Nutrition during pregnancy

It is important to get a balanced , nutritious diet during pregnancy.  This will help maintain your health and nourish the fetus. It is essential to increase your caloric intake to 300 calories during pregnancy.

On a daily basis women need about 2200 calories . However during pregnancy , it increases to 2500. If you are carrying twins the caloric intake is 3500 and for triplets or more, you need about 4500 calories. Talk to your dietitian about these requirements. Your doctor may give you a nutritional plan to follow throughout pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Healthy eating

You can get the nutrients you need by eating a wide variety  of foods. Your body needs  proteins, carbohydrates and fats for energy. Good sources of nutrients include the following :

• lean proteins  such as fish low in mercury , low fat milk products, poultry without skin and legumes
• unsaturated fats such as olive oil, canola oil , nuts and fish
• carbohydrates from whole grains , fruits, vegetables , legumes and low fat milk products

If you don’t have a healthy diet, it is important to make healthy changes during pregnancy for the overall health of you and your baby.

It is important to include more fruits and vegetables . They help you get fiber and the necessary nutrients you need .

Folic acid :  This a B vitamin. Taking folic acid before and during pregnancy reduces your risk of having a child with neural tube defects or other birth defects.

• women of  childbearing  age should get 0.4 mg (400 mcg) to 0.8 mg (800 mcg) of folic acid from fortified food, supplements, or a mix of food plus supplements. You will get this in most once a day multivitamin
• women who  are pregnant with multiples should take 1 mg (1000 mcg) of folic acid daily.
• women with family history neural tubes defects , who’ve had babies with neural tube defects  or who are on medications for seizures should take additional folic acid. A daily dosage of 4 mg (4000 mcg) of folic acid is recommended. Do not try to  reach this amount by taking more multivitamins  because you can end up getting more of the other substances that are in multivitamin.

Iron : You need as much iron in the second and third trimester  as you did before pregnancy. The extra iron supports the extra blood in your body  and helps with the  growth of the fetus and placenta.  Your  iron requirement during the first trimester is not much . Taking iron during the first trimester may cause morning sickness. After the first trimester, take a daily supplement containing 30 mg of iron (most prenatal vitamins  include iron). A woman with  multiple pregnancy is advised to take 60 mg to 100 mg of iron daily.

Calcium : This is needed for the development of the fetal skeleton.  You can enough calcium in your diet  by eating or drinking 4 servings of milk from dairy group daily. Some good non milk sources of calcium include the following :

• broccoli and cauliflower
• greens such as kale and bok choy
• tofu
• calcium fortified orange juice
• corn tortillas made with lime