Nutrition for Expectant Mothers

While it is important to have a healthy well-balanced diet for everyone, it is especially important for expectant mothers. Your baby’s health rests in your hands. Make sure you know the best foods to eat so you can get the nutrients and vitamins that you baby needs of optimal development.

How Many Calories Are Needed?

Many jokes have been made about women’s eating habits when pregnant. These jokes often poke fun at how much pregnant women eat, but just how much do you need to eat while expecting? Unfortunately, you really don’t need to eat that much more.

During the first three months of pregnancy, you don’t need any extra calories – bummer. During the second and third trimester, you only need approximately 300 extra calories per day. This is equal to one 8 oz glass of whole milk. Not a whole lot extra is it? Of course, this amount also depends on you. If you were overweight or underweight before pregnancy, you doctor will adjust how many calories you need on a daily basis.

Even if you were overweight before pregnancy, this is not the time to diet. Never diet during pregnancy. This can’t be emphasized enough. Not getting the proper nutrition during pregnancy can put your baby’s health at risk. You need to gain the right amount of weight for your baby. During pregnancy, making sure you have a healthy diet and eating the right amount of calories will reduce the possibility of birth defects and low birth weight for your baby. Low birth weight in babies carries another whole set of problems.

What to Eat

Good nutrition is important all the time but is especially important during pregnancy. Some of the most important nutrients that you need during pregnancy are:

Protein – Your body requires a lot of protein during pregnancy. You will need about 60 grams of protein every day. During pregnancy, the placenta and amniotic tissues need protein. You will also have 50% more blood in your body to support your baby’s life. All of these things require protein. Without proper protein, your baby will have low birth weight and it can negatively affect his brain development.

Folic acid – You will need approximately 1 mg per day. Not only do you need this during pregnancy but also before pregnancy. You can easily get the amount of folic acid you need by eating cereals, spinach, beans, oranges, cereal, and asparagus.

Iron – Now that you are pregnant, your iron requirements will increase from 15 mg daily to 30-50 mg daily. Quite an increase. Iron is extremely important for your baby. Iron is the only nutrient that your baby depends totally on you for the supply.

Calcium – Very important. During pregnancy you will lose calcium through your urine. Make sure you take a supplement that has calcium and vitamin D in it. Also, eat a diet that has a lot of calcium by eating dark, leafy greens and dairy products such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.

As you can see, your baby’s health and development depends greatly on you taking care of yourself and eating the right foods. By eating the right foods and getting these important nutrients, you will have done your best to ensure that your baby is as healthy as possible and has the very best start in life.

Source: http://www.healthguidance.org/authors/205/Jacob-Mabille