A Healthy Pregnancy Diet
With so much conflicting advice, it can be hard to know what a healthy pregnancy diet is; common sense and education are the key elements to eating well during pregnancy.
From the first moment your early pregnancy test comes back positive there are all kinds of thoughts and ideas you have to process. Not among the least of these is the pregnancy diet. It used to be that everyone just assumed a mom to be should eat whatever she felt like in whatever quantities she choose. Fortunately, modern science has given us a better idea of what it means to be healthy and eat for two. Once you are through buying ovulation indicators and pregnancy tests, it’s time to get down to the serious business of feeding yourself and your new little one as well as possible. Hopefully some of these guidelines help to get you started on your way.
In all honesty, eating well when you are pregnant isn’t all that different than eating well when you aren’t. You still need to eat from the 5 basic food groups everyday and watch out for portion size. It’s not healthy for the mother or the baby to gain too much weight. A pregnant woman only needs about 300 extra calories a day to maintain her weight and provide enough nutrients to her growing child. It might sound like a lot, but it really isn’t.
To make things simple, let’s go over the food items that aren’t going to benefit the pregnancy or the mother. The biggest no-no on the list has to be alcohol. Most doctors recommend that a pregnant woman avoid alcohol completely during her pregnancy. It doesn’t add anything beneficial and may actually cause harm. Just leave it out to be on the safe side. While not as dangerous as alcohol, caffeine is another substance you should work to limit. Most medical experts suggest getting no more than 200 milligrams of caffeine each day. Try switching to decaf tea and coffee or at the very least go for the stuff that is half decaf and half regular. Eggs that aren’t fully cooked are to be avoided, as is raw fish. If you are sushi lover, you might have to wait a few months before you enjoy that treat. It is also suggested that pregnant women watch the amounts of fish that may contain mercury. Tuna, some salmon, and king mackerel often fall into this category. Just make sure you don’t eat any more than 12 ounces of these fishes in one week.
Now that we have gone over all of the foods that should be avoided, for a welcome change, let’s talk about what you can eat. Just about every food not listed above is considered open game for pregnant women. It is suggested to be sure to eat 2 ½ cups of vegetables and almost that many fruits each day. It really doesn’t matter which ones they are as long as you are sure you are getting the required amounts. Constipation can be a problem for pregnant women. Do your part to avoid it and include grains and fiber in your daily diet as well. 6 ounces is thought to be best. Of course, you need calcium for growing bones and to support your own, so have about 3 cups of dairy each day as well. Complete your pregnancy diet with 5 or 6 ounces of lean proteins as well.
Every pregnancy diet has some wiggle room. You can indulge in a piece of cake at a party or have a cup of coffee once in a while. The key element to ensuring you are giving yourself and your child all the two of you need is consistency. As long as you are eating well most of the time, your nutrition should be just fine.