A Healthy Weight
Pregnancy is not the time to deal with excess weight - nutritional needs are high and restricting food intake puts your baby at risk. So healthy eating and increased activity should be a pre-pregnancy goal.
Alcohol, Smoking and Supplements
Everything you
take into your body can potentially affect your baby, sometimes even before you know you are pregnant. So when planning a family:
· Cut out Alcohol
The World Health Organisation suggests that there really is no safe levels of drinking alcohol during pregnancy and that no alcohol at all is the safest approach. That view has been endorsed by Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council. Most drugs cross the placenta so it should be assumed that any drug taken during the pregnancy will reach the foetus at least in small amounts. Alcohol has been associated with problems in pregnancy such as bleeding, miscarriage, still and premature births and slow growth in babies.
· Cut out Cigarettes
If you smoke while you are pregnant you have a higher rate of miscarriage and complications of pregnancy and labour. The chance of having an underweight baby is increased and these babies are more likely to have health problems in early life.
· Cut down on Caffeine
There is evidence to suggest that drinking in excess of five cups of coffee or tea, or six cans of cola drinks a day may be associated with underweight babies.
Talk to your doctor about the safety of any medication or supplements you are taking while pregnant also.
Are You Meeting Your Nutritional Needs?
Your body has a lot to do when you are pregnant and your baby has a lot of growing and developing to do. Eating the right balance from the major food groups help this happen. There is a wide variety of foods to meet everyone's needs and tastes within those major groups. If you don't like or cannot eat certain foods, it is important to find appropriate alternatives. You may wish to have your intake reviewed by a dietitian or discuss it with your doctor. The meal plan and food group table does not include high fat, high sugar foods and that provide little else in the way of nutrition. Quality counts in pregnancy and its better to make lower fat and sugar choices. That's not to say that the occassional indulgence is a problem, just not too often.
A Healthy Eating Meal Plan
First Thing
A dry biscuit or slice of toast before you get up may do wonders for morning sickness by settling the stomach.
Breakfast
Choose from:
· cereal or porridge with milk and fruit
· toast, bread, muffin, bagel with tasty cheese, egg or a spread, plus some fruit
· fruit salad with yoghurt
· milk smoothie
Lunch
Choose from:
· hot meal, see dinner suggestions below
· sandwich, roll or jacket potato- take care with fillings- with salad vegetables
· hard boiled egg, tasty cheese, crackers and salad
· soup with bread or roll and some tasty cheese
· Finish with fruit, yoghurt or milk drink
Dinner
Lean meat, chicken, fish, egg or vegetarian dish with plenty of potato, rice or pasta and lots of vegetable or salad. Finish with fruit, ice cream, yoghurt or other milk-based desert.
Snacks
The key with snacks is to make them count nutritionally. Here are some nutritious snack suggestions:
· dried fruits, nuts, popcorn, pretzels
· breakfast cereal
· fresh or canned fruit
· milk, milkshakes, flavoured milk
· yoghurt or milk-based desserts
· vegetable sticks, rice cakes or crackers with tasty cheese or peanut butter
· bagels, muffins, pikelets, scones
Drinks
· 6-8 glasses of fluid e.g. water, juice or milk (plain or flavoured)
· no alcoholic drinks
· no more then 5 cups of tea, coffee or cola a day (2-3 mugs). Less if you drink strong drip or filter coffee
(July 2007) (
