Generally a pregnant woman should follow the same healthy and balanced diet as one who is not. Except iron, we will need the same amount of nutrients as at any time in life. At most, a pregnant woman should increase her intake by just 300 calories a day to compensate for her pregnancy.
However, it is possible that the doctor recommends the use of a food supplement, or reinforces the diet in some way. Follow their advice, do not take vitamin supplements on your own. The health of your baby and yours depends on the way you feed, therefore, keep it in mind now, as before pregnancy and during breastfeeding.
Prepare for pregnancy with food supplements
There are women who are preparing to get pregnant changing some unhealthy habits. Things like quitting smoking, or consuming alcohol, will help us, on the one hand, to get pregnant and also to cleanse our body of toxins. Better to avoid it.
It is also recommended start taking folic acid, or folates. This supplement can come in the form of capsules, which the doctor will prescribe, or in some foods that are specifically enriched with this nutrient. You will find cereals enriched with folic acid, milk and bread. But if the pregnancy has come unexpectedly, do not worry, in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy it is convenient that you take folic acid supplements.
A woman within a normal weight does not need extra calories during the first six months of pregnancy. The body becomes adept at absorbing and using nutrients from food. Being overweight during pregnancy will increase the risk of diabetes and it will also be difficult for you to lose the kilos after birth.
General indications for a balanced diet
If we are pregnant we must continue with a balanced and varied dietTherefore, the first thing is to analyze our daily meals and try to complement them. This plugin can come through capsules or shakes already prepared, but the best thing is that it is naturally with the products that we have at our disposal.
Cereals and potatoes should represent 70% of our diet, prevailing the whole grain modality, because they contain more fiber, vitamins and minerals. Fruits and vegetables are very important. If you cannot access the Fresh fruits can be included canned, without syrup, or frozen. Green salads, beans and lentils, nuts and fruit juice should be taken at least five servings a day.
The meat, fish They are a source of protein, vitamins and minerals, but remember that alternative foods, such as eggs, nuts and legumes, are too. As for dairy and fresh products that provide calcium and protein, you should take two or three servings daily.
When should I include food supplements
As we have mentioned, in principle food supplements are not necessary if the woman is healthy and no pathology is detected during pregnancy. In fact, some specialists do not agree in recommending certain vitamin supplements, that contain a high concentration of vitamins because the effect that this ingestion may have on the fetus is unknown. In fact, too much vitamin A can harm the baby.
In some circumstances add-ons can be beneficial. It is given as an example, in the vegetarian and vegan women, where the ingestion of an iron supplement is considered, since it is not so easily absorbed from foods other than red meat. The body is only able to absorb 10-15% iron efficiently.
A curiosity, contrary to popular wisdom that the fetus needs to gain weight in recent months. We will tell you that in the last 3 months of pregnancy, your baby only needs an increase of 300 kilocalories per day. Calculating this is like four apples or two pieces of bread.