Eating During Pregnancy

• Pregnancy • Aug 24, 05

To eat well during Pregnancy you must do more than simply increase how much you eat. You must also consider what you eat. Although you need about 300 extra calories a day - especially later in your Pregnancy, when your baby grows quickly - those calories should come from nutritious foods so they can contribute to your baby’s growth and development.

Why It’s Important to Eat Well When You’re Pregnant
Do you wonder how it’s reasonable to gain 25 to 35 pounds (on average) during your Pregnancy when a newborn baby weighs only a fraction of that? Although it varies from woman to woman, this is how those pounds may add up:

7.5 pounds - average baby’s weight
7 pounds - your body’s extra stored protein, fat, and other nutrients
4 pounds - your extra blood
4 pounds - your other extra body fluids
2 pounds - breast enlargement
2 pounds - enlargement of your uterus
2 pounds - amniotic fluid surrounding your baby
1.5 pounds - the placenta

When you’re pregnant, what you eat and drink is the main source of nourishment for your baby. In fact, the link between what you consume and the health of your baby is much stronger than once thought. That’s why doctors now say, for example, that no amount of alcohol consumption should be considered safe during Pregnancy.

The extra food you eat shouldn’t just be empty calories - it should provide the nutrients your growing baby needs. For example, calcium helps make and keep bones and teeth strong. While you’re pregnant, you still need calcium for your body, plus extra calcium for your developing baby. Similarly, you require more of all the essential nutrients than you did before you became pregnant.

A Nutrition Primer for Expectant Mothers
Whether or not you’re pregnant, a healthy diet includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of water. The U.S. government publishes dietary guidelines that can help you determine how many servings of each kind of food to eat every day. Eating a variety of foods in the proportions indicated is a good step toward staying healthy.

Food labels can tell you what kinds of nutrients are in the foods you eat. The letters RDA, which you find on food labeling, stand for recommended daily allowance, or the amount of a nutrient recommended for your daily diet. When you’re pregnant, the RDAs for most nutrients are higher.

Here are some of the most common nutrients you need and the foods that contain them:

Scientists know that your diet can affect your baby’s health - even before you become pregnant. For example, recent research shows that folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects (including spina bifida) from occurring during the earliest stages of fetal development - so it’s important for you to consume plenty of it before you become pregnant and during the early weeks of your Pregnancy.

Even though lots of foods, particularly breakfast cereals, are fortified with folic acid, doctors now encourage women to take folic acid supplements before and throughout Pregnancy (especially for the first 28 days). Be sure to ask your doctor about folic acid if you’re considering becoming pregnant.

Calcium is another important nutrient for pregnant women. Because your growing baby’s calcium demands are high, you should increase your calcium consumption to prevent a loss of calcium from your own bones. Your doctor will also likely prescribe prenatal vitamins for you, which contain some extra calcium.

Your best food sources of calcium are milk and other dairy products. However, if you have lactose intolerance or dislike milk and milk products, ask your doctor about a calcium supplement. (Signs of lactose intolerance include diarrhea, bloating, or gas after eating milk or milk products. Taking a lactase capsule or pill, or using lactose-free milk products may help.) Other calcium-rich foods include sardines or salmon with bones, tofu, broccoli, spinach, and calcium-fortified juices and foods.

Doctors don’t usually recommend starting a strict vegan diet when you become pregnant. However, if you already follow a vegetarian diet, you can continue to do so during your Pregnancy - but do it carefully. Be sure your doctor knows about your diet. It’s challenging to get the nutrition you need if you don’t eat fish and chicken, or milk, cheese, or eggs. You’ll likely need supplemental protein and may also need to take vitamin B12 and D supplements. To ensure that you and your baby receive adequate nutrition, consult a registered dietitian for help with planning meals.

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