If you can maintain a healthy weight, eat a balanced diet and get some exercise, you’re well on your way to doing what’s right for your baby-to-be.
Getting Started In The First Trimester
It can be really difficult to keep to a balanced diet in the beginning trimester of a pregnancy. With the queasiness and all the other changes in the body plus the need to eat whatever you can whenever it feels right, weight gain or loss is possible.
You may not be able to keep food down while others in a similar situation may be eating for comfort. No matter what’s happening, however, you need to prevent malnutrition and dehydration for your sake and the safety of your baby. Do everything possible to get the right amount of food and water, even if it doesn’t always feel right to you.
Concerning Calories
During pregnancy, you must take in about 300 more calories than usual each day. That means eating more food and more frequently than you usually do, in most cases. Try to eat a range of healthy foods from the bottom of the food pyramid for the best results.
If you don’t seem to be getting enough calories, consider eating smaller meals even more often and adding a bit more fat to each meal. When you’re eating for two, you should never deprive yourself of food and always eat something anytime you’re hungry.
Thinking About Calcium
Women always need calcium. By the second trimester of pregnancy, however, you need more than you might think. At this time in your pregnancy, you’ll want to take in about 1500 milligrams of calcium every day to maintain the health of your body and your baby’s. So many people are missing calcium from their diets, so add in more dairy, fortified juices and even calcium tablet if necessary.
Adding In Fiber
Fiber works well to prevent constipation, a common problem during pregnancy. Get more fiber by adding fruits, grains and even certain veggies to your diet. You can also add in fiber supplements like Citrucel and Metamucil, which are safe during pregnancy.
Supplementing Iron And Vitamins
Many women become iron-deficient during pregnancy, even starting off with too little iron in their bodies. Eating dark green veggies and certain meats can get you more iron. So can iron supplements, although supplementation should be avoided whenever possible because it can cause cramping, diarrhea and other stomach concerns.
Adding a multivitamin is never a bad idea, however. And you’ll want to include some folate, an important supplement for pregnant women.
Detoxifying To Stay On Track
The foods we eat, the environment in which we live and many other situations that are at least partially beyond our control can contribute to a build up of toxins and impurities in our bodies. Detoxifying can help eliminate these substances by causing them to be excreted from cells so they can pass harmlessly from your body.
Detox with cleanses, detoxifying foods and products designed just for the purpose, like detox foot pads. These simple adhesive pads stick to the bottom of your foot. Worn while you sleep, the toxins are pulled from your body as your blood circulates naturally. In addition to detoxifying, foot patches help boost your metabolism to a health level and can assist in gaining energy and stamina, things that are important during pregnancy and beyond.
