Diet for a healthy pregnancy

Choose your food wisely

With the increased requirement of all nutrients in your body it is important to eat a well balanced diet. Your daily diet should consist of a variety of food from different food groups.

Milk and dairy products: skimmed milk, yogurt, buttermilk, cottage cheese –that are high in calcium, essential amino acids and Vitamin B-12. Talk to your doctor if you are lactose sensitive.
Cereals, whole grains, dals, pulses: they are good sources of protein.

Vegetables: these provide vitamins, minerals and fibre.

Fruits: eat fresh/seasonal fruits and avoid processed /canned fruits.
Meat/Fish/Poultry: these provide the essential animal proteins. Vegetarians need to consume about 1.5 ounces of nuts and 2/3 cup of legumes for proteins. One egg, ½ ounce of nuts, or ¼ cup of legumes is considered equivalent to 1 ounce of meat, poultry, or fish.

Fluids: Keep yourself well hydrated by drinking lots of fluids, especially water and fresh fruit juices. Make sure you drink clean filtered water – if you need to go outdoors carry your own water or buy bottled water from a reputed brand -– most diseases are caused by waterborne visurses. Therefore ensure that you are consuming clean water both at home and outdoors. Go easy on the commercial and packaged juices as they have a very high sugar content.
Fats and Oils: Special attention needs to be paid to cooking fats and oils. Ghee, butter and coconut milk/oil are high in saturated fats and are best avoided. Vanaspati and Dalda are both high in trans fats, equally as bad as saturated fats.

Avoid larger varieties of fish exposed to industrial pollutants


Even though fish is a good source of protein, certain fish may contain potentially unsafe levels of naturally occurring mercury. It is best to avoid the larger predator fish, such as shark or swordfish as it may contain potentially unsafe levels of mercury. These fish absorb the mercury from the contaminated water and the mercury binds tightly to the proteins in fish muscle and remains there even after the fish is cooked.

Processed or canned fish should also be avoided as they are preserved in saline (salt solution), which may lead to water retention.

Some foods are no-nos


During pregnancy your should try to avoid:

• Raw seafood, such as oysters or uncooked sushi

• Cheeses with a white, 'mouldy' rind, such as Brie and Camembert, and blue-veined cheeses like Stilton.

• Avoid consuming unpasteurised milk (buffalo or cow's milk from the local vendor).

• Pate, raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and eggs (cook all meat until there are no pink bits left and eggs till they are hard). All are possible sources of bacteria that can harm your unborn child.

• Liver and liver products (pate, liver sausage) should be avoided, too, because they may contain large amounts of the retinol form of vitamin A, too much of which could be bad for your developing baby.

• For some women, it is also important to avoid peanuts and foods that contain them. If you, your partner, or any of your other children (if you have any) have a history of allergies such as hayfever, asthma, or eczema, avoiding peanuts during pregnancy and breastfeeding may reduce your baby's chances of developing a potentially serious peanut allergy.

• Many women choose to avoid alcoholic drinks during pregnancy, too. Drinking too much alcohol can cause physical defects, learning disabilities, and emotional problems in children, so many experts recommend that you give up alcohol while you are pregnant.

• If you smoke, it is best for you and your baby to give up, the sooner the better. But, of course, this is often easier said than done.

• You might want to cut down on caffeine, too. This may be easy for women who are suddenly revolted by the stuff during their first trimester, but not so for everyone. Why is caffeine a potential problem? Research has linked consuming more than 300mg of caffeine a day with an increased risk of miscarriage and low birth weight. To be on the safe side stick to no more that two mugs of instant coffee or three cups of tea or two cans of cola per day. Or, although there is no evidence that moderate amounts of caffeine will harm you or your baby, you may want to switch to decaf hot drinks and colas, instead.

Take a suitable antenatal vitamin-mineral supplement


In an ideal world - free of morning sickness or food aversions - a well-balanced diet would be all an expectant mum ever needed. But in the real world, a vitamin-mineral supplement may be good insurance that a pregnant woman will be able to meet her nutritional needs. Ask your doctor whether you should take a vitamin supplement.

Folic acid is one supplement that is particularly important to take before you conceive -- and for the first three months or so of pregnancy. A lack of this B vitamin has been linked with neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. The Ministry of Health recommends that women should take 0.4 mg (400 micrograms) of folic acid in a supplement at least until the 12th week of pregnancy.

Later on in your pregnancy most women may need to take iron or calcium supplements to make sure you're getting enough of these key minerals. Your iron levels will be checked periodically during your pregnancy, and your doctor will advise you about your individual needs.

If you are a strict vegetarian, have a medical condition such as diabetes, gestational diabetes, or anaemia, or if you have a history of low-birthweight babies, do talk with your doctor about any special supplements you might need.

Remember, though, that more is not always better: Vitamin A supplements which contain retinol, the animal form of vitamin A, can be toxic to unborn babies in large quantities. Megadoses of most vitamins and minerals could be harmful to your developing baby. Avoid self- medication and always check with your doctor before taking any antibiotics, antacids and painkillers.

Don't try to lose weight while you're pregnant


Dieting during pregnancy is potentially hazardous to you and your developing baby. Some diets can leave you low on iron, folic acid, and other important vitamins and minerals. Remember, weight gain is one of the most positive signs of a healthy pregnancy. Women who eat well and gain the appropriate amount of weight are more likely to have healthy babies. So if you're eating fresh, wholesome foods and gaining weight, relax: you're supposed to be getting bigger!

Gain weight gradually


Weight gain varies amongst individuals and depends on many factors. The average weight gain during pregnancy seems to be between 8 kilos and 15 kilos. Concentrate on eating a healthy diet: plenty of carbohydrates, lots of fruits and vegetables, reasonable amounts of protein, and just a little in the way of fats and sugars. However, if you are over 90 kgs or under 50 kgs, your doctor may advise a diet customised for you.

When you put on weight may be as important as the total amount. Most women gain the least weight during the first trimester and steadily increase, with the greatest amount being put on in the third trimester when the baby is growing the most.

Eat small meals every few hours


Even if you're not hungry, chances are your baby is, so try to eat every four hours. And if morning (or all-day) sickness, food aversions, heartburn, or indigestion make eating a chore, you may find that eating five or six small meals, rather than the usual three larger ones, is easier on your body. Remember, your developing baby needs regular sustenance, and you need to keep up your energy levels, so try not to miss meals.

Occasional treats are okay


You don't have to give up all your favourite foods just because you're pregnant. But processed or canned foods and snacks and sugar-packed desserts shouldn't be the mainstay of your diet, either. So as far as snacks are concerned, try a banana rather than luxury ice cream, or badam / kesar milk instead of a gajjar halwa dripping with calories. But don't feel guilty if you fancy the occasional chocolate. Enjoy every bite!