Pregnancy Nutrition and healthy baby development and healthy eating during pregnancy and healthy pregnancy diet and folic acid and

Pregnancy Nutrition

Eating healthy during your pregnancy aids in healthy mental and physical development of your baby, helps ensure a normal birth weight, and has positive effects on your child's heath in the future. It also reduces the risks of pregnancy complications and birth defects.

Eat a variety of foods from the five basic food groups in order to get a sufficient supply of the nutrients needed for the developing baby. A multivitamin will not supply you with all the needed nutrients during pregnancy, so eating a varied diet is very important.
Increase both your calories and nutrients during pregnancy. Pregnant women should add about 300 calories to their diet, but remember to eat healthy foods high in nutrients.
Use recommended daily serving sizes provided by the food pyramid.
Avoid eating junk food as it provides no nutrients and is just empty calories. Remember that weight gain is a normal and healthy part of pregnancy, especially during the second and third trimesters. Pregnancy is not the time to begin dieting.

Limit consumption of caffeine and salt.
Avoid drinking alcohol.
During pregnancy, avoid the following foods
- Any raw meats including sushi, beef, seafood, and poultry, as they pose the risk for foodborne illness.
- Raw eggs or foods containing raw eggs such as Caesar salad or mayonnaise, since raw eggs may contain salmonella.
- Unpasteurized milk products or oft cheeses such as bleu cheese, feta, brie, Camembert, etc. because they may carry harmful bacteria.
- Swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish, as they contain high levels of mercury.
- Any fish that contains high levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), an industrial pollutant. Blue fish, stripped bass, and freshwater fish such as salmon, trout, and pike from contaminated rivers sometimes carry this pollutant. Check with your local Health Department if you have questions about the fish from your area.
To combat morning sickness, eat several small meals throughout the day.
According to the U.S. National Academy of Science, pregnant women should consume vitamin and mineral supplements containing the following:
- 30 mg iron
- 15 mg zinc
- 2 mg copper
- 250 mg calcium (600 mg for women younger than age 25 and for those whose daily intake of calcium is less than 600 mg)
- 2 mg vitamin B6
- 3 mg folate
- 5 micrograms vitamin D (10 micrograms for women who do not drink vitamin D-fortified milk, have minimal exposure to sunlight, or are vegan)
- 2 micrograms of vitamin B12 for women who are vegan
Wait about six weeks after pregnancy to begin trying to lose your pregnancy weight. After those six weeks, begin with small calorie restrictions that will result in a gradual weight loss. Remember to continue eating food high in nutrients needed to maintain sufficient milk production and keep you energized during the day.