The First Trimester: Nutrition and Weight Gain
What you eat isn't only important for your own health anymore, but for the current and future health of your baby. Healthy foods are the building blocks for your growing baby since pregnancy is a complex time of developing new tissues and organs. Throughout pregnancy, try to make most of your food choices healthy ones. Eating junk food during pregnancy leads to too much weight gain without meeting your increased need for nutrients.
Folic acid Folic acid is the most vital nutrient pregnant women need. Folic acid is a B vitamin that helps prevent neural tube defects (defects of the spine, brain, or their coverings) and other birth defects like cleft lip and congenital heart disease. By making sure you consume at least .4 milligrams (mg) of folic acid every day before getting pregnant and during the first three months of pregnancy, you can help reduce the risk of these defects. Folic acid is found in dark-green leafy vegetables (like spinach or kale), beans and citrus fruits, and in fortified cereals and bread. But to make sure you consume enough folic acid, it is best to take a daily vitamin that contains it. At your first prenatal visit, your health care provider will talk with you about taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid and iron. Click here for more information on folic acid.
Iron Iron is needed to fuel hemoglobin (a type of protein in red blood cells that helps take oxygen to body tissues for energy and growth) production for you and your baby. Iron also helps build bones and teeth. A shortage of iron can cause a condition called anemia. Most women do not have symptoms of anemia, but some might have extreme fatigue. Your health care provider can check for signs of anemia through the routine blood tests that are taken in different stages of your pregnancy. If you have anemia, your health care provider will give you iron supplements to take once or twice a day. You can help prevent anemia by eating more iron-rich foods like potatoes, raisins, broccoli, leafy green vegetables, whole-grain breads and iron-fortified cereals.
Key Food Groups Always remember that you are eating to nourish your baby, and choose a variety of foods from the daily Food Guide Pyramid. Also, women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should have at least three servings of milk, yogurt, or cheese to meet their calcium needs. They should also eat more breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables, and meat and meat alternatives - up to a total of 2,200 or 2,800 calories. Try to have three meals every day, or six smaller meals if you have problems with nausea or heartburn.
Protein-rich foods build muscle, tissue, enzymes, hormones and antibodies for you and your baby. They also have B vitamins and iron, which is important for your red blood cells.
Carbohydrates (breads and cereals) give you energy, iron, B vitamins, some protein, and other minerals. Try to eat whole grains (like whole wheat bread) because they have more vitamins and fiber.
Milk and other dairy products have calcium, which you and your baby need for strong bones and teeth. Milk and diary products also have vitamin A and D, protein, and B vitamins. Vitamin A helps growth, resistance to infection, and vision. Pregnant women need 1200 to 1500 milligrams (mg) of calcium each day. Try to have nonfat milk and milk products to lower your fat intake. Other sources of calcium include dark green leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas, nuts and seeds, salmon and sardines (with bones), and tofu.
Fruits and vegetables with vitamin C help you and your baby to have healthy gums and other tissues, and help your body to heal wounds and to absorb iron. Examples of fruits and vegetables with vitamin C include strawberries, melons, oranges, papaya, tomatoes, peppers, greens, cabbage, and broccoli. A variety of fruits and vegetables also add fiber and other minerals to your diet, and give you energy. Plus, dark green vegetables also have vitamin A, iron, and folic acid.
Water Water plays a key role in your diet during pregnancy. It carries the nutrients from the foods you eat to your baby, and also helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids, excessive swelling, and urinary tract or bladder infections. Most importantly, drinking enough water, especially in your last trimester, prevents you from becoming dehydrated which can then lead you to have contractions and premature, or early labor. Pregnant women should drink at least six to eight ounce glasses of water per day, and another glass for each hour of activity. You can drink juices for fluid, but they also have a lot of calories and can cause you to gain extra weight. Coffee, soft drinks, and teas that have caffeine actually reduce the amount of fluid in your body, so they cannot count towards the total amount of fluid you need.
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fitness & nutrition while pregnant.
Weight gain Weight gain during your pregnancy depends on your height and how much you weighed before you became pregnant. All weight gain during pregnancy should be gradual, with most of the weight gained in the last trimester.
During the first trimester, it is normal to gain only a small amount of weight, about one pound per month. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG): if you were underweight before becoming pregnant, you should gain between 28 and 40 pounds; if you were overweight, between 15 and 25 pounds. Recent research shows that women who gain more than the recommended amount during pregnancy and who fail to lose this weight within six months after giving birth are at much higher risk of being obese nearly 10 years later. Check with your health care provider to find out how much weight gain during pregnancy is healthy for you.
Topics
Changes in Your Body
Caring For Yourself
Prenatal Care
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