THE EASIEST WAYTO GET ALL THE
NUTRIENTS YOU NEED IN PREGNANCY
This is a guideline for the EASIEST way to get all the nutrients and calories you need in pregnancy, especially a high level of protein and the calories you need to use the protein as building blocks rather than for fuel. There are other ways to do it if you are vegetarian, vegan, eat low fat, or don't like/tolerate a particular food. Please see the books referenced at the end for more details on substituting foods. Here are the daily requirements for pregnant women according to the Bradley Method of Natural Childbirth®, from the following sources: California Department of Health; Robert Bradley, MD; Phyllis Williams; Gail & Tom Brewer; Helen Guthrie (USDA). Every Day, you should have: (examples given are one serving) (Remember, each category is separate and you cannot fill two with one food - if you eat 3 oz of cheese, it can be a protein or a milk, but not both!)
1 Quart of Milk (4 8-oz Glasses) - in any form: milk, cheese, yogurt, even ice cream (although try to watch the fat!) 2 Eggs (cooked any way, in french toast, added to other foods...) 2 Servings of Protein Foods - 3 oz Meat or Fish, 1-1/2 Cup Beans, 3 oz Cheese, 1-1/2 Cup Tofu, etc. 2 Servings Green Vegetables, preferably leafy (1/4-1/2 Cup) 4 Servings of Grains, preferably whole (Whole Wheat Bread -1 slice, Tortilla - 1, Brown Rice - 1 Cup 1 Vitamin C Source - Citrus Fruit/Juice, Tomato, Cantaloupe, etc. 3 Fat Servings - 1 tsp oil/butter/sour cream/mayonaise (some reduced fat products let you use 1 Tbsp instead...) 1 Serving Other Fruit 1 Serving Other Vegetables
Each Week, try to include:
5 Servings Yellow or Orange Colored Fruit/Vegetables 3 Whole Baked Potatos Plenty of Water/other fluids Salt your food to taste for safe blood volume!
Daily Pregnancy Needs
If you were eating a well-balanced diet before you became pregnant, you probably won't need to make big changes. Pregnancy is not the time to go on a diet. Following a nutritionally sound diet can better the chances of a normal birth-weight, improved fetal brain development, and decrease the chances of pregnancy complications. Furthermore, healthy eating will benefit you as well as your child. A healthy diet will decrease pregnancy complications in mothers such as anemia, pre-eclampsia, morning sickness, fatigue, and constipation. A healthy diet will also moderate any mood swings and ensure the speediest recovery after your pregnancy. 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 healthy 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. 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.
Daily Pregnancy Requirement: 80–100 grams protein
Why You Need It: promotes growth of fetal tissue, helps develop breasts and uterus, increases blood supply, helps growth and development of placenta, maximizes fetal brain development. Food Sources: Milk, cheese, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, beans, nuts & seeds, flours & grains, fruits, vegetables
Daily Pregnancy Requirement: 1200 milligrams calcium
Why You Need It: Promotes development and formation of fetal skeleton, aids the development of baby's tooth buds Food Sources: Milk, yogurt, cheese, egg yolk, whole grains, leafy vegetables
Daily Pregnancy Requirement: 2 servings vitamin C-rich foods
Why You Need It: Heals wounds, repairs tissues, develops teeth and bones, promotes various other maternal/fetal metabolic processes Food Sources: citrus fruits & juices, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes (not fried), melons, strawberries
Daily Pregnancy Requirement: 400 micrograms folic acid (0.4 milligrams)
Why You Need It: Significantly decreases risk of neural tube defects such as spina bifida Food Sources: Dark green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits & juices, fortified breads & cereals, whole grains, liver, dried beans & peas
Daily Pregnancy Requirement: 6-8 glasses of fluids
Why You Need It: Builds fetal cells, develops circulatory system, helps deliver nutrients to the fetus, assists with excretion of wastes, prevents dry skin, reduces risk of urinary tract infection Food Sources: Water, fruit juices, vegetables juices
Daily Pregnancy Requirement: 30 milligrams iron
Why You Need It: Increases maternal blood volume, prevents anemia Food Sources: Green leafy vegetables, fortified breads & cereals, meat, fish, poultry, beans, nuts, eggs
Prenatal Vitamin Supplements
Do I really need to take a prenatal vitamin? If you're very tuned in to nutrition and
regularly eat a broad range of foods, including meat, dairy products, fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes, your diet will provide almost all the nutrients you and your baby need. Realistically, though, most women — especially those in the throes of morning sickness — can benefit from taking a prenatal vitamin and mineral supplement, preferably before they start trying to conceive. Think of it as an insurance policy to make sure you're getting the right amount of certain important nutrients during pregnancy. And women with certain health issues, dietary restrictions, or pregnancy complications definitely need to take a prenatal vitamin. This includes vegetarians and vegans, women who are lactoseintolerant or have certain other food intolerances, smokers and women who abuse other substances, women who are having twins or higher multiples, and women with certain blood disorders and certain chronic diseases.
If I eat really well, what's in a vitamin supplement that I can't get from food? If you're a stickler for nutrition, you may already be doing a pretty good job of getting
what you need, but there are two crucial nutrients that most pregnant women don't get enough of from food alone:
Folic acid Taking a supplement is the only way to make sure you're getting the amount of folic
acid you need each day. All medical authorities recommend a daily dose of 400 micrograms (mcg) starting at least a month before you begin trying to get pregnant and at least 600 mcg a day once you know you're pregnant. Research has shown that doing this can reduce the risk of neural tube defects in your baby by up to 70 percent. Most prenatal vitamins contain between 600 and 1,000 mcg of folic acid. If you don't take one, make sure you still take a separate folic acid supplement.
Iron A prenatal supplement can also help you get enough iron. Many women don't get enough of
this mineral in their diet to meet their body's increased needs during pregnancy. That's because your body makes a lot more blood when you're pregnant to support your growing baby, and as a result, the iron stores in your blood can get spread pretty thin. To avoid developing iron-deficiency anemia during pregnancy, some women need to take a supplement. The amount recommended when you're pregnant is 27 milligrams (mg) of iron per day, 50 percent more than you need when you're not pregnant. The Centers for Disease Control recommends that all pregnant women start taking a low-dose iron supplement of 30 mg at the first prenatal visit, either as an individual supplement or in a prenatal vitamin. Most prenatal vitamins contain between 27 and 60 mg of iron.
Is there anything that I won't get in a prenatal supplement? Calcium is one of
the nutrients that you won't find a full day's supply of in your prenatal vitamin and mineral
supplement. Most prenatal vitamins contain between 100 and 200 milligrams (mg) of calcium, but some don't contain any. That's because calcium is a particularly bulky mineral, and the pills are already big enough! Prenatal vitamins don't contain any essential fatty acids either. DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, is important for the development of your baby's brain, nerve, and eye tissue. The recommended intake of DHA during pregnancy is 300 mg a day — the amount you'd get if you ate about 5 to 10 ounces of cold water fish, such as salmon or trout, every week — but few Americans get that much from their diet. Ask your healthcare provider if she thinks you could benefit from a DHA or other omega-3 supplement.
How do I choose a prenatal supplement that's right for me? Unfortunately,
since the Food and Drug Administration doesn't regulate what goes into vitamin and mineral supplements, no standards have been set for what should be in them. That means it's up to you and your practitioner to make sure you choose one that's safe and appropriate for you. At your first prenatal checkup or at a preconception visit, your practitioner will probably recommend that you start taking a prenatal vitamin. She may prescribe one for you or she may recommend an over-the-counter brand. Make sure you don't take any other vitamin or mineral supplement while you're taking a prenatal supplement unless your practitioner recommends it.
What can I do if I'm having trouble swallowing the pills? Prenatal vitamin and
mineral supplements tend to be pretty big, and some women find them hard to swallow, especially when they're dealing with nausea. If this is a problem for you, your practitioner may be able to prescribe a smaller pill or one with a slick coating that makes it easier to get down. (Pills that don't contain calcium tend to be smaller, and you can get your calcium in other ways.) Chewable versions are also available, although they generally don't taste great. Or, buy a pill cutter and cut them in half, or even quarters and take them at different times of the day.
What can I do if I think the pills are giving me an upset stomach? If you're
taking a vitamin with a particularly high level of iron, it may upset your gastrointestinal tract. (Supplements that contain no more than the recommended amount of 30 mg probably won't cause you any problems.) Taking a lot of iron can lead to constipation, which is already a problem for many pregnant women, but it can also cause nausea or, more rarely, diarrhea. If you think iron is distressing your stomach, talk to your practitioner about it. If you're not anemic, it may make sense for you to switch to a prenatal vitamin with a lower dose of iron. If that's not an option for you, try drinking prune juice to help you stay regular or take your supplement at bedtime to avoid queasiness. Your practitioner may also recommend taking the pill after a meal because you're likely to tolerate it better with a full stomach.
Herbal/Nutritional Alternatives for Iron Supplements:
Iron and folic acid supplementation in combination will help increase the iron absorption rate and should help boost the iron stores of pregnant women. Unfortunately, many women have a difficult time keeping anything down, let alone hard-to-digest iron pills. Other women will have a difficult time absorbing certain types of iron supplements. Iron supplements can be changed and certain herbs can be added to the diet to enhance iron absorption. A good diet is necessary, as food is the best source of iron – a diet rich in iron can prevent the need for supplements. Anemia is a common issue for pregnant women. Iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid are readily available in supplement form. Following are some herbal options for boosting iron to nourish and rebuild the blood. Single Herbs Rich in Iron:
Yellow dock root Dandelion leaf Stinging nettle Red raspberry leaf
These can be drunk as infusions (teas). They are available at the Center for the Childbearing Year.