Eating Right During Your Pregnancy
You already know it is important to eat a well-balanced diet, but it is even
more important when you are pregnant. Keep in mind now you are eating for two.
Whatever you eat, the baby eats as well. In fact the baby actually takes your
nourishments so you must eat enough for both of you. The healthier you eat the
better it is for the pregnancy and you.
Never miss a meal while you are pregnant, especially breakfast. Breakfast is the
most important meal of the day and your baby has probably been waiting since
he/she woke up in the middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait so
long before eating you start to feel sick, this is your body telling you to eat.
Do it!
Make sure you are getting enough of the food you need daily. It takes 4-6
servings of dairy a day for a healthy pregnancy, this can include some cheeses,
milk, yogurt. This provides the baby with calcium which it’ll need to develop
healthy growing bones. Adding extra calcium to your diet wouldn’t hurt you
either, especially your teeth and bones.
Don’t forget about your fruit and vegetable servings. Lots of green is always a
good choice, so are sweet potatoes. Not only will you be giving your body what
it needs but you’ll start to have more energy. Try laying off the sweets for a
week and replace them with healthier items and see how alive you feel.
Foods to Avoid
Not all foods are safe during your pregnancy, there are a few things you should
avoid eating:
- unpasturized products- brie
- Certain fish- exotic, shark, swordfish, anything high in mercury
- Raw eggs
- Undercooked meats- lunch meats. If you are buying a deli sandwich you can ask
for them to eat the meat up a little.
- Caffeine- soda, chocolate. If you find this difficult you can wean yourself
off, but the less caffeine in your system the better it is for the baby.
If you are ever unsure of the foods you can eat you can ask your doctor for a
list of items to avoid during pregnancy. They’ll be more than happy to share
this with you.
You may also learn that your stomach won’t handle certain foods that it would
before. Some of those foods may include foods that contain grease, fast foods,
meat, and certain foods that have a strong odor.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to cut out all the fun in your life, you
can still treat yourself from time to time. Go out and get a frozen yogurt or a
smoothie.
While you are making sure you get enough to eat throughout the day, that doesn’t
mean neglect your fluid intake. You’ll need lots of water and juices from here
on out. The baby will thank you later. Who knows, you may discover that you
really enjoy eating healthier and continue it even after the pregnancy.
