Eating for Two - Nutrition During Pregnancy - Part 1

During your pregnancy, enjoy the opportunity to nurture yourself and your growing baby with healthy food choices. Be good to both of you! Learn more about nutrition ahead of time to ensure your pregnancy is the best it can be.

Weight gain during pregnancy

What and how you eat during pregnancy will affect your child's future health. You can protect your health and the health of your growing baby with a healthy diet. During pregnancy, you'll need extra calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals. The proper foods will give your body the energy and nutritional resources it needs to support the developing fetus.

Pregnancy is a time of "extras": extra tender love and care for you and your new life inside, and extra weight! How much weight do you need to gain? Put it this way: pregnancy is not the time to lose weight or diet. During your pregnancy you should aim to gain about 25 lbs to 35 lbs (11.4 kg to 15.9 kg), although this might vary depending on your pre-pregnancy weight and whether you are carrying twins or multiples.

Your weight gain during pregnancy likely will not be steady at first. Most women typically gain between 3 lbs and 4 lbs (1.4 kg to 1.8 kg) during the first trimester. You should gain weight slowly but steadily during the last half of your pregnancy. A good rate of weight gain after the first trimester is approximately one pound (0.45 kg) each week.

Keep in mind that these are average figures for women who were at a healthy weight before pregnancy, so if your weight-gain pattern is different, it doesn't necessarily mean anything is wrong. Ask your doctor or a registered dietitian about what is an appropriate weight gain during pregnancy for you.

Keep in mind the following tips:

Your weight before pregnancy will determine what is considered a healthy weight gain for you during pregnancy. While weight gain is normal during pregnancy, you should contact your doctor if you experience any sudden changes (gains or losses).
Dieting is strongly discouraged during pregnancy, as it may be harmful to the development of the baby.
You should choose from a variety of healthy food options to ensure you are getting the best nutrition possible.

Nutritional variety and important nutrients

The Dietitians of Canada suggest that, like all Canadian women, if you are pregnant you should choose a variety of foods daily from the four food groups: grain products, vegetables and fruit, milk products, and meat and alternatives.

Choosing foods from each of the four food groups of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating can help you meet your special nutritional needs. It is important to eat regularly and enjoy nutritious snacks. The guidelines suggest that you eat three meals and three snacks daily. These should include:

milk products: 3-4 servings (1,200 mg of calcium daily)
grain products: 5-12 servings
fruits and vegetables: 5-10 servings
meat and alternatives: 2-3 servings (60-75 g of protein daily)
others: in moderation (e.g., sweets, condiments, dressings, deep fried or fast foods, commercially baked goods)

Important nutrients for you and baby

Nutrient or Vitamin	What is it for?	Where can I find it?
Iron	Healthy blood cells and adequate oxygen supply	Lean red meat, dried peas and beans, whole grains, enriched cereals, dark green vegetables, dried fruits and nuts
Folate/folic acid*	Brain and nervous system development, healthy blood cells	Dark-green leafy vegetables, dried peas and beans, cantaloupe, orange juice, grapefruit, nuts
Calcium	Protects bones and teeth, and helps reduce high blood pressure	Milk & milk products, sesame seeds, almonds, blackstrap molasses, fortified soy milk, soy beans, broccoli, turnip
Zinc	Building and healing tissues (baby tissues too!)	Meats, whole grains, nuts and seeds, milk products
Vitamin A	Overall growth and development, vision and immune system	Orange and dark green fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, cheese
Vitamin D	Helps calcium in protecting and building strong, healthy bones and teeth	Sunlight, milk and milk products, eggs
Vitamin B12	Makes new cells (especially blood cells) and builds a healthy nervous system	Lean meats, certain fish**, eggs, milk, hard cheeses, fortified breakfast cereals, soy products
Vitamin C	Strengthens the immune system and helps build healthy tissues	Citrus fruits, vitamin-enriched apple juice, green vegetables, tomato juice
Essential fatty acids	Development of the brain and nervous system, hormone production, and vision	Soybean, canola oils and non-hydrogenated margarine, some soy-based products (e.g., tofu)
Protein	Builds, repairs and replaces tissues; maintains fluid balance and immune system; aids in blood clotting	Lean meats and poultry, combined grains and legumes, seeds, nuts, and egg and milk products***
Do you have a female relative or friend wanting to conceive? Make sure she knows about the importance of folic acid before she gets pregnant. * For a list of certain fish and other foods to avoid during pregnancy, see "What foods or substances should I avoid?" in this health feature. *** For pregnant women who follow a vegetarian diet, see "Vegetarianism During Pregnancy" in this health feature.

Folic acid is a member of the B-vitamin family. It acts with vitamin B12 in making red blood cells. Folic acid helps reduce a baby's risk of developing a type of birth defect called neural tube defect, or spina bifida. Neural tube defects happen early in pregnancy, often before a woman even knows she is pregnant. Make sure you get enough folic acid daily before you become pregnant. Since it's hard to get enough from dietary sources alone, most doctors recommend that healthy women take 0.4 mg (400 µg) of folic acid every day for several months before becoming pregnant as well as during pregnancy. Make sure the supplement contains no more than 1 mg of folic acid, unless your doctor recommends otherwise.

Other tips to increase folic acid intake:

Choose fortified breads and cereals.
Eat more foods rich in folic acid/folate: reach for asparagus, broccoli, spinach, oranges, legumes, nuts, and seeds.
Avoid overcooking vegetables.

Eating for Two - Nutrition During Pregnancy - Part 3

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Resources

Pre-pregnancy healthy eating checklist
Click here