Tag Archives: nutrition in pregnancy

Tips for Taking Prenatal Vitamins

As soon as you become pregnant, your doctor will prescribe prenatal vitamins. The nutrients in these vitamins are important for several reasons. If you are trying to conceive, you should start taking them before you get pregnant. One important nutrient in prenatal vitamins is folic acid. Folic acid has been shown in studies to prevent neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. Neural tube defects often develop before you know you are pregnant. This is why women who are trying to get pregnant are advised to start taking the vitamins. Folic acid is available in many food sources, such as … Continue reading →

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

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Go fill a glass of water before reading this blog. If you are pregnant, you’ve probably heard that drinking water is important during pregnancy. You may not know how much you need to drink or why it is important. Pregnant women should drink between six and eight glasses of water each day. A glass is an eight ounce serving, so if you are drinking a twenty ounce bottle, that is equivalent to two and a half servings. If you exercise or engage in other light to moderate physical activity, you need to drink more water. The rule of thumb is … Continue reading →

Weaning off Caffeine

Consuming a lot of caffeine during pregnancy has been linked to problems such as low birth weight. In addition, babies born to mothers who consume large quantities of caffeine have been found to show symptoms of withdrawal after birth. For these reasons, women are advised to limit their intake of caffeine during pregnancy. Let’s face it; caffeine is a huge part of our culture. Some people drink cup after cup of coffee throughout the work day. These people often suffer withdrawal symptoms when they try to stop drinking coffee cold turkey. Headaches are common when caffeine is totally eliminated from … Continue reading →

Why Soda Should be Avoided During Pregnancy

When we become pregnant, we all need to make changes to our diet and lifestyle for the good of the growing baby. These changes may include eating a healthier diet, cutting down on caffeine, quitting smoking and avoiding alcohol. In our quest to give our babies the best start in life, we scrutinize our past food choices. When you are trying to cut caffeine out of your diet, you need to remember that many brands of soda contain caffeine. Often, women mention caffeine as the reason they chose to limit their intake of soda during pregnancy. This is good since … Continue reading →

Planning Healthy Dinners in Pregnancy

When I was pregnant, the more I read about nutrition, the more I worried about my diet. It doesn’t have to be difficult to plan healthy dinners during your pregnancy. When planning meals, it’s important to remember to include a variety of foods. Keep in mind that you don’t need more than an extra 300 calories each day for your baby. When you are planning your dinners, aim for a balance and include foods from all food groups when planning your dinner menu. Include whole grains, protein, fruits and vegetables. Drink milk with your dinner to add calcium and a … Continue reading →

Start the Day with a Healthy Breakfast

We all know the importance of a good breakfast. We’ve all heard the old saying that it’s the most important meal of the day. It’s particularly important for pregnant women to eat in the morning. You and your baby need to start the day with nourishment. There are many reasons why eating breakfast can be challenging for pregnant women. Maybe you have to be at work really early in the morning and can never seem to find a few extra minutes to eat. Maybe you are suffering with morning sickness and the thought of food makes you sick. Maybe you … Continue reading →

Red Raspberry Leaf Tea

Many women swear by drinking red raspberry leaf tea during pregnancy. This herbal tea is supposed to tone and strengthen the pelvic muscles. This will help your contractions be more efficient during labor. People who use red raspberry leaf tea say it results in a shorter labor. The tea can be used throughout the pregnancy or started later. Most women drink one or two cups each day and then switch to an infusion later in pregnancy. This method has been used by pregnant women for thousands of years in cultures around the world. Some doctors and midwives that it may … Continue reading →