There is nothing more important for a well developed child than healthy eating during pregnancy. Exercising during pregnancy can play a major role in having an easier pregnancy, but when it comes to how well your baby’s health is, nutrition is the best way to help.
Try and eat a well balanced diet throughout your pregnancy. You should be eating at least 300 extra calories a day for the baby. In the earlier stages, vomiting and nausea may make this difficult but focus on getting enough food. Here are some more recommendations for healthy eating during pregnancy:
- Eat foods with lots of fiber in them. These foods can be whole-grain breads, pasta, rice, fruits, cereals, and vegetables.
- Getting all your vitamins and minerals is very important during pregnancy. Take a supplemental vitamin designed for prenatal nutrition to help this. Your doctor will be able to give you a good over the counter option.
- Calcium is a must during this time. The developing baby requires a lot of calcium. If you don’t eat enough of it, your body will use the calcium in your bones. This can lead to osteoporosis. To get enough calcium, eat or drink at least 4 servings of dairy products per day. This should put you in the recommended 1000-1300 mg of calcium range.
- Eat at least 3 servings of iron rich foods per day. Iron is also very important and you should be taking in over 27 mg per day.
- Choose foods with high contents of folic acid in them. This is very important for the baby’s brain and spine development. You can find folic acid in dark green leafy vegetables and legumes. To prevent spina bifida in the developing baby, you have to consume 0.4 mg of folic acid every day.
- Eat at least one food high in Vitamin C and Vitamin A. These vitamins can be found in many fruits and vegetables. Keep in mind taking in excessive amounts of Vitamin A can lead to fetal malformation. This only is a problem when eating huge amounts of Vitamin A.