Ladies, if you are pregnant or planning on becoming
pregnant, this is THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME to think about your health. Your ability (and your baby’s) to reach your
peak physical and intellectual peak is partially determined by all the
nutrition you were given when you were in your Mom’s stomach.
No joke.
You have the opportunity to give potential to your child before it is even born!! What an amazing job you have - and an important job too.
No joke.
You have the opportunity to give potential to your child before it is even born!! What an amazing job you have - and an important job too.
I am going to give you general nutrition and fitness
advice. Of course, your Doctor will
always give you specific information to fit your own specific needs, but... if you
are looking for advice on how to generally stay fit and healthy while you are
pregnant, I will give lots of information for you here. *Again, always check with that wonderful
obstetrician if you have any questions or concerns about your pregnancy though*
That being said, let’s keep going.
Let’s start with the first trimester. Those first 13-14 weeks are so incredibly unbelievable to me! This is when the
embryonic tissues are folding and differentiating and forming limbs, organs,
facial features.. this is also when the embryo (and eventually named fetus) is
most vulnerable to drugs, alcohol, and over-the-counter meds, cigarrete
smoking, radiation (from x-rays) and viruses.
This is why the doctor usually tells you that if you’ve gotten to past
16 weeks, your baby is ‘in the clear’ for miscarriage – babies this small are
super-sensitive to so very many things.
Second trimester (up until about week 27 of pregnancy) is
when the baby's body is growing, bones hardening, arms and legs moving and getting
stronger…very exciting time I always remembered because you can actually FEEL
the baby growing. The fetus can suck it’s
thumb, it’s ears can start to hear, and eyes actually open and close to
light. This is when the placenta is now
fully functional. My personal absolute favourite time while pregnant!
The third trimester is when that once tiny little baby grows
and grows and grows until it's born! One of mine even
ended up almost 10lbs in weight! This
three month growth is when the baby grows almost half it’s body length and
three quarters of it’s body weight!
Wow! The baby grows eyebrows,
hair on it’s head, among many things, and also the lungs are fully mature for
breathing. So much happens this last
trimester that it is CRUTIAL that the mom is taking in adequate food. Many women are worried that they’re going to
gain allllll this weight and not take it off, but know that your baby needs
nourishment that is balanced.
Since I haven’t really given specifics yet, lets dive into that. Let me break this down for you so if you’re
one of those visual learners like I am, you can see it all laid out :
ENERGY
Even though you’ll feel more tired than you've ever felt
(some pregnant women feel anyway), your required energy amounts from food isn’t
too much different – first trimester anyway.
Generally speaking, first trimester energy intake (calories) should be approximately the same as during her non-pregnant days. Some doctors say up to 300 calories extra in the first. BUT, that being said, you should try to choose more nutrient dense foods. For example, instead of a Coke, try a glass of milk. My pregnancy now I craved Pepsi during the first trimester and it was so bad! Something I definitely needed to work on!! Common sense, but a really good reminder that so many things are going on in your uterus with that baby – all that development we talked about earlier – and if that baby has nutrients galore, it has such a better chance of growth and development. Do you see what I mean? Not necessarily more calories, but more nutrient-dense. More bang for your buck in terms of food.
That being said – if you’re underweight to begin with and
the doctor has advised you to be increasing your caloric intake, always follow
them – I am giving general information for a healthy individual to follow. Another thing is that this is the trimester
when a lot of women feel nauseous and just wanna throw up! LOL…I remember these days…but always just try
your best – try different healthy foods and see what you can keep down – any nutrients
are better than none at all.
I’ll jump in here about morning sickness quick. 80% of women experience it…and it’s not
always in the morning, am I right??
Ugh. They believe it happens
because of the raising levels of hormones in your body. No cure, but there are a few things you can
do to relieve it…if it works for you.
Little meals throughout the day, small snacks throughout the day,
prenatal supplements in the case that all your nutrients are being thrown up in
the toilet, drinking plenty of water so that you don’t dehydrate yourself,
avoiding ‘triggers’ that cause you to feel sick (smells, tastes etc),
decreasing stress and getting the rest and relaxation you need, if possible.
During the second and third trimesters, your energy
requirements will increase! Your energy
needs will increase by about 350 calories per day in the second trimester and
about 450 calories in your third trimester.
And again, choosing foods rich in micronutrients (most nutritious
options you can).
PROTEINS AND
CARBOHYDRATES
During pregnancy, your protein needs should increase to
1.1g/kg/day. Keep in mind that you
probably do this already as most people eat more than the recommended daily
requirements anyway. That’s dairy
products, meats, eggs, legumes, whole grains, nuts and soy products.
In terms of carbohydrates, your total carbohydrate intake should be at least 130g/day to prevent something called ketosis. Ketosis is very serious and causes your body to make ketones. If this becomes something that lasts over a long period of time, this is incredibly serious and actually causes your blood to become acidic. Please don’t be scared of those carbohydrates and think they’ll ‘make you fat’ or whatever – your body needs them when you’re pregnant! You can find healthy carbohydrates in whole grain breads and cereals, fruits, vegetables, brown rice etc etc. They can be filling AND healthy!
FAT (Don’t skip over
this one because you’re scared to read it!!)
The percentage of fat required in the body doesn’t actually
change when you’re pregnant. What I
found interesting is that the baby actually stores fat in the third trimester
and uses it as fuel in the newborn stage.
How incredible! Without this
stored fat, the baby isn’t able to effectively regulate it’s own body
temperature. Our decisions affect our
baby even before it’s born. Very
important to eat the proper types of fats though and we should try to stay away
from those trans-fats. An omega-3 fatty
acid called DHA has been researched and is critical for your baby’s brain and
eye development. Very important for the
nursing mothers too, as DHA is absorbed into breast milk and helps with the
baby’s brain growth that happens within the first 3 months after the baby is
born too.
An amazing term
called MICRONUTRIENTS
This includes folate, vitamins etc. I’m not going to go into what each vitamin
and mineral does for that little baby of yours, but just know that they are
what form your baby, nourish your baby, and help your baby grow and develop
properly. Without them, the baby can be
malnourished, be born pre-term or have a low birth weight. You want your baby to be healthy and
chubby! These nutrients are what help
with your baby’s health.
Fluid is so vital for you and try to make it a priority in your day if you can. It helps with the increase
that you have in blood volume, lubricates all those joints that get achier and
achier as the weeks go on, helps regulate your body temperature, and even is
necessary with the metabolic reactions that you body is having constantly. It also helps maintain the amniotic fluid
that is cradling your little one.
Now, the AI (adequate intake) for a pregnant woman (now keep in mind this means water, beverages and yes, even water-based foods) is 3 liters a day. This ends up being a little over 12.5 cups of water. Now, if you’re a watermelon eater like I was when I was pregnant, then it’s a piece of cake!! LOL. This fluid can come from anywhere – water, milk, juices, soup, veggies high in water content, fruits high in water content. Get what I mean? Doesn’t mean you need to be drinking litres and litres of water!
This fluid intake will help you with fluid retention (as
crazy as that sounds!) and helps with constipation. It can also help prevent urinary tract
infections as well, which is pretty common in pregnant women. Fluids combat dehydration, which can
sometimes come with all the vomiting that comes with nausea and morning
sickness. Soooo many reasons to drink
up!!
HEARTBURN
I only got this with my last pregnancy, but man was it
tough!! This happens when the sphincter
between your throat and stomach relaxes, and the acid from your stomach creeps
up into your throat. Hormones released
during pregnancy are responsible for that relaxed flap, and also when that last
trimester comes, the uterus is pushing up on the stomach making it that much
worse.
Few tips to help out that you can try. First of all, try to avoid excess weight gain. A tough one, but one that contributes to the stomach being pushed upon. Eat small frequent meals and try to eat slower so your stomach has a chance to digest and the food doesn’t build up in your stomach. Try looser clothing. Avoid foods that trigger your heartburn – as much as you love spicy food, eat it in moderation if you know heartburn follows! Sleep with your head elevated if possible. And going along with that, try to wait at least an hour after eating before you lay down. Also, check with your doctor if an antacid would help.
Few tips to help out that you can try. First of all, try to avoid excess weight gain. A tough one, but one that contributes to the stomach being pushed upon. Eat small frequent meals and try to eat slower so your stomach has a chance to digest and the food doesn’t build up in your stomach. Try looser clothing. Avoid foods that trigger your heartburn – as much as you love spicy food, eat it in moderation if you know heartburn follows! Sleep with your head elevated if possible. And going along with that, try to wait at least an hour after eating before you lay down. Also, check with your doctor if an antacid would help.
EXERCISE
Physical activity during your pregnancy can produce HUGE
benefits if you are experiencing a ‘normal pregnancy’ and are in otherwise good
health. (Always always always check with
your doctor though!) Being active and
physically fit is a huge asset when you are experiencing the stress of labor
and delivery. Also, exercise is an
incredible mood booster when you are pregnant – it helps you feel strong and
in-control instead of feeling huge and tired (from my personal experience as
well!). Exercise helps keep your blood
pressure down, and will also allow you to compensate for those unhealthy cravings
you eat and feel guilty about LOL!
Regular exercise has been scientifically proven to reduce the risks for
pre-eclamsia as well.
Plus, I’ll state the obvious – It will be so much easier (and I can’t stress this enough) to get back into your regular (or planned goal of starting) routine of exercise once your baby is born and you are given the ‘okay’ to exercise again. Notice I didn't say lower weight gain will help when you've delivered and are planning to exercise, I said EXERCISE. Please keep active, don't cut out food. Your baby needs the food. Just keep moving and it will be easier once you start up with exercise again post-delivery.
Plus, I’ll state the obvious – It will be so much easier (and I can’t stress this enough) to get back into your regular (or planned goal of starting) routine of exercise once your baby is born and you are given the ‘okay’ to exercise again. Notice I didn't say lower weight gain will help when you've delivered and are planning to exercise, I said EXERCISE. Please keep active, don't cut out food. Your baby needs the food. Just keep moving and it will be easier once you start up with exercise again post-delivery.
You do want to be careful though when exercising while
pregnant. Stating the obvious, but you
don’t want to be doing activity where there is a larger potential of you
falling or hurting yourself. You don’t
want to be raising your heart rate or body temperature too much. You want to pick exercises that are low
impact as your joints are a little ‘softer’ than when you are non-pregnant
(hence the clumsiness and toe-stubbing LOL!)
After the fourth month, avoid exercise where you are laying on your back
as the uterus is bigger and can compress the major blood vessels behind
it. Once that third trimester comes, try
to taper your exercise off a bit as your body will be increasingly tired as you
are now carrying quite a bit of extra weight due to the size of your baby.
I hope this gives you some information you can work off
of. If I haven’t stressed it enough,
your doctor is the smarty-pants when it comes to pregnancy and will tell you
information that is specific to you. If
you are looking for general information though, I hope you have learned
something from this post. Feel free to
share it with any pregnant or potentially-pregnant friends. :)
Take some of this information to heart – how important
your decisions are while pregnant and how much your baby needs you to make the
best choices for it. What an exciting
time for you and I wish you all the best in your journey to becoming a Mom (for
the first or tenth time!)
Best wishes and as always, lots of love.
Naomi.