Staying Healthy and Low-Risk: Pregnancy/Prenatal Diet & Nutrition

These are some of my notes from the most recent Hypnobabies class I attended, covering pregnancy nutrition. I think it's worth sharing:

• Good health and diet during pregnancy will help the baby be strong and healthy and will help things go smoothly during birthing time.
• Low-risk mothers with healthy diets experience fewer complications and more options (like freedom of movement) during birthing time.
• During pregnancy the focus should be on what you are eating and not how much you are gaining. If you are eating healthy and getting good exercise you will gain the right amount of weight for you and your baby.
  
• The diet below is based on the Gerber Diet by Dr. Gerber.
  

Every-day diet during pregnancy:

• 4 servings of milk (calcium)
• 2 eggs
• 2 servings of protein
• 2 servings of dark green leafy vegetables
• 5 servings of whole grains (check labels for 100% whole grains, or make homemade bread)
  
• 2 servings of Vitamin C foods - Red berries, kiwi, red and green bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, and juices made from guava, grapefruit, and orange.
• 5 servings of fats and oils, including butter and oil, but no margarine.
• 1 serving of Vitamin A - Milk, eggs, darkly colored orange or green vegetables (such as carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, and kale), and orange fruits such as cantaloupe, apricots, peaches, papayas, and mangos.
• Plenty of fluids (about 6-8 glasses) - water is best. Fruit juice is good in moderation. Just be careful of sugar intake.
• Salt to taste. Salt helps maintain a healthy balance of fluid production in the body.

Important Things to Note:

• Folic Acid - Important for healthy development of the baby. Good sources are dark leafy greens, legumes such as lentils and chickpeas, and whole grain breads and cereals.
• Protein – 22 amino acids – the body's building blocks.
• A protein deficiency can lead to toximia and preeclampsia.
• 80 – 100 grams of protein per day can reverse toximia!
• Pack proteins into your snacks. Instead of eating a whole apple, eat half an apple and half a meat sandwich or fruit and some cheese to get a good balance of protein and Vitamin C and other nutrients.
• Calcium is important and best to get in foods, but can be taken in a supplement as well. Preferably at night to help avoid leg cramps while sleeping.
• Antacids are not recommended as a calcium supplement, as they can create a metabolic imbalance.
• Iron is important for healthy red blood cell production. It's found in meats, legumes and dark leafy greens like spinach. Iron can be taken in a supplement, best with Vitamin C to help absorption. Avoid taking it with Calcium, as it disrupts the iron absorption.
  
• Take Iron in the morning and Calcium at night.
• Amniotic fluid is replaced every 3 hours during pregnancy, so sufficient water intake is important in providing adequate fluid replacement.
  
• It's also interesting to note that the body retains water when it's not getting enough, because the body tries to hold onto what it's got to keep from getting dehydrated. Drinking plenty of fluids can help prevent water retention!
• If water is tasteless or boring to you, try sweetening it or adding flavor. A really healthy way to flavor your water is to add fresh lemon juice to it (from real lemons, not concentrate) and sweeten it with a healthy sugar alternative (listed below). Lemons are the only truly alkaline food, so they also help lower the acidity in your body.
  
• Good sugar alternatives: agave, stevia, xylitol, honey.

Foods to Avoid:

• Soft cheese
• Fish high in mercury (deep water fish are safer, as well as tuna in moderation)
• Raw, uncooked meat
• Undercooked eggs, poultry or fish
• Harsh cleaning products (vinegar is a good safe cleaning option)
• Aerosol sprays
• Cat litter
• Soda
• Nutrasweet, Splenda and other artificial sweeteners. Watch out for "sugar-free" and "diet" foods and drinks, because they can contain harmful artificial sweeteners.
  

For more information about general healthy eating and for tips and recipes, see Healthy Families, Warm Hearts