Nutrition Guidelines for a Healthy Pregnancy

Nutrition Guidelines for a Healthy Pregnancy

In order to ensure all pregnant women know what is needed to have

a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby, in terms of nutrition, there

have been some excellent pregnancy nutrition guidelines

established. When you are pregnant, you only need an additional

300 calories per day. You should make sure that these are not

empty calories, and that they are in fact nutritious calories.

Let’s have a look at some of those guidelines.

Protein

During the time you are pregnant, for your baby to grow healthy;

you need to have approx. 60 grams of protein on a daily basis.

Protein keeps your uterus, breasts, and placenta healthy, it

produces adequate amniotic fluid and it increases the volume of

blood.

Calcium

Doctors recommend a calcium intake during pregnancy to range

between 1200 to 1500 mg a day. Calcium is vital for your baby’s

bones, teeth, heart, and muscles to develop. If you aren’t taking

in enough calcium, your baby will draw from your own calcium

reserves, which means you are at an increased risk for

osteoporosis. Milk and milk-based products are good sources of

calcium. If you are lactose intolerant, there are lactose free

milk products.

Iron

Iron is very important in hemoglobin production for both you and

your fetus. In the last trimester, your baby will take your body’s

iron reserves to ensure it is not anemic during the first six

months of life. You also lose some blood during the delivery

process. These are all reasons why it is so important to increase

your iron intake.

While your body only needs 27 mgs of iron per day, you actually have to take 60 mg to get that 27 mg because not all iron is absorbed. If you are anemic, you should take an iron supplement. Vitamin C enriched foods will help you with your iron absorption. Foods like oranges, grapefruits, and tomato juice work well. Avoid taking your iron and calcium supplements and/or foods at the same time since calcium interferes with iron absorption.

Vitamins

The recommended increase in vitamins is 25 to 50 percent. Your

folic acid need doubles to 400 micrograms per day. Eating a

variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats,

etc will help to ensure you get adequate vitamins.

Your physician will instruct you about any other nutritional needs he/she feels you may need in order to ensure a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.

Pregnancy Nutrition During Your Third Trimester

Pregnancy Nutrition During Your Third Trimester

If you are moving into the final stretch of your pregnancy, the third trimester, for many women this feels like the longest phase of the pregnancy. After all, this is a stage that is increasingly awkward, there’s plenty of growth, it’s a busy time, you are preparing your birth plan, and there can be physical symptoms such as heartburn, indigestion, and constipation that increase.

Nutrient needs are at the highest demand, as your baby triples its weight and size. Protein is needed for growth, iron for blood and cells, and the brain requires optimal nutrition to complete the developmental stage.

Zinc and magnesium are key during the third trimester. Increasing your zinc positively affects the cell division and DNA production. Most women are deficient in zinc even before they become pregnant. The RDA is 3 mg of Zinc daily for a pregnant woman. Good sources

of Zinc include meat and oysters have the highest amount of Zinc of all foods. Zinc can also be found in plants and grains.

Magnesium is also very important, not only to the development of healthy bones and muscles, but also to the development of over 300 bodily enzymes that need Magnesium in order to function properly. While we many not normally need that much Magnesium the RDA for a pregnant woman is 320 mg. In studies, high levels of magnesium are linked to preventing premature birth and a lower risk of a slow growing fetus. Some foods that are high in magnesium include whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, seafood, and leafy green

vegetables.

During your third trimester you will grow the most – in fact, you will put on an average of one pound per week as the baby grows and gets bigger. That’s about 12 pounds in the last trimester. If you’ve been eating a healthy diet all along and your weight, gain is on track that’s terrific! Right now, your baby is converting

the food you eat into nutrition it can use to provide for that rapid growth spurt as the end nears. Right now small meals more often is a better to help to keep your digestion optimal. You should also be eating foods that are high in fat content, which will keep things moving smoothly.

It’s not much longer now before you will have your baby in your arms so spend the next few months making sure that your baby is getting all the nutrients it needs – before long you’ll be many pounds lighter.

Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a time when most mothers to be are concerned about their health, and about how what they eat, will affect their unborn baby. Public health agencies make many recommendations and one of those, in fact the most important one, is for women to avoid foods that have a high potential for disease causing bacteria or that are dangerous to the fetus.

Here’s a list of foods that public health agencies recommend you avoid during your pregnancy.

* Alcohol - It is recommended that you completely stop drinking alcohol during your pregnancy as it is directly linked to fetal alcohol syndrome and other conditions.

* Caffeine – You should limit your consumption of coffee, tea or cola to no more than 0-1 per day. Caffeine is linked to low birth weight as well as miscarriage.

* Freshly caught fish – this includes tuna, swordfish, shark, marlin, etc., which may contain unsafe mercury levels. You should limit your intake to 150 grams per month. Canned white tuna and albacore tuna contain some mercury, so you should limit your consumption to no more than 300 grams per week.

* Herbal tea, such as sage tea, Chamomile tea, pennyroyal, parsley tea, lobelia, coltsfoot, teas with aloe, juniper berries, comfrey, Labrador tea, buckthorn bark, and sassafras should all be avoided during pregnancy. There are others so make sure to read the packaging before purchasing.

* Liver

* Non-dried deli meats – cold cuts, refrigerated pate, hot dogs,

refrigerated smoked seafood and fish, and meat spreads

* Raw fish - clams, oysters and sushi. Avoid smoked fish that is

kept in the fridge such as smoked salmon.

* Raw or undercooked eggs – this includes foods that are made with

raw eggs like Caesar salad dressing. Raw eggs can potentially

contain salmonella and therefore should be avoided throughout your

pregnancy.

* Raw sprouts - especially alfalfa sprouts

* Undercooked meat or rare meat, seafood and poultry

* Unpasteurized juices

* Unpasteurized milk products - also foods that are made from

using raw milk cheese, especially soft and/or semi-soft cheeses.

This includes Bria and Camembert. All unpasteurized cheeses have

the potential to be infected with Listeria bacteria, which can be

harmful to your baby.

If you are unsure about a certain food, it is best to avoid that

food until you can find information regarding it. You should feel

free to ask your doctor about any nutritional concerns you might

have.