Ask almost any pregnant woman about eating for two, and she'll probably tell you this: It's not quite as easy (or as much fun) as it seems. Nausea and vomiting can make it hard enough to eat for one, let alone two; pregnancy restrictions can make consumption a somewhat complicated prospect; and while eating extra might seem nice, it definitely doesn't mean eating extra meat pies and cookie dough.
Almost all women gain weight when they're pregnant. They're supposed to. A pregnant woman has greater energy requirements and has to eat enough to provide all the nutrition both she and her growing child need. Most practitioners recommend 300 extra calories per day starting out (more in the last trimester) and an average 25 to 35 pounds (11 to 15 kilograms) of weight gain over the entire pregnancy. The source of those additional 300 calories matters. Pregnancy nutritional requirements are pretty specific and relate to the needs of both a pregnant body and a new, developing one.
Some of the dos and don'ts of a pregnancy diet are a sure thing, others are educated guesses, and some are controversial. One thing nearly all pregnant women and their doctors can agree on, though, is that erring on the side of caution is the way to go. In this article, we'll look at some areas of a diet that require high caution, some foods that are essential for a growing baby, and some nutritional additions that may help with some of pregnancy's rougher side effects. We'll begin with one of the most obvious and crucial pregnancy-diet tips.
- Do Water: The first rule of pregnancy is 'Drink water'. The second rule of pregnancy is 'Drink water'. The third rule of pregnancy is 'Drink water'. Actually, there are a lot of important rules, no alcohol or cigarettes or climbing skyscrapers, for instance but you get the point. Water is one of the most important things a pregnant woman can put in her body. Water carries all of the nutrients she consumes to the cells, where they are absorbed into the body. In effect, without water, none of the other musts on this list will do much good. Also, since dehydration can trigger early labour, water helps a pregnancy get to term.
Most experts recommend at least 64 ounces of water per day, or about eight glasses or 2 litres. More than that is even better. And for each cup of coffee (with caffeine) or hour of light exercise, add 8 ounces of water. It's tough to keep track of exactly how much you're consuming when you have baby on the brain. So with one of those many glasses of water you'll be drinking, be sure to take a prenatal vitamin, too. It'll assure you're getting everything you need, just in case your healthy eating leaves you a little short.
- Do Protein: Pregnant? Then time to load up on protein like a bodybuilder. You're building a body, after all, and protein is your source for the amino acids that build cells. It's also essential for blood formation. While non-pregnant women need about 50 grams of protein each day, pregnant women need 70 grams, a significant increase that may take some effort to accomplish.
The highest protein needs come in the second and third trimesters, when baby-body growth is matched only by mommy-body growth. For the necessary two to three servings per day, look to lean meats, fish and poultry; nuts (including peanut butter); low-fat, pasteurized dairy; and foods like eggs, soy and beans. In your lean meats, you'll also find added bonuses like iron, vitamins B6 and B12, and, if you go for fish protein, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
- Do Calcium: Most people know that babies need milk. It turns out, so do foetuses and their hosts. Calcium is essential for healthy teeth and bones. That goes double (or triples) for developing teeth and bones. Plus, high-calcium foods like milk, cheese and yogurt (and sardines and spinach) can help with pregnancy problems like water retention and, in the case of yogurt, yeast infections.
The recommended daily pregnancy intake of calcium is about 1,000-1,300 milligrams, or at least four servings. Low-fat dairy is the ideal way to obtain this calcium, since full-fat dairy has quite a lot of fat, and pregnant women (like everybody else) should moderate fat intake. On an interesting side note, women who are trying to get pregnant might want to stick with the full-fat versions. Consumption of low-fat dairy products has been linked to decreased fertility.
- Do Fruits and Vegetables: As important as fruits and vegetables are to the non-pregnant person, they're even more so to the pregnant woman. The vitamins, minerals and antioxidants provided by things like strawberries, spinach and sweet potatoes are a crucial part of any pregnancy diet. The options for getting the minimum five to six servings a day (combined) are endless.
For vitamin C (oral health and bone growth), look to oranges, strawberries, broccoli or tomatoes.
For folic acid, a B vitamin required in high quantities (at least 0.4 milligrams a day) for blood and protein production and to reduce the risk of neural-tube defects like spina bifida, look to leafy greens, peas and dark yellow fruits and veggies (along with legumes, veal and fortified cereals).
For vitamin A (eyesight, healthy skin and bones), sweet potatoes, spinach and sweet potatoes are excellent choices.
That's just the beginning of the variety of vitamins and minerals that should be incorporated into a pregnancy diet.
- Do Whole Grains: During first-trimester nausea (or whole-pregnancy nausea, for the unlucky ones), carbohydrates like pasta, bread and crackers can be lifesavers, calming a reeling stomach. Happily, they're also an essential part of a nutritious pregnancy diet. Carbohydrates are excellent sources of energy and often fibre. But we're not talking white bread, cake and regular pasta here, those are simple carbohydrates and aren't the most nutritious.
Pregnant women (and everyone else) should aim for complex carbohydrates, specifically whole grains 6 to 11 servings per day. That includes whole-grain cereal, barley, whole-wheat bread and pasta, sweet potatoes, oats and c acid, which is essential during pregnancy.
- Do Omega-3s: Fish contain something essential to human health and development: omega-3 fatty acids. They contribute to, among other things, brain and heart health, and they're especially important to the developing brain and heart of a foetus. The human body cannot make omega-3s. People have to get them from outside sources, and one of the richest sources is fatty fish.
Coldwater seafood such as salmon, lake trout and sardines are excellent sources of omega-3s, including one of the most important ones for a growing foetus (and baby, for that matter), called DHA. Fish oil supplements containing DHA are a possibility during pregnancy, but they do have side effects for some people, like excessive burping or nausea, which pregnant women already may have trouble with.
Some non-fish sources of omega-3s include walnuts, eggs and flaxseed. They don't have nearly as much as fish, though. Two 4-ounce servings of low-mercury, coldwater fish per week should take care of the omega-3 requirement.
- Don't High-mercury Fish: What goes up as industrial pollution comes down as, among other things, methyl mercury in bodies of water. When our seafood swims in that contaminated water, it turns into mercury in our food supply.
In adults, the relatively small amount of mercury found in fish isn't a big deal. Our bodies can get rid of it. But in a developing foetus, the mercury in a few weekly albacore-tuna sandwiches has the potential to damage the nervous system. But here's where it gets tricky, because avoiding all fish during pregnancy is a bad idea.
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