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.
