Eating for two:

Maintaining healthy diet is more important in this phase of life. You need more nutrients including protein, iron, calcium and folic acid than you did before pregnancy. You also need calories. Eating for two doesn't mean eating twice the amount you did before pregnancy. It means maintaining the source of nutrients for the baby by taking balanced meals combined with the regular physical fitness.

Over eating in pregnancy increases the risk of obesity of children. Excess intake of calories during pregnancy can make you gain more weight than necessary. This can also increase the risk of developing diabetes during pregnancy which is known as gestational diabetes.

Excess weight gain makes it difficult to return to a healthy weight after the baby is born, also it can make the future child births challenging.Therefore, you should eat a little more during the second and third trimester as it is necessary to help baby grow. But, avoid overeating since this can pose several risks to health of both mother and the baby.

 

Foods to Eat:

-Fruits and vegetables: They are good source of fiber and helps prevents constipation. They are also high in Vitamin C, which increases iron absorption from foods.

-Spinach, wheat germs and beans: they are high in folate which helps the normal development of baby's nervous system.

-Meat, fish, eggs, nuts and beans: they are good source of protein and iron. Meat and fish are also source of vitamin B12, while eggs and peanuts are great sources of choline.

-Diary: Milk, cheese, tofu or calcium enriched orange juice.

 

Foods to avoid:

-Raw or undercooked meat, fish or seafood

-Raw eggs or sprouts

-Unwashed fruits and vegetables

-Organ meat like liver

-Too much caffeine

-Alcohol

-Junk food

 

Drink enough Fluid:

-Drinking enough water prevents constipation

-Decreases fatigue and prevents premature contractions , headaches and swellings

 

Prenatal multivitamins

-As per recommended by the health professionals