A to Z Disease

Overview

While pregnancy is a special time in a woman's life, and every pregnancy is unique, the basic principles of healthy eating remain the same—plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean protein. And of course, now is the time to stop smoking and drinking alcohol. Even small amounts of both can cause damage to your baby, and even cause birth defects.

As the months go by, you're going to gain weight, which is important for you and your baby. But, the term "eating for two," is a little misleading. You actually only need an extra three hundred calories a day. But don't go crazy over counting calories. Instead, use these guidelines to help keep tabs on whether you're gaining too much or too little.

It's common to gain as little as three to four pounds in your first trimester. You'll probably gain the most weight— from half a pound to a pound per week—in your second trimester. Expect about the same for the third trimester, although it may start to taper off.

Essential Nutrients

When thinking about your diet during pregnancy, a prenatal vitamin is a great start. Your doctor can help you choose one that's right for you. But there are some nutrients you should focus on getting through the foods you eat.

Folic acid, or folate, helps to prevent some types of birth defects, like spina bifida. It's also a crucial nutrient for healthy DNA and will decrease the risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight.

Good dietary sources of folate are fortified breakfast cereal, lentils, leafy green vegetables, beans, peas, and orange juice.

Iron is another important nutrient to focus on during pregnancy. When you're pregnant, your body makes a lot more blood to support your baby...and your iron levels need to keep pace. Iron helps avoid anemia, which, though common during pregnancy, can be dangerous. Enough iron can also help prevent fatigue, and ease labor and delivery.

Lean red meats, poultry and fish are good sources of iron. Iron-fortified breakfast cereals, nuts and dried fruits are also other options.

Getting enough calcium is important during pregnancy. Calcium is not only for strong bones and teeth. It also helps your circulatory, muscular and nervous systems, and can help prevent those leg cramps we all feel. It's especially important during the third trimester, when your baby's bone mass is developing.

Dairy products like milk and cheese are the richest sources of calcium, but you can also get it from broccoli, fortified fruit juices, and some breakfast cereals...just go for the ones low in sugar.

If you don't eat dairy foods, you may need a calcium supplement.

Smart Food Choices

In order to help your baby develop, it's important to make smart food choices while taking a "vacation" from some foods. What you're trying to avoid are foods that can make you sick, or damage to your baby. Let's walk through some of them:

Store-bought lunchmeats can contain bacteria called listeria that are harmful to unborn babies.

Instead, try egg salad, or chicken and tuna salads made with low-fat mayo. And remember; fully cook all meats and poultry before eating. If you're not sure, use a meat thermometer.

Seafood can be a great source of protein, iron and the omega-3 fatty acids, which can help your baby's brain development.

However, some fish and shellfish contain high levels of mercury. Too much mercury can damage your baby's developing nervous system. So stay away from swordfish, shark, and tilefish.

But 12 ounces a week or about two meals of salmon and catfish is safe. Tuna's fine also, just keep it under 8 ounces a week. And, when you cook fish, make sure it's cooked all the way through.

Raw or undercooked fish and shellfish can also contain bacteria, so it's good to take a break from them while you're pregnant.

Dairy products like skim milk, hard cheeses and cottage cheese can be a healthy part of your diet. And yogurt is great because it has cultures in it that help prevent yeast infections, which can also occur during pregnancy.

Just make sure that every dairy item you eat is fully pasteurized. Soft cheeses like brie, goat and feta aren't fully pasteurized, so you should avoid those during your pregnancy.

Sweets are fine, but try to make healthy choices and stay away from processed foods as much as possible.

Figs have more fiber than most fruits and vegetables, as well as potassium, calcium and iron. A box of raisins packs a good dose of fiber and iron, and it's a great way satisfy that sweet tooth. Soy nuts are a good salty alternative and quick pick me up.

There's no firm verdict on caffeine, though it's best to stay clear of it. Even though a cup or two hasn't shown any harmful effects, it can affect the baby's heart rate and breathing.

Finally, drink lots of water. Not only can it keep your digestive system working smoothly, it also helps your blood carry the nutrients from the food you eat to your baby.

It's tough enough to keep up a healthy diet when you're not pregnant. The do's and don'ts can pretty daunting...and it's hard to say goodbye to foods we love when we are pregnant. But you're not in it alone. Start motherhood off by sharing good health with your baby, it's a huge step towards a great new bond.

Have a safe, healthy and happy pregnancy!