You already know that it’s important to eat a well-balanced diet, but it is even more important to eat well while you are pregnant. Keep in mind that you are now eating for two. Whatever you eat, the baby is going to eat as well. In fact, the baby actually takes nutrients from you, so to make sure that you have adequate nutrients for your own body, you need to be devoted to eating enough for both of you. The healthier you eat, the better it will be for both your pregnancy as well as yourself.
Be sure to never miss a meal while you are pregnant, particularly breakfast. After all, you’ve heard it said many times – and it’s true – breakfast really is the most important meal of the day. Your baby has probably been waiting for breakfast since he or she woke up in the middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait too long before eating breakfast that you start to feel sick; this is your body telling you to eat. Make sure you actually do that!
Be sure you are getting adequate amounts of the healthy food which you need daily. It takes 4-6 servings of dairy each day for a healthy pregnancy; this can include milk, cheese, and yogurt. Might as well throw some yummy ice cream into the mix! This constant supply of dairy products will provide your baby with an adequate supply of calcium which it will need to develop healthy, strong bones. Adding extra calcium to your diet will be beneficial for your body also, particularly your bones and teeth.
Don’t forget about your servings of vegetables and fruit. Lots of green is always a good choice, and, sadly, so are sweet potatoes (which I can’t stand to eat on a normal day – much less if I was pregnant!). Not only will you be giving your body the vitamin rich veggies and fruits that it needs, but you’ll also notice that your body’s energy supply is picking up. Try laying off the sweets and going low on the nutrition empty simple carbs for a week, while replacing them with healthier food items – then check your body every couple of hours to see how alive you feel. It might just change the way you eat, even after your pregnancy is over with.
Foods to Avoid
Not all foods are safe during your pregnancy. Here are a few food items that you should avoid eating:
- unpasteurized products – brie
- Certain fish – exotic, shark, swordfish, anything high in mercury
- Raw eggs
- Undercooked meats – rare steak, lunch meats. If you are buying a deli sandwich, you can ask for them to heat up the meat a little to be on the safe side.
- Caffeine – found in soda, coffee, chocolate. This one is usually the hardest, but if you can wean yourself off this addiction, you’ll find that the less caffeine in your system, the better it is for your baby. Some studies indicate that caffeine can increase the risk of miscarriage, though it’s heatedly debated. I always like to err on the safe side, though.
If you are ever not sure about the foods you can eat while pregnant, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor for a specific list of food items which you should avoid during pregnancy. He or she will be more than happy to provide this information to you.
You may also learn that your stomach won’t handle certain foods that it previously could. Typical foods that might irritate your pregnancy stomach include foods high in grease (i.e. fast foods), meat, and certain foods that have a strong odor.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean that you have to cut out all the fun in your life; you can still splurge and treat yourself with a special food item from time to time. Why not go out and get a frozen yogurt or a smoothie?
While you are making sure that you are getting enough to eat throughout the day, it’s very important that you don’t neglect the amount of fluid you take into your body. You’ll need a lot of water, juice and milk for the next many months. Your baby will thank you much later. Who knows, you may even discover that you really enjoy eating healthier, and you might just want to keep it up even after baby enters the world.
