Eating Right During Your Pregnancy
You already know it is important to eat a well-balanced
diet, but it is even more important when you are pregnant. Keep
in mind now you are eating for two. Whatever you eat, the baby
eats as well. In fact the baby actually takes your nourishments
so you must eat enough for both of you. The healthier you eat
the better it is for the pregnancy and you.
Never miss a meal while you are pregnant, especially
breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and
your baby has probably been waiting since he/she woke up in the
middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait so long
before eating you start to feel sick, this is your body telling
you to eat. Do it!
Make sure you are getting enough of the food you need
daily. It takes 4-6 servings of dairy a day for a healthy
pregnancy, this can include some cheeses, milk, yogurt. This
provides the baby with calcium which it’ll need to develop
healthy growing bones. Adding extra calcium to your diet
wouldn’t hurt you either, especially your teeth and bones.
Don’t forget about your fruit and vegetable servings. Lots
of green is always a good choice, so are sweet potatoes.
Not only will you be giving your body what it needs but you’ll
start to have more energy. Try laying off the sweets for a week
and replace them with healthier items and see how alive you
feel.
Foods to Avoid Not all foods are safe
during your pregnancy, there are a few things you should avoid
eating:
1. unpasteurized products- brie
2. Certain fish- exotic, shark, swordfish, anything
high in mercury
3. Raw eggs
4. Undercooked meats- lunch meats. If you are buying a deli
sandwich you can ask for them to eat the meat up a little.
5. Caffeine- soda, chocolate. If you find this difficult you
can wean yourself off, but the less caffeine in your system the
better it is for the baby.
If you are ever unsure of the foods you can eat you can ask
your doctor for a list of items to avoid during pregnancy.
They’ll be more than happy to share this with you.
You may also learn that your stomach won’t handle certain
foods that it would before. Some of those foods may include
foods that contain grease, fast foods, meat, and certain foods
that have a strong odor.
Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to cut out all the fun
in your life, you can still treat yourself from time to time.
Go out and get a frozen yogurt or a smoothie.
While you are making sure you get enough to eat throughout
the day, that doesn’t mean neglect your fluid intake. You’ll
need lots of water and juices from here on out. The baby will
thank you later. Who knows, you may discover that you really
enjoy eating healthier and continue it even after the
pregnancy.
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