Good nutrition during pregnancy is needed:
- To provide adequate nutrients for the baby
- To lay good foundation for your baby’s health
- To prevent nutritional deficiencies in mother
- To prevent complications in pregnancy like anaemia, Low Birth Weight , IUGR, pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes
- Successful lactation
Always remember, in pregnancy, there is no need to eat for two. The energy requirement of a non-pregnant woman is about 2200 kcal, whereas a pregnant woman needs 300 extra kilocalories.
Optimal weight gain during pregnancy is important. For women with normal BMI (18.5 – 24.9), the optimal weight gain during pregnancy should be 8-10 kg. For women who are overweight, with BMI 26 to 29, must gain weight of only 7 kg. For obese women with BMI more than 29, the optimum weight gain must be 5kg. For women who are Underweight, with BMI less than 18.5, the weight gain must be 10 to 12 kg.
During the first trimester (3 months), a healthy weight gain is between 1-1.5 kg/ month. The first trimester is the time, many of the pregnant women may not like the smell of many foods & have nausea or morning sickness. It would be best if you had small meals at frequent intervals to avoid heavy meals. Take dry foods like biscuits, dry toast, idlis .
It is essential to take folic acid rich foods, iron rich foods and calcium rich foods along with dietary fibre during pregnancy.
Here at Eat Smart Diet Clinic, we provide effective diet plans to ensure optimal nutrition for you, as well as your baby.