First Pregnancy? What Diet Changes You Need To Consider

Written By Viki Adams / Reviewed By Ray Spotts

Few things are more incredibly exciting than a first pregnancy. Discovering you're pregnant is an amazing feeling. You have an actual life growing inside of you. You want to do your best to take care of it. Part of the process of taking care of your new baby is eating property.

All pregnant women need to be mindful of what they're doing when eating. How you eat can actually influence what happens to your baby in utero. You want to make every single bite one that offers something for you and for your fast-growing baby.

The Basics

If you're like many people, you've been thinking about what you need to eat in a very abstract way. Now is the time to totally revamp exactly how you eat and what you eat. Good eating habits can accomplish a great deal. This should apply even before you think about getting pregnant.

For example, both folate and folic acid can help prevent birth defects and increase the possibility your baby will grow up healthy. All pregnant women should be taking a prenatal vitamin. While vitamins are nice, it is imperative to keep to a great pregnancy diet.

All pregnant women should keep in mind a foundational diet that can serve as the ideal way for them to keep track of what they are eating each day and week. A good foundation includes certain foods from this pregnancy food chart that should be consumed each day.

As a general rule, this includes a diet rich in lots of dark, leafy vegetables, brightly colored fruit, whole grains, and good quality protein. It also includes a diet with plenty of heart-healthy fats as well as lots of fluids. You need the fluids to help avoid getting backed up and reduce your feelings of bloat.

Drink lots of cold water if you're expecting a summer baby or plenty of hot tea if you're going to give birth when it gets cold outside.

Get Your Vegetables

Every single person needs several servings of vegetables each day in order to go for maximum health in the long run. If you are pregnant, you should up this to at least three to five servings. Try to aim for at least one or more servings at each meal.

Pregnant women also need more calcium in order to help their baby develop strong bones. Milk and other dairy products can help. If you can't bear the thought of another cup of low-fat two percent in the morning, there are other ways to ramp up the calcium.

Look to the local produce aisle instead. Spinach, arugula, and broccoli are particularly high in this essential mineral. Sautee some spinach with a bit of butter. Add arugula to a salad and then sprinkle with heart-healthy olive oil and toasted almonds. Roast broccoli to bring out the vegetable's fundamental appeal. Add garlic and you're ready for a nice light Fall meal.

Fruit Is Really Good

Fruit is another thing that should really be on the menu when you're pregnant. You need to have lots of micronutrients. Micronutrients are very small amounts of the vitamins and minerals your body can't make by itself. Many pregnant women don't get enough of them. Fortunately, you can find lots of these essentials in varied types of fruits.

You can get fruit in two essential ways. In-season fruit is fruit that is at its peak. For example, fruits like cherries and apricots are found from late spring to early fall. This is when you can be assured the fruit you're eating has not traveled far to get to your table. Good quality fruit is an excellent way to satisfy your sweet tooth without overloading your system with unwanted sugar.

Dried fruit is another option. Prunes and other dried fruit offer the kind of fiber you need, particularly as the growing baby takes up more of your body. Just keep in mind dried fruit can be high in sugar so it's a good idea to keep to a serving or less each day.

Excellent Proteins

Protein is another item you're going to need in your diet when you are pregnant. Protein is the building block of everything your body is doing right now. Luckily, it is very easy to find lots of high-quality protein sources.

Seafood such as salmon, for example, has plenty of terrific protein. Eggs are another place to look to balance your diet and make sure you're fueled properly. White meal poultry is another exceptionally fine option when you want to keep it all lean as your belly expands.

The same is true of turkey. Feel free to chow down on turkey when the holidays arise, and you want a nice meal to celebrate.

Good Fat

Fat has long been seen as the enemy. That's too bad. While too much fat is a bad thing, too little fat is an equal problem. Your baby needs fat in order to develop well. You need it too in order to help you cope with the demands of pregnancy.

Look for healthy fats. Now is the time to go for that guacamole with a few avocados. If you're camping, you can always eat freshly caught trout and mackerel when pregnant. Nuts are another item that has lots of good fat. Add toasted nuts for a snack with some dark chocolate for a filling and delicious break.

Some Don’ts

While there are a quite a do’s on your to-do eating list when pregnant for the first time, there are a few don'ts as well. Alcohol should be at top of your no list as it extremely dangerous. It's also good to cut down on those sweets.

You don't want to add too much to the weight you want to lose once you're done with labor and delivery. Loading up on sugar and other empty calories isn't good for the baby either.

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Written By:

Viki Adams is a freelance blogger from Utah. She is a student at Utah Valley University who is majoring in Business Administration. Viki loves to read and write about new subjects and you can connect with her on LinkedIn right here. 

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.

Photo by Amina Filkins from Pexels