Healthy Eating During Pregnancy

Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN

Faith's passion in nursing is to help people find the options they need to discover their personal path to optimum health. Ask her friends and they will tell you that their appreciation of nutritious food has grown through Faith. About Faith Bontrager, RN, BSN

Thinking About Getting Pregnant?
One important step you can take to help ensure a healthy pregnancy is to consider your weight before even getting pregnant. Obesity has major effects on placental, embryonic, and fetal growth. Obese mothers are more likely to have large for gestational age (LGA) babies than lean moms, no matter how much weight they gain during pregnancy.

Congratulations on Your Pregnancy! (for those who are newly pregnant)
My first recommendation would be to find a doctor or midwife with whom you can comfortably talk and who makes nutrition a priority. Don't be afraid to call several offices and ask, "Dr Smith, how does your belief about nutrition affect your practice?"

What is a healthy pregnancy weight gain?
I remember talking to an elderly family member who related to me the pregnancy diet advice she received from her mother-in-law. "You are eating for two now!" Wanting to be a good mother (don't we all?) she diligently doubled her food intake - and then had a terrible time attempting to lose her "baby weight."

Can I continue to eat a vegetarian diet during pregnancy?
Yes, you can. Here are some guidelines.

A Pregnancy Menu For You and Your Baby
How do you choose a menu that will benefit you and your baby? Googling the phrase "healthy pregnancy diet" returns more than two million responses. Even reputable groups like the USDA and Harvard School of Public Health disagree. Where do you start?

Treating Nausea and Vomiting
According to researchers, over 70% of women suffer from nausea during early pregnancy. Despite the name "morning sickness," pregnancy nausea happens throughout the day for many women. It is most common in the first trimester but 13% of women had nausea past their 20^th week of pregnancy.

What About Seafood?
Seafood is a great, healthy choice for expecting mothers. It's both high in protein and naturally low in saturated fat as well as being high in omega-3 fatty acids. Adequate levels of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA has been linked to increased intelligence in children. One study indicated that fish consumption during pregnancy decreased the child's chance of developing asthma.

Don't Eat That!
Many of these articles are about things that you should eat. The focus of this article is about things that you should either limit or eliminate entirely from your diet.

Pregnancy and Cholesterol
A Reader Asks: I'm writing because my primary care doctor wants to put me on a cholesterol-lowering drug as soon as I deliver. I don't want to do that, though, and am wondering if you might have any insight into this topic?

Wash Those Veggies!
Pregnancy is a time when many women (and their partners) think about pesticides on fruits and vegetables. Are they dangerous to our unborn child? Does washing the produce do any good? Should I use some type of special wash? Should I buy organic? Is it worth it?

Breastmilk, the Healthiest Diet for Babies
As a site dedicated to the best in food and nutrition, we HAD to address the issue of breastfeeding. While we respect a woman's right to choose formula, just as we respect her right to eat spaghetti from a can, we can't honestly recommend either as first choice nutrition. (See also: Healthy Communities Breastfeed Babies)

What DOES that Broccoli Do for My Baby?
All of us have days when we would rather have a tall cappuccino than a spinach salad. Holding up a glass of milk and saying, "Here's to you, baby; I'm building your bones!" can be a great motivator. This article mainly includes nutrients that are challenges to a number of pregnant women.

Vitamin D Supplements in Pregnancy and Breastfeeding
Browse any health website or magazine and you are likely to see something about vitamin D. Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin that is essential for the absorption of calcium and for bone health. It is also important for cell health, the immune system and neuromuscular function. Recent studies have indicated that adequate levels of vitamin D may reduce the risk of other diseases including cancers, rheumatoid arthritis, type 1 diabetes, immune disorders, and other health conditions.

Breastfeeding: Developing a Future Gourmet
In other articles we have covered how breastmilk is excellent nutrition for your baby, but this site isn't only about nutrition. It is about food that tastes great! Babies, like their parents, appreciate wonderful flavors. Breastmilk provides a variety of flavors that may influence baby's palate for years to come.

What to Do About the Flu
You know that it is flu season and in addition to the seasonal flu, you need to be aware of H1N1 ("swine flu"). You may or may not know that pregnant women who get the flu are more likely to be hospitalized or have complications than non-pregnant women.

Gestational Diabetes
About halfway through your pregnancy, you are likely to have a "glucose tolerance test" to test for gestational diabetes. What is this condition and why do we test for it?

Decreasing the Risk of Gestation Diabetes
Women who are obese are more likely to develop gestational diabetes (GDM) than women with normal weight. Losing weight before becoming pregnant can help decrease your risk of developing GDM.

Keeping and Storing Breastmilk
Most doctors and mothers would agree that breastmilk is the best diet for a newborn. But what if you aren't going to be with your baby 24 hours a day? Many women choose to express (pump) milk for their babies.

Breastfeeding: A Woman's Health Issue
Most of our readers are aware that breastfeeding is THE standard for good infant nutrition and that it has many health benefits for babies. You may or may not be aware that her breastfeeding choice may significantly impact a woman's future health.