During your pregnancy, you are your developing fetus's sole source of nutrition. As such, it's very important that you eat a diet containing all the macro- and micronutrients necessary to build tissues and organs, and sustain cells. Fat is an important nutrient that your developing baby needs, meaning that a no-fat diet isn't appropriate during pregnancy.
Fat and Energy
Fat serves a number of important roles in the diet. First, it's a rich source of energy. Because your developing baby is building new tissues and cells, it's using quite a bit of energy relative to its size. Before a baby is born, it also needs to build up a store of body fat that will help protect it, keep it warm and serve as a source of emergency energy for after birth.
Fat and Vitamins
In addition to being important in its own right, fat also helps you absorb fat-soluble vitamins--including vitamins A, D, E and K--from your food. You and your baby both need these vitamins to maintain normal cell function, explains Dr. Lauralee Sherwood in her book "Human Physiology." For instance, you need vitamin A for eye function, while vitamin E is an important antioxidant that protects cells from damage.
Essential Fats
You and your developing baby can both make fat from other nutrients--proteins and carbohydrates, specifically--but there are some important fats that you can't make. For instance, you can't make the essential omega-3 fatty acid DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid. This fatty acid has important roles in brain development and function, explain Drs. Michael Roizen and Mehmet Oz in their book "You: Having A Baby." The only way to get DHA in your diet is to consume sources of fat that include DHA.
General Guidelines
Because fat has so many nutritional benefits and important roles in diet, you shouldn't attempt to eat a no-fat diet during pregnancy--you'd be depriving your baby of valuable nutrient molecules. If you're concerned about your weight or rate of weight gain, talk to your obstetrician. Your doctor can help recommend a sensible, balanced diet that incorporates an appropriate amount of fat and will help satisfy all your--and your baby's--nutritional needs.
References
- "Human Physiology"; Lauralee Sherwood, Ph.D.; 2004
- "You: Having A Baby"; Michael Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet Oz, M.D.; 2009
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