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Eating for Two
Weight Control during Pregnancy
The Magic Touch
Pregnancy Symptoms Soothers
High Risk Pregnancy Complications
Role of Dads during Pregnancy
To Cut or Not to Cut... the Perineum |
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What you should eat and avoid
for a safe and healthy pregnancy. |
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 Now that you’re pregnant, it’s more important than ever to eat the nutrients you and your baby need to thrive. A balanced diet is key to having a healthy pregnancy. You’ll want to consume a variety of food to ensure that your baby gets a wide array of vitamins and minerals.
What’s safe to eat?
Because food-borne illnesses, alcohol, and high levels of mercury and caffeine can hurt your baby’s health, you need to be cautious about certain foods and eliminate others completely.
Steer clear of:
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Raw or uncooked meats and seafood – including sushi and smoked seafood. |
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Shark, swordfish, tilefish and king mackerel – these contain either too much fat or a highly toxic form of mercury that may accumulate and hurt the foetus’s brain. |
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Hot dogs, sausages, and other processed meats that contain nitrates. |
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Soft cheeses, and unpasteurised milk and juices. |
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Food made with raw or undercooked eggs. |
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Alcoholic beverages. |
Okay in moderation:
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Caffeine (no more than 3 cups of coffee a day) |
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Artificial sweeteners |
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Herbal tea (but check with your doctor before taking any herbal medications) |
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Cod liver oil (due to its high amounts of vitamins A and D) |
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| Protein |
Essential for the
development of baby. |
Where to find it:
Beef, soy, dairy products, chicken, fish, pork, eggs, dried beans and lentils, and peanut butter. |
| Vitamin A |
Helps form your baby’s skin and internal organs. |
Where to find it:
Milk, organ meat (liver, kidney), oranges, green vegetables, deep yellow and orange vegetables and fruits. |
| Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) |
Releases energy from protein, fat and carbodrates.
Required for utilisation of folic acid.
Improves immune system. |
Where to find it:
Milk, egg whites, almonds, whole grains, liver, wild rice, mushrooms, soy beans and spinach. |
| Vitamin B6 |
Helps in the breakdown and use of protein. |
Where to find it:
Eggs, meat, nuts, bananas and avocados. |
| Vitamin B9 (folate) |
Aids in development of baby’s major organs and tissues.
Helps to produce additional blood cells needed in pregnancy.
Prevents neural-tube defects, which can occur early in pregnancy.
Prevents premature birth, low birth weight and miscarriage. |
Where to find it:
Orange juice, spinach, lentils, oatmeal, broccoli, nuts, avocados, strawberries, fortified pasta, bread, rice, and breakfast cereal. |
| Vitamin C |
Helps improve iron and folic acid absorption
Reduces pre-eclampsia risk.
Maintains a good healthy immune system.
Helps improve iron and folic acid absorption
Reduces pre-eclampsia risk.
Maintains a good healthy immune system. |
Where to find it:
Fruits (such as oranges, lemons and limes), broccoli, capsicums, tomatoes, spinach and dark leafy vegetables. |
| Vitamin D |
Helps calcium to be absorbed by the body to form the fetus’ bones. |
Where to find it:
Milk, eggs, sardines, salmon
Take note: Vitamin D is also absorbed by your skin when exposed to the sun, so include short daily walks in your pregnancy health and fitness regime. |
| Calcium |
Necessary for heart, muscle, nerve function, blood clotting and enzyme activity.
Prevents lead from being released from the bones during pregnancy. Too much lead can cause demineralisation of the bones.
For baby’s bones and teeth development. |
Where to find it:
Dairy products, including milk, yogurt, and cheese; tofu; calcium fortified fruit juice; fortified soy milk; and broccoli.
Take note:
Salt, caffeine and liquor are linked to calcium depletion and poor calcium absorption. |
| Fibre |
Helps ward off the constipation and hemorrhoids that often plague women during pregnancy. |
Where to find it:
Fruits (such as apples and pears with skin), vegetables (potato with skin, broccoli, and carrots), and whole-grain cereal, bread, and pasta with at least three grams of fiber per serving. |
| DHA and EPA |
Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid.
Necessary for development of your growing baby’s central nervous system – particularly brain and eye development. |
Where to find it:
Sardines, salmon, white fish, shrimp and other seafood, canola oils, soybeans, walnuts, flax seed, egg yolks. |
| Iron |
Produce haemoglobin in both mother’s and baby’s red blood cells, which makes oxygen.
Prevents anaemia and premature delivery
Helps baby to gain sufficient weight. |
Where to find it:
Fish, eggs, liver, kidney, dried beans and peas, lean red meat, whole-grain bread and cereals, and leafy green vegetables. |
| Carbohydrates |
Provides energy
Starch can ease morning sickness |
Where to find it:
Bread, sugar, cereals, pasta, rice and potatoes. |
| Zinc |
Prevents miscarriages, premature delivery, and growth retardation in baby.
Helps muscle contract, a deficiency can prolong labour. |
Where to find it:
Lean red meat, seafood, whole grains cereals, nuts, dried beans and peas. |
| Fluids |
Important to keep fluid intake up during pregnancy to maintain the increased blood volume and avoid dehydration.
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Take note:
Drink at least eight glasses of fluids a day. Avoid sugar-filled drinks and opt for non-caffeineated drinks. |
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