Eating nutritious food during pregnancy is important. It is not just about stomach full eating but also eating right. We eat a normal three-time meal every day but at the time of pregnancy, we should make some changes in our regular diet in order to supply sufficient nutrition to our baby. Doctors always recommend special diets for mothers-to-be to make sure of the baby gets good health and development. A great diet goes into making a healthy baby.
What To Eat In Pregnancy
- Add at least five fruits in your diet during pregnancy. Fruits provide rich nutrition to the body and the baby and also are rich in fiber that keeps constipation away. Important fruits to include are bananas, pomegranate, apples, oranges, watermelon, and kiwis.
- At least two glasses of milk in a day. Milk is rich in calcium which helps to develop bones and teeth of the baby inside. Make sure you drink milk and take other dairy products in the daily diet like milk, yogurt, and cheese
- Eat chicken, meat, and fish at least twice a week. It is to make sure there is a rich supply of nutrition to the baby. They support greatly in making the baby strong and healthy.
- There should be enough supply of iron (at least 27milligrams) at the time of pregnancy to make sure the baby doesn’t turn out to be anemic. Hence the mother should eat iron-rich food like beetroot, pomegranate, meat, and fish. Also to increase the absorption of iron intake of Vitamin C is a must which includes lime water, orange juice or Amla juice.
- Eight glasses of water should be taken at this time.
The eating habit during pregnancy plays an important role in building the health of your baby. when, where and how much to eat is flexible at this time. At the time of the first trimester, a pregnant woman may go for a king-size noon or evening meal and a lighter morning breakfast due to morning sickness. Whereas in the third trimester the breakfast will be a heavy one as compare to post evening meal due to the heartburn problem. So the criteria of your eating may differ but taking a rich diet is imperative. It is nutritious food during pregnancy.
What Not To Eat
- Caffeine– Having a 12 ounce cup of coffee or tea during pregnancy is what the doctors consider safe. Having an excess amount of caffeine can lead to miscarriage or premature birth of the baby. It is not good for the baby so try and keep the quantity of caffeine limited at this time.
- Alcohol– Alcohol is poison to your baby. There is a strict no-no to alcohol at the time of pregnancy. Alcohol in mother’s blood can directly transfer into the baby that can lead to a learning disability, physical disability or behavioral problems in children.
- Unpasteurized food– Intake of unpasteurized food or milk can result in the sickness of the pregnant lady. Or in worst situations, it can lead to miscarriages or stillbirths. There is no high heating of the food in unpasteurized food due to which the bacteria do not get killed. So say no to unpasteurized milk, blue vein cheese, hot dog, ham-salad, chicken salad, and any kind of unpasteurized refrigerated meat.
Food Craving
During pregnancy, a mother may develop a certain urge to eat a specific food item or she starts to dislike something. This is actually the way by which our body tells that it needs certain nutrition. One must follow the craving and eat healthily.
Diet Misconceptions
Preggers usually live in the bubble that not eating at all is the solution to morning sickness or vomiting. If you eat right and do some physical activities to digest it, you will not get sick. It is important to eat right. Sometimes women are told that they should eat for two as they have a baby inside. It is also not true, you need to make some healthy changes to your diet but you need not have to overeat. There should be a health promotion to your diet but that does not mean that you have to double it.
Diet MisconceptionsA healthy diet decreases the chances of any delivery complication like anemia, gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia. A nutritious food during pregnancy minimizes morning sickness, fatigue, constipation, and balances mood swings. It also accommodates postpartum recovery. Remember, a healthy body means a healthy child.
Also Read: Benefits Of Eating Dates During Pregnancy
