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Nutritional considerations during Pregnancy
The BBC provides an excellent resource for information on what to eat, and what not to eat, during pregnancy. During pregnancy your body requires a rich supply of protein, vitamins and minerals to nourish both yourself and your developing child. It is important for an expectant mother to eat a good healthy diet, that is well balanced, that is one that contains foods from all the major food groups. Eating for two is an old wives tale, and is not recommended. But eating well is essential. Quality of food is far more important than quantity.
Weight gain during pregnancy is expected, and the optimum weight gain in pregnancy is 12.5kg (27lb). However, in practice different women gain different amounts and many women who don’t fall within this range still go on to give birth to healthy babies. Weight gains substantially more than 12.5kg in women of normal weight before pregnancy are unlikely to reflect an increase in foetal weight, maternal lean tissue or water. Rather, the excess weight is a gain in maternal fat. Because of this, concerns have been expressed that excessive weight gain can lead to overweight and obesity. Your doctor or midwife will advise you about weight gain, but it’s important that you don’t ‘diet’ during pregnancy.
The key points from the Beeb’s article are:
1. Take a folic acid supplement providing 400µg per day for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
2. A healthy balanced diet provides all the nutrients that most pregnant women need, but some may require supplements.
3. If supplements are used, the best choice is a specially-prepared formula for pregnancy.
4. Supplements containing vitamin A should be avoided.
5. Pregnant women should not eat liver, dishes containing raw or partially cooked eggs, or soft or blue-veined cheese, and should limit alcohol to 1 to 2 units once or twice a week.
6. Be scrupulous about food hygiene.
7. The average weight gain during pregnancy is 12.5kg, but there’s a huge variation among individuals. Watch your weight gain, and speak to your midwife if you’re concerned. Do not diet while pregnant.
A Balanced Diet for Pregnancy
Most of the additional nutrient needs of pregnancy can be met by eating a well-balanced and varied diet. With a few exceptions, you can continue to eat a normal, healthy diet. This includes regular meals and snacks, and a sensible healthy eating regime containing:
1. Plenty of starchy carbohydrates – bread, rice, pasta, breakfast cereals, chapattis, couscous and potatoes.
2. Plenty of fruit and vegetables – at least five portions a day.
3. Lots of milk, yoghurt, fromage frais and pasteurised cheeses.
4. Enough protein, such as meat, fish, eggs (well-cooked), beans and pulses.
5. Not too many fat-rich and sugary foods.
6. Aim to have at least eight glasses of fluids per day.
Really, your diet during pregnancy should not differ to greatly from a health well balanced diet at any other time in your life. People that follow a healthy lifestyle do not need to make many changes when becoming pregnant. It is those who smoke, drink a lot of alcohol, and eat a very unhealthy diet, that have to make a lot of changes, and feel that they are making sacrifices.
It is also worth remembering that if you are planning to conceive, then a healthy diet is also essential. Healthy people generally conceive quicker than unhealthy people – and that rule applies to male partners too!
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