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Diet
Your diet is especially important because you’re eating
for two. This does not mean that you need to eat twice as much. It means
you need to eat all the right kinds of foods. The foods that you eat are
the main source of nutrition for your baby and selecting healthy food
choices now will prepare your body for childbirth and help your unborn
baby to grow.
Your diet includes proteins,
carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals. These nutrients can be found
in sufficient quantities in the Food Guide Pyramid. The
Food Guide Pyramid
was developed by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture to assist adults in choosing foods and servings that give
these required nutrients. Each food group supplies different
nutrients, so you must eat the proper amounts of foods from each group every
day to get all that you need. To help you in this process, look at the labels on the food you buy. You
will often see the letters RDA which is the Recommended Daily
Allowance of nutrients needed to meet the needs of almost every healthy
person. On foods that have labels you will see a column labeled % Daily
Value. This column aids in seeing how the food fits into your diet by
showing the amount of the RDA a serving supplies. The label can also
show the serving size, total fat in a serving, nutrients contained in
one serving and calories (amount of energy) the food supplies.
Serving Sizes:
The following represents a true serving
size in various groups of the Food Guide Pyramid.
-
Milk, yogurt
and cheese group: 1-8oz cup of
milk or yogurt, 1 1/2 oz. of processed cheese; 1 oz. hard cheese.
-
Meat,
poultry fish, dry beans, eggs and nut group: 2 to 3 oz. of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish (size of deck of
cards); 1/2 cup of cooked dry beans, peas or lentils; 1 egg; 2 tbsp. peanut butter.
-
Vegetable group: 1 cup of raw vegetables; 1/2 cup of
cooked vegetables; 3/4 cup of vegetable juice.
-
Fruit Group: 1 medium fruit such as
apple, banana, or orange; 1/2 cup of cooked or canned fruit; 1/2cup of
fruit juice.
-
Bread, cereal, rice and pasta group:
1 slice of whole grain or enriched bread; 1 oz. ready-to-eat cereal; 1/2
cup of cooked cereal, rice or pasta.
Proper Dietary Balance and Calorie Intake While
Pregnant:
Sensible weight control during
pregnancy is a balance between diet, exercise, and rest. Weight gain
from fluid retention during the latter stages of pregnancy can assume an
added role.
Discuss with your healthcare provider the best weight
gain for you. An acceptable weight gain during pregnancy can range from
25-35 pounds. Women who are overweight can gain less but it is
definitely not the time for a woman who is overweight to try to lose
weight.
In order to gain weight in a healthy
manner, eat a variety of foods each day for breakfast, lunch, dinner and
snacks. You might want to eat five or six smaller meals instead of three
normal meals. Be sure that your meals include the number of servings of
the basic foods you need each day. You should be able to increase the
Food Group servings overall in order to sensibly gain weight. (A
pregnant woman needs about 300 more calories a day to stay healthy and
nourish her baby.) Instead of 2-4 servings of fruits increase it to
4 or more, etc. As well as eating properly make sure that you are
getting enough water. Try to drink about six to eight glasses of
liquids each day. As well as water; milk, fruit juices and vegetable
juices are ideal!
Drinking lots of water will not cause
fluid retention. Certain foods contain larger amounts of sodium than
others. Look at the labels and try to maintain a low-sodium diet. Bed rest (lying on your side) allows the kidneys to excrete sodium
and water released by the hormones of pregnancy. This may prove as
effective as diet manipulation for the control of fluid retention late
in pregnancy. Your healthcare provider can help you make a food plan. An
overview of the basic nutrients are as follows:
Carbohydrates:
This group has the largest number of recommended
servings& and should provide more than half of the total calories in your diet. These consist
of sugars and starches and are the main source of energy You can
obtain these nutrients from grains and cereals and starchy vegetables.
Starches such as potatoes and corn provide both energy and fiber. Fiber
is also available in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. You should eat
about 20-30 grams (1 ounce) of fiber each day.
Proteins:
During your pregnancy you need more
protein. Nutrients from proteins maintain muscle and fight diseases.
Proteins come mainly from meat, fish, poultry, nuts, beans and diary
products. You should eat about 60-90 grams
(2-3 ounces) a day.
Fats:
Fats help your body use carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins, but are
high in calories. Fats should provide no more than 30% of your daily
calories. Fats are either saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fat is
present in meats and milk so try to choose lean meat and low-fat or skim
milk. Cook using low-fat techniques such as baking or broiling.
Vitamins
and Minerals:
During pregnancy you need
more iron, folic acid, calcium and phosphorous. These, and other
nutrients help to produce more blood and build your baby’s bones.
Usually you can obtain these nutrients in your diet from meats, beans,
peas, green leafy vegetables, dairy products and whole grain breads and
cereals. Your healthcare provider may prescribe additional supplements.
Folic Acid
Folic acid is necessary for the healthy
growth of your baby during pregnancy. An insufficient amount in your
diet could increase the risk of certain birth defects. Women should take
folic acid before they become pregnant because it is
needed in the first few weeks of pregnancy. That is normally before a
woman even knows that she is pregnant. Folic acid can be obtained from
dark, leafy vegetables like spinach and citrus fruits like oranges. Some
enriched breads and cereals also are a good source. Although these foods
are helpful, it is difficult to get sufficient quantities
from your diet alone, so your healthcare provider may recommend a
supplement. Women who might get pregnant as well as pregnant women need
about 0.4 milligrams of folic acid daily.
Breastfeeding Women
Women who are breastfeeding will need more
food, vitamins and minerals than while they were pregnant. It is
important for them to maintain enough protein, calcium and fluids while
breastfeeding. The baby will drink approximately a pint of milk a day
and later a quart a day. Eat a range of nutritious foods and drink
whenever you are thirsty.
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