The first trimester of pregnancy can present nutritional challenges for expecting mothers. Morning sickness, heartburn and constipation are just a few of the common pregnancy symptoms that might affect your desire to eat. Keep in mind that although most of your weight gain occurs later in pregnancy, you do need to gain approximately one to 4.5 pounds in the first trimester, so eat plenty of nutrient-rich foods to get a healthy start to your pregnancy .
Folic Acid
Neural tube birth defects, which cause underdevelopment of the brain or spinal cord, can be fatal to infants. According to BabyCenter.com, approximately 3,000 American pregnancies are affected by neural tube deficiencies each year. Your doctor will probably recommend that you take a prenatal vitamin that contains folic acid, a vitamin that decreases the chances of neural tube defects by 50 to 75 percent. Although all women of childbearing age should take folic acid supplements, they are particularly important in the first trimester of pregnancy, since most neural tube defects occur early in pregnancy, often before women even realize they are pregnant. For optimal health benefit for you and your baby, get at least 400mcg of folic acid each day.
Morning Sickness
Morning sickness usually occurs between the 6th and 12th week of pregnancy, although it can last longer. Morning sickness doesn't just strike in the morning, but you are more susceptible to it after a long night's rest without any food in your belly. Common symptoms include nausea and vomiting. To reduce the severity of morning sickness, eat small meals frequently throughout the day, and eat soda crackers or a piece of bread 15 minutes before you get out of bed in the morning. Avoid lying down after eating, skipping meals, or eating spicy food, which sometimes aggravates morning sickness symptoms. If you cannot keep food down due to vomiting, you should consult your doctor. Hyperemesis gravidarum, a condition characterized by frequent vomiting, can cause growth problems for your baby and lack of nutrition and electrolytes for expecting mothers.
Calorie Intake
You need to slightly increase your calorie intake during the first trimester of your pregnancy. According to What To Expect, you need 300 extra calories in the first trimester to support the beginning stages of your baby's development, which equals about two glasses of skim milk and a bowl of oatmeal. In the later trimesters, your calorie requirements will increase as you and your baby grow even more rapidly, with a recommended daily intake of 350 extra calories during the second trimester and 500 in the third.
Food Groups
Although adequate calorie intake is crucial during your pregnancy, calorie quality is just as important. Expecting mothers need to eat a balanced diet that contains adequate amounts of the food groups. During the first trimester, get three to four servings of fruit, three to five servings of vegetables, three servings of dairy, two to three servings of protein foods and three servings of whole grains each day, as noted by Parents.com. Avoid empty calories that contain little or no nutritional content, like fast food, candy and foods that are high in saturated fat or added sugars.
