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PREGNANCY

Baby Building Diet

Eating well during pregnancy is important for both mother and baby. A good diet will provide baby with all the nutrients essential for growth and development.

Energy Requirements I Weight Gain I Essential Nutrients I Balanced Diet

Energy Requirements
The number of calories a person needs daily depends on their basal metabolic rate, age and level of activity. For women aged 18-35 years the average amount of energy required is 2000 calories per day. A pregnant woman needs an extra 200 calories per day. Women who are underweight at the start of pregnancy will need more. Mothers who breastfeed their babies need an extra 480-550 calories per day.

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Weight Gain
During the early months of pregnancy, maternal weight gain is likely to be very gradual and energy needs increase by only a small amount. However, as the pregnancy progresses mum can expect to show a steady weight gain due to the changes in her body.

There is no exact healthy weight gain, thin women may need to gain more weight, overweight women less. BabyCentre has a useful Pregnancy Weight Gain Estimator tool which estimates weight gain during pregnancy based on pre-pregnancy height and weight.

By the end of pregnancy, on average, mum is likely to have gained 11 - 14kgs, which is made up as follows:

			Kilograms
		Baby's weight	3.2 - 3.4
		Placenta	0.57 - 0.68
		Amniotic fluid	0.9
		Uterus	0.9
		Breasts	0.68 - 0.9
		Extra blood volume	1.8
		Stored fat and protein	1.8 - 3.2
		Increased tissue fluid	1.8
		Approximate total gain	13.6

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Essential Nutrients
A lot of research has been done, illustrating the ill effects of poor maternal nutrition just prior to, and during pregnancy. Neural tube defect, higher rates of miscarriage, toxaemia and premature birth has been linked with common dietary deficiencies of vital nutrients. A healthy diet depends on eating a variety of foods in order to get all the essential nutrients. A baby building diet should contain the following nutrients:

Nutrient	Good Source	What it does
Vitamin A	Liver, egg yolk, oily fish, whole milk, butter, carrots, kidneys, green & yellow vegetables.	Helps resist infection, essential for vision, keeps hair in good condition.
Vitamin D	Sunlight, fish oil, fatty fish.	Necessary for growth and maintenance of bones and teeth.
Vitamin E	Whole grains, wheat germ, nuts, whole milk, green leafy vegetables, egg yolk, avocado.	Prevents oxidation of vitamin A, can protect from scarring and is important in wound healing.
Vitamin B1	Oatmeal, liver, kidney, peas, wholemeal bread, wheat germ, nuts, pork.	Aids digestion, necessary for growth.
Vitamin B2	Green vegetables, milk, eggs, liver, brewer’s yeast, nuts, wheat germ.	Builds brain cells, prevents infections and bleeding gums.
Niacin	Kidney, cooked meat, mackerel, other fish, beef extract, liver, peanuts, sardines.	Prevents eye and skin problems, essential for normal growth and development.
Vitamin B6	Meat, fish, eggs, banana, pineapple, wholemeal bread, yeast, liver, kidney, mackerel.	Deficiency causes disease of the nerves and anaemia.
Folic acid	Kidney, peanuts, walnuts, wheat germ, eggs, lettuce, mushroom, tomatoes, oranges, liver, dark green vegetables.	Vital for normal cell division in the foetus, deficiency linked to spina bifida.
Vitamin B12	Tongue, turkey, tuna, salmon, beef, lamb, egg, liver, pilchards, sardines, herring.	Necessary to form red blood cells and nervous system.
Vitamin C	Oranges, kiwi fruit, asparagus, blackcurrants, lemons, broad beans, sprouts, strawberries, broccoli, cabbage.	Helps iron absorption, important for healing.
Calcium	Small whole fish, especially shellfish, soy flour, figs, peanuts, walnuts, milk, hard cheese.	Essential for healthy bones and teeth.
Copper	Shell fish, brazil nuts, organ meats, dried legumes, dried stone fruits, green vegetables.	Aids the development of brain, bones, nerves and connective tissue.
Iodine	Water, iodised salt, watercress, onions, kelp, shellfish, mushrooms, dark leafy vegetables.	Necessary for the formation of thyroxine which is necessary for growth, physical and mental development.
Iron	Lamb, chicken, turkey, ham, liver, black sausage, kidney, beef, soy, oysters.	Essential for formation of red blood cells, help carry oxygen around the body.
Magnesium	Nuts, kelp, green vegetables, sea food, eggs, milk, whole grains, dolomite.	Needed for the production and transfer of energy, muscle contractions and proper nerve function.
Zinc	Beef, lamb, liver, cheese, milk, oatmeal, whole grain cereal, oysters, wheat germ, wheat bran.	Helps form many enzymes and proteins, deficiency associated with increased risk of premature birth and low birth weight babies.

See how your diet matches up! The Diet Analysis Web Site lets you enter the foods you've eaten and then gives a complete nutritional review based on the Recommended Dietary Allowances for your demographic.

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Balanced Diet
For a healthy diet, an expectant mother needs a variety of foods, to give her body the nutrients and energy it needs as well as provide for the growing baby. You can use the following chart as a guideline for choosing the types and amounts of foods you eat in a day.

		Group 1 : Vegetables ( 3 )
		Group 2 : Fruits ( 2 )
		Group 3 : Breads and Cereal ( 6 )
		Group 4 : Milk and Milk Products ( 3 )
		Group 5 : Meat, Fish and Alternatives ( 2 )
		Group 6 : Fluids ( 8 )

Group 1 : Vegetables

Choose at least three servings of vegetables each day. Include at least one serving from dark yellow or green leafy vegetables for vitamin A. Food marked with * are high in folic acid.

One portion = 1 cup raw, one whole piece or half a cup cooked.

Asparagus* Bean sprouts Beets

Broccoli* Brussels sprouts Cabbage

Carrots Cauliflower Green beans

Green peas* Lettuce Potato

Spinach* Tomato Zucchini

Group 2 : Fruits

Choose at least two servings of fruit each day. Include at least 1 servings of food marked with * as they are rich in vitamin C.

One portion = 1 cup whole or one and a half a cup cubed or sauced.

Apple Apricots Banana

Strawberries* Grapefruit* Grapes

Kiwi fruit* Melons* Nectarines

Orange* Papaya* Peach

Pear Pineapple Plum

Prunes Tangerine* Watermelon

Group 3 : Breads and Cereal

Choose at least six servings of bread and cereals each day. Include at least 4 servings of food marked with * as they are high in trace minerals.

One portion = 1 slice of bread; half a bagel/English muffin/pita; half a cup cooked cereal or 1 cup cooked pasta/rice.

Bagel (whole wheat)* Bread (whole wheat)* Cereal (oatmeal)*

Crackers English muffin Hamburger roll

Noodles Hotdog bun Pancake

Pasta (whole wheat)* Pita bread Rice (brown)*

Popcorn Rice cakes Tortilla

Group 4 : Milk and Milk Products

Choose at least three servings of milk or milk products, preferably reduced or low fat, each day.

One portion = 1 glass milk/soy milk; 150g yoghurt; 2 slices cheese; 2 scoops ice cream.

Milk (non-fat or 1% fat) Cheese Cottage cheese (low-fat)

Yoghurt (low fat)

Group 5 : Meat, Fish and Alternatives

Choose at least two servings this group each day.

One portion = 100g cooked meat, poultry, fish or 750ml cooked dried beans and peas.

Beef Pork Poultry

Seafood Soybeans Egg (limit to three per week)

Lentils Veal Cooked dried beans & peas

Group 6 : Fluids ( 8 )

You will need at least 6-8 glasses each day. Use your thirst as a guide.

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This page provides information of a general nature and should not be relied on as a substitute for monitoring of your diet and weight by your physician during regularly scheduled examinations.