Pregnancy Diet and Recipes

There is no special diet and recipes for a pregnancy. You should eat a healthy diet that gives all the nutrients to help your baby develop and grow.

Diet During Pregnancy

Remember that the food you eat is the main source of energy for your baby growing inside. A pregnant women should know that she is not only responsible for herself, but also for the unborn child inside her. The child's physical and mental development after birth will have a influence of anything seen, thoughts and the food eaten by the pregnant woman.

There is no special diet for a pregnant women, but eating a healthy balanced diet that gives all the nutrients (see nutrition chart & guide) for your baby to develop and grow is recommended. For the first 3 months, the diet of a pregnant woman should include food rich in iron, folic acid and high in calcium. You may take iron and folic acid tablets if you are pregnant or lactating.

Folic Acid & Birth Defects

Women should get enough folic acid before and during the pregnancy to prevent major birth defects involving baby's brain or spine, according to Canadian researcher Louise Pilote of McGill University, Montreal as reported in the British Medical Journal, May 2009. Fortifying flour products with folic acid may cut the number of babies born with congenital heart disease, the most common of all birth defects.

In the next 3 month the woman needs extra protein and calcium. Look for foods with high protein.

Pregnancy & Weight Gain

Most women gain between 10-15 kgs, but too much weight gain should be avoided. However, the weight gain during pregnancy will vary according to your pre-pregnancy weight. According to the experts, an overweight woman is advised to gain only 7 kg (15 pounds) and an underweight woman to gain up to 18 kg (40 pounds).

For this, limit on too much fat and sugar in your diet.

The authors of this web site know a case of a pregnant woman to whom doctors told that the baby growth was a bit less during the 7th month of pregnancy. This woman started taking a lot of ghee (mainly saturated fat) on rotis, almond halwa and sooji halwa. This resulted in a rapid weight gain by the woman, while the baby inside grew at the normal rate. It is a misconception in India that a pregnant mother should eat fatty foods for the baby to grow.

The pregnant woman should eat a healthy balanced diet.

Do Not Eat For Two

Many pregnant women wrongly think that they should eat for two. Note that you need only 200-300 extra calories daily in pregnancy, i.e. a cup of reduced fat milk or yogurt and a medium orange. This is because your body actually absorbs more nutrients from food you eat during pregnancy.
Researcher Alison Stuebeworking at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston found that pregnant women should avoid eating for two since too much weight gain is linked with complications at birth. Pregnant women who eat fried foods and dairy products and food for two are more likely to gain as much as 35 pounds. Women with vegetarian diets and eating more monounsaturated fat found in olive oil and nuts in early pregnancy are half as likely to gain an unhealthy amount of weight.

Nutrition Need of a Pregnant Woman

A diet during pregnancy should provide protein, Vitamin C, D, E, K, and folic acid to the pregnant women. The requirement of some of these nutrients is increased in a pregnant women than a normal one. However, pregnant women should not eat very high Vitamin A foods because large amounts of Vitamin A can be harmful to the baby.

Vitamin D 76% of pregnant mothers are vitamin D deficient, causing vitamin D deficiencies in their unborn children, which increases the risk of type 1 diabetes, arthritis, multiple sclerosis and schizophrenia later in life.
Foods with vitamin D

Vitamin A requirement is increased by about 25% for the development of foetus. Low intake of vitamin C may lead to premature rupture of foetal membranes. A deficiency of Vitamin C in the mother may result in neonatal death. Vitamin D helps in calcium metabolism of the foetus while Vitamin K is essential for preventing neonatal hemorrhage. The B vitamins like thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin are required in larger quantities for functioning of muscle and nerve tissues .

In the following table the nutrient need for a pregnant women of age between 18 and 50 years are given below.

Nutrient	Normal Women	Pregnant Woman per day
Calories	Depends on individual	200- 300 calories more a day than you usually eat
Vitamin A	12000IU	extra 2500IU source: tomato, peach, kiwi fruit, oranges, watermelon, blackberries. Sources of Vitamin A
Vitamin C	60mg	extra 10mg source: banana, Apple, lemon, blackberries, cantaloupe, watermelon, tomato, lime, peach, grape. Sources of Vitamin C
Vitamin E	-	extra 2mg source: corn oil, blueberries, whole wheat. Sources of Vitamin E
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin)	1.7mg	extra 0.3mg source: milk, bread, kiwi fruit, avocado. Sources of Vitamin B2
Vitamin B12	2mcg	extra 0.2mcg source: chedder cheese, egg, yogurt, milk, meat. Sources of Vitamin B12
Folic acid, folate	400mcg	extra 200mcg source: kiwi, blackberries, tomato, orange, strawberry, banana, cantaloupe, lima beans, asparagus, avocado, peas, artichoke, spinach, nuts. Sources of Folic acid, folate
Magnesium	310mg	extra 30-40mg sources: nuts, seeds, figs, lemon, apple, grapefruit, corn, almond, dark green vegetables
Zinc	8mg	extra 3-4mg sources: wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, pork loin, eggs
Selenium	55mcg	extra 5mcg sources: wheat germ, broccoli, tomatoes, Brazil nuts, tuna
Molybdenum	45mcg	extra 5mcg sources: whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, beans.

Recipes for Pregnant Women

You can find healthy recipes for pregnant women in different sections of recipes page at low calorie recipes. The recipes have not been listed specifically for pregnant women, but you can select based on the above nutrient requirement.

Foods to Avoid during Pregnancy

Risky Foods During Pregnancy

Cut down fatty foods.
Avoid drinks like coffee, tea, coca colas and other drinks with caffeine. Too much caffeine may affect the growth of baby during pregnancy and at birth.
Caffeine & Pregnancy
Pregnant women who consume caffeine (from tea, cola, chocolate and some prescription drugs) even about a cup of coffee daily are at higher risk of giving birth to an underweight baby, according to the research findings published in the British Medical Journal in November 2008.
The researchers further found that pregnant women who drink two or more cups of coffee a day are at twice the risk of having a miscarriage as those women who do not take caffeine.
Advice: Reduce caffeine intake before conception and throughout pregnancy. The best advice was to limit caffeine consumption to below 100 milligrams a day, there is no lower limit for which there is no effect,
Avoid Vitamin A supplements as too much may harm your baby growing inside.
Avoid white breads and foods prepared with white flour (maida).
Avoid too much sugar and foods containing sugars.
Nutmeg spice in large quantity to pregnant women may result in miscarriage.
Although there is no scientific evidence, some people believe that because pineapple and raw papaya contain enzymes, so they can induce abortion.
Avoid high-mercury sea-foods such as fish, especially Swordfish, Shark, King Mackerel and Tilefish. Raw fish and seafood may contain Listeria, a bacteria that can cause food poisoning and miscarriage or premature birth.
Avoid raw or smoked or frozen seafood such as oysters, sushi, sashimi, smoked oysters and smoked salmon. But canned seafood is safe to eat.
Soft cheeses like ricotta without heating or uncooked.
Avoid raw meat such as seafood, sushi, uncooked beef, raw eggs or poultry as these may be contaminated by toxoplasmosis, coliform bacteria and salmonella.
Pre-cooked meat dishes without further heating.
Salads, readymade or pre-packed.
Ready-cooked cold meat including chicken.
You should not smoke.
Always consult your doctor about the safety of any drugs you take when pregnant.

Also read Food Safety for Pregnant Women, Children & Seniors

Preterm Births & Oral Health

Researchers in the United States have found in 2009 that brushing your teeth properly and maintaining proper oral hygiene reduces the chance of early labour by a large extent. The researchers discovered that bacteria usually found in the mouth could be responsible for up to 80% of early preterm labours.

According to the American Academy of Periodontology, “Pregnant women who have gum disease (periodontal disease) may be more likely to have a baby that is born too early and too small”.

Foods a Pregnant Women should Eat

Hairspray Hazards

The Daily Telegraph in November 2008 reported that women who come into excessive contact with certain hairspray products during the first three months of pregnancy increased the chances of having a child with a genital defect, if a boy.

Hair Care Recipes

Microwaves Harmful During Pregnancy

A microwave oven can be harmful to your unborn child, because they emit electromagnetic radiation which could harm embryos and could lead to cell death, malnourished babies, infertility, damaged DNA and even miscarriages, according to Dr Shivani Sachdev Gaur of Phoenix hospital.
A pregnant woman should therefore not stand near a microwave oven closer than 12 cm or 5 inch, especially if it is old and damaged.
A survey conducted in 2009 indicated that in USA over 56 per cent microwave ovens two years or older leaked levels of radiation 10 per cent higher than the FDA's safety standards.

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, beans, lentils, and legumes. They provide vitamins, minerals and fibre.
Eat wholemeal bread and whole grain cereals.
Iron is essential for adequate blood supply to the growing baby and the placenta. For your iron requirement, eat foods high in iron such as green leafy vegetables, dried fruit, and nuts.
You may need to take iron and folic acid supplements regularly. Consult your Doctor before starting any iron supplement.
For your requirement of Vitamin C, include citrus fruits, tomatoes, broccoli, and potatoes in your diet. They help absorb iron.
You are responsible for the supply of calcium to your baby inside that is necessary for baby's healthy bones. Depending on your age, you may include 1000 mg - 100 mg of calcium and 200IU of Vitamin D in your diet.
Dairy products, bread, nuts, fish, and green vegetables are rich in calcium. Milk, cheese and yogurt (all low-fat or skim varieties) contain calcium and other nutrients needed for your baby's growth.
The diet should contain proteins like paneer, cereals, lentils, dals, fresh fruits, vegetables, fish, chicken, etc. See other high protein foods.
Eat cumin as it is believed to increase lactation and reduce nausea in pregnancy.

Food Cravings during Pregnancy

Many women have cravings for certain foods or feel changes to certain food taste and smell during their pregnancy. These are very normal, lasting for a short period. These may be due to the hormonal changes of pregnancy.

Some of the items of craving are sweets, pickles, tamarind (imli), clay, ice, toothpaste, etc. The cravings for a food may not be due to your lack of certain vitamin or mineral in your body.

Morning Sickness and nausea during Pregnancy

In the beginning of the pregnancy, you may have morning sickness with vomiting, headache and dizziness. This can prevent you from getting adequate nutrients for you and your baby.

Eat small meals several times a day.
Drink fluids between meals, total 8 to 10 glasses daily to avoid dehydration. Morning sickness is the signal of dehydration. When the mother is not drinking enough water, she is dehydrating the baby and herself.
Alcohol Drinking During Pregnancy
Pregnant mothers who indulge in alcohol consumption during pregnancy can disrupt their children''s sleep for years afterwards, researchers say as reported in August issue of the journal SLEEP. According to Dr. Katri Räikkönen of the department of Psychology at the University of Helsinki, Finland, even low levels of weekly prenatal exposure to alcohol have adverse effects on sleep quantity and quality during childhood.
Try cold dishes.
Try a few mint essence drops (Pudinhara) in water 2-3 times.
Drink a mixture of 1/2 teaspoon juice of curry leaves or patta with 2 teaspoons lime juice and 1 teaspoon sugar.
Check up with your doctor.

Complexion of unborn child

It is believed that the complexion of an unborn child can be improved if the pregnant mother eats light colored foods.

Pregnancy Exercises and Prenatal Fitness for Pregnant Women

These abdominal exercises are safe and effective for pregnant women.

Pregnancy Diet, Foods & Recipes for a Pregnant Woman