The Mothers diet

As the Mum, your body carries the baby, therefore your food intake is your unborn childs' too. Your pregnancy diet needs to supply your unborn child with the right vitamins, minerals and nutrition to enable your child to meet the important growth and development milestones whilst pregnant. If you intend to breastfeed, there are various foods that can build up the nutrients in your body, giving you more energy to labour and to produce the important colostrum and subsequent from birth.

Your relationship with your health care practitioners

Discuss your concerns and needs with your healthcare practitioner - doctor or midwife. They will be able to create a tailored program for you that suits your needs. Remember to mention any dietary concerns or symptoms you may be experiencing  or you suspect are dietary related, including lack of energy.

INParenting checklist to consider when pregnant

• Include foods that contain iron, including beef, beans and lentils.
• Include a wide variety of nutritious foods in your pregnancy diet
• Eat plenty of breads and cereals (preferably wholegrain), vegetables & legumes and fruits
• Have a pregnancy diet that is low in fat and, in particular, low in saturated fat
• Consume foods that are high in calcium, it is recommended that pregnant women consume 1000mg per day. This is approximately 3 serves of milk (250mls), yoghurt (200gms) or cheese (40gms).
• Maintain a healthy body weight by balancing physical activity and food intake.
• If you drink alcohol, limit your intake or cut it out completely for the healthiest pregnancy diet.
• Consume only a moderate amount of sugars and foods containing added sugars.
• Choose low salt foods for your pregnancy diet and use salt sparingly.
• Include foods that encourage and support breastfeeding.

Foods you should avoid during Pregnancy

• Raw meat such as sushi, seafood, rare or uncooked beef, or poultry because of the risk of contamination with coliform bacteria, toxoplasmosis, and salmonella.
• Raw eggs, or foods containing raw egg such as Caesar dressing, mayonnaise, Hollandaise sauce because raw eggs may be contaminated with salmonella.
• Soft cheese such as blue cheese, feta, Brie, Camenbert, because they may harbor harmful bacteria.
• Fish containing accumulated levels of mercury in their fatty tissues such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish. When a pregnant woman consumes large amounts of mercury, her baby may suffer brain damage resulting in developmental delays (for example, delays in learning to walk or talk).

Once you are on a well-balanced pre-pregnancy and pregnancy diet, ensure you are getting enough exercise, this may include walking, low impact exercise and any other movements that are recommended to you. 

Your pregnancy diet should look after your body, as well as your unborn child's.
INParentings future articles will help you along the way. Keep coming back for more articles soon!