I was asked today whether the Brewer Diet was appropriate for petite women, or whether a small woman should eat less than recommended. Great question, since most concerns are directed to being overweight. A short or petite woman may be told she can’t gain as much weight, or is too tiny to deliver a big baby — which SURELY will be CAUSED by eating this much food!! Removing my tongue from my cheek, I will give petite women the facts they need….

The Brewer Diet is the minimum requirement for any woman to grow a healthy baby — regardless of height, weight,  or any other factors. There are certain factors (such as activity level, stress, nursing, etc.) which might cause you to need MORE nutrients and calories, but not fewer. In the early part of pregnancy, your calorie needs are less, but your nutrient needs are still high as the placenta grows and hormones are produced.

In early pregnancy there is some leeway in terms of calories. During that time, most people find that the best place to cut calories, without cutting too many nutrients, is in the whole grains area. You can generally skimp on whole grains, yet still get enough similar nutrients in other foods and standard prenatal supplements, yet with fewer calories. Increasing fruits and vegetables is a good way to make up for some of the fiber and vitamins you would get from whole grains. On the contrary, it’s very hard to replace the nutrients in milk, eggs, lean meats, fruits and vegetables with anything else. So if you’re feeling like it’s “too much food” in early pregnancy then cut back on the whole grains — but listen to your body, and be sure you are getting enough nutrients. Make every bite count, and when you cheat, cheat on something with protein in it — a candy bar with nuts, for example. (That was Dr. Brewer’s recommendation!)

Having said all that, I have to tell you that Dr. Brewer did NOT recommend eating less food than his diet recommends at ANY point in pregnancy. In his view, this was the bare minimum for any woman, any baby, any size, any race, any anything. Any alterations he made based on individual circumstances involved MORE not less. He did say that while nursing, you could ease up a bit on the protein….but otherwise, this was his minimum standard for all women.

And remember also not to watch the scale — in and of itself, weight gain (or lack thereof) means nothing. It’s about what kinds of foods you are gaining weight on, not the total number of pounds. If you eat the Brewer Diet, and make adjustments for nutritional stresses as outlined on the website (carrying multiples, job stress, athletic lifestyle, smoker), your body will gain the right amount of weight for YOU and for the specific baby you are growing in THIS pregnancy.