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Pregnancy Information
9/18/2008 - by Anne Marie Nielson
Pregnancy
Nutrition
When you become pregnant it is generally recommend that you
consume about 300 more calories per day than you did with your
pre- pregnant nutrition. That is, of course, if you were on a
healthy diet to begin with. If not so much, then now is the
time! Early pregnancy nutrition is vital to healthy fetus
development.
For your daily nutrition during pregnancy, it is recommended
you include 6-11 servings of breads and grains, two to four
servings of fruit, four or more servings of vegetables, four
servings of dairy products, and three servings of protein
sources (meat, poultry, fish, eggs or nuts).
Eat and drink at least four servings of dairy products and
calcium-rich foods a day to help ensure that you are getting
1000-1300 mg of calcium in your daily diet during pregnancy.
Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods per day to
ensure you are getting 27 mg of iron daily.
Choose at least one good source of vitamin C every day, such as
papaya, grapefruits, strawberries, oranges, honeydew, broccoli,
cauliflower, brussel sprouts, tomatoes, green peppers, and
mustard greens. Pregnant women need 70 mg of vitamin C a
day.
Find a good source of folic acid every day, like dark green
leafy vegetables, such as spinach and romaine lettuce.
Fortified breakfast cereals can be a great source, but not all
cereals are created equal. Check the label and compare. Legumes
like black beans, lima beans, chickpeas and black-eyed peas are
a good choice. Other tasty sources of folic acid are oatmeal,
orange juice and peanut butter. Although liver is high in folic
acid, it is not recommended for pregnant women. There are
concerns that liver may provide too much vitamin A and may be
harmful to your baby.
Every pregnant woman needs at least 400 micrograms (.4 mg) of
folic acid per day to help the development of your baby’s
neural tube. The neural tube becomes the brain and spinal cord.
Getting enough folic acid in your diet will help prevent
defects such as spina bifida and neural tube defect (NTD).
Since you're in this for nine months, and even after you've
overhauled your eating habits, a supplement can be the most
realistic way to fit folic acid and all of the vitamins and
minerals you need in day after day after day (especially once
you find those days filled with nausea). Make sure you take
these consistently. Something new is developing every day. Good
vitamins and minerals are essential to your new little life.
It’s also a good idea to continue with your supplements while
you are breast feeding to assure that you and your baby are
getting all the nutrients that both of you need.*
Get into the three squares habit even before you become
pregnant so that when baby's on board, he or she will be
getting a steady supply of nutrients throughout the day. A good
pregnancy diet will help during all of the pregnancy stages. It
will also help to cut down on excess weight gain. After all you
want your pregnant belly to be more baby than belly!
*Consult with your physician or dietitian to determine what is
right for you and your baby.
At From Pregnancy To Baby, we try
to provide you with all of the latest information about going
through your pregnancy from your first trimester to the first
years of your new babies life. We also provide the highest
quality books and products to help you through that time.
Source: http://www.frompregnancytobaby.com/Pregnancy-Nutrition.html
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