Healthy eatingis complicated, and it gets even more so when you add your soon-to-be baby into the mix.
But what pregnancy food rules are worth paying attention to, and which ones are just overblown?
Pregnancy nutrition is about focusing on a healthy diet in general.
Caiaimage/Paul Bradbury/Adobe Stock
The most basic tenets of healthy eating are the same when youre pregnant and when youre not.
If youre already doing that, youre off to a good start.
If you might work with a registered dietitian for a more personalized plan, thats great too.
As for nutrients, certain vitamins and minerals are important inanydiet, not just during pregnancy.
Folic acid is the human-made version of folate, a B vitamin.
(Folic acid and folate are often used interchangeably.)
ACOG guidelines recommendpregnant people get 600 micrograms of folate or folic acid per day.
Choline is a nutrient that plays a role in fetal brain development.
Iron is a mineral that your body uses to transport oxygen in your blood.
During pregnancy, your body uses it to make the extra blood you and your baby need.
(These animal sources are known as heme iron.)
Also, most prenatal vitamins contain some iron to fill in the gaps in your diet.
Pregnant people should get 220 micrograms daily (up from 150 micrograms for non-pregnant adults).
Most people in the U.S. get plenty of iodine because its added to table salt.
Vitamin C, calcium, and vitamin D play a role in building your babys bones.
All three of these nutrients are important during pregnancy.
For vitamin D, thats 600 international units (IU) or 15 micrograms.
There are general guidelines for extra calories and weight gain, but its not an exact science.
In fact, your calorie needs dont increase all that drastically during pregnancy, she says.
(Those ACOG guidelines are higher if youre pregnant with multiple babiesabout 300 more calories per additional fetus.)
you’re free to meet those needs by adding one or twoextra snacksthroughout the day.
Navigating the calorie situation during pregnancy can be really tough, to say the least.
What constitutes healthy weight gain during pregnancy depends in large part on your weight going into it.
Dealing with confusing pregnancy guidelines surrounding the already fraught topic of weight is incredibly stressful.
Its true therearesome foods you should take a stab at avoid during pregnancy.
Listeriosis, in particular, has been linked to more serious complications, including miscarriage and stillbirth.
The reason experts recommend avoiding these foods is because they all come with a higher-than-normal risk of contamination.
Ditto with raw meat, smoked seafood, deli meats, and yes, even hot dogs.
That being said, you could of course get food poisoning from other foods.
Fishis actually a really healthy food to eat during pregnancy.
Fish is also a great source of protein, Dr. Kamyar adds.
These include marlin, shark, swordfish, tilefish, orange roughy, bigeye tuna, and king mackerel.
Instead, stick to smaller fish, like tilapia, catfish, and salmon.
But you shouldnt take that to mean you should load up onallsupplements.
Like other supplements, its also unregulated, so theres no way to know whats actually in it.
Even regular multivitamins might not be a good idea on top of your prenatals.
Of course, you needsomevitamin Aits important most notably for healthy eye development.
Experts also suggest cutting back on caffeineand completely avoiding alcohol.
But research about just how much caffeine is OK before it may interfere with fetal development is inconclusive.
Until we know more, it may be best to stick to that 200 milligram max to be safe.
That recommendation is not without controversy, though.
