Karmel - Eating for two: the complete guide to nutrition during pregegnancy and beyond

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Welcome to the most amazing time of your life. Your body is beginning a fantastic roller-coaster ride, and while the ups and downs of pregnancy may be a mix of the joyful, the amusing, and even the downright unpleasant, this is a journey that will remain with you forever. Good nutrition has a huge influence on pregnancy, both for mom and for baby. Its one of the first gifts we can give our child.

We all want the best for our babies, and eating a balanced and nutritious diet during pregnancy helps to give them an optimal start in life in a number of different ways. A steady supply of vitamins, minerals, protein, and other nutrients is crucial to an unborn babys development. It allows the mother to form a healthy placenta, the babys lifeline from the outside world. A healthy diet also allows the baby to lay down stores of nutrients, such as iron, that will be necessary during the first months of life outside the uterus.

We often focus so much on babies that we forget the importance of these nutrients for mom; theyre essential to support changes such as the growth of the placenta and uterus. At the end of pregnancy, it is essential for the body to be well nourished to cope with the demands of labor and breast-feeding.

One great advantage of a healthy diet is that it allows both mother and baby to gain a healthy amount of weight. This has benefits both during pregnancy and the birth, as well as when mother and baby begin their new life together, and beyond.

Giving your baby the best start in life begins now, whether you are planning to become pregnant, have just found out the happy news, or have a bump well on the way. Start with First priorities, below, then read on to find out about foods to focus on, how to tackle nutritional problems, and delicious recipes tailored to each trimester.

If youre like most new moms-to-be, your brain probably started racing as soon as you found out you were pregnant. Trying to process myriad thoughts, from baby names to the birth, can make it difficult to remember what to do first. So heres a list of the very first actions to take to benefit both your health and that of your baby. None of these actions is difficult to carry out, and the sooner you start, the sooner youll be putting your own and your babys well-being at the top of your priority list.

While theres a lot of information on vitamins and minerals in this book, the first ones to think about, as early as possible in your pregnancy or even beforehand, are folic acid and vitamin D. Taking supplements of folic acid, a B vitamin, has been shown to reduce the risk of the unborn babys developing spina bifida and other neural tube defects (types of malformation in the babys spinal cord). Start taking 400 mcg (micrograms) of folic acid daily from before conception or as early as possible in the pregnancy, and continue until the end of the first trimester. The recommendation is higher5,000 mcg (5 mg) of folic acid per dayif you have had a previous pregnancy or are yourself affected by a neural tube defect, are taking epilepsy medication, or have diabetes, celiac disease, thalassemia, or sickle-cell anemia; speak to your ob-gyn for further advice. Also, try to eat some foods rich in folic acid every day. These include breakfast cereals with added folic acid, yeast extract, oranges and orange juice, and green leafy vegetables.

Recent studies have shown that more people have low vitamin D levels than was previously thought. While foods such as fortified margarines, oil-rich fish, and eggs contain some vitamin D, the main source is the action of strong sunlight on the skin. Because this also carries risks, keep to moderate sun exposure (you dont need to sunbathe) and take a daily supplement of 10 mcg of vitamin D during your pregnancy and if and when you are breast-feeding.

You can read more about folic acid and vitamin D .

Authorities are divided on whether its safe to drink a small amount of alcohol while youre pregnant or whether to avoid even the tiniest amount. The current advice from the UKs National Health Service (NHS) and the United States Surgeon General is not to drink alcohol at all while pregnant. If you do, keep it to a small occasional drink, and only after the first trimester. Your baby is most vulnerable during the first trimester when crucial development is taking place. Read more about

By reading this book, youll gain a wealth of information on feeding yourself (and therefore also your baby) as well as possible during your pregnancy. If you think before you eat, you can focus on foods that provide essential protein, vitamins, and other nutrients, which are the building blocks for your developing baby. You can also avoid eating too many empty caloriesfoods that are high in calories from fat or sugar, but not high in nutrients. This helps to prevent too much weight gain, which can cause problems for both you and your baby. Lastly, thinking about what you eat, and how its prepared and stored, can help to minimize the risk of food poisoning and other food-related issues during pregnancy.

It goes without saying that if cigarette smoke is unhealthy for us, it will be unhealthy for our unborn babies. Research has found that smoking during pregnancy is associated with a higher risk of problems, ranging from babies being born early to miscarriage. If you are a smoker, speak to your obgyn about strategies to help you cut down or quit. This may even reduce your morning sickness. If you are not a smoker, be aware of secondhand smoke, which is also related to problems such as lower birth weight for babies.

Its easy to continue to take your usual medications or supplements when you become pregnant, just out of habit. However, this is not a time to take any nonessential pills or potions, even nutritional supplements or herbal remedies. Essential medications should also be reviewed for safety during pregnancy and possible alternatives prescribed. Whether prescription or over-the-counter, discuss all your medication needs with your pharmacist or ob-gyn.

Gaining an appropriate amount of weight is critical during pregnancy. The weight of the baby is about 7 to 8 pounds, but you are also gaining a placenta through which to pass nutrients to your baby, the amniotic fluid he is swimming in, larger breasts, and so on. You might think it would take a huge amount of extra calories to achieve all this, but actually its more a case of quality rather than quantity. You are most certainly eating for two because there are now two of you whose well-being is dependent on what you eat, and because pregnancy increases your requirement for a host of nutrients. However, you actually dont require extra calories until the last trimester of pregnancy, and even then its quite a .

There are risks associated with gaining too much weightthese include a higher chance of having a larger baby and a more difficult labor. The risks can be long term; research has found that mothers who gain more weight than recommended during pregnancy are more likely to be overweight many years later. On the other side of the coin, gaining too little weight during pregnancy may increase the risk of having a smaller baby and a premature birth.