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Nutrition During Pregnancy

Diet and nutrition for pregnancy. Does a little of what you fancy really do you good?

'You are what you eat' has never been a truer statement than in pregnancy. You are creating a whole new person - and you want to make the fuel you provide for this amazing process the best you possibly can. But does that mean goodbye to your favourite treats?

The simple answer is no. While it's important to make sure you are well nourished during your pregnancy, that does not mean you have to don a hair shirt and sign up for a life of abstention! If you were eating a largely healthy diet before you became pregnant, you won't need to make drastic changes.

Ensure you are eating a broad range of food encompassing all the food groups - and no, chocolate is not a food group - grain products, vegetables, fruits, protein foods and dairy products. By eating well you can make sure that your baby gets everything they need as they grow for maximum brain and body development.

PACK IN THE PROTEIN!

A pregnant woman needs 75-80 g of protein a day. Hard cheeses are a great source of protein. So are lean meat, cooked fish, pulses, cow's milk, soya beans and eggs. Protein is the building block for human cells - and that includes your baby, as well as a large part of you! Your muscles, cartilage, tendons, bone, skin and hair are all mainly made from types of protein.

Avoid blue-veined cheese, mould-ripened soft cheese such as brie, and soft, unpasturised goat and sheep cheese due to the risk of listeria, a type of food poisoning very dangerous in pregnancy.

CRANK UP THE CALCIUM

Calcium is vital for the development of muscles and nerves, blood clotting and enzyme activity. It is needed for building strong bones and teeth - and bone strength for you, if you don't want to end up with osteoporosis.

Adult women need around 1,000 mg of calcium a day, and pregnant women need a little more. Semi-skimmed or skimmed milk is a great source of calcium. One glass of milk provides about 300 mg of calcium. Other good sources are cottage cheese, yoghurt, sardines and salmon, collard greens and kale, corn tortillas and firm tofu. Blackstrap molasses is a great source - I developed a strange craving for two large sticky dollops in hot milk when I was pregnant with number two. I hate hot milk. I guess the baby didn't.

LOAD THOSE COMPLEX CARBS

Complex carbohydrates will give you a great source of slow burn energy, and will help you to avoid 'pregnancy fatigue'. Carbohydrates also help to prevent constipation - you'll be 'pushing through your bottom' soon enough, thanks.

Choose whole-grain or fortified products such as whole-wheat bread, cereal, pasta and rice. Beans and peas, fresh fruit and vegetables are also good sources of carbohydrate. Include as many unrefined carbohydrates as you can - the less processing the better. That doesn't mean you have to chew on crispbreads that taste like old board. Choose a crunchy wholemeal roll smothered in seeds instead.

VITAL VITAMINS

Other important nutrients you should consume in pregnancy include vitamin D, iron, vitamin B12, zinc and folic acid.

Your vitamin B12 needs are higher in pregnancy due to vitamin B12's role in tissue creation and the building of DNA - and you're making a whole new person! The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for vitamin B12 in pregnancy is 2.2 micrograms. A rounded teaspoon of yeast powder provides 2.2 micrograms of vitamin B12, which you can stir into a glass of orange. Although that gets it over in one go, I tried it with baby number one and it made me want to vomit. Happily, an alternative source of vitamin B12 is fortified cereal. Meat, dairy products and eggs are also good sources of B12, and fermented soya products such as tempeh, miso, shoyu and tamari, as well as seaweed have been suggested as vegan alternatives.

Good sources of vitamin C include fruits and vegetables such as oranges, strawberries, tomatoes, peppers, raspberries and cabbage.

You must include iron-rich foods in your diet. Your baby needs iron for the development of its blood supply. Foods that are high in iron include cashew or pistachio nuts, carob, lean beef, pulses, fresh parsley and wholewheat cereals. Drinking orange juice, containing vitamin C, will help you to absorb the iron in your food more readily.

FABULOUS FATS

Make sure you consume enough essential fatty acids (EFAs) such as found in oily fish as they help the development of your baby's brain. Your mother was right: fish is 'brain food'! Walnuts, wholegrains, green leafy vegetables and rapeseed oil are also good sources.


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