Eating well in pregnancy
Eating a nutritious and varied diet in pregnancy is the best way of caring for yourself and your baby. The following information outlines what is meant by a nutritious and varied diet, and is suitable for most pregnant women. There are some women who may need to make some special changes when they are pregnant. They include:
- very young women (adolescents who are still growing);
- women who are underweight or overweight when becoming pregnant;
- women who have had more than 3 pregnancies in 2 years;
- women who eat a restricted diet (e.g. macrobiotic, vegan);
- women who have been eating a diet which they consider has been unhealthy; and
- women who have any complications regarding pregnancy.
If you fit within any of these categories you may need special nutritional advice. Talk with your doctor or community health nurse about whether you would benefit from visiting a registered dietitian.
What foods are ideal in pregnancy?
The following food groups provide you with the necessary vitamins, minerals and protein for a healthy pregnancy and baby:
- vegetables (at least 5 serves every day) and fruits (at least 2 servings per day);
- cereals, including breads, rice, pasta and noodles, preferably wholegrain;
- dairy products such as milk, yoghurt, hard cheese or cottage cheese — these are a good source of calcium to help you reach the recommended daily intake in pregnancy of 1000 mg (1300 mg of calcium a day is recommended in 14-18 year old females who are pregnant); and
- lean proteins such as fish, meat, poultry (e.g. chicken) or alternatives such as eggs, nuts and pulses — eat 1.5 serves per day.
Be aware that if you are eating only nuts and pulses for protein you will not be getting the iron, vitamin B12 or zinc that is required for good health. You will need to ensure that these nutrients come from other parts of your diet.
What foods are best avoided in pregnancy?
- Chilled, smoked or uncooked fish or seafood products can be infected with the Listeria bacteria. Infection with Listeria can cause listeriosis, a flu-like illness that can harm your baby. Other foods which can cause listeriosis are pâté; pre-cooked chicken or ham and other chilled, pre-cooked meat products; stored salads and coleslaws; soft, semi-soft and surface-ripened cheeses; soft-serve ice cream; and unpasteurised milk.
- All fresh foods should be washed thoroughly before eating. Unwashed fruit and vegetables may be contaminated with Toxoplasma, a bacterium found in cat's faeces that can cause toxoplasmosis — an infection which can harm your baby.
- Alcohol should not be drunk in pregnancy. There is no known ‘safe’ amount to drink and as such it is wise to avoid it completely.
- Restrict foods which are high in sugar (such as fizzy drinks or undiluted fruit juices), fats (french fries, cakes or chocolate) and salt (potato chips or pre-packaged noodles or stock) to being occasional treats.
Eating for 2 is not strictly true
Although women do often feel hungrier during pregnancy (due to the demands of a growing baby and placenta), it is not necessary to eat for 2 literally. Let your appetite guide you. If you feel hungry, eat healthy mid-meal snacks from the food list given above. Ideal snacks include yoghurt, fruit, washed vegetable sticks, muffins, nuts, dried fruit or drinks such as fruit smoothies.
Most women will gain some extra non-baby weight during pregnancy. This is a natural phenomenon which is designed to help you breast feed well. This extra weight will generally come off when breast feeding is established if you maintain the diet outlined above. If you have stopped smoking your weight may also increase. Smoking is much more harmful for you and your baby (before and after it is born) than a little weight. Most former smokers who put on weight will eventually return to their normal weight.
Nausea and vomiting
Morning sickness can mean that the healthiest of eaters find it hard to maintain a balanced diet. In most cases morning sickness will settle down by the 15th week of your pregnancy and you can resume your normal diet. Try to eat healthy foods when you can — eating small amounts and more often if necessary.
Drink plenty
Drink plenty of fluids every day (between one and 2 litres). This will help prevent urinary tract infections (cystitis) and constipation. Don't be tempted to reduce your fluid intake just because you need to urinate more often.
Folic acid (folate)
The genetic make-up of some women means they have an increased chance of having a child with neural tube defects such as spina bifida. Recent studies have shown that these women can reduce, but not eliminate, the chances of their child developing neural tube defects if they increase the amount of folate they eat. As there is no practical way to determine which women have this genetic make-up, it is recommended that all women eat a healthy diet rich in folate from vegetables, fruits and cereals.
If you are pregnant or are planning to become pregnant, the NHMRC's Australian RDI (recommended daily intake) is 0.6 mg folate. In addition to consuming folate as part of a varied diet, folate supplements containing 0.4 mg of folate should be taken every day from 4 weeks before conception until the 12th week of pregnancy.
You can purchase folate supplements over the counter from a pharmacy, supermarket or health store, or by prescription from your doctor. Folate is available on its own or as part of a multivitamin and mineral supplement specially formulated for pregnant women.
Iron
You need more iron when you are pregnant, and many pregnant women benefit from an iron supplement. Your doctor can test whether you need supplemental iron.
Iodine
Recent evidence suggests pregnant women in Australia are not getting enough iodine in their diet. This is because soils in many areas of Australia where foods are produced have low levels of iodine. You may benefit from taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement containing iodine or using iodised table salt. Adequate iodine is essential for the baby’s development, especially brain development.
Last Reviewed: 20 May 2009
- 1. National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). 2006 Nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand, including recommended dietary intakes. Endorsed by NHMRC on 9 September 2005.
