Pregnancy is a very exciting time for families. Whether it is your first time or the fourth, growing a new life in you is a wonderful feeling but a big responsibility. During pregnancy, you experience a lot of physical and emotional changes. Between all the happiness, excitement, and anxiety, you also start nourishing and nurturing your baby right from the womb. This is why you must eat healthily and live a stress-free life throughout your pregnancy period.
While your family can provide you with all the love, care, and support you need during this period, eating the right foods at the right time depends on you. Many women have a hard time eating well due to morning sickness and bizarre cravings during pregnancy. But with some guidance from our resident dietitian and a little effort from your side, you can eat right and stay healthy for yourself and your little one.
In this blog, we will discuss more prenatal nutrition and 7 superfoods you need to include in your diet during pregnancy.
Prenatal nutrition- What is it all about?
Prenatal nutrition is key to a healthy pregnancy. Both the mother and the growing fetus need specific foods to meet different nutritional needs right from the pregnancy. As an expectant mother, it is your responsibility to incorporate nutrient-dense foods in your diet from day one to provide the baby with the best start possible.
When we talk about nutrition, a growing fetus requires very specific ones at different stages of its development. So, to help you decide what to eat and when our resident dietitian Dr. Alya discusses foods that must be part of your diet during each trimester.
First trimester
1. Vitamin B9 or Folate is vital for a healthy pregnancy. Doctors often recommend women trying to conceive start taking folic acid supplements, which are converted to Folate in the body- to prevent major neural birth defects of the fetus. Folate helps protect the baby from neural tube defects and ensures normal fetal development and red blood cell creation. Apart from supplements, it is important to consume Folate rich foods like citrus fruits(orange, grapefruit, strawberries, and raspberries), leafy greens (spinach, turnip greens, and mustard greens), nuts and seeds (almonds, peanuts, walnuts, flax seeds, and sunflower seeds) and legumes ( peas, beans, and lentils).
2. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that is essential to your body whether you are pregnant or not. This nutrient is a well-known immunity booster that plays an important role in fetal development and helps the mother in tissue repair, collagen production, and increased iron absorption. Studies also show that consuming the right amount of vitamin C reduces the risk of preeclampsia, which is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and signs of damage to the liver and kidneys. So, do not forget to include Vitamin C-rich foods such as oranges, peppers, strawberries, blackcurrants, broccoli, brussels sprouts, and potatoes.
Second trimester
3. Iron is an important nutrient that both the mother and the baby require as the pregnancy advances to the second trimester. As the fetus grows, the mother’s blood volume increases up to 50% to meet the hemoglobin needs of the baby. Iron plays a key role in transporting oxygen from the baby’s developing lungs to the rest of the body, and any deficiency can be taxing for the growth of the baby, placenta, and the mother. Iron deficiency or Anemia is associated with low birth weight, preterm delivery, and infant mortality. So to avoid unnecessary complications, mothers in their second trimester must include iron-rich foods like chicken, lamb, seafood, dry fruits, legumes, citrus fruits, and cruciferous vegetables.
Third trimester
4. As you enter the later stage of your pregnancy, your body requires more nutrient-dense foods to support the development of a rapidly growing fetus. As the fetus’s bones and cartilages become denser, there will be a huge demand for calcium absorbed from the mother’s body. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement this sudden calcium drain by increasing the intake of foods rich in calcium, such as milk, cheese, other dairy foods, green leafy vegetables, soya drinks, almonds, sesame seeds, brazil nuts, salmon, and sardines. If the mother doesn’t intake enough calcium during this stage to support the baby’s growth, her body will start utilizing calcium stored in her bones. This, in turn, manifests as aches and pains for the mother during pregnancy and eventually leads to developing osteoporosis.
5. Vitamin D3 is another nutrient vital for bone health. Proper intake of D3 ensures a reduced risk of gestational diabetes, infection, and preterm birth. In many cultures, women are also encouraged to sunbathe during mornings and evenings as exposure to the sun helps the mother’s body synthesize D3, which is essential for the healthy development of the baby and useful for strengthening the bones of the mother. Additionally, foods like wild mushrooms, cheese, beef liver, fresh salmon, halibut, mackerel, egg yolks, sardines, and D3 fortified dairy and orange juices can provide enough of the vitamin to meet your and your baby’s needs.
6. A lesser-known nutrient that facilitates bone health is Vitamin K2, which is found more in organ meats and naturally fermented foods like chicken, beef, pasture-raised egg yolk, natto, hard cheese fermented sauerkraut.
7. Healthy fats, more specifically Omega 3 fatty acids, help with fetal brain development. Omega 3 is made up of 60% fat, namely DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid ), which adds protective fat to the baby and the mother while improving heart health, vision and reduced inflammatory response. Foods such as fish and other seafood (salmon, mackerel, tuna, herring, and sardines), nuts and seeds (such as flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts), and plant oils (such as flaxseed oil, soybean oil, and canola oil) are rich sources of omega 3. They must be part of your pregnancy diet.
Takeaway
Pregnant women are often misguided when it comes to their diet. Often, women overeat, believing the theory of “eating for two,” which may increase the mother’s and the baby’s weight, leading to difficult labour. At The Hundred, our resident dietician Dr. Ayla focuses on educating women on eating the right foods in the right amount. Eating a healthy, nutrient-dense meal will help expectant mothers find the energy to tackle each day and enjoy their pregnancies, all the while ensuring the healthy development of their baby.
