Month 2: Eat for your baby
The essential guide to nutrition for each trimester of your pregnancy.
Now you’re pregnant it’s more important than ever to eat a healthy diet and provide all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients to help your baby grow, and stay on top of your own health. There are specific times in your pregnancy when you need a good supply of certain food groups, and we’ve made it easy for you with our guide to what you should be eating in each trimester.
FIRST TRIMESTER
The first 12 weeks of pregnancy is one of the most crucial periods of your baby’s development. By the end of the first trimester all your baby’s internal organs have formed.
YOUR VITAL FOOD: FOLIC ACID
All women planning a pregnancy, or who are in the early stages of pregnancy, should increase their folic acid intake to 0.4-0.5mg per day. This important B vitamin is essential for healthy growth in the first three months of your baby’s development, when the brain and spinal cord are forming. The baby’s neural tube develops at about three weeks after fertilisation, and if folic acid is in short supply, the neural tube does not fuse fully along its length, which can result in the condition known as spina bifida, where one or more vertebrae fail to develop properly. Folic acid taken before conception and during the first few weeks can prevent seven out of 10 cases of neural tube defects. To get enough folic acid from food in pregnancy, you’d have to eat the equivalent of five portions of leafy green vegetables a day, on top of what you would normally eat. Taking a supplement ensures you get enough.
FOOD TIPS
■ Eat green leafy vegetables, Marmite, eggs, citrus fruit, potatoes, dairy products and fortified foods such as breads and breakfast cereals. Asparagus, bran flakes, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, chickpeas, dried beans, lentils, spinach and granary bread are especially good sources.
■ Folic acid is destroyed by prolonged storage and boiling, so try to lightly cook or steam green vegetables and eat them on the day you bought them, or buy frozen.
SECOND TRIMESTER
All your baby’s organs, limbs, muscles and bones are formed, but they need to grow and mature.
YOUR VITAL FOOD: PROTEIN
Protein has three important roles in pregnancy:
1 It’s a large component of all the cells in the baby’s developing body.
2 It’s essential in the construction of the placenta.
3 It’s the main ingredient in the amniotic fluid that the foetus floats in and swallows.
Protein comes from animal and plant sources and is made up of amino acids. There are 20 different amino acids; the body itself can make 11 of them, while the other nine are considered essential amino acids and must be absorbed from food.
Even though meat is an easy way to obtain protein, you can incorporate all nine essential amino acids into your diet without eating any meat. To do this, it’s important to eat a variety of whole grains, vegetables, beans, soya, legumes, seeds and nuts. Some foods are lower in one amino acid, while others may be higher. Consuming all the essential amino acids in one meal isn’t necessary. As long as you eat a variety of foods on a regular basis, they’ll combine to make complete proteins.
FOOD TIPS
■ Eat three to four 30g equivalents a day. A 30g equivalent is:
■ A palm-sized piece of cooked lean meat, poultry or fish
■ 1 egg (be sure eggs are well cooked)
■ ¼ cup cooked dry beans, lentils or tofu
THIRD TRIMESTER
Your baby’s brain development accelerates rapidly in the third trimester, as around 70 percent of the cells that make up the adult brain are formed at this time.
YOUR VITAL FOOD: ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids make up 20 percent of your baby’s brain weight. Essential fatty acids such as omega 3 and 6 are found in fish oils – oily fish such as mackerel, herring, salmon, trout, sardines and pilchards are the richest dietary source of essential fatty acids and contain 10 to 100 times more than food such as nuts, seeds, wholegrain cereals and leafy dark green vegetables. They’re also found in sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds, almonds, walnuts and soya beans. Having an omega-3 deficiency while you’re pregnant can prove very harmful to both you and your baby. Your baby takes omega 3s from the foods that you eat. The nutrients cross the placenta, helping your baby to grow and develop. However, if your baby doesn’t get enough omega 3s from the food you eat, he’ll begin to take it from your own stores. Researchers believe that these stores may be located in the brain, which can result in a loss of up to 3 percent of your brain cells! Omega-3 deficiency during pregnancy is linked with:
■ Increased rates of postnatal depression
■ Increased chances of having a low birthweight baby
■ Increased chances of preterm labour or caesarean birth
Taking omega 3s during pregnancy has also been proven to help you and your baby out in the long run. Recent studies were performed on infants who were exposed to adequate levels of omega 3 while in the womb. These babies showed advanced attention spans and greater visual acuity than non-exposed children. Their development was also two months ahead of non-exposed children. Other omega 3 benefits include:
■ Less chance of developmental or behavioural problems later on
■ Less incidence of breast and prostate cancer
FOOD TIPS
■ Eat at least three portions of oily fish a week.
■ Extra virgin olive oil, and sunflower, sesame and pumpkin seeds also contain essential fatty acids.
AFTER BIRTH: BREASTFEEDING
If you’re breastfeeding, you need an extra 500 to 600 calories a day. Get adequate calcium by eating fish such as mackerel and herring, and lots of leafy greens including kale and spinach. Also avoid too much tea or coffee.
FOOD TIPS
■ Eat an extra 500 to 600 calories a day.
■ Eat dairy products and lots of leafy greens to keep up your calcium intake.
■ Drink lots of water. ●