Avena - What to eat when you’re pregnant : a week-by-week guide to support your health and your baby’s development during pregnancy

Dedication

To Stellas sister.

I would especially like to acknowledge Regina Vaicekonyte, MS, who assisted with research on several elements of this book. Her expertise in nutrition was invaluable to this project. She was there at every step along the way, and her interest, ideas, and enthusiasm were all very much appreciated.

There are many additional important people to acknowledge and thank for their role in the development of this book.

Gratitude to Georgie Fear, RD, who developed the delicious and easy-to-prepare recipes, along with other key nutritional excerpts throughout the book. Her ideas for simple, practical meals are perfect for busy moms!

Thanks to Susan Murray for her keen eye, flair for writing, and devoted efforts assisting with the research, organization, editing, and pretty much anything and everything else needed for this book.

Thanks to my editor, Julie Bennett, and the entire team at Ten Speed Press as well as the Crown Publishing Group and Penguin Random House for their assistance and support. Working with you all has been a great experienceeven more so the second time around!

Thanks to Alastair Tulloch, MS, for his input, research, and willingness to read through the manuscript as an outsider (although he is certainly not one!).

Thanks to Katie Bishop, MS, for her assistance researching parts of the book, even up until the last minute.

Thanks to Linda Konner for her sage advice and support throughout the development of this book and beyond.

Thanks to all of my colleagues and collaborators for their research and the valuable information they have produced in the fields of nutrition and developmental psychology. Not only has this information kept me fascinated by this topic, but it has also led to many interesting and educational discussions over the years.

I also thank my dear friends and family for their help and support along the way.

Gratitude to Deb Gutter and Stephanie Madeline, who took the time to give me detailed, helpful comments on the initial plan for this book.

Thanks to all of my mommy friends, who have allowed me to draw on their experiences during and after each of their unique pregnancies. MaryLynn Bohlayer, Nicole Sette, Beth Tengowski, Casey McElligott, Tara Todd, and Stas Weinstock have all been great friends and resources on many life matters, not just those related to babies.

I also owe an infinite amount of thanks to my husband, Eamon, whose support and encouragement keeps me going. Bert, thanks for reminding me to relax.

And last but not least, thanks to my darling baby, Stella, for inspiring me to write this book. We are blessed to have such a happy and healthy little girl, and I wish for every mom out there to be as fortunate. The journey of having you has been the most exciting experience I could have ever imagined, and every day it keeps getting better.

Congratulations! If youre reading this book, you are most likely at the beginning stages of a beautiful journey through pregnancyor else thinking about embarking on it soon. Pregnancy can be a joyful life event; it is often celebrated with baby showers, pampering, and even babymoons (when a couple goes on vacation or a weekend getaway before the birth). Pregnancy is also a rite of passage. During and after pregnancy, women experience major physical, social, and psychological transitions, and their roles and responsibilities as individuals change dramatically and forever.

While pregnancy can be exciting and nerve-racking at the same time, it is also one of the most profound periods in a womans life. Youre sure to have many questions and concerns, especially if this is your first baby. How do I ensure that my baby is healthy? What can I eat and what should I avoid while Im pregnant? Will my body ever look the same after this? Will I be a good mom? If you are anything like I was when I got pregnant with my daughter, you are probably also feeling sheer excitement and happiness intermixed with these worries.

Let Food Be Thy Medicine

The primary concern of every pregnant woman is the health and well-being of her growing baby, and science suggests that what we eat while pregnant can have dramatic effects on the babys development and behavior later in life. But trying to eat healthy is hard in the modern food environment, especially when you are pregnant. Also, what does eating healthy even mean anymore? There is so much conflicting information out there about what to eat, it can make your head spin.

In addition to doing research in this field, I also have firsthand experience with the trials and tribulations of eating well during pregnancy and beyond. When I first became pregnant with my daughter, I was overwhelmed with excitement. I started to read every book and web article I could find about pregnancy. Thats when the fear began to set in. It seemed like everything was potentially toxic or damaging to a growing baby. Between avoiding kitty litter and wondering if the cheese Id bought was pasteurized, I wanted to hide in my house or surround myself with BPA-free bubble wrap for the next nine months. Plus, I quickly began to realize that following weight-gain guidelines was easier said than done.

As a neuroscientist with a focus on appetite and nutrition, I spend most of my days thinking about and testing how what we eat affects our brains. I know that the foods we eat can dramatically affect our behavior and health, and this is even more critical when it comes to the nourishment that a pregnant woman passes along to her developing baby. However, as a pregnant woman I found the information out there for me and other moms-to-be confusing, limited, and overwhelmingly focused on the negatives: avoid this, avoid that. I found myself wondering, After we avoid all of those foods, what should we eat? I am also a skeptical person by nature (probably fueled by my training to become a scientist), and I wanted to know not just what to eat, but also why , and I wanted some proof to back it up. I wasnt sold on the old wives tales.