Eating Habbits During Pregnancy
 Now that you are pregnant, you need to ensure that you and your baby are getting all the nutrients that you both need to be healthy through this pregnancy, and most importantly to ensure that your baby is as healthy as can be. This means that you need to make sure the amount of vitamins and mineral you take in are correct. During the course of your pregnancy you will need to increase your intake of:
Protein
Folic acid
Iron
Calories
What is important is that you understand
eating for two does not mean having two hamburgers instead of one. It means that you are eating for your health, and for the health of your developing baby. It means eating correctly and ensuring that both you and your baby are getting all the goodness you can. For more information
on eating the right amount of nutrients, see the pregnancy calendar section and the nutrition during pregnancy section.
Foods to stay away from during pregnancy
There are a number of foods which you need to steer clear of during your pregnancy. Some because they hold no nutritional value for you and your baby at all, and some because they could cause all sorts of complications. You will want to avoid:
Fast foods
Foods which contain raw eggs
Soft cheeses
Raw & undercooked meats
Any
fish which contains high mercury
For more information on why you should avoid these foods, read the article on what to avoid during pregnancy.
Also avoid any alcohol and as much caffeine as possible during your pregnancy, as both can have severe side effects for your baby.
Prenatal vitamin-mineral supplements
Because we don't live in a perfect world, and you can never ensure that you and your baby are getting every single bit of nutrition you need, if you are not already taking prenatal vitamins, then now is a good time to start.
Prenatal vitamins contain the daily amounts of vitamins and minerals that your body may require during pregnancy. Prenatal vitamins are very different from normal supplements
and multivitamins, because of it's folic acid and iron content. These two are the most important supplements during your pregnancy.
Women who suffer from complications, such as
diabetes,
gestational diabetes, or
anemia as well as those who may be strict vegetarians, should definitely speak to your doctor about your nutritional and prenatal vitamin requirements.
DO NOT diet while you're pregnant
Whatever you do, DO NOT diet at all during your pregnancy. This could potentially be the single most hazardous task you could even possibly think about doing! This is simply NOT the time to even be thinking about this. Weight gain is one of the most positive signs of a healthy pregnancy. Women who eat well and gain the appropriate amount of weight are more likely to have healthy babies, and they are also more likely to loose the weight post pregnancy.
Read our article on weight gain during pregnancy to ensure that your weight gain is steady and correct.
Treat yourself
Don't forget to treat yourself during your pregnancy as well, but this doesn't mean you need to jump into eating a whole slab of chocolate, or ordering piles of processed food. Sure, why not treat your self to a hamburger or a bit of chocolate every now and then. But why not make homemade burgers, full of fresh tomato, lettuce and cheese rather than some greasy fast food hamburger. You could also try other healthier alternatives, such as smoothies, frozen fruit and yoghurt, fruits and trail mix.
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