Nutrition is about eating a healthy and balanced diet so your body gets the nutrients that it needs. Nutrients are substances in foods that our bodies need so they can function and grow. They include carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and water.
When you’re pregnant, nutrition is more important than ever. You need more of many important nutrients than you did before pregnancy. Making healthy food choices every day will help you give your baby what they need to develop. It will also help make sure that you and your baby gain a healthy amount of weight.
You need more folic acid, iron, calcium, and vitamin D than you did before pregnancy:
Keep in mind that taking too much of a supplement can be harmful. For example, very high levels of vitamin A can cause birth defects. Only take vitamins and mineral supplements that your health care provider recommends.
You also need more protein when you are pregnant. Healthy sources of protein include beans, peas, eggs, lean meats, seafood, and unsalted nuts and seeds.
Getting enough fluids is another special nutritional concern during pregnancy. When you are pregnant, your body needs even more water to stay hydrated and support the life inside you. So it’s important to drink enough fluids every day.
How much weight you should gain depends on your health and how much you weighed before pregnancy:
Check with your provider to find out how much weight gain during pregnancy is healthy for you. You should gain the weight gradually during your pregnancy, with most of the weight gained in the last trimester.
How many calories you need depends on your weight gain goals. Your provider can tell you what your goal should be, based on things like your weight before pregnancy, your age, and how fast you gain weight. The general recommendations are:
Keep in mind that not all calories are equal. You should eat healthy foods that are packed with nutrients – not “empty calories” such as those found in soft drinks, candies, and desserts.
The following foods are beneficial to your health and fetal development during pregnancy:
Vegetables: carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, cooked greens, tomatoes and red sweet peppers (for vitamin A and potassium)
Fruits: cantaloupe, honeydew, mangoes, prunes, bananas, apricots, oranges, and red or pink grapefruit (for potassium)
Dairy: fat-free or low-fat yogurt, skim or 1% milk, soymilk (for calcium, potassium, vitamins A and D)
Grains: ready-to-eat cereals/cooked cereals (for iron and folic acid)
Proteins: beans and peas; nuts and seeds; lean beef, lamb and pork; salmon, trout, herring, sardines and pollock
During pregnancy, you should avoid:
Follow these general food safety guidelines when handling and cooking food:
Wash. Rinse all raw produce thoroughly under running tap water before eating, cutting or cooking.
Clean. Wash your hands, knives, countertops and cutting boards after handling and preparing uncooked foods.
Cook. Cook beef, pork or poultry to a safe internal temperature verified by a food thermometer.
Chill. Promptly refrigerate all perishable food.
Most health care providers or midwives will prescribe a prenatal supplement before conception or shortly afterward to make sure that all of your nutritional needs are met. However, a prenatal supplement does not replace a healthy diet.
The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that all women of childbearing age consume 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid each day. Folic acid is a nutrient found in:
Some green leafy vegetables
Most berries, nuts, beans, citrus fruits and fortified breakfast cereals
Some vitamin supplements.
Folic acid can help reduce the risk of neural tube defects, which are birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. Neural tube defects can lead to varying degrees of paralysis, incontinence and sometimes intellectual disability.
Folic acid is the most helpful during the first 28 days after conception, when most neural tube defects occur. Unfortunately, you may not realize that you are pregnant before 28 days. Therefore, your intake of folic acid should begin before conception and continue throughout your pregnancy. Your health care provider or midwife will recommend the appropriate amount of folic acid to meet your individual needs.
For example, women who take anti-epileptic drugs may need to take higher doses of folic acid to prevent neural tube defects. They should consult with their health care provider when considering trying to conceive.
Pregnancy and Nutrition, MedlinePlus , Available at: https://medlineplus.gov/pregnancyandnutrition.html
Nutrition During Pregnancy, Johns Hopkins , Available at: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/nutrition-during-pregnancy
Women have unique health issues. And some of the health issues that affect both men and women can affect women differently.
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