Even if it is not the first pregnancy many women wonder what to eat during pregnancy. The concern for the well-being of the child mixed with the concern of excessive weight gain brings many questions to a woman’s mind.
What a mother eats affects the health and mental aptitude of the child she carries. One of the most important things to remember is that it is never good to overeat.
It is very important to eat in such a manner as to receive the appropriate vitamins and nutrients needed for your baby to be healthy and to develop properly while not depleting the needs of your own body.
Our goal should be to know what to eat during pregnancy and how much to eat so both you and the baby will be healthy. Eating a variety of foods and abstaining from other foods can help you reach this goal.
Tips On What To Eat During Pregnancy
Your doctor can provide information from weight charts that will suggest how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy. These charts are based on your weight at the beginning of the pregnancy.
Knowing what to eat during pregnancy will help you maintain this optimum weight. This is not the time to diet.
Keep in mind that your baby’s birth weight is in direct correlation to your weight.
If you do not gain sufficient weight the development of the baby may be slowed. On the other hand, gaining too much weight can also have consequences such as gestational diabetes.
Exercising and knowing what to eat during pregnancy will provide the essential vitamins and nutrients while keeping your body in good physical shape.
If weight is a concern and you want to know not only what to eat during pregnancy but how much to eat try adding just two nutritious snacks to your normal daily three-meal schedule.
This will aid in helping you receive the extra calories you need each day for your baby to grow strong and healthy.
When considering what to eat during pregnancy remember that your body still needs all of the nutrients that it did before you became pregnant.
Now your body will need theses nutrients in larger quantities for you and the developing baby within you.
A tiny heart and brain, lungs, kidneys, blood vessels, and hundreds of more tiny body parts are developing.
Each part requires calcium, protein, and other necessary vitamins and nutrients to develop perfectly.
Knowing what to eat during pregnancy will play a vital part in this development.
For example, more calcium and more protein are now needed for your health as well for the health of the developing child.
Your developing baby needs a lot of calcium. For this reason, you need to increase your intake of calcium to keep from losing calcium from your bones.
You will need extra protein to aid in the development of cells and blood in your child. Foods rich in protein include lean meats, poultry, beans, and peanut butter.
To aid in the production of energy for you and the baby include bread, cereals, pasta and fruits, and vegetables to your daily diet.
For the proper development of bones and teeth, muscles, and nerves drink milk and eat cheese, yogurt, and spinach.
To aid in the production of red blood cells and to be sure you have sufficient iron eat lean red meat, whole-grain bread, and cereals. This will help in the prevention of anemia.
When it comes to Vitamin A doctors do not agree on how much you and your child need.
Some say to avoid foods containing Vitamin A altogether, while others say it is wise to eat such foods every two days.
Too much Vitamin A can cause birth defects. Consult your doctor about Vitamin A when asking what to eat during pregnancy.
If he says it okay eat carrots or dark leafy vegetables. It helps in the production of the skin and good eyesight.
Broccoli and tomatoes are rich in Vitamin C that helps to produce healthy gums and teeth.
When considering what to eat during pregnancy be sure to add dairy products and bread to the list to ensure you are receiving enough Vitamin D.
Fish and poultry will help to provide Vitamin B12 to your diet while Vitamin B6 may be added by eating bananas. These two B Vitamins are very important in the formation of red blood cells.
Folic acid is very important when considering what to eat during pregnancy. It is found in fruits and vegetables including those that are green and leafy, dark yellow, and in beans and peas.
Folic acid helps prevent spina bifida from occurring during the early stages of the baby’s development. Eat plenty of these types of fruits and vegetables during the first weeks of pregnancy.
Knowing what to eat during pregnancy can prevent many diseases and deformities in your unborn child.
You should also have a list of foods in mind to avoid when asking what to eat during pregnancy. It is always advisable to not drink any alcohol when pregnant.
Some vitamins should also be on the list to avoid. Ask your doctor if you are taking vitamins and if it was safe to continue their use. It is also suggested to avoid caffeine when wanting to know what to eat during pregnancy.
Some studies have linked high caffeine intake with miscarriages. Instead, drink plenty of water during the pregnancy to aid in digestion and to help prevent constipation.
What To Eat During Pregnancy – The Conclusion
It is also important to not consume such foods as cheeses, milk, and juices that are not pasteurized. Raw eggs and processed meats should be placed on the list to avoid when discovering what to eat during pregnancy.
Avoid certain types of fish that include king mackerel or tuna that may contain high quantities of mercury. which can cause damage to the nervous system of your unborn child.
The importance of knowing what to eat during pregnancy should be number one on your list of priorities.
