Eating Healthy During Pregnancy

Starting off your with a healthy well
balanced diet is the best thing you do for yourself
and your baby.  This way, you'll only need to make
a few adjustments during your pregnancy.

Your first trimester
If you find it tough to maintain a balanced diet 
during your first trimester, you can rest assured
that your not alone.  Due to queasiness, some 
women will eat all of the time and gain a lot of 
weight in the process.  Other women have trouble
getting food down and subsequently lose weight.  

Preventing malnutrition and dehydration are your
most important factors during first trimester.  

Calories
When you are pregnant, you need to consume around
300 calories more than usual every day.  The best
way to go about doing this is listening to your 
body when you are hungry.  You should try to eat
as many foods as possible from the bottom of the
food pyramid.

If you gain weight too slow, try eating small 
meals and slightly increase the fat in your diet.
You should always eat when you are hungry, as you
are now eating for 2 instead of one.

Calcium
By the second trimester, you'll need around 1,500
milligrams of calcium each day for your bones and
your baby', which is more than a quart of milk. 
Calcium is something that's missing from many 
diets.  Along with milk, other great sources for
calcium include dairy products, calcium fortified
juices, and even calcium tablets.

Fiber
Fiber can help to prevent constipation, which is
a common pregnancy problem.  You can find fiber in 
whole grains, fruits, and even vegetables.  Fiber
supplements such as Metamucil and Citrucel are 
safe to take during pregnancy.

Protein
Unless you happen to be a strict vegetarian, your
protein intake is not normally a problem for women
who eat a healthy diet.

Iron 
A lot of women will start their pregnancy off with
a bit of iron deficiency.  Good sources of iron 
include dark leafy green vegetables and meats.  Iron
supplements should be avoided, as they can cause
internal symptoms such as cramping, constipation,
or diarrhea.  

Vitamins
Seeing as how you get a majority of the vitamins you
need in your diet, you may want to discuss prenatal
vitamins with your doctor.  Folate is one of the most
important, and if you are getting enough of it, you
may be able to avoid vitamins all together - just ask
your doctor to make sure.

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