Staying healthy throughout your pregnancy is key to both yourself & your babies health. Your baby will take the nutrients from what you eat so a healthy diet throughout your pregnancy is paramount.
Here’s a few tips on staying healthy during pregnancy –
1 – Don’t forget breakfast each morning –
Each of your meals should contain protein, because your baby needs those amino acids to grow strong. Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, eggs, peanut butter, omelets with Swiss or Cheddar cheese and dairy-infused smoothies are all solid, tasty options.
2 – Eat foods with fiber-
many pregnant women will experience constipation, which can also lead to hemorrhoids. Consuming lots of fiber can help fight off constipation and keep you regular, which also goes a ways toward preventing hemorrhoids.
3 – Choose healthy snacks-
Reaching for snacks at regular intervals will help you throughout your pregnancy by: Increasing your intake of protein, fruit, vegetables, beans and whole grains, as well as calcium, folate, iron and other vitamins and minerals important during pregnancy.
4 – Take a prenatal vitamin with iron and folic acid every day-
Folic Acid, Calcium, Iodine, and Iron. If getting pregnant is a possibility for you, you should take folic acid. It can prevent birth defects that affect the baby’s brain and spinal cord. Neural tube defects develop early in pregnancy, before many women know they’re pregnant
5 – Eat up to 12 ounces a week (2 average meals) of fish –
A healthy, balanced diet should include at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 of oily fish.
That’s because fish are good sources of many vitamins and minerals. Oily fish – such as salmon and sardines – is also particularly high in long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, which can help to keep your heart healthy.
6 – Stay away from soft cheeses and lunch meat-
Unpasteurised dairy products may contain listeria. This bacteria can causes an infection called listeriosis. There’s a small chance listeriosis can lead to miscarriage, stillbirth, or make your newborn baby very unwell.
It’s best not to eat deli or lunch meats while you’re pregnant, unless the food has been heated until steaming (165 degrees F) right before serving. These meats can harbor bacteria.
7 – Limit caffeine and avoid alcohol-
But heavy doses are strongly discouraged. Caffeine, like alcohol, travels through your bloodstream to the placenta and can have a negative effect on your baby. Since caffeine is a stimulant, it increases your heart rate and metabolism — both of which directly affect the baby.
