When you’re pregnant, eating a healthy, balanced diet is one of the most important things you can do for yourself and your baby. eat is the main source of nourishment for your baby, so it’s important to consume foods that are rich in nutrients. Proper nutrition can help promote your baby's growth and development. A healthy diet consists of: Each meal should include at least three different food groups. During your second trimester, it’s especially important to eat foods that are rich in calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D. will help your baby grow strong bones and teeth. It’s also beneficial to eat foods containing omega-3 oils, which are vital for your baby’s brainFoods that contain one or more of these nutrients include: It’s helpful to prepare and cook meals at home to ensure you maintain a balanced, healthy diet. If it’s too difficult or time-consuming to cook a meal every night, you should consider making one or two large dishes
each week and freezing portions for quick weeknight meals. Fresh food is always the preferred option, but there are also some fairly healthy frozen dinner options that you can buy at the store. to read the labels and only choose dishes that are low in fat and sodium. Frozen vegetables are another option, and stocking up on these can save you time when you want a quick, healthy meal. There are a few foods that you should avoid eating while you’re pregnant, including raw meat, eggs, and fish. Specifically, you should avoid eating large fish, such as swordfish, shark, and king mackerel. known to contain high amounts of mercury, a chemical element that can harm yourYou should also limit your intake of other seafood to 12 ounces per week, which is considered to be two average meal portions per week. seafood that’s relatively low in mercury, such as: Other products you shouldn’t consume during pregnancy include unpasteurized milk and unpasteurized milk products.
You should also avoid certain soft cheeses, such as: They may have bacteria that can cause infections. It’s okay to drink coffee or other drinks with caffeine while you’re pregnant, but you shouldn’t have more than one or two cups per day. may also use artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame and sucralose, as long as they’re consumed in moderation. You should never drink alcohol while you’re pregnant. alcohol during pregnancy can cause birth defects and other complications, Now that you're more than halfway through your pregnancy, it’s particularly important to reevaluate your diet. Your doctor can help you create a more specific meal plan based on your age and weight before pregnancy. Many pregnant women experience aversions to particular foods or cravings for at least one type of food. It’s unclear why women develop food cravings or aversions during pregnancy, but doctors and researchers believe hormones may
It’s okay to give in to these cravings sometimes, especially if you crave foods that are a part of a healthy diet. In other cases, pregnant women can have an aversion to certainThis means they never want to eat these particular foods. be problematic if women have an aversion to vegetables or dairy products that are important for the baby’s growth and development. Talk to your doctor if you’re having adverse reactions to foods you should be eating during the secondYour doctor can suggest other foods to eat or supplements to take to compensate for the lack of certain nutrients in your diet. Women gain an average of 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. normal to gain less weight if you start out heavier and to gain more weight if you were underweight before pregnancy. The extra weight you gain during pregnancy provides nourishment to your baby and is also stored for breast-feeding after you have your baby. Many women become self-conscious about their weight during
pregnancy, but you shouldn’t worry too much about the number on the scale. of focusing on your weight, you should concentrate on eating a variety of nutritiousHealthy eating is incredibly important, and dieting to lose weight or prevent weight gain during pregnancy is detrimental to both you and your baby. You can buy new clothes that flatter your figure if you feel self-conscious about the weight you’ve gained. Exercising during pregnancy can also help manage your weightSwimming and walking are particularly good choices. you should avoid any extreme sports or contact sports, such as water skiing,If you didn’t exercise before pregnancy, start slowly and don’t overdo it. It’s also important to drink plenty of water so that youMake sure to speak with your doctor before starting a new Pregnancy and Prenatal Vitamins What are prenatal vitamins? Eating a healthy diet is always a wise idea -- especially during pregnancy. It's also a good idea during pregnancy to take a prenatal vitamin to help cover any nutritional gaps in the mother's diet.
Prenatal vitamins contain many vitamins and minerals. Their folic acid, iron, iodine, and calcium are especially important. Folic Acid, Iron, and Calcium Folic acid helps prevent neural tube birth defects, which affect the brain and spinal cord. Neural tube defects develop in the first 28 days after conception, before many women know they are pregnant. Because about half of all pregnancies are unplanned, it's recommended that any woman who could get pregnant take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily, starting before conception and continuing for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. A woman who has already had a baby with a neural tube defect should talk to her health care provider about whether she might need to take a different dose of folic acid. Studies have shown that taking a larger dose (up to 4,000 micrograms) at least one month before and during the first trimester may be beneficial for those women, but check with your doctor first. Foods containing folic acid include green leafy vegetables, nuts, beans, citrus fruits, and many fortified foods.
Even so, it's a good idea to take a supplement with the right amount of folic acid as a backup. Calcium is also important for a pregnant woman. It can help prevent her from losing her own bone density as the baby uses calcium for its own bone growth. Iodine is critical for a woman’s healthy thyroid function during pregnancy. A deficiency in iodine can cause stunted physical growth, severe mental disability, and deafness. Not enough iodine can lead to miscarriage and stillbirth. Iron helps blood -- in both the mother and baby -- carry oxygen. What to Look for in Prenatal Vitamins Look for a prenatal vitamin that includes: 400 IU of vitamin D. 70 mg of vitamin C. 3 mg of thiamine. 2 mg of riboflavin. 20 mg of niacin. 6 mcg of vitamin B12. 10 mg of vitamin E. 15 mg of zinc. 17 mg of iron. 150 micrograms of iodine In some cases, your doctor will give you a prescription for a certain type of prenatal vitamin.