“You are eating for two” is the much used phrase a woman gets to hear when she is pregnant. This is often taken as the excuse to binge out and eat more than they ever did before. The fact that hunger cravings in pregnant women go up manifold makes it worse. Putting on weight during pregnancy is normal and necessary too as the developing fetus needs nutrition. But one also needs to be very careful when “eating for two”.
Amount Of Weight To Be Put On
According to the medical studies, the ideal weight to be put on during pregnancy is 20-35 pounds. The weight gain should also be a gradual and well moderated process. In the first trimester, the expectant mother needs only around 100 extra calories per day. The count goes up to 300 calories in the second and third trimester. Average fat intake daily should be 30% of the total calories taken. Hence it is advisable to keep the weight gain moderate in the beginning so that one doesn’t become overweight through the time length of pregnancy.
Safe Eating
Since the objective of the extra weight is to provide nutrition to the child, care should be takes as to what the mother is eating.
The diet should be rich in whole grains, proteins, fruits, dairy products and a moderate amount of fatty foods. Variety in the diet is recommended and care should be taken to include the daily doses of vitamins and minerals. Also one should select foods with the important pregnancy nutrients like calcium, folic acid, fiber and iron.
It is impractical to assume that the mother will not touch junk food. But care should be taken that the amount of such food is very low and it should not be used as stomach fillers.
It is important to keep the expectant mother well hydrated. Hence including plenty of water and fresh juices in the diet is a must.
Intake of vitamin D is very important for the development of the fetus. Hence, the diet should include foods which will provide the daily dose of vitamin D.
One should be careful regarding the intake of Vitamin A as too much vitamin A may end up being dangerous for the unborn child.
Some Points To Remember
The amount of weight to be put on in case of women who are already obese is lesser than the average count. They should take care not to put on too much weight as this will be very difficult to shed off later and there might be many more health hazards both for the mother and the child.
Alcohol should be completely avoided. The intake of caffeine should be very limited. Also food items having bacteria like Listeria [found in raw milk, raw meat or fish] and salmonella [found in a number of fishes and poultry] should be avoided.
Extreme food cravings during pregnancy are normal. The trick is in keeping the stomach filled with small portions of food. It is advisable to go for several small meals instead of 2 or 3 large meals per day.
Moderate exercises during the first trimester is recommended.
