Pregnancy is a bouquet filled with cheer, happiness, good health, a peaceful mind, and a positive attitude. Whatever, you feel, you see, you hear, you eat, affects the baby growing inside you. Here is a list of few things that your pregnancy dietician wants you to keep in mind in order to have a happy and healthy pregnancy. Let’s take a look.
Table of Contents
1. Find out how much you should weight
As per doctors and dieticians, a pregnant woman much put in 8-10 kgs. However, women who were underweight before pregnancy or having multiple babies are advised to gain little more. On the other hand, women who are overweight or obese should gain less weight.
These extra kilos are critical for your baby’s growth and development. But a typically healthy baby weighs 2.5 – 3.5 kgs, what is all the rest of the weight for?
Here’s a breakdown: The expectant mother’s breasts add up to an additional 1 kg as they swell in order to prepare for feeding the baby. The gowning uterus and placenta add another 2-3 kg. Alos, Factor in extra blood flowing in the body up to 2-3 kgs. This explains pregnant woman’s iron need is so high. In addition to these, the mother-to-be has about 3-4 kgs amniotic fluid and other fluids. All these together add up, and you start to feel heavy. Plus your body needs up to 5 kgs of fat to use as an energy reserve during pregnancy and lactation.
While it’s hard to eat healthy all the time, especially with food cravings, you should to eat a balanced diet that helps your baby to grow. Consulting a Pregnancy dietician is an excellent way to start.
2. Exercise regularly
Don’t assume that pregnancy is a time to suspend your gym membership. Or that it’s a nine-month-long cheat day. You need to be physically active during pregnancy for your own health and that of your baby. Going for jogging or attending prenatal yoga keep your body strong, help you prevent gestational diabetes and other health issues. Also, you sleep well at night and keep a check on your weight. Most importantly, regular exercise prepares you for the ultimate workout: labor and delivery.
Doctors recommend that pregnant women should exercise moderately for 30-45 minutes at least four days a week. Even if you go for 10 minutes of brisk walking in your vicinity after each meal, helps a lot. 3.
3. Drink plenty of water
Pregnant women are recommended to drink 10-12 glasses of water or other beverages everyday. If it’s summer or you’re exercising, drink water even more.
Dieticians often ask pregnant women drink water when they feel and avoid fizzy drinks, soda, and too much of coffee. It is best to keep caffeine and sugar to a minimum during pregnancy and when craving for sweet drinks have fruit juices or simply freshly cut fruits.
Water is the best source of hydration. If you are not able to track your fluid intake, just carry a water bottle with you and keep sipping from time to time. When you have clear or pale yellow pee, it’s a sign of proper hydration.
If plain water doesn’t appeal you or makes you nauseous, try sparkling water with various flavors like lemon, cucumber, orange, and berry. You can even make spa water: In a pitcher of regular water, add cut oranges, apple, or any other fruits of your choice to infuse water with subtle water.
4. Eat small meals
When nauseated, the thought of a large meal can really turn your stomach. Later in pregnancy, your baby crowds the abdomen area, eating even a fairly modest amount of food at a time can be uncomfortable.
Therefore, the best would be to focus on eating frequent mini-meals. Eating small meals at regular interval helps as it constantly keeps a little bit of food in the stomach and keeps your blood sugar even.
5. Snack smart
After meals, let’s talk about snacking. Stock your kitchen with healthy staples so that you can quickly grab good-for-you snacks. You can keep fresh fruits in portioned bags on your desk at work. String cheese and whole-grain crackers are very satisfying. Try whipping up a batch of smoothie over the weekend and freeze it in individual jars.
When you are pregnant, every bite you take has an impact on your baby. So, if you include nutrition, you’ll feel better about snacking.
To ensure you cover all these points and have a comfortable and healthy pregnancy, consult a pregnancy dietician. She can guide with the diet to follow, how much weight to gain, what you eat, and what to avoid, and much more.
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