| |  Pregnancy
Tips
How
many calories should I eat?
Eating the right number of calories lets you and your baby gain the proper amount
of weight. During the first 3 months of your pregnancy, you do not need to change
the number of calories you are eating.
Normal-weight
women need an extra 300 calories each day during the last 6 months of pregnancy.
This totals about 1,900 to 2,500 calories a day. If you were underweight, overweight,
or obese before you became pregnant, or if you are pregnant with more than one
baby, you may need a different number of calories. Talk to your health care provider
about how much weight you should gain and how many calories you need.
Each
of these healthy choices has about 300 calories:
- 1
cup of non-fat fruit yogurt and a medium apple
- 1
piece of whole wheat toast spread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter
- 1
cup of beef and bean chili sprinkled with 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese
- 1
cup of raisin bran cereal with 1/2 cup of non-fat milk and a small banana
- 3
ounces roasted lean ham or chicken breast and 1/2 cup sweet potatoes
- 1
flour tortilla (7-inch), 1/2 cup refried beans, 1/2 cup cooked broccoli, and 1/2
cup cooked red pepper.
Why
is gaining a healthy amount of weight important? Gaining
a healthy amount of weight may help you have a more comfortable pregnancy and
delivery. It also may help you have fewer pregnancy complications, such as diabetes,
high blood pressure, constipation, and backaches. Gaining
too little weight during your pregnancy makes it hard for your baby to grow properly.
Talk to your health care provider if you feel you are not gaining enough weight. If
you gain too much weight, you are more likely to have a longer labor and more
difficult delivery. Also, gaining a lot of extra body fat will make it harder
for you to return to a normal weight after you have your baby. If you feel you
are gaining too much weight during your pregnancy, talk with your health care
provider. Do
not try to lose weight if you are pregnant. If you do not eat enough calories
or a variety of foods, your baby will not get the nutrients he or she needs to
grow. How
much weight should I gain during my pregnancy?
Talk
to your health care provider about how much weight you should gain during your
pregnancy. General weight-gain recommendations listed below refer to pre-pregnancy
weight and are for women expecting only one baby.
- If
you are: underweight You should gain: about 27 to 40 pounds
- If
you are: normal weight You should gain: about 25 to 35 pounds
- If
you are: overweight You should gain: about 15 to 25 pounds
- If
you are: obese You should gain: about 15 pounds or less
Do
I have any special nutrition needs now that I am pregnant?
Yes. During pregnancy, you and your growing baby need more of several nutrients.
By eating the recommended number of daily servings from each of the five food
groups, you should get most of the nutrients you need. Be
sure to include foods high in folate, such as orange juice, strawberries, spinach,
broccoli, beans, and fortified breads and breakfast cereals. Or get it in a vitamin/mineral
supplement. To
help prevent birth defects, you must get enough daily folate before as well as
during pregnancy. Prenatal supplements contain folic acid (another form of folate).
Look for a supplement that has at least 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of folic
acid. Although
most health care providers recommend taking a multi-vitamin/mineral "prenatal"
supplement before becoming pregnant, during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding,
always talk to your health care provider before taking any supplements. Can
I continue to follow my vegetarian diet during pregnancy?
Yes, you can continue a vegetarian eating plan during pregnancy, but talk to your
health care provider first. If
you do not eat any animal foods, it may be difficult to get enough of important
nutrients, including protein, iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. Your
health care provider may ask you to meet with a registered dietitian who can help
you to plan meals, and may also recommend that you take supplements. Tips
for healthy eating
Meet the needs of your body and help avoid
common discomforts of pregnancy by following these tips: - Eat
breakfast every day. If you feel sick to your stomach in the morning, choose dry
whole-wheat toast or whole-grain crackers when you first wake up-even before you
get out of bed. Eat the rest of your breakfast (fruit, oatmeal, cereal, milk,
yogurt, or other foods) later in the morning.
- Eat
high-fiber foods. Eating whole-grain cereals, vegetables, fruits, beans, whole-wheat
breads, and brown rice, along with drinking plenty of water and getting daily
physical activity, can help you prevent the constipation that many women have
during pregnancy.
- Keep
healthy foods on hand. A fruit bowl filled with apples, bananas, peaches, oranges,
and grapes makes it easy to grab a healthy snack. Fresh, frozen, and canned fruits
and vegetables make healthy and quick additions to meals, as do canned beans.
- If
you have heartburn during your pregnancy, eat small meals more often, eat slowly,
avoid spicy and fatty foods (such as hot peppers or fried chicken), drink beverages between meals instead of with meals, and do not lie down right after eating.
What
foods should I avoid during pregnancy? There
are certain foods and beverages that can harm your baby if you eat or drink them
while you are pregnant. Here is a general list of foods and beverages that you
should avoid: - Alcohol.
Instead of wine, beer, or a mixed drink, enjoy apple cider, tomato juice, 100-percent
juice mixed with sparkling water, or other non-alcoholic beverages.
- Fish
that may have high levels of methylmercury (a substance that can build up in fish
and harm an unborn baby). Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish
during pregnancy. Eat no more than 12 ounces of any fish per week (equal to four
3-ounce servings-each about the size of a deck of cards).
- Soft
cheeses such as feta, Brie, and goat cheese and ready-to-eat meats including lunch
meats, hot dogs, and deli meats. These foods may contain bacteria called listeria
that are harmful to unborn babies. Cooking lunch meats, hot dogs, and deli meats
until steaming hot can kill the bacteria and make these meats safe to eat.
- Raw
fish such as sushi, sashimi, or ceviche and raw or undercooked meat and poultry.
These foods can contain harmful bacteria. Cook fish, meat, and poultry thoroughly
before eating.
- Large
amounts of caffeine-containing beverages. If you are a heavy coffee, tea,
or soda drinker, talk to your health care provider about whether you should cut
back on caffeine. Try a decaffeinated version of your favorite beverage, a mug
of warm low-fat or fat-free milk with honey, or sparkling mineral water.
- Anything
that is not food. Some pregnant women may crave something that is not food,
such as laundry starch or clay. Talk to your health care provider if you crave
something that is not food.
Ask
your health care provider for a complete list of foods and beverages that you
should avoid.
PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY
Should I be physically active during my pregnancy?
Almost all women can and should be physically active during pregnancy. Talk to
your health care provider first, particularly if you have high blood pressure,
diabetes, anemia, bleeding, or other disorders, or if you are obese or underweight.
Whether
or not you were active before you were pregnant, ask your health care provider
about a level of exercise that is safe for you. Aim to do at least 30 minutes
of a moderate activity (one that makes you breathe harder but does not overwork
or overheat you) on most days of the week. Regular,
moderate physical activity during pregnancy may: - Help
you and your baby to gain the proper amounts of weight
- Reduce
the discomforts of pregnancy such as backaches, leg cramps, constipation, bloating,
and swelling
- Improve
your mood, energy level, and feelings about the way you look
- Strengthen
your muscles and improve your blood flow
- Improve
your sleep
- Help
you have an easier, shorter labor
- Help
you to recover from delivery and return to a healthy weight faster.
Follow
these safety precautions while being active during your pregnancy: - Choose
moderate activities that are unlikely to injure you, such as walking, aqua aerobics,
swimming, yoga, or using a stationary bike.
- Stop
exercising when you start to feel tired, and never exercise until you are exhausted
or overheated.
- Drink
plenty of water.
- Wear
comfortable clothing that fits well and supports and protects your breasts.
- Stop
exercising if you feel dizzy, short of breath, pain in your back, swelling, numbness,
sick to your stomach, or if your heart is beating too fast or at an uneven rate.
What
physical activities should I avoid during pregnancy?
For
your health and safety, and for the health of your baby, there are certain physical
activities that you should not do while you are pregnant. Some are listed below.
Talk to your health care provider about other physical activities that you should
avoid during your pregnancy. - Avoid
being active outside during hot weather.
- Avoid
steam rooms, hot tubs, and saunas.
- Avoid
physical activities, such as certain yoga poses, that call for you to lie flat
on your back after 20 weeks of pregnancy.
- Avoid
contact sports such as football and boxing, and other activities that might injure
you such as horseback riding.
- Avoid
activities that make you jump or change directions quickly such as tennis or basketball.
During pregnancy, your joints loosen and you are more likely to hurt yourself
when doing these activities.
- Tips
for getting physically active
Get physically active for your health
and the health of your baby by using the tips below: - Go
for a walk around the block or through a shopping mall with your spouse or a friend.
- Sign
up for a prenatal yoga, aqua aerobics, or fitness class. Make sure you let the
instructor know that you are pregnant before beginning.
- Rent
or buy an exercise video for pregnant women. Look for videos at your local library,
video store, health care provider's office, hospital, or maternity clothing store.
- At
your gym, community center, YMCA, or YWCA, sign up for a session with a fitness
trainer who knows about physical activity during pregnancy.
- Get
up and move around at least once an hour if you sit in a chair most of the day;
get up and move around during commercials when watching TV.
What
habits should I keep up after my baby is born?
Following healthy
eating and physical activity habits after your baby is born may help you return
to a healthy weight more quickly, provide you with good nutrition (which you especially
need if you are breastfeeding), and give you the energy you need. You can also
be a good role model for your growing child. After your baby is born:
- Continue
eating well. Eat a variety of foods from the five food groups. If you are not
breastfeeding, you will need about 300 fewer calories per day than you did while
you were pregnant.
- If
you are breastfeeding, you will need to eat about 200 more calories a day than
you did while you were pregnant. Breastfeeding may help you return to a healthy
weight more easily because it requires a great deal of energy. Breastfeeding can
also protect your baby from illnesses such as ear infections, colds, and allergies,
and may help lower your risk for breast and ovarian cancer.
- When
you feel able and your health care provider says it is safe, slowly get back to
your routine of regular, moderate physical activity. Wait for 4 to 6 weeks after
you have your baby to begin doing higher levels of physical activity. Doing physical
activity that is too hard, too soon after delivery, can slow your healing process.
Regular, moderate physical activity will not affect your milk supply if you are
breastfeeding.
- Return
to a healthy weight gradually. Lose no more than 1 pound per week through a sound
eating plan and regular physical activity after you deliver your baby.
Why
should I try to return to a healthy weight after delivery? After
you deliver your baby, your health will be better if you try to return to a healthy
weight. Not losing weight after your baby is born may lead to overweight or obesity
later in life, which may lead to health problems. Talk to your health care provider
about reaching a weight that is healthy for you. Be
good to yourself
Pregnancy
and the time after you deliver your baby can be wonderful, exciting, emotional,
stressful, and tiring, all at once. Experiencing this whirlwind of feelings may
cause you to overeat, not eat enough, or lose your drive and energy. Being good
to yourself can help you to cope with your feelings and to follow eating and physical
activity habits for a healthy pregnancy, a healthy baby, and a healthy family
after delivery. Here are some ideas for being good to yourself: - Try
to get enough sleep.
- Rent
a funny movie and laugh.
- Take
pleasure in the miracles of pregnancy and birth.
- Invite
people whose company you enjoy to visit your new family member.
- Explore
groups that you and your newborn can join, such as "new moms" groups.
NIH
Publication No. 02-5130
September 2002
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