Making the commitment to eat a healthy diet before and during the time you try to conceive will benefit you and your anticipated pregnancy. A healthy pre-pregnancy diet will help you develop proper eating habits that you can continue into your pregnancy. Before you try to conceive, schedule a preconception checkup with your obstetrician and ask her advice on eating and nutrition.
Benefits
A healthy pre-pregnancy diet can help you attain an appropriate body weight before you get pregnant. Your doctor may advise you that carrying a baby is easier when you are in the correct weight range. A 2005 study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that women who were obese before getting pregnant experienced a higher percentage of fetal death than nonobese patients. Even if you do not need to lose weight, eating healthy food low in fat and sodium may help you decrease your blood pressure and cholesterol, both of which will help you stay healthy during pregnancy. Learning good eating habits will make it easier to eat healthy for the duration of your eventual pregnancy.
Healthy Calorie Intake
If you are between the ages of 19 and 30 and currently at a healthy weight, eat at a calorie level that will help you maintain your current weight. Eat about 2,000 calories if you are basically sedentary, up to 2,200 if you exercise in an amount equivalent to taking a 1½- to three-mile walk each day, and up to 2,400 calories if you are very active. If you are over 30 years old, reduce the calorie amounts for younger women by about 200 in each activity level. To lose weight while following a pre-pregnancy diet, cut your calorie intake by about 3,500 for the week, but eat at least 1,200 calories each day.
Types of Food
Eat according to the food pyramid to ensure adequate preconception nutrition. Each day, eat about 2 cups of fruits and at least 2½ cups of vegetables. Avoid always eating just a salad or potatoes, and instead vary the color and type of vegetable you eat. Eat about 6 oz. of grains, focusing on making most of them whole grains such as oatmeal, bran or whole-wheat breads. Focus on eating about 5.5 oz. of low-calorie and low-fat meats and beans, avoiding fatty hamburgers or breaded and fried chicken. Drink 3 cups of skim milk, or eat the equivalent amount of dairy products in yogurts or reduced-calorie cheeses each day. At about 2,000 calories, you can have up to 6 tsp. of oils, such as olive oil, low-fat dressing or reduced-calorie margarine.
Considerations
Ask your doctor if he recommends that you begin taking a prenatal vitamin each day before you conceive to ensure you have adequate amounts of iron and folic acid. Because you do not know when you may conceive, avoid foods that may pose a health risk to a developing baby. The American Pregnancy Association recommends avoiding luncheon meat, pâté, smoked seafood and fish potentially high in mercury such as swordfish, tilefish and shark. Do not eat fresh, soft cheeses such as mozzarella or brie, unless you can confirm the cheeses are pasteurized. Avoid raw eggs and uncooked oysters or other raw shellfish. Do not drink alcohol if there is a chance you could be pregnant, and consider limiting your caffeine consumption.
References
- Obstetrics & Gynecology: Prepregnancy Obesity and Fetal Death -- A Study Within the Danish National Birth Cohort; Aagaard Ellen Nohr, et al.; August 2005
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 -- Chapter 2 Adequate Nutrients Within Calorie Needs
- National Institutes of Health: Tips for Losing Weight
- American Pregnancy Association: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy
- Yale Medical Group: Nutrition Before Pregnancy
