Pregnant or not, sweets and sugary foods are indeed a type of worldly temptation that is hard to give up. Occasionally, taking comfort in sugary treats is not a sin and moderation is still the key in indulging in sweets.

If you are a mum-to-be, though, you need to be more concerned about your sugar intake and know when to put the brakes on it before reaching for a second helping of your bubble tea or chocolate cake.

Eating ungodly amount of sugar can lead to some adverse health effects on both expecting mum and unborn child, such as the following:

1. Excessive weight gain

Overconsumption of added sugar increases the risk of excessive weight gain in a pregnant woman. Gaining too much weight during pregnancy may pose some health risks on mum and fetus, including gestational diabetes mellitus, postpartum excess weight retention, small or extra-large child – to name a few.

 2. Gestational diabetes mellitus

Gestational diabetes is a type of diabetes that occurs during pregnancy. Blood sugar that is not well controlled in a woman with gestational diabetes may lead to problems, such as an extra-large child, increased need for C-section delivery, and pre-eclampsia.

This said; it is very important to control the level of blood sugar while you are pregnant by maintaining a balanced diet.

3. Pre-eclampsia

Even if you do not suffer from gestational diabetes, going overboard on your sugar consumption daily can increase the risk of developing pre-eclampsia – high blood pressure during pregnancy.

Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy complication, marked by high blood pressure and the presence of protein in the urine, and one of the common causes of morbidity and mortality among both pregnant women and their fetuses.

4. Premature delivery

Sugar, especially sugary drinks or desserts, consumed in excessive quantities during pregnancy is associated with higher risks of preterm delivery. Children born prematurely may encounter certain short-term and long-term health problems.

5. Child with higher birth weight

The higher the mum’s intake of sweets and soft drinks, which are high in sugar, the greater the chance of delivering a child with higher birth weight . If the child is born weighing 4 kg and above, he is considered as an extra-large child, which increases his risk of experiencing childhood obesity.

6. Poor childhood cognitive skills

A pregnant mum’s sugar intake may impact a child’s cognition. Research found that sugar consumption during pregnancy was likely to result in children with poorer visual memory and verbal and non-verbal (eg. thinking and problem-solving skills) abilities in mid-childhood. This is why aside from following a healthy lifestyle, keeping your sugar intake at minimum when you have a little one on the way is very important.

7. Risk of allergies in children

A 2017 study from the Queen Mary University of London revealed that mums’ sugar intake was associated with an increased risk of their kids developing allergies and asthma.

8. Childhood obesity

Children are more likely to develop childhood obesity if their mums consume high sugar intake during pregnancy.

Also, the changing flavours of the amniotic fluid caused by mum’s diet are likely detected by her child in utero and may help program the fetus’s flavour preferences. This transfer of flavours from mum to the fetus can continue after birth.

If you binge on sugar too much during pregnancy, your fetus’ taste buds may be affected and he may also develop a sweet tooth once he grows up. Once grown, your child may excessively crave for sugary foods and increase their risks for diabetes and obesity.

The Recommended Sugar Intake During Pregnancy: How Much is Too Much?

Eating a well-balanced diet during pregnancy is essential to support optimal growth and development of the fetus, as well as to accommodate the physiological changes that occur in expectant mums.

While it is important to eat well when you are expecting, it is perfectly fine to indulge in your favourite food or cravings, sweet treats included, once in a while – without guilt.

WHO and Malaysian Dietary Guidelines strongly recommend to reduce free/added sugars intake to less than 10% of total energy intake. Therefore, pregnant women should have no more than 50 g–60 g of free sugar a day, which is roughly equivalent to 9–11 teaspoons of sugar.

For instance, a glass of bubble milk tea may contain up to 20.5 teaspoons of sugar, which is more than the daily allowance.

Therefore, make sure you adopt a better approach when it comes to adding sugar into your pregnancy diet and whenever possible, replace them with naturally sweet and nutritious alternatives.

How to Manage Your Sugar Cravings during Pregnancy

As a mum who had been pregnant a few times before, I know that fighting major sugar cravings during pregnancy is not easy but it is doable. Here are some practical tips to curb your sugar cravings during pregnancy:

1. Eat small and eat often

As a mum who had been pregnant a few times before, I know that fighting major sugar cravings during pregnancy is not easy but it is doable. Here are some practical tips to curb your sugar cravings during pregnancy:

2. Add protein into your diet

While protein is essential for your fetus’ optimal growth and development, it also helps to balance your blood sugar.

As such, add protein-rich food like eggs, fish, poultry, meat, milk, nuts, and beans, to your diet to keep tabs on your blood sugar level.

3. Consume a variety of food and grab more fruits

Aim to eat a varied diet of whole foods from all food groups when you are pregnant. Do not go grocery shopping when you are hungry and make an attempt to keep healthy food and less junk food in your fridge or pantry.

Every time you have a hankering for something sweet, try to reach for a bowl of fresh fruits, instead of gobbling up a pack of sugar-loaded cookies.

4. Give in but watch the size

Sometimes you just have to have that bite of milk chocolate or ice cream. Cannot resist it? Just eat it… but remember to mind the portion size.

5. Swap your high sugar drinks with better choices

Sugary drinks are high in sugar, calories, and generally, not nutritional for your growing fetus. When you crave for sweet drinks, try to substitute them with yoghurt, honey tea, freshly squeezed fruit juice, or pre-natal milk, such as Anmum™ Materna, which is the only plain-flavoured pre-natal milk with no added sugars**.