Chocolate While Trying To Conceive or Pregnant

I've received a number of emails and blog comments from women asking about the consumption of chocolate while trying to conceive and/or while pregnant. It's a great question. I know that during previous blog posts I was avoiding chocolate when trying to conceive, and at the time I imagined that I'd also be avoiding it during pregnancy. That said, it's important to constantly reassess values, ideas, and plans on an ongoing basis to see if things change when new information becomes available (or when hormones take over, LOL... just kidding. Mostly.). But in all seriousness, as you'll read below, yes, it's true: I have enjoyed some Raw chocolate while pregnant. So. What changed? Read on...

As many of you know, I'm not a midwife or doctor, so the information I'm sharing is about what I am doing and is in no way prescriptive for you.

Chocolate While Trying to Conceive

When I was TTC (trying to conceive) I eliminated virtually all caffeine including chocolate, coffee, and tea. I might have had one or two bites of Raw chocolate over a span of a couple of months at a time, but you get the picture. Chocolate has a limited amount of caffeine and so I was avoiding it. It also has another "stimulating" type of ingredient called theobromine, which interestingly literally means food of the gods.

Do I think chocolate needs to be avoided completely while TTC? Not necessarily. I do think there are some bad forms of chocolate and I think there are some healthier options. Personally, I would avoid the bad forms, i.e. processed, non-vegan, loaded-with-crap chocolate. The healthier option would be Raw, organic, vegan, dark chocolate. That said, not everyone responds well to chocolate, raw or otherwise, so that should be taken into consideration.

Chocolate While Pregnant

During my first trimester, I don't recall having any Raw chocolate... I might have had a bite, but I remember staying away from it, so maybe I had my chocolate in a dream? :) When I think back, I didn't have a solid reason for my choc-abstinence, other than thinking it might be too stimulating from the caffeine (albeit limited) or theobromine, or that having it meant also having the sugar (like the agave in many chocolate recipes). Interestingly, I have since read of a study showing a link between regular chocolate consumption and reduced risk of miscarriage during the first trimester. Go figure.

Now that I'm in my second trimester, I have had a couple of pieces of Raw organic vegan chocolate here and there. What changed? Honestly, I don't know that I can pinpoint it exactly. For starters, I am sticking to the Raw variety while pregnant, so I have that going for me. The other thing that happened to me was that, frankly, I really wanted a piece! It sounded so good. I was having a number of headaches at the time and maybe my body was telling me I needed magnesium. Raw chocolate is a great source for that. My hormones were raging, too, so perhaps my mind craved chocolate's calming effects. Perhaps there was a magical force drawing me, as though by instinct alone, to my freezer where the Raw chocolate was just sitting there, waiting to be eaten. I'm guessing it's all of the above.

I spoke with my midwife and she is fine if I have some chocolate. I've since learned that many healthy pregnant women I know indulged in chocolate happily and without guilt while pregnant - I was suddenly the weird one for having stayed away from it. To be sure, I continued with my research and found that prenatal chocolation is fine according to some other books and sources as well. For example, in Shazzie's wonderful and colorful book about pregnancy and birth, Evie's Kitchen, she writes, "...We also discovered that researchers had found babies born to chocolate-eating mothers were happier."

Overall, I feel comfortable enjoying my Raw chocolate in moderation. I might add that it tastes so wonderful - it feels so wonderful - that I'm confident it's spreading good feelings and vibes through my body when I have it, which are shared with my baby. Within reason, happy mommy = happy Monkey.

I totally understand if some women avoided it altogether and I would also understand if someone had some (although I wouldn't recommend consuming large quantities). Based on all of the conflicting points of view on this subject, I'm of the opinion that there is no broad consensus as of yet on a "right answer" that can be confidently prescribed for all women. And remember, every woman is different and every pregnancy is different. As always, if you have concerns, a good place to start is by discussing the matter with your midwife or doctor.

So, I'd love to hear your feedback. Did you eat chocolate while you were pregnant? Why or Why Not? If so, how much?