Eating Healthy During Pregnancy

Starting off your with a healthy well

balanced diet is the best thing you do for yourself

and your baby. This way, you'll only need to make

a few adjustments during your pregnancy.

Your first trimester

If you find it tough to maintain a balanced diet

during your first trimester, you can rest assured

that your not alone. Due to queasiness, some

women will eat all of the time and gain a lot of

weight in the process. Other women have trouble

getting food down and subsequently lose weight.

Preventing malnutrition and dehydration are your

most important factors during first trimester.

Calories

When you are pregnant, you need to consume around

300 calories more than usual every day. The best

way to go about doing this is listening to your

body when you are hungry. You should try to eat

as many foods as possible from the bottom of the

food pyramid.

If you gain weight too slow, try eating small

meals and slightly increase the fat in your diet.

You should always eat when you are hungry, as you

are now eating for 2 instead of one.

Calcium

By the second trimester, you'll need around 1,500

milligrams of calcium each day for your bones and

your baby', which is more than a quart of milk.

Calcium is something that's missing from many

diets. Along with milk, other great sources for

calcium include dairy products, calcium fortified

juices, and even calcium tablets.

Fiber

Fiber can help to prevent constipation, which is

a common pregnancy problem. You can find fiber in

whole grains, fruits, and even vegetables. Fiber

supplements such as Metamucil and Citrucel are

safe to take during pregnancy.

Protein

Unless you happen to be a strict vegetarian, your

protein intake is not normally a problem for women

who eat a healthy diet.

Iron

A lot of women will start their pregnancy off with

a bit of iron deficiency. Good sources of iron

include dark leafy green vegetables and meats. Iron

supplements should be avoided, as they can cause

internal symptoms such as cramping, constipation,

or diarrhea.

Vitamins

Seeing as how you get a majority of the vitamins you

need in your diet, you may want to discuss prenatal

vitamins with your doctor. Folate is one of the most

important, and if you are getting enough of it, you

may be able to avoid vitamins all together - just ask

your doctor to make sure.