Pregnant? (How are you holding up?) Tired? Excited? Anxious (Biting your nails?) Calm Down! You are going to fine. Pregnancy can be a very exciting time for most people. It can also make some people feel anxious about what they should (or should not) be doing for their own and their baby's health. (This is completely normal). Also, you will feed the need to eat for two (or three or four) But you don’t have to. Eating a balanced diet is sufficient for you and your baby!
Your health is essential to the good health of your baby. When you eat well and exercise regularly along with regular prenatal care, you are less likely to have complications during pregnancy. You are also more likely to successfully give birth to a healthy baby.
So now that you are living for two, it is imperative that you eat, drink, live healthy (No kidding) Here is our guide to living for TWO!
Nutrition
Eating a nutritious diet during pregnancy is linked to good foetal brain development, a healthy birth weight, and it reduces the risk of many birth defects. (You want a beautiful)
A balanced diet will also reduce the risks of anaemia, as well as other unpleasant pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue and morning sickness. Good nutrition is thought to help balance mood swings and it may improve labour and delivery as well.
A well-balanced pregnancy diet includes:
• protein
• vitamin C
• calcium
• fruits and vegetables
• whole grains
• iron-rich foods
• adequate fat
• folic acid
Weight Gain
A simple way to satisfy your nutritional needs during pregnancy is to eat a variety of foods from each of the food groups every day.
Many women are concerned about how much weight they will gain during pregnancy. If your weight was in the normal range before you got pregnant, a weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds is recommended. It’s important to discuss and monitor your weight and nutritional needs with your doctor throughout the pregnancy. Weight gain recommendations will vary for women who are underweight before conceiving, for those who are obese, and for those with a multiple pregnancy, such as twins. (Babies are fattening).
Supplements/Vitamins
• You should take folic acid tablets (supplements). Ideally, do this from at least one month before you get pregnant, and continue taking them until at least the end of the 12th week of pregnancy - even if you are healthy and have a good diet. Folic acid is a naturally occurring vitamin found in spinach, sprouts, broccoli, green beans and potatoes. Some breads and breakfast cereals are fortified with folic acid.
• Vitamin D is needed for growth and supplements are recommended for all pregnant women, breast-feeding women and breast-fed babies. The dose if you are pregnant or breast-feeding is 400 units (10 micrograms) daily.
• Iodine is known to be important for the healthy development of the brain of the fetus. A woman who is pregnant needs more iodine than usual to supply the developing fetus. If they do not have enough iodine, the baby may end up less intelligent than they otherwise would have been. Iodine mainly comes from milk, yoghurt, eggs and fish.
Foods and drinks to avoid
You should not eat the following if you are pregnant:
Anything with a lot of vitamin A. You need a small amount of vitamin A to keep healthy. However, large amounts can harm an unborn baby. So, avoid:
• Liver and liver products such as cod liver oil supplements.
• Vitamin tablets or supplements which contain vitamin A.
Limit the amount of caffeine to no more than 300 mg per day. Some authorities advise limiting to 200 mg per day.
Caffeine is a substance that occurs naturally in foods such as tea, coffee and chocolate; is added to some drinks such as cola, and some energy drinks; and is an ingredient of some cough and cold remedies, and some painkillers which you can buy at pharmacies. Having a lot of caffeine increases your risk of having a miscarriage and a baby with low birth weight.
Smoking
Women who are pregnant should avoid smoking, due to the damage it can cause the unborn baby. It can also have long-term effects on the health of your child after birth. (Don’t smoke even if you are not pregnant).
Alcohol
Women who are pregnant should not drink alcohol. The reason for this is that alcohol can cause damage to a developing baby. Alcohol gets to a baby through the placenta if a pregnant woman drinks alcohol. A baby cannot process alcohol very well. So, any alcohol in your baby stays in its body much longer than in you.
This is known to be a risk for causing serious problems. At worst, babies can develop a syndrome of severe abnormalities, called foetal alcohol syndrome. In others, alcohol can cause problems for the baby such as poor growth, premature labour and physical and mental disability.
Exercise
For most women, it is important to do some regular physical exercise during pregnancy as part of living a healthy lifestyle. There are some circumstances in which this may need to be modified, and there are some sports which are best avoided in pregnancy.
Sex
Sex is safe for most couples during pregnancy. Later in pregnancy, sex and orgasm may provoke contractions known as Braxton-Hicks contractions. These make your bump feel hard. They can be uncomfortable but are quite normal. They usually pass after a few minutes.
As the pregnancy progresses and the bump becomes bigger you may find some positions more difficult. You and your partner may need to experiment to find something that works for both of you.
Stay Hydrated
As you age, you may not notice when you’re thirsty. Make sure you’re drinking fluids on a regular basis. Aim for eight 8-ounce glasses of water daily. You can also get some water from juice, tea, soup, or even water-rich fruits and vegetables
Note - We are prepared to teach you how to incorporate healthy foods into your diet throughout pregnancy! You just have to sign up to our meal plans and let us tell you what to eat every day, every week and every month! You can also sign up to our fitness plans or join us every second Saturday of the month for our fun Aqua Aerobics! We can get you a personal fitness trainer as well that would suit your specific fitness needs!
We also offer kitchen consultations in addition to your planned diet (For Abuja Residents Only) and we will pay a visit to your kitchen and help clean up your pantry! Oh and one last thing, you can Pick up, Eat in, or have it delivered!
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