Nutrition in pregnancy

Pregnancy is not the time to go on a diet. On contrary, if you haven't been eating 'healthy' until now, pregnancy is the time to change the habit. Healthy eating is important and this is the case especially when you're pregnant.  

Most doctors recommend approximately 300 extra calories daily, especially in second and third trimester, when baby develops and grows quickly. In first trimester some women even loose weight. This is because of morning sickness and similar aversions to certain foods. Of course, every pregnancy is different, as every woman is different; for example, women that are overweight will be recommended to eat less than those who are too thin- weight gain during pregnancy should be balanced considering the weight at the beginning of pregnancy.

What is healthy eating?

Healthy eating includes essential nutrients, that contain calcium, iron, and at the beginning of pregnancy, especially folic acid.



Healthy eating includes:

whole grain breads
fruits and vegetables
lean meats and low fat diary products
plenty fluids




There are also foods, that should be avoid during pregnancy, but we'll get back to them at the end of the article.


Fluids

Fluids are very important part of every woman's nutrition during pregnancy. Woman's blood volume increases during pregnancy, for this reason appropriate liquid consumption is essential to avoid dehydration and constipation.
Best and only option during pregnancy is water and natural juices.


Alcohol

It hasn't been determined what is the a safe alcohol amount, for this reason doctors forbid alcohol consumption; even glass of red wine at the dinner is forbidden. Common causes of mental and physical birth defects are caused by alcohol. Even more, praxis proves alcohol produces more severe abnormalities in a developing fetus than other drugs, like heroin, cocaine, or marijuana.
However, it often happens women do drink in their very early pregnancies- main reason is they do not know they are pregnant. Drinking alcohol or even getting drunk in very early pregnancy does not influences fetus because the brain hasn't developed yet.


Caffeine

It would be best if you wouldn't consume alcohol at all. If this isn't possible, you should cut caffeine consumption down to one or two cups daily. Be aware caffeine isn't limited to coffee only: soft drinks like cola, and green and black tea contain caffeine. 




Prenatal vitamins and supplements

As said above, certain essential nutrients, like calcium, iron and folic acid are needed in higher amounts than before pregnancy. It is best to consult with doctor to prescribe prenatal vitamins and other supplements. That of course doesn't mean you should avoid foods lacking in those beneficial nutrients.


Calcium

Pregnant woman needs 1000 mg of calcium every day. Until recently, experts advised pregnant women to get 1,200 mg of calcium daily, but 1000 mg is actually the highest amount body can absorb.

Calcium is found in:

Iron

Pregnant woman needs 27 to 30 mg of iron every day.
Iron is found in:

Although iron can be found in many other foods (even chocolate), iron from meat sources is more easily absorbed than iron found in plant foods.  


Folic Acid (vitamin B)

Folic acid (400 micrograms or 0.4 milligrams) in a form of multivitamin or folic acid supplement is especially important for women that plan pregnancy. Studies have namely shown that taking folic acid supplements 1 month prior to and throughout the first 3 months of pregnancy decreases the risk of neural tube defects by up to 70%.    


Folic acid is found in:

What foods to avoid?

During pregnancy woman should avoid certain foods, especially food-borne illnesses, such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, which can be life-threatening to an unborn baby and may cause birth defects or miscarriage.

AVOID!!!