Eating well

During pregnancy, it is important to make sure that your diet provides you with enough energy and nutrients for your baby to grow and develop. It is just as important to help keep you healthy and help your body to deal with all the changes taking place.

You are probably already wondering what you should and shouldn’t be eating now that you are pregnant. The good news is that there is not much to avoid and lots of things you enjoy already are good for you and your growing baby.

Healthy weight

Eating well will not only keep you and your baby healthy during your pregnancy but it is also the best way to maintain a healthy weight throughout your pregnancy. A healthy diet can help you get back to your pre-pregnancy weight more quickly after the birth as well. Trying to lose weight while you are pregnant is not a good idea as it can harm both you and your baby. A diet made up of junk food and sweets will not do you much good. See the section on weight gain and body changes for more information.

Healthy drinks

It’s essential to keep your fluid levels up by drinking plenty of water and fruit juices. Often we think we are hungry when in fact what we actually need is water. Some experts suggest that the reason we retain water (and get puffy and bloated) is because we are not drinking enough of it. Drinking lots of water can also help with constipation.

Caffeine

If you are a regular coffee or tea drinker it’s a good idea to try and cut back. High levels of caffeine can affect your baby’s birthweight. For this reason it is important not to have more than 200mg of caffeine a day.

To give you an idea:

• an average cup of instant coffee has 75mg of caffeine
• regular brewed coffee has 100mg caffeine
• regular tea has 50mg caffeine.

Cola and some ‘energy drinks’ also contain caffeine:

• 40mg caffeine in a regular can of cola
• up to 80mg in some energy drinks.

You can substitute these with decaffeinated tea or coffee and look for drinks that are caffeine free, such as herbal teas or fruit juices.

What to eat

Eating a balanced and varied diet is the best way to be healthy and also help your baby to grow and develop. This means eating a range of things from the different food groups including:

• lots of fruit and vegetables
• plenty of starches like potatoes, pasta and wholegrain bread
• protein-rich food including at least two portions of fish and one portion of oily fish a week
• plenty of fibre which you’ll find in fruit and vegetables as well as rice and wholegrain bread; eating fibre-rich foods will help you deal with constipation
• dairy products like plain yoghurt, semi-skimmed milk and hard cheeses, which will help you get enough calcium.

If you are eligible for Healthy Start you are entitled to vouchers for milk, fresh fruit and fresh vegetables. See the section on benefits or www.healthystart.nhs.uk for more information.