utrition During Pregnancy: Building a Healthy Baby

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Information for Patients

During pregnancy, most women need to eat more healthy food to help the baby grow. After the first 3 months, a pregnant woman must take in more calories than usual to reach the recommended amount of weight gain during pregnancy (usually 25 to 35 pounds). It is not a good idea to lose weight while you are pregnant. Your doctor or nurse will talk to you about how much weight you should gain. A healthy diet and careful weight gain can prevent high blood pressure and other problems during pregnancy.

Drink plenty of fluids

Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water each day. Try to limit the amount of soda you drink to 1 or 2 glasses each day. Caffeine-free drinks are best.

Use the Food Guide Pyramid

You can use the Food Guide Pyramid to make healthy food choices. Every block in the pyramid represents a different food group. Each group has some of the foods you need, but not all. Follow the guidelines below. Eat a variety of foods from each group every day to help give your baby a healthy start.

Are there any foods I should avoid?

Ask your doctor or nurse about using sugar substitutes like aspartame (NutraSweet) or saccharine, caffeine, and foods with many additives. You may be told to avoid these foods or cut down on how much of them you eat. Your doctor or nurse probably will tell you to avoid alcohol completely, since no safe amount of alcohol has been determined for pregnant women.

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Bread and grains The bread and grains food group is at the bottom of the pyramid, which means it makes up the base of your diet. It includes breads, cereals, rice, and pasta. Most people should have 6 to 9 servings from this group each day. One serving equals: 1 slice of bread 1/2 cup of cooked cereal 1/2 cup of cooked pasta 1 ounce of cold cereal 1/2 cup of cooked rice It is not very hard to fit in all of your servings. For example, a bowl of cereal and a slice of toast for breakfast count as 2 servings. Fruit Fruit and fruit juice provide many vitamins and minerals, including potassium and vitamins A and C. Include 2 to 4 choices from this group each day. One serving equals: 1 banana 1/2 grapefruit 1/2 cup of canned fruit 1 slice of melon 1 medium apple, orange, or pear 1/2 cup of 100 percent fruit juice.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Information for Patients

Read juice labels. Many drinks that seem to be fruit juices are really drinks that have little or no fruit juice. Since fruit-type drinks are mostly sugar, they do not count as a serving. Remember, fresh fruits and dried fruits have more fiber than fruit juice, so they are better choices. Vegetables You should eat a variety of green, leafy vegetables (lettuce and broccoli), yellow vegetables (carrots and yams), starchy vegetables (potatoes, lima beans, and corn), and others (zucchini and onions) during pregnancy. Include 3 choices each day. One serving equals: 1/2 cup of cooked or chopped vegetables 1 cup of leafy or raw vegetables Steamed or raw fresh vegetables are best. Milk and cheese You can get plenty of calcium by eating foods from the milk and cheese group. Dairy products also provide protein, vitamins, and minerals. Include 4 choices each day. One serving equals: 1 cup of whole or skim milk (cottage cheese is 1/2 a serving of milk) 1 cup of yogurt 1 1/2 ounces of cheese When choosing from this group, limit how much fat you eat and drink. Try skim milk or low-fat yogurt. Remember that ice milk and frozen yogurt have less fat than ice cream. If you do not drink milk, you can get calcium and vitamin D by drinking fortified soy milk or rice milk.

Meat, poultry, and fish This group includes meat, chicken, turkey, fish, dried beans, eggs, and nuts. Include at least 2 or 3 choices or a total of 7 ounces each day (3 ounces is about the size of a deck of cards). One serving equals: 2 to 3 ounces of cooked meat 2 to 3 ounces of poultry 2 to 3 ounces of fish 2 tablespoons of peanut butter 1 egg To avoid additional fat calories, trim meat or cook chicken or turkey without the skin. Broil, roast, or boil, instead of pan-frying or deepfrying. Fish can be steamed, broiled, or poached. Fats Fats can be part of the other food groups, but most often they are added to your daily diet in the form of butter, spreads, or salad dressings. The daily allowance for fats is 3 servings. One serving contains 45 calories. One serving equals: 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine 1 tablespoon of low-fat margarine 1 teaspoon of oil 1 teaspoon of mayonnaise 1 tablespoon of salad dressing 2 tablespoons of reduced-fat salad dressing

Use only very small amounts of fats and oils when you cook. Steam or microwave vegetables, and sprinkle them with lemon juice instead of butter or margarine.

Vitamins
Take your pre-natal vitamins and iron tablets each day. Talk to your doctor or nurse if you have trouble taking your vitamins. There are many kinds of pre-natal vitamins available, including chewable vitamins.

Special diets
If you have special diet needs, talk with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

After delivery
After you have your baby, its still important to continue to eat well-balanced meals. It helps the healing process and is important for breast-feeding. If you breast-feed your baby, you will need to add 500 calories a day and drink plenty of fluids.

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University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Information for Patients

This educational material was developed by a team of womens health care experts throughout UPMC, including Magee-Womens Hospital, a National Center of Excellence in Womens Health as designated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For help in finding a doctor or health service that suits your needs, call the UPMC Referral Service at 412-647-UPMC (8762) or 1-800-533-UPMC (8762).
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