Nutrition during Pregnancy
Your nutrition during pregnancy is one of the most important factors in your baby's development. The things that you put into your body become the building blocks for your growing fetus. It is very important that you eat a variety of nutritious foods throughout your pregnancy. This will not only ensure that your baby is as healthy as can be, but will also help you control your weight gain during pregnancy.
As a general guideline for a healthy diet during pregnancy, you should eat:
- 7-11 servings of grain products like bread, cereal, and pasta
- 3-5 servings of vegetables
- 2-4 servings of fruit
- 4-6 servings of dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese
- 3-4 servings of meat and high-protein foods
- 6-8 glasses of water or fruit juice
Eat until you are full and keep an eye on your weight. It is best to eat many small meals each day or “graze” while you are pregnant, rather than eating a few very large meals. A normal amount of weight gain is about 25 to 35 pounds for women who were at a healthy weight before becoming pregnant. You will obviously gain more weight if you are carrying multiples.
Iron
During pregnancy, the need for iron increases. Your developing baby will collect enough iron from your body to last through the first six months of his or her life, so it is very important that you get enough. It is helpful to eat foods that are high in iron, such as red meats, along with foods that are high in vitamin C, which aids in the absorption of iron.
The recommended daily intake of iron during pregnancy is about 22-36 mg. The amount that you will need really depends on how much iron was in your body prior to becoming pregnant. If your iron levels are very low, you may need to take an iron supplement, but be sure to check with your OB-GYN beforehand.
Calcium
The recommended daily intake of calcium for pregnant women is 1,100 mg. During the third trimester, your baby will draw an increased amount of calcium from your body to aid in the development of his or her bone structure. If you have insufficient calcium in your body, it will be drawn out of your bones, but should be rapidly replaced once the baby has finished breastfeeding. This loss of bone mass is avoidable by making sure you get enough calcium during pregnancy.
Things to Avoid
Try to resist your cravings for junk food, which contain many empty calories and little, if any, nutritional value. You may be able to curb these cravings when they occur by eating a piece of fruit or some other healthy food.
Most of the food we consume contains some sort of chemical that has been added to it, whether it be a preservative, a coloring, a flavor enhancer, or even hormones and antibiotics. Organic foods and produce have the fewest chemicals and additives, and often taste better as well. Most additives are perfectly safe to consume during pregnancy. However, there are a few that you will want to avoid, including:
- MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) - a flavor enhancer in some bouillon and Asian foods that has been known to cause headaches and upset stomachs
- Food Colorings - Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 3, and Yellow 6
- Olestra or Olean - simply has not been tested enough to be recommended during pregnancy
- Saccharin - has not yet been shown to be safe during pregnancy
- Animal Fat - cut the fat off of red meat, since many chemicals from the animal's diet often concentrate in the fat
Maintaining a healthy diet should not be very difficult and could make a world of difference for your developing child.
