Achieving a healthy diet is one of the most important tasks during pregnancy. Your body is creating an entire new body for your baby that needs essential vitamins to get started. If you are not fortified with these vitamins, either you or your baby will go without, causing weakness or complications.
As you plan your diet, don’t forget to drink plenty of water to keep your cells hydrated and your entire body running smoothly. Water and milk should be your first choice when considering a beverage. When you are pregnant you will need to eat more calories than usual, but make sure they are rich with the substances you need to stay strong.
It is essential that you have a variety of foods. Unless you have specific limitations on what you can eat, you should eat an assortment of fruits, vegetables, grains, meats and beans, dairy, and healthy oils in order to get all the proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, and minerals required in pregnancy. You should fill your menus with foods that meet these diverse requirements and that meet your own personal tastes.
Cravings frequently occur for some women during pregnancy. One type of craving, called pica, causes urges to eat non-nutritive substances such as dirt, ice, wax, grass, chalk, paper, etc… You should not eat your pica cravings. They sometimes indicate a type of vitamin or mineral your body is missing in your diet such as an iron deficiency. Junk food, sugars, and fats may also cause cravings, which are the cravings you use your good judgment in determining whether to follow or not. On occasion moderate intake of these foods is okay. However, you are consuming empty calories that do not aid you or your baby. Be careful to give in rarely. On the other hand, you can always give in to cravings that contribute to a healthy, balanced diet, because these types of cravings often point to something your body needs.
There are some vitamins and minerals that are especially needed during pregnancy. These include calcium, folic acid, and iron.
You need calcium not only to strengthen your bones, but also to develop and strengthen the bones of your baby. Calcium is stored within your bones, and if you are not taking enough to support you and your child, your body will remove it from your bones to compensate. This is not something that you will notice right away, but will leave you more susceptible to osteoporosis down the road. You can get calcium from dairy products (approximately 4 cups of milk a day cover your calcium requirements) and also oranges, broccoli, and almonds.
Because folic acid is most needed in the first month of pregnancy, it should be taken regularly before conception when possible. Folic acid prevents some birth defects such as spina bifida. You can find folic acid in dark green vegetables such as spinach; however, it is difficult to get all your folic acid requirements from diet alone. Most physicians recommend taking a supplement.
Anemia, or lack of iron, is always an increased risk during pregnancy. Your body needs extra iron to create the placenta and extra blood needed for gestation. If your body does not have enough iron, your red blood count decreases causing weakness and fatigue. Foods high in iron include beef, pork, seafood, beans, and green vegetables.
Don’t feel overwhelmed. Prenatal vitamins are a good way to insure you are getting the nutrients you need. With multivitamins and good planning, you are on your way to a healthy pregnancy.
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