Diet and Nutrition

What you eat is especially important now because you are eating for two, but this does not mean that you need to eat twice as much. It does mean that you should eat a balanced diet with many nutrient-rich foods. Weight gain in the first trimester is minimal, so early in your pregnancy you should concentrate on making healthy food choices, not increasing your caloric intake. You should strive to eat foods from all of the major food groups. Speak with your doctor about diet and weight gain recommendations

Vitamins

Take a prenatal vitamin with DHA daily. Continue prenatal vitamins while you are breastfeeding. When planning future pregnancies, begin taking your daily vitamins three months before conceiving or as soon as possible.

Weight Gain in Pregnancy

Being overweight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 25–29.9. Obesity is defined as having a BMI of 30 or greater. Within the general category of obesity, there are three levels that reflect the increasing health risks that go along with increasing BMI:

• Lowest risk is a BMI of 30-34.9

• Medium risk is a BMI of 35.0-39.9

• Highest risk is a BMI of 40 or greater

You can find out your BMI by using an online BMI calculator on a web site such as nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/lose_wt/BMI/bmicalc.

Obesity during pregnancy puts you at risk of several serious health problems including gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, sleep apnea, pregnancy loss, birth defects, macrosomia, preterm birth, stillbirth, prolonged labor and cesarean section.

Despite the risks, you can have a healthy pregnancy if you are obese. It takes careful management of your weight, attention to diet and exercise, regular prenatal care to monitor for complications and special considerations for your labor and delivery.

Finding a balance between eating healthy foods and staying at a healthy weight is important for your health as well as your baby’s health. In the second and third trimesters, a pregnant woman needs an average of 300 extra calories a day — about the amount of calories in a glass of skim milk and half of a sandwich. You can get help with planning a healthy diet by talking to a nutrition counselor. Help also can be found at the Choose My Plate website, which has a special section for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding (choosemyplate.gov/moms-pregnancy-breastfeeding).

If you have never exercised before, pregnancy is a great time to start. Discuss your exercise plan with your obstetrician to make sure it is safe. Begin with as little as five minutes of exercise a day and add five minutes each week. Your goal is to stay active for 30 minutes on most — preferably all — days of the week. Walking is a good choice if you are new to exercise. Swimming is another good exercise for pregnant women. The water supports your weight so you can avoid injury and muscle strain. It also helps you stay cool. Stop exercising if you develop shortness of breath, chest pain, extreme fatigue, uterine cramping (contractions), dizziness, decreased fetal movement or leaking of fluid from the vagina.

Your weight will be tracked at each prenatal visit. The growth of your baby also will be checked. If you are gaining less than the recommended guidelines, and if your baby is growing well, you do not have to increase your weight gain to catch up to the guidelines. If your baby is not growing well, changes may need to be made to your diet and exercise plan.

Caffeine

Try to limit your caffeine intake to 100 mg of caffeine per day. This is the equivalent of one cup of coffee or one 20 ounce soda. It is not recommended to exceed 300 mg in one day. Remember, caffeine is found in coffee, tea, soda, chocolate and even some over-the-counter pain medications.

Seafood and Shellfish

Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are important to many structures of your body (and your baby’s), including the brain and eyes. You can safely eat 12 ounces per week of a variety of cooked fish: shellfish, smaller ocean fish or farm-raised fish. A typical serving size of fish is three to six ounces.

A pregnant woman and her unborn baby are at risk if she eats raw or undercooked seafood. Avoid eating raw or undercooked fish (including oysters, clams, mussels and scallops).

Avoid eating large amounts of methylmercury such as swordfish, tilefish (golden bass), etc.