Baby Series: Healthy Nutrition Throughout Pregnancy

It is important to understand how the food you eat helps your baby grow during the different stages of growth and development throughout pregnancy.  Extra calories in the form of food helps to increase the blood supply of the mother to feed nutrition to her growing baby, support the growth of maternal tissues and then the loss of these tissues during birth, as well as help the mother prepare for lactation.  One thing to remember during pregnancy is that everyone is different.  Though it is encouraged for women to follow Canada’s Food Guide with the amendments during the second and third trimester, continue to incorporate physical activity as you see fit, and stay within a healthy weight gain, every woman is different.  Cravings, taste aversions, and fatigue will differ amongst everyone.  All you can do is be aware of how you are eating, and note any trigger foods to best gauge if you may be missing any nutrients.  You are now aware of the nutrients of concern during the prenatal period (as discussed in the first part of this series) – folate, calcium and vitamin D, and iron.  These are all still important to give attention to, as well as essential fatty acids which help in the development of your baby’s brain and eyes.

Based on the dose recommended by your family physician and/or dietitian, women should continue to supplement their diet with folic acid during pregnancy.  It becomes increasingly important to start a prenatal vitamin with folic acid (based on your individual needs) prior to becoming pregnant, and stay with the supplementation during the early stages of pregnancy, because it is during this early period when closure of the baby’s neural tube occurs, most often times when a woman may not even know she is pregnant.  Some women may be able to stop their prenatal vitamin following the first trimester, though this should always be verified based on the discretion of your healthcare professional.

The Health Canada guidelines recommend for women to choose a prenatal vitamin with 16-20 milligrams (mg) of iron.  Some multivitamins contain higher doses than this, which may contribute to constipation some women tend to report during pregnancy.  Remember iron is needed to help deliver oxygen throughout the body, not only for the woman, but to the growing fetus as well, and to then build the baby’s iron stores.  Women who are vegetarian need to pay closer attention to the iron they get through their diet, and are encouraged to speak to a dietitian to ensure they are getting enough.

Calcium and Vitamin D, as explained in the first part of this series, are important to factor in during pregnancy, to maintain your own bone structure as well as help in the development of your babies’ musculoskeletal system.  Including a glass of milk, portion of yogurt and low fat cheese in addition to what you receive through your multivitamin is a great goal to help you make sure you are staying on top of your calcium needs.  If you do not include milk and alternative products on a daily basis, it is best to talk to a dietitian to assess your needs more carefully.

Including some vegetable oils in your diet throughout pregnancy will provide your body with essential fatty acids (also avocado, healthy nuts and seeds, and fatty fish) which has been shown to aid in your babies brain and eye development.  Health Canada guidelines also recommend to include 150 grams (5 ounces) of cooked fish each week.  Though many worry about the amount of mercury in fish, the majority of the fish sold in Canada contains levels of mercury far below the maximum level as set by Health Canada.  Women are encouraged to make choices such as salmon, herring, trout, mackerel, haddock, or canned light tuna to name a few.  Take a look at Health Canada regulations at the link provided.

Special attention needs to be paid by women who become pregnant who are vegetarians, are younger (adolescents), or present with any type of digestive issue, giving reason to question if they are absorbing enough nutrition as well as passing along the important nutrition to their baby.  Iron is found in two different forms, the most easily absorbed form (heme iron) found in meat, poultry and fish.  If you do not include these foods in your diet, you will need to factor in how you will provide yourself and your baby with the iron you both need.  Vitamin B12 may also be something to be aware of if you are a vegetarian, as the predominant sources of this vitamin are found in animal sources.  The best sources of vitamin B12 include eggs, milk and milk product, meat, fish, shellfish and poultry.  The mineral zinc has been identified as a nutrient of concern for some women throughout pregnancy as well.  Zinc is used in the production, functioning and repair of DNA, and throughout pregnancy cell growth occurs at a faster rate than normal, making this mineral important to consider if you may have a restricted intake of it.  Food sources of zinc include fortified cereals, meat, poultry, seeds, and cooked dried beans, peas and lentils.  If you present with a digestive issue, it is best to seek guidance from a healthcare professional on your specific case.  Is your body able to absorb all nutrients from foods? Have you had any surgeries that resulted in a part of your digestive tract to be removed?  A dietitian will be able to help you analyze what extras you may need for your own health, and to help in the strong development of your baby.  Always read your labels and seek guidance if you feel you may be missing out on a certain nutrient of concern.

So how much more do you need throughout your pregnancy?  As mentioned above, Canada’s Food Guide is always a great place to help you gauge what you are eating and whether you are receiving enough nutrients.  If you follow Canada’s Food Guide, or use it as a general guide to determine your food intake, it is recommended to include an additional 2 to 3 servings from any food group during your second and third trimester of pregnancy.  Additional servings are not often required during the first trimester.  If you use calories to gauge your intake, Health Canada recommends to include approximately 350 additional calories during your second trimester and approximately 450 calories during your third trimester.

Cravings are something else that many women experience throughout their pregnancy, and with all of the hormonal changes that occur, taste and smell are affected, resulting in the desire for some rather different food combinations. These are also quite individual.  Feed your craving.  It most likely won’t be there once you deliver.

If you are an active individual prior to becoming pregnant, it is encouraged to continue to include mild to moderate activity provided there are no complications to note with your pregnancy.  Carrying on with your active lifestyle during pregnancy helps to promote a healthy weight gain and helps during delivery.  Including yoga helps to keep you strong and also ease your mind.  If you wish to start including activity after becoming pregnant, it is best to discuss this with your doctor first.  Your body undergoes a number of changes during pregnancy, and any form of activity adds additional stress to your body.  Therefore, if your body is not already used to different forms of activity, adding it at the onset of pregnancy, amongst everything else that is occurring, may not provide the appropriate benefits.

It is important to remember that throughout the weeks of pregnancy, everybody will respond slightly different.  There may be more struggles in one individual’s pregnancy compared to that of another person who both enter pregnancy with similar lifestyles.  It becomes important to gauge how your body is responding, and how you’re keeping up with your nutrition to ensure you are keeping your own body strong and preparing for labour, and feeding your unborn child the nutrients he or she needs for a healthy development.

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/nutrition/omega3-eng.php

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/pubs/nutrition/guide-prenatal-eng.php