If you are pregnant it is normal to be over conscious about the nutrition and food that you eat during your pregnancy as your worries are not only about yourself, but also about the future baby inside you. If you have not taken proper care of your nutrition and diet in the past, you may be confused about which foods to eat and which foods are not as favourable during your pregnancy and should be avoided. Additional concerns that come along with nutrition is the worry that all normal woman think about during pregnancy – namely, the fear of gaining weight. Prenatal nutrition in this case becomes an even more complicated subject. Thus, it is very important to understand why planning your prenatal nutrition is paramount to you and your future baby.

Firstly, proper prenatal nutrition stimulates the healthy growth of the baby inside and ensures that the baby gets all the vitamins he or she needs over the duration of the nine months. If woman does not eat properly during her pregnancy, the risks are that the weight of the baby can be very low upon birth and bad prenatal nutrition can lead to a premature baby delivery. There are several main rules about how to achieve good prenatal nutrition. If you think about it, it is rather basic. Keeping fit enough, living an overall healthy lifestyle, avoiding some medications (always talk to your doctor about all the medications you are taking) and having the proper immunizations is key. Other things to avoid are coffee (caffine), alcohol and drinks which are high in sugar and additives. Coffee overall makes you heart beat faster and this is also affecting the heart of the baby, whose heart is beating faster than yours to start with. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables and avoiding too much sodium and salt in processed foods is important.

Women often worry about gaining weight during pregnancy and are usually unsure of how much weight gain would be considered normal  over a pregnancy. Gaining around 2-3 pounds each month is within the normal range. Overall you should be guided by common sense rather than reading too many books when following your prenatal nutrition. Eat a diet that includes a good balance of all elements including low fat proteins and a good amount of natural vitamins including folic acid and foods rich in calcium.

Doctors do often recommend taking a folic acid supplement to make sure you getting enough in your diet for the baby’s development.  It is recommended for you to always talk to your doctor to get the best diet advice for you and your baby