Nutrition And Pregnancy – What Foods And Nutrients Are Important

Many whole grain foods are naturally rich in iron or they are fortified with iron. Iron is needed for your baby to develop properly. Eating iron rich foods such as whole grains is especially important during the second and third trimesters as your body prepares itself for labor.

Whole grains contain significant amounts of folic acid. Folic acid prevents serious birth defects, such as spinal bifida. The types of birth defects that folic acid prevents generally occur during the first trimester of the baby’s development, so it is important that you eat whole grains early in your pregnancy too

Whole grains are needed throughout your pregnancy for a variety of reasons. In addition to folic acid, whole grains and high fiber foods contain good quantities of the other B complex vitamins which you and your baby both need.

The Bottom Line – Nutrition and Pregnancy

Consume a minimum of three cups of dairy or dairy substitute, such as soy, each day. Eat at least three cups of vegetables and two cups of fruit daily. Include between five to six ounces of grains each day. Five to six ounces of lean protein is needed each day as well. Check with your health care provider for specific recommendations as each person’s dietary needs are slightly different.

If you are a vegetarian, you will likely meet the nutritional requirements of pregnancy without any special modifications. However, vegans sometimes run the risk of vitamin B12 and essential fatty acids deficiencies.

If you are a vegan, include flax seed, flax oil and walnuts in your diet each day to ensure that you are getting enough essential fatty acids. They are needed for many benefits, but they are especially needed for brain development of your baby.

Try to eat foods which are rich in folic acid, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and iron. Watch your protein intake as protein needs doubling up during the last trimester of pregnancy.

Author

This article was written for Insights-on-Health.com in Nov 2013 by Patricia Bratianu RN PhD RH-AHG. Patricia has been a Registered Nurse for almost forty years in a wide variety of settings. As a Registered Nurse, she realized that conventional healthcare was not meeting the needs of all patients. She became an herbalist and obtained a PhD in Natural Health. Patricia is a professional member of the American Herbalist’s Guild, passing the stringent peer reviewed process to become a Registered Herbalist.

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