Balanced Prenatal Nutrition

The balanced prenatal nutrition recommendations listed here are based on the research and case studies of the late Dr. Tom Brewer. Brewer achieved excellent success for twelve years using these recommendations with some of the most at-risk mothers in Contra Costa County (CA, USA), and many midwives recommend pregnancy diet components in line with his.

You should always consult a nutritionist if you have any special health problems that may require special prenatal nutrition. For most women, these recommendations are sound and help build healthy baby. If you are expecting twins your nutritional needs during pregnancy increase even more! Good prenatal nutrition is the cornerstone for any pregnancy.

It may seem like this is a lot of food to eat, but if you graze throughout the day, you'll find that it's easy to get everything for a balanced pregnancy diet in. You can also take a quality prenatal and perhaps an EFA supplement to help give you that "extra insurance."

• Dairy: Enjoy around four serving of dairy foods each day. These can include milk, cheese, yogurt, kefir, or other dairy products. You might prefer goat milk products.

  Dairy products give a lot of "nutritional bang for their buck." You get a lot of vitamins and minerals as well as a good amount of protein.

  Protein is vital to a balanced prenatal diet. A serving of most dairy foods is around 8oz of protein, but if you enjoy cottage cheese, you'll get a lot more protein in each serving!

  You can also choose soy milk. If you decide to go with soy milk have some high-calcium foods along with it. Many nuts give plenty of calcium and add in extra protein too. They also give you iron.

• Eggs: Eggs are also little prenatal nutrition powerhouses. Add two a day in with four servings of dairy every day, they give you about half of the protein you need each day =D Eggs also have a lot of iron. Enjoy eggs with one of your vitamin C rich foods for even better iron absorption.

  My bag of waters with my third child didn't break until well into the pushing stage and my midwife commented that the strong amniotic sac was due to my eating my eggs every day. Thank goodness my hubby knows a thousand ways to cook eggs ;)

• Proteins (meat, fish, and others): Meat, fish, and other foods such as beans and nuts are strong sources of protein. Cheeses are also an excellent source of protein. Protein is a big part of your prenatal nutrition.

  You need around six servings of protein a day. This may sound overwhelming but is really pretty easy. A "serving" is usually only 1oz of the chosen food. A meal usually contains 2-3oz. Protein is essential to building your baby and maintaining your body!

• Dark Leafy Greens: Treat yourself to around two servings of dark leafy greens each day. You can have salads if you enjoy them - a chef salad with grilled chicken and sliced egg would be a tasty way to satisfy a few parts of your balanced prenatal nutrition. Dark leafy greens such a lettuces (not iceberg lettuce! Go with a dark type like romaine or green leaf) spinach, and mustard greens are packed with nutrition. Choose fresh or frozen varieties for lots of vitamins. You'll also get some iron from each serving. Leafy greens will help keep you from getting constipated as well.

• Whole Grains/Carbohydrates: You'll want to have around five servings of whole grains each day. These grains will give you carbohydrates that your body needs. Carbohydrates are burned for energy. It's important to get enough carbohydrates! Otherwise your body will burn protein that you and your baby need.

  Whole grains are the best carbohydrate to get because they provide you with vitamins, minerals, and small amounts of protein. You get B vitamins from whole grains, which are essential for your body. You'll also get folic acid, an essential nutrient for your baby. Whole grains provide a lot of your prenatal nutrition in one serving.

  Wheat, oats, rice, corn, and other whole grains are all a good choice. You can enjoy them as breads, pastas, breakfast porridges, cooked rice, or other tasty of whole grain dishes.

  Many fruits and vegetables have generous servings of carbohydrates as well and you can have them. Potatoes, berries, squashes, and other fruits often fill requirements. Raisins can also count as a serving (and give you some iron). You'll find ways to work in all your need for good prenatal nutrition.

• Vitamin C foods: These foods are often a favorite! Have a couple of servings each day of a vitamin C rich food. Oranges and tomatoes are popular vitamin C rich foods. You may also love cantaloupe and strawberries! Many fruits are rich in vitamin C. Try and enjoy one with your eggs every day to aid good iron absorption. This is also a good time to take your prenatal vitamin.

• Fats and Oils: You need good fats and oils in moderation. They add flavor to foods and they help your body absorb essential nutrients from your other foods. Believe it or not, fat is essential to your baby and to your good prenatal nutrition. Butter and olive oil are both very good fats to choose to lightly flavor your foods. Having some fats in your diet also helps your skin and gives you calories. You need calories for energy; otherwise your body will burn protein it needs for you and baby.

  Have around 5 fat servings each day. 1 serving is equal to about 1 pat of butter or 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Mayonnaise, salad dressings, a handful of nuts, sour cream, and chocolate all have enough fat in them to count as a serving as well. Most of time your fat servings will be incorporated with other foods in your pregnancy diet. Remember that essential fatty acids, or EFA's are brain food for your baby. Choose foods rich in them or take a good supplement.

• Vitamin A foods: Vitamin A helps protect your body from infection. Have one serving each day. Your body will assimilate and produce the amount of vitamin A it needs from your food choice each day. Cantaloupe, pumpkin, and sweet potatoes all have plenty of vitamin A. Deep yellow fruits and vegetables are often a good source. Many EFA rich supplements contain vitamin A as well.

• Liver: Having liver once a week is a amazing source of nutrients for you during pregnancy. If you enjoy liver add this into your pregnancy diet. Be sure to choose an organic liver. Toxins can become concentrated in the liver, so you will want only organic and avoid any hormones or other artificial substances that may have been fed to commercial animals.

• Salt: Salt to taste during pregnancy. Your blood volume will expand dramatically during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester. Salt helps your body retain this expanded blood volume. Drink plenty of water, salt to taste, and use the bathroom frequently. Getting plenty of protein and complete, balanced prenatal nutrition will help ensure your excellent health. Salt does not cause abnormal swelling during pregnancy - if you have abnormal amounts of swelling, contact a care provider.

• Water: Drink 8-10 glasses of water every day - yep, this is part of your prenatal nutrition! This helps your body clear all the wastes that need to be cleared, it helps keep you regular, and it helps with your expanding blood volume.

• Snacks: If you've eaten everything recommended for balanced prenatal nutrition and are still hungry, choose healthy snacks in addition. If you are carrying multiples, you will need to do more snacking because you'll need additional protein and nutrients. Snack with healthy foods and you'll find you grow a healthy baby!

• Supplements: Most care providers feel that if you're eating an excellent diet then you don't need supplements. But you may still like the extra assurance of a quality prenatal vitamin. It helps to assure that you get everything you need, and is especially good in the first trimester when your baby has so many critical periods of development.

  You may also want to include a supplement of EFA's in your prenatal nutrition plan. EFA's are being shown to be good for brain development as well overall development.

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