Pregnancy is an important time for both mother and baby, and a proper diet becomes more important than ever during that time. Clearly, a healthy diet during pregnancy goes a long way in paving the way for a healthy delivery. What you eat during pregnancy can have lasting effects on the health of your newborn. A proper antenatal diet should provide both mother and baby with good nutrition for the best of health, both during pregnancy and in the months and even years after birth. Consult your doctor for specific antenatal diet recommendations, and before beginning any new diet.
Considerations
The antenatal diet, also called the prenatal diet, is vitally important for the health and welfare of baby in utero. Since the baby is fully dependent on the mother for sustenance, a proper diet should promote optimum health and nutrition in the mother, to prepare her for delivery and for nursing after the baby is born. It should also provide the baby with the nutrients it needs, both in utero and when nursing.
Beneficial Foods
On its website, the March of Dimes organization stresses how important it is for a pregnant woman to consume a balanced daily diet of foods from the five food groups: dairy, meat/protein, fruits and vegetables, carbohydrates and grains. The prenatal diet should include 6 ounces of grains, 2 1/2 cups of vegetables, 2 cups of fruit, 3 cups of dairy products and 5 1/2 ounces of protein per day. Drinking ample water and juice will prevent dehydration, constipation and nausea, the March of Dimes adds.
Foods to Avoid
Women following the antenatal diet must avoid certain foods, the March of Dimes explains, listing raw fish, scrambled eggs, unpasteurized milk and juices, liver products and herbal teas among them. The United Kingdom's National Health Service adds that limiting consumption of shrimp, salmon, pollock, tuna and catfish will minimize the amount of mercury you get from seafood. The NHS also suggests limiting vitamin A --- commonly found in supplements and in liver products --- because it can harm the baby in utero.
Supplements
The NHS recommends that pregnant women get 400 micrograms of folic acid per day --- available in green, leafy vegetables, bread and cereals, or in supplement form --- for the first 12 weeks to prevent neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Consult your doctor before taking any supplements.
Meals
To assist the mother with heartburn relief, the March of Dimes recommends breaking up your daily food intake into four to six small meals per day rather than eating three large ones. It adds that pregnant women should eat about 300 more calories per day than usual, though that figure is based on pre-pregnancy weight. Consult your doctor for a calorie figure specific to your weight and other conditions.
