Dieting during Pregnancy

Pregnancy is the most beautiful phase in a woman's life. It brings about emotional and physiological changes as well as poses extra demands on the body. A healthy diet is crucial to having a healthy pregnancy. Good nutrition is essential to ensuring that a mother's body can give the unborn baby the nourishment she or he requires to develop and grow.

Energy requirement varies among individuals. It is generally recommended that pregnant women increase their daily intake by 100kcal in the first trimester and 300kcal in the second and third trimester. A daily prenatal multivitamin supplement is often recommended during pregnancy.

The daily diet should include:
Fresh fruit and vegetables, especially citrus fruits and dark green vegetables, which contain folic acid.
Carbohydrates such as bread, pasta, grains, potatoes and cereals.
Lean meat or fish, especially oily fish which has high levels of essential fatty acids.
Milk and other dairy produce such as yoghurt, fromage frais and cheese - choose lower fat options where possible.
Folate, or Folic acid, is a B vitamin found in a number of foods. It is needed to support the increasing maternal blood volume and to decrease the risk of baby Neural Tube Defects (NTD). Diet alone is not likely to provide enough folate. Therefore, it is recommended that women should start taking a daily folate supplement of 400ug (0.4mg) 3 months prior to conception and should continue through the first 3 months of the pregnancy.
Foods that contain folic acid include:
Dark green vegetables
Cereals, especially whole grains - some breads and cereal products are fortified with folic acid (read the packet's nutritional label)
Oranges, grapefruit, bananas
beans and pulses
Milk and yoghurt
Yeast or malt extracts (as drinks or spreads)
Iron is essential to maintaining a sufficient level of blood supply to the growing baby and the placenta. As many women's iron stores are not enough for meeting the increased requirements during pregnancy, a daily low dose iron supplement (30mg) is often recommended during the second and third trimesters. Iron deficiency can be prevented by eating more iron-rich foods like:
Meat (thoroughly cooked)
Dark green vegetables such as broccoli, watercress, spinach and kale
Nuts (although you may need to avoid peanuts) - almonds and brazil nuts are a good source
Pulses such as chick-peas and lentils
Whole grains such as whole meal bread, brown rice and breakfast cereals
Dried fruit
Eggs

Caffeine is harmful during pregnancy
The research shows that high intakes of caffeine may lead to miscarriage. The Food Standards Agency suggests pregnant women limit their intake of coffee to no more than four cups a day. Cola drinks also contain caffeine. Switching to non-caffeine alternatives where ever possible is advisable.

Drinking, smoking and other perils
Pregnant women should avoid alcohol completely. Continuous, heavy drinking can cause permanent brain and developmental damage in the foetus. Smoking raises the carbon monoxide levels in the blood, reducing the amount of oxygen a baby gets, which affects growth and makes him vulnerable to infection. It also puts him at higher risk of stillbirth or being born early. After the birth there's an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS or cot death). Drugs, including cannabis and ecstasy, are risky during pregnancy as they reach the baby's bloodstream as well as yours. Heroin and cocaine can create serious dependency problems in babies. Infectious diseases can be risky, too.