Feeding your baby begins nine month before she is born! The foods that you eat are feeding your baby as well. Eating nutritious foods during pregnancy is good for your health and helps make sure your baby grows strong and healthy, too. The food you eat will also affect the way you feel and how much weight you gain.
Eat a variety of foods. Visit our Healthy Food List for ideas on some healthy foods you can eat. Try to eat the recommended amount of servings from each group every day.
Drink plenty of liquids. Your body needs lot of fluid (about 6-8 glasses a day) when you are pregnant. Drink water, milk, and fruit juice.
Eat foods that have protein such as milk, cheese, yogurt, meat, fish and beans. Protein rich foods help build your baby’s muscles and tissues and keep your body strong. If you are under 18, or were underweight prior to pregnancy, you need to eat more protein.
Eat your fruits and vegetables. Try to eat 4 to 4-1/2 cups of fruits and vegetables every day. Fruits and vegetables have vitamins and minerals that are very important during pregnancy. They also have fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Make sure to wash fruits and vegetables under running cold water before eating them.
Do not diet. Pregnancy is no time for dieting! It is normal and healthy to gain weight during pregnancy. Dieting is not safe when you are pregnant. When you diet, your baby diets too. Diet pills contain many harmful drugs.
Take prenatal vitamins. In addition to eating a healthy diet, you need to take prenatal vitamins. These pills contain the necessary amounts of vitamins and minerals you need each day to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Your doctor can prescribe these pills so that your health insurance will cover a portion of the cost.
There are some foods and other substances that can be harmful to both you and your baby during pregnancy.
Alcohol: Wine, wine coolers, beer, drinks like hard lemonade and other malt liquor beverages, shots and mixed drinks can harm your baby’s brain and body development. If you use alcohol during pregnancy, you may put your baby at risk for Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS), which can cause mental and physical disabilities. For more information about FAS, visit the Center for Disease Control website at www.cdc.gov, and the National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome website at www.nofas.org.
Non-food items: Laundry starch, chalk, clay or other non-food items can be harmful to you and your baby. If you crave these items, tell your health care provider immediately.
Raw foods: Undercooked meats, fish, poultry, shellfish and eggs may have bacteria or parasites that can make your baby very ill, even if you don’t feel sick. Check to make sure all processed and pre-packaged food items are pre-cooked before assuming they are.
Caffeine: Caffeine is a stimulant that passes to the baby and may affect growth. Caffeine is found in tea, coffee, chocolate, many soft drinks and over-the-counter medicines.
Dairy: Raw milk and many soft cheeses from parts of the world such as Mexico and Europe are unpasteurized. Unpasteurized products can be dangerous to your baby. Avoid eating soft cheeses such as brie, feta cheese, queso blanco and queso fresco. Only drink milk or eat cheese that says it is pasteurized on the label.
Seafood: Some fish have high levels of mercury. Mercury is harmful to your growing baby’s brain. Avoid eating swordfish, shark, king mackerel and tilefish. It is okay to eat up to 6 ounces of canned tuna a week but make sure to choose light tuna.
Deli meat: Cold deli meats sometimes have bacteria which can cause miscarriage. You can eat deli meat if you heat it up so that it is steaming. Try microwaving or heating on the stove top.
Junk foods: Soda pop, cookies, donuts, potato chips and french fries are okay sometimes, but don’t let them take the place of healthy foods!
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