Food, Weight Gain, and Nutrition in Pregnancy
Nutrition in pregnancy shouldn’t be complicated. During pregnancy, it is important to understand some basic guidelines about which foods to embrace and which to avoid, so both you and your baby stay healthy throughout their development. Our team has compiled a list of guidelines that we consider essential for establishing a dietary plan for expectant mothers, enabling them to make informed nutritional decisions with confidence.
Food, Weight Gain, and Nutrition in Pregnancy
Healthy nutrition in pregnancy is essential. Everything you eat helps to nourish your body and helps your growing child. If you started out at a normal pre-pregnant weight, we would like to see you gain between 25 and 35 pounds. Most women gain about one pound per week, on average, during the second half of pregnancy. If you started out your pregnancy overweight, we would like to see you gain about 15 pounds, and if you started out underweight, we would like to see you gain about 40 pounds, to ensure your baby gets enough calories and nutrition to thrive. Please discuss your pre-pregnancy weight and recommended weight gain with the midwife or nurse practitioner if you have questions.
| BMI Pre-pregnancy |
Recommended Weight Gain in Pregnancy |
|---|---|
| BMI < 18.5 (underweight) | 28-40 lbs |
| BMI 18.5 – 24.9 (normal weight) | 25-35 lbs |
| BMI 25 – 29.9 (overweight) | 15-25 lbs |
| BMI >30 (obese) | 11-20 lbs |
Try to eat mostly fresh, unprocessed foods, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, nuts, legumes, low-fat dairy (good source of calcium), and unprocessed lean meats. Drink mostly water, coconut water, skim or low-fat milk. Electrolyte drinks such as Pedialyte, Zero Sugar Gatorade, and Liquid IV packets can help with dehydration. Limit or avoid over-packaged, high-fat, fried, “junk-food”, or fast food, and try to limit your soda intake. Drinks with electrolytes, however, are important for hydration. Protein is especially important for healthy nutrition in pregnancy. You should consume approximately 100 grams of protein per day in pregnancy.
You also should only drink small amounts of caffeinated drinks (one or two per day), as high caffeine consumption is not good for pregnant women. Most women feel better if they drink adequate water. Drinking plenty of water helps prevent constipation, urinary tract infections, and swelling in your legs and feet. Your urine should be pale yellow (sometimes bright yellow after taking your prenatal vitamin). If your urine appears very dark yellow or tea-colored or concentrated, you probably need to drink more water.
Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy
- Listeria is a bacteria found in unpasteurized milk, some luncheon meats, and smoked seafood. Foods to avoid in pregnancy include soft, unprocessed, or unpasteurized cheeses, such as Brie, feta, Camembert, blue-veined cheeses, and cheeses such as white cheese and panela cheese.
- Also, be cautious when eating hot dogs, luncheon meats, or deli meats, unless they are heated to steaming (at least 160 degrees F).
- Do not eat refrigerated smoked salmon unless it is in a cooked dish, such as a casserole, and avoid cold pate or meat spreads. Heating the foods listed above to steaming hot will kill any dangerous bacteria, making them safe to eat. Wash all raw foods well before eating.
- Semi-soft and hard cheeses, including mozzarella, are safe. You can safely enjoy any cheese that has been pasteurized and processed, such as soft cheeses, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.
- Fish consumption is a delicate topic when talking about nutrition in pregnancy. Levels of mercury can make seafood a risky option for your baby’s development. We recommend you eat no more than two servings of fish per week. Fish and shellfish do contain omega-3 fatty acids and other important nutrients.
- To maintain proper nutrition in pregnancy, avoid eating shark, grouper, marlin, orange roughy, king mackerel, swordfish, and tilefish, as these are known to contain high levels of mercury. Also, eat only three 6 oz. Servings a month or less of the following: bass saltwater, croaker, canned white albacore tuna, fresh Bluefin or ahi tuna, sea trout, bluefish, and American lobster (Maine lobster). You can eat a serving of chunk light canned tuna once or twice per week. You can safely enjoy other fish in moderation, once or twice per week. Avoid raw fish, found in sushi.
Nutrition in Pregnancy and Lactating Women
| Non-pregnant | Pregnant | Lactating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 2000-2200 cal | + 300 cal | +500 cal |
| Protein | 46 grams | 71 grams | 71 grams |
| Calcium | 1000 mg/d | 1000 mg/d | 1000 mg/d |
| Iron | 18 mg/d | 27 mg/d | 27 mg/d |
| Water | 2.7 liters/day | 3.0 liters/day | 3.8 liters/day |
Water
More water is often the solution to many problems and complaints in pregnancy. Pregnant women need to drink at least 10 cups (2.3 liters) of fluids daily. The best fluid to drink is water. Avoid sodas and juices. You have more blood volume in your body when you are pregnant. You need to drink enough water to keep up with this increased volume. If you do not, you will get dehydrated quickly and experience cramping, dizziness, constipation, leg cramps, headaches, low amniotic fluid, and many more symptoms.
Maintaining hydration is an essential part of your nutrition in pregnancy. Water also helps flush out waste products from cells, so it aids in liver and kidney function for you and your baby. Always carry water with you. If you have trouble drinking water, try adding lemon to flavor the water or drink water in small sips throughout the day.
Vitamins
We also recommend that you take a daily prenatal vitamin containing iron, folic acid, and DHA. You can buy an “over-the-counter” brand, or we are happy to prescribe you a prenatal vitamin. If you are too nauseated to take a regular prenatal vitamin in early pregnancy, you can take two chewable children’s vitamins. If you are taking chewable vitamins, you need to take iron in addition to the prenatal vitamin.
Iron Supplements
Usually, your prenatal vitamin with iron is all you need to add to your nutrition in pregnancy. However, some women do develop anemia, or low iron, while pregnant. If you develop this condition, we will recommend an additional iron supplement. If we recommend this, you should take it at a different time than your prenatal vitamin. You can take it about 20 minutes before dinner time, with a small glass of orange juice or another source of vitamin C (which helps your body absorb the iron).
Any chewable or “gummy” vitamin does not contain iron. Some women report dark stools, constipation, or stomach upset with iron supplements. Be sure to drink plenty of water, eat a diet high in fiber, and walk daily to help your bowels move normally. If the iron supplement is causing you problems, some women prefer Floradix brand iron (a liquid iron available at most natural food stores) –it is more expensive but easier on your stomach. Another option is blood builders, which are plant-based over-the-counter iron supplements.
Exercise and Activity
Exercise is good for you and your growing baby. If you are already involved in a regular exercise routine, you may continue as long as you feel comfortable, and we haven’t placed you on any specific activity restrictions. We recommend that you avoid contact sports and sports that could be dangerous, including scuba diving, rock climbing, horseback riding, downhill skiing, mountain biking, etc. Low-impact activities such as walking, biking, and swimming are highly recommended.
Generally, if an activity won’t cause you to hit or strike your uterus, and does NOT cause bleeding or contractions, it is most likely safe. We are happy to discuss your usual activities with you if you have concerns. We also want to remind you that it is very important to wear your seat belt every time you are in a car. Wear it low, across your pelvic bones, just below your pregnant belly. Wearing a seat belt could save you and your baby’s life!