Eating Healthy During Pregnancy

Don't neglect eating healthy during your pregnancy.  Remember, what you take in is what your baby takes in as well.

Your baby is growing and developing at a phenomenal speed so she needs all the nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy development. 

But you need those nutrients as well. Your baby absorbs everything it needs from you. If you don't keep the nutrients flowing you'll feel the drain and your baby may not get what it needs. 

Here are a few wise tips on weight gain and what to eat when pregnant:

Weight gain
Your doctor will be paying particular attention to your weight as gaining too much weight can lead to birthing complications.  Conversely it's important that you do gain some weight.   The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends a weight gain of 25-37 pounds. 

Gaining too much weight can lead to high blood pressure, gestational diabetes and difficult birthing. Also a Cesarean Section due to fetal size, prolonged labor and fetal distress are all more likely.  

Prenatal vitamins
Over-the-counter vitamins are fine if your doctor doesn't give you a prescription version.  Either way, be sure to supplement your diet with a good pre-natal vitamin.

Watch your calories
Contrary to popular belief, you're not eating for two, but you should be eating better. You should be getting approximately 300 more calories a day than you were getting before you were pregnant.  But make those extra 300 calories count.  Get them from nutritious, balanced foods.  Extra sugar, white flour and fatty foods are not the answer. 

Eat nutritious foods
Make sure you're getting enough of your vitamins from the foods you eat, vitamins from food are always better than vitamins from supplements, so you want to be getting the majority of nutrients from the foods you are eating.  Remember to also take your vitamins with food.  Food acts as a catalyst and you get much more out of them than just taking them with milk, juice or water.

Stop all alcohol and nicotine
To avoid birth defects and other complications.  If you are heavy smoker, your doctor may recommend that you cut back gradually over a two week period to get to 0 cigarettes per day to avoid any stress on the baby from quitting cold turkey. 

Limit caffeine to no more than 300mg per day. If you're a big coffee drinker, try decaffeinated.  It's really not that bad!

Avoid seafood with high mercury levels.
These include Tilefish from the Gulf of Mexico (sold as golden snapper or Golden Bass), Swordfish, Shark (all kinds), King Mackerel (known as Kingfish), Marlin and Bluefin.  Tuna is ok but in great moderation, canned is the safest choice.

Avoid soft cheeses
Most soft cheeses are not pasteurized so keep that in mind.

Eat fresh fruits and vegetables
These help you avoid constipation and get a variety of vitamins and minerals at the same time.

Get enough Calcium
Get approximately 1000mg per day of calcium.

Folic acid
Taking folic acid helps prevent spina bifida and other birth defects, choose a supplement at the pharmacy or health food store as well as eating foods that are rich in folic acid such as spinach and turnip greens, dried beans, and liver etc.

If you have specific questions be sure to check with your doctor.