When we think of long-term changes to make for our health and wellbeing, pregnancy is hardly the time that comes to mind for that. But what about the wellbeing of your baby then? Wouldn’t you do anything you possibly can to ensure that your baby’s health is seen to?
While we know you don’t need an excuse to practice good eating habits, we’re just saying that there is no better time for that than during pregnancy, for you’ll be doing a favour for both baby and you.
What healthy eating means
Healthy eating comes for a healthy diet, but this is not to be confused with dieting per say. They are not the same thing, whether you are pregnant or not. Typical dieting is as we have come to know it is tied to the intention of achieving weight loss. With typical dieters, health is not a major issue, or at least falls second, compared to the success of losing weight. Did you know, however, that if you eat right for your body, you’d have fewer issues concerning weight in the first place?
So, back to eating right during pregnancy – what exactly is required nutritionally?
Getting the right amount of calories
Pregnant women need about 2200-2500 calories a day, compared to 1900-2200 for other adult women. Note though, that the more active a woman happens to be, the more calories she will need.
While the difference in calorie count isn’t much, just 300 calories. Pregnant women should generally eat in the high range of the recommended serving amounts of a typical food pyramid, (i.e., about 10 servings in the bread, cereal, rice, and pasta group per day), especially during the second and third trimesters. Look on the label of foods for serving size amounts. Otherwise, using your common sense will probably work just fine!
A wider perspective
First and foremost, be informed that if your child is raised in a house where the pantry is full of junk food, he or she will be more prone to experience health and weight problems, if not during childhood itself, then later on in life! The reason we’re stating this to you is that establishing good eating habits for yourself now while you’re pregnant will make you better prepared to make smart decisions about what your family eats in the future.
Variation is the key
You’re only going to be able to make long-term dietary improvements if you know what is and what’s not good for you. French fries, although made from potatoes, cannot ever be counted as vegetable servings, and they will never be good for you. So, skip the loopholes if you want to be serious about your health.
You’ll also want to consider widening your diet to include an appropriate diversity of foods. Any pregnant woman who thinks that a prenatal vitamin will cover her nutritional needs should think again. Essentially, nothing short of a varied diet can ensure that you are getting all of the nutrients you need. If you eat the same foods over and over, you may be missing out on important nutrients, which in turn could spell trouble if you’re pregnant.
Just because you’re pregnant…
… doesn’t mean you can’t try new foods. You may have certain food aversions when you’re pregnant, but often picky eating goes way back to one’s own early days. What chance do you have of preventing your kids from being picky eaters if you still turn up your nose at nutritious foods which you dislike?
Be a little adventurous yourself and get to know about food, even ones you disliked as a child. Just because you hated them then, doesn’t mean you would now! Reinvent foods with negative associations by approaching them with fresh eyes and new preparations. Start buying new cookbooks or reacquaint yourself with the ones you’ve got. Make foods you’ve never made before and found more appealing recipes for foods you assume you dislike but haven’t tried for a long time.
Use your common sense
You may be surprised to hear this, but unless food is dangerous to your health when you are pregnant, there should be no cause to forbid any kind of food from your diet. The key is diversification and moderation.
An important benefit to bulking up your food knowledge is that you will have the know-how to replace high-sugar, high-fat cravings with more sensible, yet satisfying, alternatives.
Here are some suggestions:
You crave: Cake
Choose instead: Graham crackers and a glass of skim milk
You crave: Soda
Choose instead: Seltzer with a splash of fruit juice
If it’s just one of those days when nothing other than that cake will do, then, by all means, eat that cake! Stick to one slice and enjoy it slowly!
It would do you good to know too, that you’re not supposed to eat for two when you’re pregnant. Eating well for one is more like it. Adding the necessary 300 extra calories during pregnancy is almost too easy. Here are some ideas that will add about 300 calories to your daily diet.
- One slice of whole wheat bread with one teaspoon peanut butter, plus one cup skim milk.
- Fresh fruit cup: half a chopped melon with half cup blueberries, a kiwi, half of a banana, a half-cup grapes.
Pregnant women to think smart about adding calories during mealtime. Here are some commonsense suggestions:
- Have a cup of soup with your sandwich at lunch
- Eat an extra piece of chicken at dinner
An expecting mother’s diet is very important during pregnancy. The baby’s health depends on her gaining the right amount of weight — approximately 25 pounds, eating nutritious foods that provide protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins, and avoiding or minimizing drugs like caffeine, and especially alcohol and nicotine — that could harm the child.
- Prenatal weight gain. Unlike 40 years ago, we now recognize the relationship between pre-pregnancy weight and weight gain to pregnancy outcome. That is, low birth weight can increase the risk of infant mortality. A pregnant woman should gain approximately 25 pounds — more if she is underweight, less if she is overweight — for the sake of the health of her baby. Weight gain is minimal during the first trimester and accelerates in the second and third trimesters.
- Prenatal nutrition. A pregnant woman should add approximately 300 calories to her diet because she is providing for herself as well as the baby growing inside of her. It’s important that she increase her intake of protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins, eat the freshest foods available, and keep track of what she is eating to ensure that she and her baby are getting all the essential nutrients they need.
Getting the best out of your diet
What and how much should you eat to be healthy during pregnancy? You want to pay special attention to certain nutrients and add about 300 extra calories to your diet. The average recommended daily caloric intake varies depending on your activity level and normal weight. Your weight gain is a good guide to how well you are meeting your caloric intake.
Protein
You should increase your protein intake to 60 grams during pregnancy to provide for the growth of your baby and your breasts, uterus, and placenta; for the increased blood volume; and for the production of amniotic fluid.
What’s the deal with iron?
Iron is an important nutrient during pregnancy for three primary reasons. First, iron is necessary for the formation of maternal and fetal hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of blood. Since your blood volume increases considerably during pregnancy and your baby is manufacturing blood cells, too, your need for iron increases. Second, during the last trimester, your baby draws from you some of the iron reserves that help prevent anemia during the first four to six months of your baby’s life. Third, your increased blood volume and iron stores help your body adjust (to some degree) to the blood loss that occurs during childbirth.
If your doctor recommends an iron supplement, it will probably contain 60 milligrams of iron, although the recommended amount during pregnancy is 27 milligrams a day. Because iron from supplements is not absorbed, you must ingest about 60 milligrams of iron to ensure that you absorb the recommended daily amount of 27 milligrams.
Iron supplements are best absorbed if taken with foods rich in vitamin C, such as orange, grapefruit, or tomato juice. Absorption is impaired if you take them with antacids or calcium-containing foods, such as milk and cheese. Iron supplements sometimes cause an upset stomach, constipation, or nausea. If that is the case for you, remember that you can get much of the iron you need from iron-rich foods, such as organ meats, red meat, egg yolk, and legumes (dried peas and beans). Note: Consult your doctor before stopping an iron supplement, however.
Calcium
During pregnancy, many doctors commonly recommend that you get between 1,200 and 1,500 milligrams of calcium per day. Calcium is essential for the development and growth of your baby’s skeleton, heart, muscles, and tooth buds. Inadequate intake results in depletion of your stores of calcium.
Milk and milk products (such as yogurt and cheese) are the best sources of dietary calcium. Tofu and canned whole fish (with bones) are good secondary sources. If you are lactose intolerant, meaning you cannot digest the lactose found in milk products, try a reduced-lactose or lactose-free milk product, soy milk, acidophilus milk, buttermilk, or cultured yogurt. If all else fails, your doctor may prescribe a calcium supplement.
Vitamins
The recommended daily intake of nearly all vitamins increases 25 to 50 percent for pregnant women. The daily recommendation for folic acid (folate) doubles. A high-quality, varied diet will supply most of the vitamins you need, with the probable exception of folic acid. Folic acid supplements of 400 micrograms are usually recommended to provide for the increased folic acid requirement.
Folic acid is important for the synthesis of all cells and the production of DNA and RNA, the building blocks of cells. Deficiency can cause megaloblastic anemia (development of abnormal red blood cells) in the mother and neural tube defects in the fetus.
Since adequate folic acid intake is so important for your baby and you, choose a diet high in foods containing this essential vitamin. Liver, lean beef, legumes, egg yolks, and dark green leafy vegetables are good food sources of folic acid.
Guidelines for obtaining vitamins
The fresher the food source, the better, of course! Try selecting a varied, high-quality diet, and prepare the foods carefully to ensure you get the most nutritional value from your food.
Vitamins, especially the water-soluble vitamins (folic acid, niacin, vitamin C, and the B vitamins), are easily destroyed by overcooking. Uncooked vegetables and fruits have the highest vitamin content. Next, best is to use the least amount of water to cook and to cook for a very short time.
To keep track of the foods you eat and to ensure you and your baby get all the essential nutrients you need, consider keeping a food diary periodically throughout your pregnancy. Record your daily intake of dairy, protein, grains, and bread, fruits and vegetables, fats, fluids, and foods consisting primarily of empty calories (simple sugars). After several days, assess where you need to make changes in order to get the nutrients you need.
Sometimes your capacity or appetite is diminished, especially during late pregnancy or if you experience heartburn or nausea. Eat several small meals during the day instead of three large meals to help you get the nutrients you and your baby need. Talk with your doctor about any concerns you have about the amount of food you need.
If you find it difficult to eat a well balanced, healthy diet, consider consulting a certified nutritionist.
Warning
It is important to note that consuming excess amounts of supplements of certain nutrients, particularly vitamins A and D, iodine, and zinc, may produce toxic effects and congenital anomalies (birth defects).
Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy
Everything you consume during pregnancy. That’s why it’s important that she sticks to a healthy diet and avoid or minimize potentially harmful drugs like caffeine, artificial sweeteners, some herbal teas, and especially alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, and cocaine. All harmful substances you consume can get passed directly on to your unborn child. While some of the substances are obvious, like alcohol, some of them might surprise you.
Caffeine
Caffeine is a substance naturally found in coffee, tea, cola drinks, and chocolate. It is also in some medications. Read labels carefully to identify those products that contain caffeine. Caffeine readily finds its way to the fetus, and the concentration of caffeine in fetal blood will be about the same as in maternal blood. Studies have not shown an association between caffeine consumption and fetal abnormalities, but caffeine is a powerful stimulant. It also increases the production of stress hormones, causing constriction of uterine blood vessels, which lessens the blood flow to the uterus and may temporarily decrease the amount of oxygen reaching the fetus.
Large amounts of caffeine cannot be good for your baby or you. However, caffeine consumption in small amounts (one to two cups of coffee per day) is considered safe during pregnancy.
Be Wary of Artificial Sweeteners
Pregnant women are advised to either stay away from artificial sweeteners or consume them in moderation. Pregnant women who have phenylketonuria (PKU) — a rare, inherited disease in which the body cannot metabolize phenylalanine (an amino acid) — or high levels of phenylalanine in their blood must avoid sweeteners containing aspartame altogether. Aspartame contains phenylalanine, and an excess of phenylalanine in the body damages the central nervous system and can cause mental retardation.
Saccharin (found in Sweet ‘N Low) should be avoided by all pregnant and breastfeeding women. Although studies linking saccharin to bladder cancer have been dismissed, it has been shown that it crosses into the placenta and may remain in fetal tissue.
Herbal Tea
Just because herbal teas are considered to be natural does not mean they are safe for pregnant women. Some herbal teas contain drugs and even estrogen! Chamomile tea contains ragweed, which can cause severe allergic reactions in some people. Teas made from juniper berries may cause stomach irritation. For your own safety and well-being, consume only teas known to be safe for pregnancy such as peppermint and raspberry leaf.
Too much alcohol
Even moderate consumption of alcohol, (one or two drinks per day) and social (three to four drinks per day) are associated with problems where there is a higher miscarriage rate among women who drink moderately. Other studies associate this level of drinking with a more frequent occurrence of birth defects and lower birth weights. No safe level of alcohol consumption has been established. As a result, it is best to take a cautious approach during pregnancy by abstaining from alcohol. Heavy drinking during pregnancy (more than five or six drinks daily) puts the baby at risk for fetal alcohol syndrome. Affected babies are born with physical malformations, including microcephaly (abnormally small head), certain heart defects, and, often, mental retardation.
Keep your kitchen stocked with items that can ease your pregnancy woes. Check out this list of quick bites that may help you in times of need.
Morning sickness aid:
- Carbonated drinks (without artificial sweeteners)
- Crackers
- Anything ginger
- Lemon
- Hard candies
- Pregnancy-friendly herbal teas
Constipation aid:
- Beans and peas
- Bran
- Leafy greens
- Oats and oatmeal
- Prune juice
- Prunes and figs
