Planning Your Diet During Pregnancy

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diet during pregnancy

Diet During Pregnancy – Pregnancy, a whirlwind of emotions one experiences through an arduous but a memorable nine-month journey. Right from the time of conception, the amount of love one receives is equally proportionate to the advises one gets. What to eat and what not to eat? What to include and what to exclude in diet during pregnancy?  But have you ever thought what may have worked for your mother/ mother-in-law/ aunt/ sister/ friend – may not work for you?

So, let’s bust some Diet During Pregnancy myths:

  • Not all pregnant women have cravings, like the often-depicted- that of pickles and ice creams. A few of us may be the deficit on certain nutrients and hence we may crave a certain food category.
  • You are not eating for two, you are eating for yourself, so, you do not feel drained out. The human body is designed in a way that the baby feeds on the mother’s diet. So anything extra you need to eat is for yourself and that is just a few extra calories.
  • You won’t produce more milk by drinking milk – Talk to your gynaecologist and she would tell you that the amount of milk your body produces is influenced by the amount of time your baby nurses.
What you eat during pregnancy affects your well-being and energy levels as well as it has a direct impact on the health of your baby. While we pump-up our calorie and nutrient intake, we must always remind ourselves to add nutrient-dense-healthy-calories in our diet.

To plan your healthy pregnancy diet, choose from a wide range of food and nutrients:

  • Top up on an extra dose of multivitamins such as Vitamin B-12, Vitamin C, Folic Acid, Iron, Calcium etc in consultation with your doctor.
  • Increase your intake of dairy products (extra protein and calcium) in the first trimester to meet the needs of the growing fetus.
  • Eat more whole grains such as rice, Bulgar, corn, oats, buckwheat etc. They help pregnant women meet increased calorie requirements, especially during the second and third trimesters.
  • Have a generous dose of vegetables and fruits – make your platter colourful and interesting.
  • Increase your daily dose of protein through soy, tofu, lean meats, fish, eggs, and chicken. Stay away from anything raw or undercooked.
  • Remember to keep yourself hydrated and drink enough water to keep your blood increase in check. Relieve constipation and reduce your risk of urinary tract infections, which are common during pregnancy.
  • Make sure to have some amount of dry fruits in your everyday diet. Dry fruits are a source of natural oils.

Also, it is ideal to eat at regular intervals; while each body has a different dietary requirement, it is very important to maintain healthy eating habits and ensuring that your body is getting enough nutrition with an appropriate dose of sunshine (Vitamin D, important for absorption of Calcium). All this of course under the guidance and supervision of a qualified doctor.

Happy Eating and Enjoy Your Pregnancy!

Read more: Post Pregnancy diet