, more energetic and focused, it would have to be better for me during pregnancy."

Want to see more?

• Gestational Diabetes and You: The Facts About This Misunderstood Condition
• Pregnancy Diet Don'ts: Foods to Avoid While You're Expecting
• Pregnancy Nutrition From A to Z: A Comprehensive List of Nutrition Issues for Moms-to-be
• Talk about it!