Nutrition During Pregnancy

Guidelines for nutrients

There is no one way to eat perfectly nutritional meals while you are pregnant, and no one expects you to. In fact, your nutritional needs don’t change all that much from before you are pregnant. One of the best things you can do for your baby is to maintain a healthy diet and weight. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have the occasional splurge, balance is good.

While you are technically “eating for two,” a pregnant person should only be consuming an extra 300 calories a day.

I understand that being a health nut isn’t everyone schtick and that is ok, the best way to make sure you are intaking the proper amount of vitamins and minerals is to take a daily prenatal multivitamin.

Average suggested weight gain

First let me explain BMI, or Body Mass Index. A person's BMI is a number that is calculated by dividing a person's height by their weight in meters squared, and are therefore determined “underweight” “normal weight” and “overweight.” 

A person who is “underweight” before pregnancy should gain 28-40 lbs throughout their pregnancy. Someone who is a “normal” weight, should gain 23-35lbs, and a person who is “overweight” should gain 15-25lbs.

Where does it all go?

By the end of your pregnancy, your baby will weigh around 7.5lbs.

Uterus: 2 lbs

Placenta:1.5lbs

Amniotic Fluid: 2lbs

Increased Blood Volume:4lbs

Increased Fluid Volume:4lbs

Boobs:2lbs

Fat storage: 7lbs

Food aversions

I LOVE cilantro. I could live on chips and salsa. Until I got pregnant. I didn’t want to smell it, taste it, or look at it. But why? Hormones of course! During the first 11 weeks of pregnancy your hCG levels (the hormone that makes your pregnancy test give you a big fat plus sign) are rapidly rising. Causing food aversions and possibly nausea. Don’t worry, it doesn't last forever. I am back to munching on my favorite snack. 

Common cravings and what they mean

There is a myriad of food cravings that I have heard of people having while they are pregnant. My first pregnancy it was maple syrup, it needed to be on everything. With my second it was salt and vinegar chips and sour patch kids. Something about the intense twang from the two just kept me coming back for more. Some cravings don’t really have any rhyme or reason while others may be your body's way of telling you that you are lacking something. For example, meat is a common pregnancy craving. It is possible that their body is asking for iron.

Cravings are generally harmless, but there are times that they are not. If you find yourself craving non food items, like dirt, paper, cigarette ashes, you may have what is called pica. If you are experiencing cravings for non food items, call your healthcare provider immediately!