Expert pregnancy nutrition advice

One of the most important things you can do for your unborn child is to eat a healthy, balanced diet, ensuring the optimum development of your baby. 


Midwife and Lecturer Maggie Evans, joined us to answer your questions on pregnancy nutrition. Here are some of the questions posted by our babyexpert.com users along with Maggie's advice.

Q I’m not pregnant yet but am about to start trying. What are the main nutrients I should be taking to make sure my body is prepared. I know I should take folic acid but are there any others that are just as important?

A As you rightly say folic acid is a very important nutrient. However, the main source of nutrition is your diet. A good wholesome diet will provide all the nourishment you require. Quality not quantity is key. Calcium, Iron, Zinc and the B vitamins are all important when preparing for pregnancy. You may like to try one of the specially prepared vitamin/mineral supplements for pregnancy that will complement your diet.

Q I am 24 weeks pregnant with an 18 month old to chase around my energy levels are so low. Is there anything I can take/eat that’s good for me for extra energy other than chocolate and sugar isn’t good for me or the baby?!

A The occasional bar of chocolate is of course ok, particularly if it is dark chocolate as it is rich in iron. Obviously it would be wise to try healthier snacks like fruit, nuts and seeds or perhaps savoury crisp-bread with cheese or hummus. It may be possible that your energy levels are low due to your iron levels decreasing. You will be due for a blood check at around 28 weeks, in the meantime should you feel worse it may be wise to speak to your midwife. You may also like to try Spatone water based iron supplement that will give you an energy boost.

Q I’m 33 weeks pregnant and a vegetarian. Is there anything I should make sure I’m eating most days?

A It is essential that you eat a well balanced diet, which should consist of the following foods to ensure that you get the full complement of protein factors in your diet. Make sure you get enough amino acids and all the essential nutrients such as Calcium, Iron, Zinc and the B vitamins. These can be found in lentils/pulses, nuts/seeds, plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, wholegrain rice/cereals. A particularly wholesome food for ‘veggie's’ is quinoa which looks like a grain, but is actually a seed and contains all the amino acids.

Q I'm 9 weeks pregnant and whilst I'm lucky that my morning sickness has not meant vomiting, I have terrible nausea which causes dry heaves and tons of burping!! What can I eat to keep the nausea to a minimum? I didn't like ginger before I was pregnant so it doesn't help me now.

A Ginger is certainly not a universal remedy for nausea. It is best to keep your meals light, small and frequent. If you are nauseous in the morning have a dry biscuit (not a sweet one as the sugar content may raise your blood sugar levels and make you feel worse). You may like to try peppermint or chamomile tea to relieve some of your symptoms. Avoid rich or spicy food. Nausea usually subsides by about 14 weeks, so hopefully you will feel much better soon.


Q I’m 6 months pregnant and everything is going well. I am very keen to breastfeed when my baby is born. Are there any foods that I should avoid while producing milk is it basically the same rules as when you’re pregnant? Plus what can I do to improve my milks quality?

A As always the most important factor for breastfeeding is to continue eating a well-balanced healthy diet. You will need a few extra calories and you will also experience increased thirst, this is just your bodies way of letting you know it's needs - so obey your thirst and your appetite. The most important issue to remember is probably not to eat anything in excess e.g. curries every day or plates of cabbage etc, other than that just eat normally, your baby is already adjusted to your diet in uterus. Obviously avoid alcohol and if there is history of allergies you may need to avoid peanuts for instance.

Q Do you have any advice for vegetarians?? I know I need to keep my irons levels up, but I'm not a bit fan of green vege. Is there anything else that provides a good natural source of iron? Are there any other nutritional needs I need to be aware of?

A Carrots are a good vegetable to eat as they help to absorb the iron content of the whole meal. As in my previous answer I mentioned lentils and pulses are a good source of iron as also is soya.


You may like to download a useful leaflet from the Spatone website "Guide to Healthy Eating in Pregnancy" just click on the tab 'leaflets' at Spatone.com.
 
Spatone is a unique natural iron containing spa water found in the Welsh mountains of Snowdonia National Park. It is available from Boots, Holland & Barrett and independent health food stores and pharmacies, priced £6.95 for 28 sachets (4 weeks supply). For mail order call 01492 640 057 or visit www.spatone.com.

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