Nutrition for Pregnancy and Breastfeeding

Eating for Two?

Women who are pregnant or lactating (breastfeeding)have special nutritional needsYou only need about 300 extra calories per day (based on an average 2000 calorie normal diet)

Choose NUTRIENT-DENSE foods

Choose foods that are packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber and other nutrients, but are lower in calories. Pick foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk products.

If you are expecting twins, triplets, or more:

If you are expecting more than one baby, your nutrient and calorie needs are higher than the needs of women carrying one baby.

Folic Acid (folate)Folate, a B vitamin, aids in forming red blood cells and in building genetic material in every cell of the body. Folic acid helps prevent birth defects (specifically, neural tube defects such as spina bifida)

Sources of folate include:

Cooked dry beans and peas, peanuts

Oranges, orange juice

Dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach and mustard greens, romaine lettuce

Enriched and whole-grain breads and bread products, fortified ready-to-eat cereals

Iron, a mineral, functions primarily as a carrier of oxygen in the body, both as a part of hemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in the muscles. During pregnancy, your blood volume doubles to accommodate your increased need for oxygen to nourish your babySources of iron include: Shellfish like shrimp, clams, mussels, oysters Lean meats (especially beef) Liver and other organ meats (but these are high in cholesterol) Turkey dark meat (remove the skin to reduce fat) Sardines (but these are high in salt) Leafy greens, such as spinach, broccoli, kale, turnip greens, collards Cooked dry beans (such as kidney and pinto beans), lima beans and green

peas, black-eyed peas, pinto beans, canned baked beans, and lentils Fortified, enriched and whole grain breads, pasta, rice, and breakfast cereals

Iron

Food safety - fishFish provide important nutrients, including Omega-3 fatty acids that are good for your health, but may also contain some chemicals that can be health risks.Limit yourself to 12 ounces per week (2 – 6oz. cans or 2 average meals) – tuna, shrimp, salmon, pollock, catfish. White (albacore) tuna contains more mercury, so limit to 6 ounces per week.DO NOT EAT shark, swordfish, king mackerel, or tilefish when you are pregnant or breastfeeding. They contain high levels of mercury which can harm the baby’s developing nervous systemLimit or avoid fish caught in local waters – they may contain other harmful chemicals

Food safety - lysteria

Listeria is a harmful bacteria. It can be found in some refrigerated, ready-to-eat foods. You are much more likely to get the disease caused by Listeria—called listeriosis—when you are pregnant. It can be transmitted to your unborn baby even if you are not showing signs of illness and can cause death.

Follow this advice to prevent listeriosis:

Do not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, bologna, or other deli meats unless they are reheated until steaming hot.

Do not eat refrigerated pâté, meat spreads from a meat counter, or smoked seafood found in the refrigerated section of the store. Foods that don’t need refrigeration, like canned tuna and canned salmon, are okay to eat. Refrigerate after opening.

Do not drink raw (unpasteurized) milk. Do not eat foods that have raw milk in them.

Do not eat salads made in the store such as ham salad, chicken salad, egg salad, tuna salad, or seafood salad.

Do not eat soft cheese such as feta, queso blanco, queso fresco, Brie, Camembert cheeses, blue-veined cheeses, and Panela unless it is made with pasteurized milk. Make sure the label says, "Made with pasteurized milk.”

Food safety - toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis is an infection caused by a parasite. The infection may not cause any symptoms for the mother, but can be passed on to the baby. Most infected infants do not have symptoms at birth but can develop serious symptoms later in life, such as blindness or mental disability. Occasionally infected newborns have serious eye or brain damage at birth.

Follow this advice to prevent toxoplasmosis:•Wash your hands with soap and water after touching soil, sand, raw meat, or unwashed vegetables.

•Cook your meat completely, especially chicken and turkey. Do not sample meat until it is cooked.

•Freeze meat for several days before cooking to greatly reduce the chance of infection.

•Wash all cutting boards and knives with hot soapy water after each use.

•Wash and/or peel all fruits and vegetables before eating them.

•Cats can spread this parasite. Have someone else change the litter box if possible. If you have to change it, wear disposable gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water afterwards.

•Wear gloves when gardening or handling sand from a sandbox. Cats may use gardens or sandboxes as litter boxes. Wash hands afterward.

•Avoid drinking untreated water, particularly when traveling in less developed countries.

The Food Pyramid

Shows us what and how much to eat to achieve a balanced diet.

What should I eat?

Choose foods from all the food groups

Mix up your choices within each food group

Remember to drink plenty of fluids

Recommendations

The following recommendations will help you to choose a healthful diet.Prenatal vitamin supplements cannot replace a healthy diet

Focus on fruits

Eat a variety of fruits – whether fresh, frozen, canned or dried –

rather than fruit juice for most of your fruit choices.

2 cups per day

Vary your veggies

Eat more dark green leafy veggies, orange veggies and beans and peas

2-1/2 – 3-1/2 cups per day

Get your calcium-rich foods

Get 3 cups of low-fat or fat-free milk (or an equivalent amount of yogurt or cheese)

every day

3 cups per day

Make half your grains whole

Make half of your grains whole-grain cereals, breads, crackers, rice or

pasta. Check food labels to be sure the grains are listed as “whole.”

6 – 7 – 9 ounces per day

Go lean with protein

Choose lean meats and poultry. Bake it, broil it, or grill it. And vary your protein choices – with more fish, beans, peas, nuts and seeds.

5-1/2 – 6-1/2 ounces per day

Fats and oils

Avoid “bad” types of fat. They may raise your blood cholesterol level, and increase your risk of heart disease: Saturated fats Trans fatty acids Dietary cholesterol

Watch the “extras”

Discretionary calories are “extras” or “luxury foods” that contribute calories without adding much nutrition: Extra foods from any food group. Higher calorie forms of foods - whole milk, cheese,

sausage, biscuits, sweetened cereal, sweetened yogurt. Added fats - sauces, salad dressings, butter; fried foods,

fatty meats. Items that are mostly sweet, such as sugar, syrup, candy,

desserts or soda.

Find your balance between food and physical

activity

Exercise is important for your overall health and fitness, so (check with your doctor first) it’s generally ok to continue any exercise program you currently participate in.

Weight distribution in pregnancy

Maternal stores of fat, protein and other nutrients 7 lbs.

Increased body fluid 4 lbs.

Increased blood 4 lbs.

Breast growth 2 lbs.

Enlarged uterus 2 lbs.

Amniotic fluid 2 lbs

Placenta 1-1/2 lbs.

Baby 7-1/2 lbs.

TOTAL 30 lbs.