Pregnancy Nutrition

Some women believe that milk is the only good source of calcium, but that is not the case. If you don’t think you could consume enough calcium from milk, there are many other sources listed below. For vegetarians, or those who are lactose intolerant and cannot obtain enough daily calcium, a calcium supplement may be recommended.

You should get four servings of the following each day:

- 8 ounces fat-free or 1 percent milk, 5 ounces of calcium-fortified or skim-plus milk, ½ cup evaporated nonfat milk
- soy milk and soy protein or rice milk
- 1 ½ cups low or nonfat cottage cheese or 11/4 ounces of cheddar or Swiss cheese.
- 6-8 ounces low-fat or nonfat plain yogurt or ½ cup fat-free frozen yogurt
- 6 ounces of calcium-fortified orange juice
- 3-4 ounces of canned mackerel, salmon or sardines with bones
- 2-3 tablespoons of ground sesame seeds
- tofu
- 1 ¾ cups of broccoli or 1 cup of collard greens

Iron-rich foods. You should make sure that your diet includes an increase in iron-rich foods. This is because your child requires iron for the development of its blood supply as does your body for its own blood supply. It is important to know that you can increase the efficiency of iron absorption by eating foods rich in vitamin C at the same time. Thus, it should be taken between meals with a fruit juice rich in vitamin C. Since many women have difficulty filling their iron requirement through diet alone, many pregnant women take a daily supplement of 30-50 mg of iron in addition to their prenatal vitamins. Also, if you are anemic, your doctor may prescribe 60-120 mg of iron. Though small amounts of iron are found in most of the fruits, vegetables, grains and meats that you eat every day, you should still try to have some of the following foods daily that are high in iron:

- Lean beef
- Liver and other organ meats
- Cooked oysters
- Duck
- Sardines
- Artichokes
- Potatoes
- Pumpkin
- Spinach
- Green peas, chickpeas, lentils, kidney beans, lima beans, soybeans and tofu

Salty foods. Salty foods should be consumed only in moderation. While a moderate amount of sodium is needed to maintain adequate fluid levels in the body, very large quantities of salt and salty foods are linked to high blood pressure. Increased blood pressure in a pregnant woman is especially dangerous because it can potentially cause some serious complications during pregnancy, labor and delivery. A easy way to decrease your sodium levels is do add salt your food to taste at the table rather than adding salt during cooking.

Keep a food log if you’re having problems with your diet. It’s a lot easier than trying to remember what you ate and can give you a good idea of the variety you’re taking in.

Sticking to a healthy diet is very challenging for most women and takes
lots of self-discipline and commitment. It is important that you follow your diet closely.
Dietary habits that you’ve had for years can be changed and adhering to your new, healthy diet will become easier as you progress in through your pregnancy and you get used to it. Although it is best to follow a health diet from day one of your pregnancy, some people find that changing out of their old habits into your new ones gradually is the best way to go. Try to encourage your spouse or friends to eat healthy with you. This will help you adhere to your new healthy diet while improving the diet of those around you. Lastly, don’t stop your diet after the delivery. A healthy diet and lifestyle will improve your general health and reduce the risk of many diseases including diabetes and cancer.