Pregnancy: Eating Right While Pregnant
Healthy eating in
pregnancy , and enough of it, is very important for
your baby to grow and develop. You should consume 200 to 300
more calories than you did before you became pregnant.
Although nausea and vomiting during the first few months of
pregnancy can make this difficult, try to eat a well balanced
diet and take prenatal vitamins. Here are some recommendations
to keep you and your baby healthy.
Goals for Healthy Eating
- Eat a variety of foods to get all the nutrients you
need. Recommended daily servings: 6-11 servings of breads and grains, two to
four servings of fruit, four or more servings of vegetables, four servings of
dairy products, three servings of protein sources (meat, poultry, fish, eggs
or nuts). Use fats and sweets sparingly.
- Choose foods high in starch and fiber such as whole-grain breads,
cereals, pasta, rice, fruits and vegetables.
- Make sure you are getting enough vitamins and
minerals in your daily diet. You should take a prenatal vitamin supplements to
make sure you are consistently getting enough vitamins and minerals every day.
Your doctor can recommend an over-the-counter brand or prescribe a prenatal
vitamin for you.
- Eat and drink at least four servings of dairy
products and calcium-rich foods a day to help ensure that you are getting 1200
mg of calcium in your daily diet.
- Eat at least three servings of iron-rich foods per
day to ensure you are getting 30 mg. of iron in your daily diet.
- Choose at least one good source of vitamin C every
day, which include: oranges, grapefruits, strawberries, honeydew, broccoli,
cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, green peppers, tomatoes and mustard greens.
- Choose at least one good source of folic acid every
day, which include: dark green leafy vegetables, veal and legumes (lima beans,
black beans, black-eyed peas and chickpeas). Every pregnant woman needs 0.4 mg
of folic acid per day to help prevent neural tube defects such as spina
bifida.
- Choose at least one source of vitamin A every other day.
Sources of vitamin A include carrots, pumpkins, sweet
potatoes, spinach, water squash, turnip greens, beet greens,
apricots and cantaloupe.
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Pregnancy: Your Guide to Eating Right
Diabetes: Caring for Your Diabetes at Special Times »
Introduction
Diabetes is part of your life. You can learn how to take
care of yourself and your diabetes when you're sick, when you're at work or
school, when you travel, when you're thinking about having a baby or are
pregnant, or when there's an
emergency or natural disaster.
When You're Sick
Having a cold, the
flu, or an infection can raise your blood glucose levels.
You can have serious health problems leading to a coma if your blood glucose
levels are very high.
Be prepared for illness. Make a plan ahead of time for sick days. Ask your
health care team
- how often to check your blood glucose levels
- whether you should check for
ketones in your blood or urine
- whether you should change your usual dose of
your diabetes medicines
- what to eat and drink
- when to call your health care
provider
Your health care team may recommend the ...
Read the Diabetes: Caring for Your Diabetes at Special Times article »
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