Pregnancy & Baby 

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Diet and health in pregnancy

Once pregnant, you may find that you experience food cravings and morning sickness as your body adjusts to coping with fluctuating levels of hormones and the physical weight of the growing baby. This won't last long, but a sensible diet may help

What to eat
It's really important that you try to have a healthy and varied diet during your pregnancy to provide you with enough energy and nutrients for your baby to grow and develop. Your body also needs to be ready for a certain amount of change, so try to:

• continue to eat the recommended foods outlined in the 'eating well action plan'
• eat plenty of fibre: You may find that you become constipated very early in pregnancy because of the hormonal changes going on in your body. Fibre can help prevent constipation and can be found in wholemeal bread, wholegrain cereals, fruit and vegetables, and pulses such as beans and lentils.

Vitamins and minerals

Iron
Iron is essential for red blood cell development. More is needed during pregnancy to cope with the demand for extra oxygen from the rapidly growing foetus.

During pregnancy your iron levels may become low, so try to eat plenty of iron rich foods such as red meat, pulses, bread, green vegetables and fortified breakfast cereals. You could also try drinking some juice containing vitamin C with your meal, for example orange juice or tomato juice, as this can help your body to absorb the iron present in different foods.

If your iron level becomes too low, your GP or midwife may advise you to take iron supplements.

Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important as it helps your body to absorb calcium. It can be found in oily fish, eggs and fat spreads and can also be provided by a little exposure to sunlight. Your GP may advise you to take supplements containing 10 mcg of vitamin D each day during your pregnancy.

Vitamin A
As when trying for a baby, you should avoid taking supplements containing vitamin A or fish liver oil. Fish liver oil contains high levels of vitamin A. You should also avoid liver and liver products, such as pate.

Too much vitamin A can build up in your body and may harm your baby.

Myth: Remember to eat for two
Few women realise that there's no need to 'eat for two' when pregnant. It's the quality not the quantity of food that's important. In fact you only need an extra 200-300 calories a day, this is the equivalent to a light snack such as hummus and salad in a pitta.

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