Steps for a healthy pregnancy.
You’re having a baby!
Half an hour later, you’re hit with a sudden undeniable craving for mango.
How can you be sure you’re filling up on the right foods?
Is thereanythingyou can eat when morning sickness is making you miserable?
Is fish off-limits-or a must-have food for a mom-to-be?
Here’s advice on a healthful pregnancy diet, from the nutrition experts atEatingWell.
(The neural tube goes on to develop into the baby’s brain and spinal cord.)
Taking a prenatal supplement that includes folic acid will help ensure that you’re getting enough.
These include lean red meats, fish, poultry, dried fruits and iron-fortified cereals.
So dollop some salsa on those beans!
Talk with your doctor about your specific needs.
Eating with abandon is a recipe for gaining too much weight during pregnancy.
Extra pounds strain your heart, increasing your risk for high blood pressure.
In your first trimester, your calorie needs are about the same as they were pre-pregnancy.
In your second and third trimesters, your energy needs increase by only about 300 calories per day.
(Teens and older women need more: 1,300 and 1,200 mg, respectively.)
Many women fall short of meeting the recommended daily intake.
Dairy foods are the best sources of calcium.
If you don’t get enough calcium from foods, you may need to take a calcium supplement.
The key is to choose healthful lean proteins that supply very little saturated fat-like fish.
“Morning sickness” can occur at any time-and strikes most often when your stomach is empty.
(Problem is, when you’re feeling sick, you don’t want to fill it.)
just tokeep a little bit of food in your stomach.
Become a “mocktail” mixer
As you probably know, experts advise avoiding alcohol completely during pregnancy.
Drinking alcohol can cause your baby to be too small-and may increase the risk of preterm delivery and miscarriage.
It may also affect your baby’s heart and brain.
Feeling left out while everyone else is sipping cocktails?Whip up one of these delicious mocktails.
A cup of tea contains about 40 mg of caffeine; one ounce of dark chocolate has 20 mg.
Many herbal and botanical products may not be safe to take while you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
Talk with your doctor before using any herbal products (even herbal teas).
So the body doesn’t attack the baby, mistaking it for a foreign invader.
One in five cases is fatal.
