Whether you are already pregnant or planning for pregnancy, it is more important than ever to eat a nutritious diet. By providing the right balance of nutrients you can help to ensure you give your baby the best chance of growing and developing properly. Indeed, good nutrition, before and during pregnancy can even be beneficial to your baby once they are born.
But what should you do to get pregnant, what should you eat when pregnant, what shouldn’t you eat, and what vitamins are good for pregnancy? For the answers to these questions and more, read on for some top tips on everything related to healthy eating whilst pregnant or looking to be.
[table “2” not found /]Things to Do to Get Pregnant
When it comes to getting pregnant, a lot of the time it can come down to a bit of luck. However, there are certain things that you can do to try and increase your chances of getting in on that sweet luck. Here, we outline 5 top tips that improve your chances when it comes to getting pregnant:
#1 Take a Folic Acid Supplement:
Taking folic acid supplements can increase your chances of getting pregnant. It can also be beneficial once you are pregnant. Taking a 400 microgram supplement daily before you get pregnant, and at least until you are over 12-weeks, is usually recommended for women. This is recommended as folic acid can reduce the chance of your baby having spina bifida and other neural tube defects. If you have diabetes, epilepsy, or you or your partner have been affected by a neural tube defect in some way, contact your doctor as a larger daily dose may be recommended.
#2 Quit Smoking:
Both men and women who smoke are more likely to have fertility problems than those who don’t. This means it is a good idea for both you and your partner to give it up when you are trying to conceive. Indeed, second-hand smoke can be almost as damaging as smoking first hand when it comes to pregnancy. Smoking affects your eggs and sperm, hormone production in women, the ability of a fertilized egg to reach your uterus, and the environment your baby grows in. Smoking when pregnant can cause premature birth, low birth weight, ‘cot death’, miscarriages, and breathing problems for the 1st 6 months of your baby’s life.
#3 Quit Alcohol:
Drinking can actually reduce the fertility of both men and women, with men’s sperm being particularly badly affected. Heavy drinking is also linked to a low sex drive in men so if you are looking to conceive, it’s a good idea for you and your partner to leave the alcohol in the cupboard. Alcohol is also best left alone when pregnant since it passes from your blood, to your placenta and through your baby who has an undeveloped liver. Heavy drinking can increase a number of risks for your baby.
#4 Keep healthy:
Being overweight can make getting pregnant more challenging so it is a good idea to try and get to a healthy BMI when trying to get pregnant. You should also consult a doctor to find out what medicines are safe to take when pregnant or trying to conceive. Getting the vaccine for the flu and whooping cough is also recommended although you should avoid getting pregnant in the month after having the MMR vaccine. Always consult a doctor if you are suffering from long-term conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy as this may well affect the decisions you should make.
How Do You Know You Are Pregnant?
You can find out if you are pregnant using a pregnancy test from the first day you missed your period. You may also be able to use emergency contraception if you don’t want to be pregnant and had unprotected sex within the last 5 days. Signs to look out for that may help you spot pregnancy include:
- Feeling sick or being sick (morning sickness)
- Enlarged breasts
- An increased need to urinate
- Constipation
- Tiredness
- White and milky vaginal discharge
- A metallic taste in your mouth
Whether or not you have done a pregnancy test, always seek medical care from a professional as soon as you think you might be pregnant.
What Should Pregnant Women Eat?
The good news is that you don’t need to spend a bundle or even switch to a special diet when you are pregnant. The only thing you need to worry about is getting a good balance of the right sorts of foods into your diet to help you get the right minerals and nutrients. But what vitamins are good for pregnancy? Here, we outline the key things you should try and eat that will help you, and your baby, get the necessary nutrition:
#1 Lots of fruits & Vegetables:
5 a day is a well-known phrase these days and is a good target whether you are pregnant or not. Indeed, when pregnant you should really aim for more as, although it is a myth that you are eating for two, the more fruit and vegetables you can eat will help ensure you get a good mix of the right nutrients that are going to benefit your baby. Whether you go for fresh or frozen, canned or dried, juiced or blended, get it down you! Just remember to avoid adding any salt or sugar.
#2 Carbohydrates:
Starchy foods like cereals, pasta, potatoes, and rice are renowned for being a good source of energy. In addition, they contain vitamins and fiber that, when combined with a healthy diet including the other goods on this list, will help get the right nutrition to your baby as it grows. Where possible, go for wholemeal options over white flour versions.
#3 Protein:
If you’re a meat-lover, or a champion of Mexican black bean burritos, this is a fortunate piece of advice! Foods containing lots of protein include beans, chicken and poultry, fish, nuts and other pulses (like lentils). Ideally, you should aim to eat 2 portions of fish each week, with one of them a nice and oily fish like mackerel, salmon or delicious sardines. However, steer well clear of swordfish, shark, and marlin.
#4 Certain types of dairy:
As dairy products are high in protein, calcium, and other essential nutrients, it is important to include them in your diet when pregnant. Low-fat options that are unsweetened are the best to choose and it is okay to go for calcium-fortified choices too. Cheeses that contain more than 17.5-grams of fat are generally considered to be high in fat and may be best avoided. Salty cheeses are also not a good choice. However, cheeses under 16-grams of fat and less than 1 or 1.5 grams of salt are handy to have in your diet. Cottage cheese and quark are great examples.
Things Not To Eat When Pregnant
What you don’t eat is perhaps even more important than what you do eat when it comes to being pregnant. Some foods can actually make you ill and potentially harm your baby. Here, we outline the foods that you should avoid:
#1 Certain Types of Cheeses:
Whilst dairy is recommended whilst pregnant, there are some cheeses that should be avoided. For example, any cheese that has a white rind or is classed as a soft-cheese is a no-go when it comes to being pregnant. This includes things like goat’s cheese, brie, and camembert. Soft blue cheeses are also best eschewed so no reaching for the gorgonzola, Roquefort, or stilton whilst waiting for your happy bundle to be delivered. This is because these cheeses increase the risk of infection with listeria. Though rare, this infection can lead to miscarriages and other complications.
#2 Raw (or Partially Cooked) Eggs:
Whilst eggs can be safe to eat whilst pregnant if approved to certain safety standards, it is generally not recommended to eat raw or partially cooked eggs. If you don’t know the eggs meet the necessary standard, then you should be okay to eat them if they are well done. The yolks and whites should be completely solid so that there is no risk of Salmonella.
#3 Raw, cured, or undercooked meat (and game):
If you are craving a steak, you don’t have to resist the urge. However, you should not be having it anything other than well done. Eating rare meats increase the risk of toxoplasmosis so you should make sure all the meat you eat is cooked until it is steaming hot. There should be no pink or blood whether you are eating chicken, pork or beef. Toxoplasmosis is symptomless so it is really important to avoid meats in this category. Cured meats are not cooked and fall into the danger zone when it comes to the risk of toxoplasmosis. You should also avoid eating game as this tends to be shot with lead pellets.
#4 Vitamin Supplements:
Whilst it is important to get the right nutrients whilst pregnant, taking supplements is not the way to go. Whether it be Vitamin A or fish oil, high-dose supplements should be avoided when pregnant.
#5 Certain Types of Fish
Most types of fish are ‘A-Okay’ when pregnant and may even be recommended up to twice a week. However, shark, swordfish, and marlin should be steered well clear of and you should eat no more than 2 170-gram tuna steaks a week. You should also avoid eating more than 4 140-gram cans of tuna per-week because of its high mercury levels. Also, whilst two portions of oily fish is recommended, more than this is not due to the fact that they can contain polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).
TOP 5 products are good for pregnancy?
#1 Best Folic Acid Supplement for Pregnancy: Nature Made’s 400mcg
If you are trying to get pregnant, then it is a good idea to take 400mcg of folic acid daily since this is recommended from the day you first become pregnant. Folic Acid helps to form the neural tube and prevent birth defects of both the brain and spine. Folic acid is also beneficial more generally, for women of maternal age, as it is beneficial for the skin, hair and helping the body generate new cells. Many pregnancies are also unplanned so taking this daily is definitely a smart move.
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#2 Best Book for Dads to Quit Smoking for Pregnancy: We’re Pregnant!
Given that second-hand smoke can be almost as bad as smoking first hand when it comes to pregnancy, its important as a father to take steps to curb your smoking habits as much as the mother. This informative and readable book offers way more than helping you to quit, with excellent advice for first-time dads and an excellent success rate when it comes to dads quitting smoking altogether, not just for ‘Christmas’
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#3 Best Book to Get Healthy for Pregnancy: Clean Keto’s Lifestyle
Treating our body’s right is not always easy. However, when we are pregnant, we are forced to re-evaluate how we look after ourselves. By no means should the dad be let off the hook! This great book is not simply for pregnancy, but is a great way to bring healthy practice into your life and even your partners. For a healthy pregnancy, the best thing you can do is try to be healthy yourself. This book lays out some great ways to try to achieve that!
#Healthy #Healthy_Books #Pregnancy_Books #Get_Healthy_In_Pregnancy #Being_Pregnant
#4 Best Cook Book for Pregnancy: Stephanie Clarke’s Healthy
With over 125 recipes designed to make your pregnancy a healthy one, this cookbook delivers the goods. When women are pregnant, so many people focus on telling them what they can’t eat. This book was written with a different approach I mind – what can women eat when they are pregnant! From snacks through to main meals, this book is packed full of ideas that will leave you salivating whether you are pregnant or not.
#Cookbook #Prgenancy_Cookbook #Cooking_When_Pregnant #Healthy_Food #Pregnancy
#5 Best Early Pregnancy Test: MOMMED’s 20-Piece Pregnancy Test
One of the hardest things about trying to get pregnant is the amount of time we have to wait to find out if ‘doing as they don on the discovery channel’ has been successful. Fortunately, technology is advancing and fast pregnancy tests are reducing the length of time we have to wait without adding extra uncertainty into the mic. This excellent multi-pack produces reliable results and comes with plenty of backups so you can know as soon as you have been successful.
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Conclusion
When it comes to being pregnant, or trying to be, nothing is more important than the health of your baby. Fortunately, with the above tips, you will be well on your way to sowing the seed of good health for your baby to grow from.