Nutrition During Pregnancy
Eating well during pregnancy is not just about eating more. What you eat is as important.
If you are carrying one baby, you need just 340–450 extra calories a day — and this is later in your pregnancy, when your baby grows quickly. This isn\'t a lot — a cup of cereal and 2% milk will get you there quickly. What\'s important is to make sure that the calories you eat come from nutritious foods that will help your baby\'s growth and development.
Nutrition for Expectant Moms
A healthy diet during pregnancy includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of water. The U.S. government's dietary guidelines can help you build a healthy eating routine when you're pregnant.
A healthy diet includes proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and plenty of water. The U.S. government's dietary guidelines can help you build a healthy eating routine when you're pregnant.
They also offer a tool that can help you figure out how many servings of each kind of food to eat every day based on your age, physical activity level, stage of pregnancy, and other factors.
Eating a variety of foods in the proportions indicated is a good step toward staying healthy. Talk to your doctor about building a plan that works for you.
Important Nutrients During Pregnancy
Your diet can affect your baby's health — even before you become pregnant. Certain nutrients are especially important for your baby's growth and development.
Your diet can affect your baby's health — even before you become pregnant. For example, research shows that folic acid, a type of B vitamin, helps prevent neural tube defects (including spina bifida) during the earliest stages of fetal development.
So it's important to get plenty of it before you become pregnant and during the early weeks of your pregnancy. Foods that contain folate (the form of the vitamin found naturally in foods) include green leafy vegetables; nuts; and legumes such as beans, peas, and lentils.
Doctors encourage women to take folic acid supplements before and throughout pregnancy (especially for the first 28 days). Be sure to ask your doctor about folic acid if you're considering becoming pregnant.
Folic Acid
Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects, including spina bifida, during the earliest stages of fetal development.
Research shows that folic acid, a type of B vitamin, helps prevent neural tube defects (including spina bifida) during the earliest stages of fetal development.
It's important to get plenty of folic acid before you become pregnant and during the early weeks of your pregnancy.
Doctors encourage women to take folic acid supplements before and throughout pregnancy (especially for the first 28 days).
Food Sources:
- Green leafy vegetables
- Nuts
- Legumes (beans, peas, lentils)
- Fortified cereals and grains
Calcium
Calcium helps build strong bones and teeth, and plays an important role in helping the circulatory, muscular, and nervous systems work properly.
Calcium is another important nutrient. It helps build strong bones and teeth, and plays an important role in helping the circulatory, muscular, and nervous systems work properly.
Your best food sources of calcium are milk and other dairy products. If you have lactose intolerance or dislike milk and milk products, ask your doctor about a calcium supplement.
Food Sources:
- Milk and other dairy products
- Sardines or salmon with bones
- Tofu
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Calcium-fortified juices and foods
Other Important Nutrients
Iron, iodine, and choline are also essential nutrients during pregnancy. Sometimes it's hard to get enough of these from the food we eat.
Other important nutrients include iron (in meats and poultry, dark green vegetables, and legumes), iodine (in seafood, eggs, and dairy products), and choline (in meats, eggs, and legumes).
Sometimes it's hard to get enough of these from the food we eat. That's why doctors often recommend a daily prenatal vitamin.
If you don't eat fish and chicken, or milk, cheese, or eggs, you'll likely need supplemental protein and may also need to take vitamin B12 and D supplements. Talk to your doctor about your dietary needs.
Food Sources:
- Iron: Meats and poultry, dark green vegetables, legumes
- Iodine: Seafood, eggs, dairy products
- Choline: Meats, eggs, legumes
Food Cravings During Pregnancy
Craving specific foods during pregnancy is common. Some pregnant women crave chocolate, spicy foods, fruits, and bland comfort foods.
Others crave non-food items, such as clay and cornstarch. The craving and eating of non-food items is known as pica. Consuming things that aren\'t food can be dangerous to both you and your baby. If you have urges to eat non-food items, tell your doctor.
Otherwise, following your cravings is fine if you crave foods that contribute to a healthy diet. Often, these cravings let up about 3 months into the pregnancy.
What Food and Drinks Should I Avoid While Pregnant?
Besides getting the right amounts of healthy foods during pregnancy, it\'s also important to know what food and drinks to avoid.
Alcohol
No level of alcohol consumption is considered safe during pregnancy.
No level of alcohol consumption is considered safe during pregnancy.
Alcohol can cause serious birth defects and developmental problems in babies.
It's important to avoid alcohol completely during pregnancy.
Vitamins and Herbal Products
Check with your doctor before you take any vitamins or herbal products.
Check with your doctor before you take any vitamins or herbal products. Some can harm a developing fetus.
Always consult your healthcare provider before adding any supplements to your routine.
Some herbal products can interact with medications or cause complications.
Caffeine
Limit caffeine intake during pregnancy to reduce risk of complications.
It's probably wise to avoid caffeine altogether if you can, though many doctors feel that one or two 6- to 8-ounce cups per day of coffee, tea, or soda with caffeine won't harm your baby.
High caffeine consumption, though, has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage and other problems. Try to limit your intake or switch to decaffeinated products.
If you're concerned about your caffeine intake, discuss it with your healthcare provider.
Food-Borne Illnesses
Avoid food-borne illnesses, such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, which can be life-threatening to an unborn baby.
Avoid food-borne illnesses, such as listeriosis and toxoplasmosis, which can be life-threatening to an unborn baby and may cause health problems or miscarriage.
Practice proper food handling and storage. Wash fruits and vegetables thoroughly.
Avoid raw or undercooked meats, raw fish (like sushi), unpasteurized dairy products, and soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk.
If you've had some risky food or drinks at some point during your pregnancy, try not to worry too much about it now. Just avoid them for the rest of the pregnancy. If you're really concerned, talk to your doctor.
Is it OK to Eat Fish While I'm Pregnant?
Fish and shellfish can be a healthy part of a pregnancy diet because they contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and are high in protein and low in saturated fat.
But avoid the kinds that can have high levels of mercury (such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, orange roughy, and bigeye tuna), which can damage the brain of a developing fetus.
If you eat seafood, choose a variety of fish and shellfish and limit the amount to about 12 ounces per week — that\'s about two meals. Common fish and shellfish that are low in mercury include catfish, pollock, clams, tilapia, salmon, and shrimp.
About Canned Tuna
Reports vary, but because some indicate that amounts of mercury may be higher than previously reported, you might want to skip tuna while pregnant or when trying to become pregnant.
Wild-Caught Fish
If you eat fish caught in the wild by friends or family, limit it to one serving and don\'t eat any other fish that week because you don\'t know how much mercury might be in the caught fish.
Talk with your doctor if you have any questions about how much — and which — fish you can eat.
Dealing With Constipation, Gas, and Nausea
Constipation
The iron in prenatal vitamins and other things can cause constipation during pregnancy. So try to get more fiber than you did before you became pregnant.
- Try to eat about 20–30 grams of fiber a day. Your best sources are fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain breads, cereals, or muffins.
- Check with your doctor before trying any fiber tablets or drinks or other high-fiber products. Don\'t use laxatives while you\'re pregnant unless your doctor advises you to do so.
- Drink plenty of liquids, especially water, when increasing fiber intake, or you can make your constipation worse.
- One of the best ways to avoid constipation is to get more exercise. Drink plenty of water between meals each day to help soften your stools.
- Sometimes hot tea, soups, or broth can help. Also, keep dried fruits handy for snacking.
Gas
Some pregnant women find that broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, and fried foods give them heartburn or gas. You can plan a balanced diet to avoid these foods.
Carbonated drinks also cause gas or heartburn for some women, although others find they calm the digestive system.
Nausea
If you\'re often nauseated, eat small amounts of bland foods, like toast or crackers, throughout the day. Some women find it helpful to eat foods made with ginger.
- Take your prenatal vitamin before going to bed after you\'ve eaten a snack — not on an empty stomach.
- Eat a small snack when you get up to go to the bathroom early in the morning.
- Suck on hard candy.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many extra calories do I need during pregnancy?
If you are carrying one baby, you need just 340–450 extra calories a day — and this is later in your pregnancy, when your baby grows quickly. This isn't a lot — a cup of cereal and 2% milk will get you there quickly. What's important is to make sure that the calories you eat come from nutritious foods that will help your baby's growth and development.
Why is folic acid important during pregnancy?
Research shows that folic acid, a type of B vitamin, helps prevent neural tube defects (including spina bifida) during the earliest stages of fetal development. It's important to get plenty of it before you become pregnant and during the early weeks of your pregnancy. Doctors encourage women to take folic acid supplements before and throughout pregnancy.
Can I eat fish during pregnancy?
Fish and shellfish can be a healthy part of a pregnancy diet because they contain beneficial omega-3 fatty acids and are high in protein and low in saturated fat. However, avoid fish with high levels of mercury (such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, orange roughy, and bigeye tuna). Limit seafood to about 12 ounces per week (about two meals) and choose low-mercury options like catfish, pollock, clams, tilapia, salmon, and shrimp.
Is it safe to drink coffee during pregnancy?
It's probably wise to avoid caffeine altogether if you can, though many doctors feel that one or two 6- to 8-ounce cups per day of coffee, tea, or soda with caffeine won't harm your baby. High caffeine consumption has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage and other problems. Try to limit your intake or switch to decaffeinated products.
What foods should I avoid during pregnancy?
Avoid alcohol completely, limit caffeine, and avoid foods that can cause food-borne illnesses. This includes raw or undercooked meats, raw fish (like sushi), unpasteurized dairy products, soft cheeses made from unpasteurized milk, and high-mercury fish. Check with your doctor before taking any vitamins or herbal products.
How can I deal with constipation during pregnancy?
The iron in prenatal vitamins and other factors can cause constipation during pregnancy. Try to get more fiber than you did before you became pregnant — about 20–30 grams of fiber a day from fresh fruits and vegetables and whole-grain breads, cereals, or muffins. Drink plenty of liquids, especially water, and get more exercise. Check with your doctor before trying any fiber tablets or drinks.
What should I do about food cravings during pregnancy?
Craving specific foods during pregnancy is common. Following your cravings is fine if you crave foods that contribute to a healthy diet. However, if you crave non-food items (known as pica), such as clay and cornstarch, tell your doctor immediately as consuming things that aren't food can be dangerous to both you and your baby. Often, these cravings let up about 3 months into the pregnancy.
Can I follow a vegetarian or vegan diet during pregnancy?
Doctors don't usually recommend starting a strict vegan diet during pregnancy. But if you already follow a vegan or vegetarian diet, you can continue to do so, but do it carefully. Tell your doctor about your diet. It's challenging to get the nutrition you need if you don't eat fish and chicken, or milk, cheese, or eggs. You'll likely need supplemental protein and may also need to take vitamin B12 and D supplements.
How can I manage nausea during pregnancy?
If you're often nauseated, eat small amounts of bland foods, like toast or crackers, throughout the day. Some women find it helpful to eat foods made with ginger. Take your prenatal vitamin before going to bed after you've eaten a snack — not on an empty stomach. Eat a small snack when you get up to go to the bathroom early in the morning. Suck on hard candy if needed.
Key Takeaways
Quality Over Quantity
What you eat is as important as how much. Focus on nutrient-dense foods that support your baby's growth and development.
Important Nutrients
Folic acid, calcium, iron, and other essential nutrients are crucial. Consider prenatal vitamins to ensure you're getting enough.
Avoid Harmful Foods
No alcohol, limit caffeine, and avoid foods that can cause food-borne illnesses like listeriosis and toxoplasmosis.
Safe Fish Consumption
Choose low-mercury fish and limit to about 12 ounces per week. Avoid high-mercury fish like shark, swordfish, and king mackerel.
Important Medical Disclaimer
The information provided on this page is for educational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with your healthcare provider or obstetrician for personalized guidance regarding nutrition during pregnancy, dietary concerns, and any questions you may have.
If you have urgent medical concerns about your diet or nutritional needs during pregnancy, seek immediate medical attention. Talk to your doctor about building a personalized nutrition plan that works for you and your baby.