EATING FOR TWO

The first few months of pregnancy are the most critical for the developing infant, because during this period, the child’s brain, arms, legs, and internal organs are formed.

As an expectant mother, you might want to know how much calories you need, what to eat, and in what quantity and quality?  

Protein:  Adequate protein intake is essential for the growth and repair of tissues and keeping your metabolism running strong.

How much is enough?   This depends on your body weight.  You are however required to take 25 grams more than what you would have needed prior to your pregnancy.  You will need to take even more if you are expecting twins.

 How do you get this much protein? An ounce of meat after it has been cooked equals 7 grams of protein while an egg provides about 7 grams of protein. Therefore, to get the average 71 grams of your protein need from eggs, you would need to eat 10.3 eggs each day. But, hey, don’t get bored eating just eggs; other good sources of protein requirements include beans, meat, milk, yogurt, etc.

Carbohydrates provide you and your baby the energy your body requires. It is recommended that at least half of the calories you consume in a day should be carbohydrates, preferably, complex carbohydrates.

Whole-grain breads and cereals, pasta, corn, beans, peas, and potatoes are good sources of complex carbohydrates. Naturally occurring sugar is found in fruits and many vegetables; milk products, honey and sugar cane.  This is in contrast to simple (refined) carbohydrates that requires little digestion and is quickly absorbed by the body, triggering an unhealthy chain of events.

Foods rich in certain vitamins and minerals are also good for you and the baby.

Iron which is sourced from red meats, vegetables, grains and fortified cereals, etc helps in the production of haemoglobin, and as a result prevents iron deficiency anaemia as blood supply is sufficient for you and your baby. It also minimizes the occurrences of morning sickness.

Vitamin C is also important in your diet, as it serves as antioxidant that protects your baby’s tissues from damage, helps body absorb iron and builds healthy immune system.  Good sources you can rely on are fruit juices, orange, tangerine, grapefruit, lime, pawpaw, tomatoes, green beans, etc.

Vitamin A helps in the strong formation of your baby’s teeth and bones. Such foods as liver, milk, eggs, carrots, spinach, potatoes, and pumpkin would make great serves.

 Calcium, as a mineral, richly sourced from milk, yogurt, green vegetables, etc is essential for the development of your baby’s bones.

 Vitamin E helps your baby’s muscles and red blood cells to develop.  Such foods as vegetable oil, nuts, etc are rich in vitamin E.

Folic acid helps in your child’s nervous tissue (brain, spinal cord and nerves) development. Folic acid is present in foods such as liver, leafy green vegetables, and yeast. It is difficult for many women to get enough folic acid through their diets. For this reason folic acid is added to prenatal vitamin preparations. Lack of this vitamin results in birth defects, such as cleft lip, cleft palate, abnormalities in the development of the brain and spinal cord.

Zinc is highly important for cell growth in your unborn child, and promotes the production of enzymes such as insulin in your body. Red meats, seafood, poultry, beans, grains and dairy products are good sources of zinc.

Okay, these are obviously the healthy dietary requirements for you, but, what is unsafe for your consumption and the child’s?

Alcohol is not an option for you. Since the safe amount of alcohol to consume during pregnancy is still unknown, avoid it. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy can affect your child’s learning abilities and slows down physical growth.

Caffeine : excessive intake can increase risk of miscarriage or having a baby with low birth weight.

Seafood is usually the main source of exposure to mercury, and some types  of fish are more vulnerable than the others. Such fish as shark, sword fish, catfish, etc contain very high mercury, which if consumed, deposits in the child’s brain, thereby, hampering full brain development.

Avoid prepared or pre-packaged foods (soft serve ice cream, cold meats, sandwich bars, chilled seafood, pre-packaged salads and fruits, raw meat, etc), as they are most likely to carry listeria, a bacteria carried in some foods.  This bacteria can cause an infection called listeriosis, and may lead to miscarriage if it is transmitted to your unborn child.

The quality and quantity of your diet, to a large extent determine the overall health of your child. Go ahead and make those small adjustments in your diet. Remember, your baby’s life and well being is at stake. Do it right and have a happy delivery.

In addition, all supplements should be consumed as recommended by your obstetrician or gynaecologist.