The nutrition a mother-to-be gets is important to the healthy growth of her unborn baby. Pregnant women need more protein, folic acid, calcium, copper, iron, zinc and vitamins B-6, C and D in their diets. According to the website Baby Zone, during pregnancy you'll need up to 50 percent more of most vitamins and minerals, plus 10 more grams of protein per day for fetal and placental growth. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the daily protein requirements for non-pregnant women ages 19 to 70 as 46 g, putting your total at 56 g per day. BabyCenter notes you will not need to eat more calories in your first trimester, but add 300 extra calories during the second trimester and 450 in the third. To ensure you get an adequate amount of nutrients for your growing baby, consult with your physician or a registered dietitian.
Step 1
Get 600 to 800 mcg per day of folic acid, which is necessary for the proper development of the brain and nervous system in your unborn baby, notes BabyZone. Take prenatal vitamins that contain folic acid and eat folic-acid rich foods that include green leafy vegetables, asparagus, whole grains, liver, dried beans and peas and peanut butter.
Step 2
Eat 27 g of iron per day, which is the CDC's recommendation for pregnant women. BabyZone reports that adequate iron intake during pregnancy will supply your baby with the blood he will need for the first three to six months of his life. You can get iron from dried fruits, spinach, liver, dark leafy green vegetables and sardines.
Step 3
Drink at least four cups of skim milk or the equivalent amount in cheese, yogurt or cottage cheese each day of your second and third trimesters. Aim to get 1,200 mg of calcium each day. This will help to calcify your baby's bones and teeth, and ensure that your body won't leach calcium from your bones to fortify your baby. BabyZone warns you are unlikely to get enough calcium from plant sources without eating calcium-fortified foods like juices, cereals and soy milk.
Step 4
Include foods from the four basic food groups: meat, dairy, vegetables and fruit and grains. Eat three 2- to 3-oz. servings of meat, eggs, beans, lentils, nut butters, seeds and nuts per day. And each day consume one to two half cups of fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C. These include oranges, green peppers, watermelon, papaya, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi, mango, broccoli, tomatoes and more.
Step 5
Avoid eating more than 12 oz. of fish – or two servings – per week during pregnancy, warns the Food and Drug Administration. BabyCenter reports that nearly all fish contains traces of methylmercury, which in high doses is believed to be harmful to the still-developing brain of fetuses and young children. Also avoid raw seafood, unpasteurized milk and cheese like Brie, Camembert, queso and panela. Other possible sources of bacteria that might harm your unborn baby are undercooked or raw meat and poultry. Additionally, BabyCenter warns that more than 200 mg or more of caffeine per day might lead to miscarriage, low birth rate and stillbirth.
Tips and Warnings
- For those who do not consume dairy products, BabyZone recommends taking a daily calcium supplement. Also include calcium-fortified foods and drinks with your daily meals. Women who don't eat meat can meet their protein requirements by substituting one cup of cooked dried beans, lentils or peas, as well as 4 tbsp. of nut butters. Also a quarter cup of nuts or seeds will substitute for a 2- to 3-oz. serving of meat.
Things You'll Need
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Prenatal vitamins
- Calcium-fortified foods, drinks
References
- BabyZone; The Perfect Pregnancy Diet; Diana Davis, RD, RN, CMT
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid)
- BabyCenter; Seven Principles of Eating Well During Pregnancy; 2009
- University of Marlyand Medical Center: Beta Carotene
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention; Protein; 2011
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Iron and Iron Deficiency; 2011
