Starting off your with a healthy
well balanced diet is the best thing you do for yourself and your baby. This
way, you'll only need to make a few adjustments during your pregnancy.
Your first trimester
If you find it tough to maintain a
balanced diet during your first trimester, you can rest assured that your not alone.
Due to queasiness, some women will eat all of the time and gain a lot of weight
in the process. Other women have trouble getting food down and subsequently
lose weight.
Preventing malnutrition and
dehydration are your most important factors during first trimester.
Calories
When you are pregnant, you need to
consume around 300 calories more than usual every day. The best way to go about
doing this is listening to your body when you are hungry. You should try to eat
as many foods as possible from the bottom of the food pyramid.
If you gain weight too slow, try
eating small meals and slightly increase the fat in your diet. You should
always eat when you are hungry, as you are now eating for 2 instead of one.
Calcium
By the second trimester, you'll
need around 1,500 milligrams of calcium each day for your bones and your baby',
which is more than a quart of milk. Calcium is something that's missing from
many diets. Along with milk, other great sources for calcium include dairy
products, calcium fortified juices, and even calcium tablets.
Fiber
Fiber can help to prevent
constipation, which is a common pregnancy problem. You can find fiber in whole
grains, fruits, and even vegetables. Fiber supplements such as Metamucil and
Citrucel are safe to take during pregnancy.
Protein
Unless you happen to be a strict
vegetarian, your protein intake is not normally a problem for women who eat a
healthy diet.
Iron
A lot of women will start their
pregnancy off with a bit of iron deficiency. Good sources of iron include dark
leafy green vegetables and meats. Iron supplements should be avoided, as they
can cause internal symptoms such as cramping, constipation, or diarrhea.
Vitamins
Seeing as how you get a majority of
the vitamins you need in your diet, you may want to discuss prenatal vitamins
with your doctor. Folate is one of the most important, and if you are getting
enough of it, you may be able to avoid vitamins all together - just ask your
doctor to make sure.