Food not to Eat During Early Pregnancy
Posted on February 29, 2008
Filed Under Pregnancy Food Plan |
For many women, this trimester brings welcome relief from morning sickness, and you will probably start to enjoy food again. If the change does not come with the first days of the second trimester, be patient. You may see a gradual improvement over the next few weeks.
Once you can enjoy food again, it’s time to focus on a diet that meets your nutritional needs. A balanced diet reliant on fresh produce supplies a broad range of nutrients that will support your baby’s development and your well being. Your vitamin and mineral requirements are generally higher in pregnancy than before, although you need to be sure to avoid megadoses, especially of vitamins A and D. In this second trimester it’s worth rechecking your vitamin and mineral intake.
Your Nutritional Needs
Laying the foundations for healthy weight gain in you and your baby now will give your baby the best start in life. It will also benefit your health throughout your pregnancy and after delivery.
Eating For Two
You need to eat more while your body supports the growth of your baby, but not twice as much as before pregnancy. Only 100-300 extra calories per day are needed throughout pregnancy to ensure optimal growth of your baby. All extra calories will be stored by your body as fat.
Just one to two extra servings per day cover your increased energy needs. For instance, one half cup of low fat cottage cheese has 90 calories, and 40z (100g) of skinless chicken breast 140. Take in to account that you may be snacking throughout the day. A small handful of peanuts supplies 160 calories. Energy bars can contain 160-300 calories. It’s easy to overestimate the amount of extra food you need. Find the caloric content of your favorite foods and snacks, and the number of servings that cover your additional needs. Only 5-9lb (2-4kg) of the weight you gain during pregnancy is typically body weight gain. The rest is accounted for by the weight of your baby and his or her support system (amniotic fluid, a larger uterus and placenta, and larger breasts in preparation for the arrival of your baby).
The average increase in weight may be 2-41b (1-2kg) during the first trimester, 12-141b (5.5-6kg) during the second, and 8-101b (3.5-4.5kg) in the last. Gaining enough weight during your pregnancy decreases your risk of delivering a low birth weight baby a baby that weighs less than 5½lb (2.5kg). However, gaining too much weight may leave you at risk of developing gestational diabetes of having a large baby. Excess weight gain often causes women remain over weight after the birth and the older you are, the harder it is to lose this excess weight.
Vitamin C
The recommended daily allowance of vitamin C for pregnant women is 70mg twice as much as in nonpregant women. Some of this can be obtained from a prenatal vitamin but you should still have enough in your diet. Vitamin C promotes the absorption of iron and calcium, both of which are important for you and your baby, and is also important in many processes in the body. The best sources for vitamin C are fruits and vegetables.
Food Cravings
Many women experience cravings during pregnancy. Chocolate and other sweets, ice cream, spicy foods, fruit, and fish come at the top of the list of must-haves, often in unusual combinations. No one knows why women have cravings. Experts have varying opinions. Some say that cravings are psychological part of our culture. They believe women learn to expect cravings and consequently have them. Some researchers feel hormonal changes in pregnancy, especially increased progesterone, cause cravings. Similar cravings in menopausal women support this opinion. it does not explain the variety in foods craved, however. Some propose that hunger for a certain food indicates a woman’s need for nutrients in that food. This may be true, but is questionable with cravings for sweets that contain little more than sugar.
Yet another explanation is that emotional factors contribute to cravings. Pregnancy greatly impacts on your life and indulging in a craving is emotionally gratifying, especially if your partner shows his devotion by hunting for the impossible food combination of your choice at midnight. The reality is that nobody knows what causes food cravings. Most women would insist they are both real and over whelming at times. The most probable explanation may be a complex interplay of physical changes, learned behavior and emotional needs.
Tags:body weight gain, healthy weight gain, placenta, Pregnancy Food Plan, second trimester vitamin and mineral
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