Mom's Editorial

In order to have a normal pregnancy and that too without gaining much weight, it is advisable to have a pregnancy diet guide. In this article, we will be talking about the same.

The questions here arise are, “What should I eat during pregnancy month by month and what exactly does this diet involve?” A perfect diet plan is something that not only offers you what you need during pregnancy but also the things that your baby must have for his proper development at every stage of the pregnancy. So, let us talk about the right pregnancy diet guide.

Both before conceiving and during the first month of pregnancy you need to accumulate nutritional reserves that are going to help your baby.

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Green vegetables are excellent in this regard, especially broccoli and spinach, being rich in folic acid. It provides the basis of support required for each cell in the baby’s body.

Folic acid also helps in the development of the spine. You must have foods rich in magnesium. In addition, you must have food with high protein content to avoid morning sickness.

At the age of six weeks, your baby’s heart begins to beat and the red blood cells are formed. Keeping this in mind, you must increase your iron intake. For your information, there are two types of iron namely heme (found in meat) and non-heme (found in leafy vegetables).

Both forms are beneficial, but experts say that heme is better than non-heme. In case, you are a vegetarian, it is recommended to consume orange juice next to each meal to help assimilate the iron.

Also, in this time period, make sure you are having foods rich in vitamin C. Hope you know that your body does not store this vitamin. Therefore, maintaining this reserve is very important. To do so, you can have orange, broccoli, and tomatoes.

As you progress to the 15th week of gestation, you must include foods rich in beta carotenes such as carrots, sweet potatoes, and etc. in your diet. During this time period, your baby’s eyes are going to develop and beta-carotene plays an important role.

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It is good to have some dairy in this time-frame because it helps to increase the calcium reserves (which helps to fortify the bones of the baby). The best dairy foods are milk, yogurt and cheese, ice cream, and tofu.

Try to eat lots of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to avoid constipation. As far as iron consumption is concerned, it remains important during this period.
Also, have as much vitamin D as you can have for calcium. In case, exposure to sunlight is not possible, you can have it from mushrooms.

Zinc comes next. It is another important mineral, which is necessary for the production, repair, and functioning of DNA. Zinc also helps to fight colds and can be of great help in a time where the immune system gets weaker and you are more vulnerable to various illnesses. Do not forget to administer the recommended dose of a DHA.

When you reach the 30th week of pregnancy, add a pack of kale (cruciferous), and spinach as they are full of vitamin K. This will help the baby’s blood clot. Consume abundant milk because the child accumulates calcium and magnesium reserves.

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By the 38th week of pregnancy, your baby is fully formed and only the lungs are going to develop. Consume foods like Brazil nuts to raise the level of selenium for the betterment of your baby’s lungs.

In addition, always remember that the stronger your immune system, the more immunity you pass on to your baby.

Now that you are a mother, you need to be more conscious about your diet plan because you will be breastfeeding your baby. Ask your nutrition to add minerals that can reduce inflammation and pain after labor.

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As the baby’s eyes continue to develop until 6 months after birth, therefore add pumpkin and carrot to your diet plan. Your baby will have the required amount of beta carotene (from these vegetables) through breast milk.

Remember that you need to consume about 300 calories a day to successfully cope with the effort involved in breastfeeding. In case, you have any more suggestions to add, please let us know in the comments.