In this blog, Kathrin shares her experiences of pregnancy and motherhood while following her PKU diet. Here, she answers key questions about her journey to motherhood and how she overcame her PKU challenges.
How old were you when you got pregnant? And was the pregnancy planned?
I was 30 years old when I wanted to get pregnant.
How well prepared were you?
I have not prepared or gradually adjusted my diet. We set everything in motion shortly beforehand. My partner and I went to the clinic for a conversation, I started the low-protein diet, stopped my antidepressants, and then I got pregnant. I share my experience, but don't adjust your diet or medication without first consulting your healthcare team!
How did you feel during pregnancy?
It was a mix of emotions and physical elements. I immediately felt sick, but also excited. I just couldn't believe it all went so fast. We were really lucky.
How did your tolerance change during pregnancy?
Not much. I started with 450 mg of Phe per day, but this was reduced to 150-200 mg of Phe per day as my levels continued to rise. Morning sickness made me lose weight and I had to take in extra calories. In the end, I was hospitalized for four weeks to recuperate. At discharge, I was given 400 mg of medication and the advice to eat at least 2800 kcal daily.
How did your diet go? What was your favourite food?
I'll be honest: it was really difficult, especially when I felt more sick from the protein substitute that I was using. I had to vomit a lot, which of course was not nice. Since then, I can only use one product.
Sticking to the diet was actually no problem. You just have to keep reminding yourself why you're doing it. Of course, there were times when I got annoyed by it, especially when my Phe levels rose again. It wasn't my fault, but it felt that way anyway.
As far as food goes, I had a phase where I could only eat spaghetti with tomato-garlic sauce, topped with crème fraîche (for the calories). It was delicious!
How did the birth go?
My daughter was born by emergency caesarean section. The CTG showed irregularities, and both the gynecologist and the doctors thought it was better to do a caesarean section on my 34th week of pregnancy. She weighed only 1790 grams and was 41 cm long, but she was the cutest baby in the world.
I was not afraid of the screening results. Whether she has PKU, or not, that was the least of my concerns. I was more worried about whether she would be premature, whether I would be able to breastfeed her, and whether she would become infected with a hospital bacteria. Of course, I was overjoyed when the news came that she didn't have PKU.
What is most important to you?
Being a single mom, it's super important to stay in shape and be the best version of myself for my daughter. So, sticking to the diet is key to feeling happy and healthy. Going back to or sticking to the PKU diet is totally worth it. If I had to do everything again, I wouldn't change a thing!
