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Food for a Healthy Baby By Helena Bingham1st Trimester This stage is crucial to your baby’s development and really the most important nutritionally. Of course it depends when you find out you are pregnant so best not to panic mums. Many women find out around 6-10 weeks and then punish themselves for getting drunk or for not eating well during those weeks… Remember that a happy mum = a happy baby! And it’s all about STRESS and the need to avoid stress at all costs… Always make do the best you can from when you find out – you cannot undo what is already done! During the first trimester your baby develops all its major organs as well as finger nails, eyebrows and of course it’s little beating heart. All of that is made from what you have eaten or have already stored! Morning sickness and nausea are common during the first trimester. If you feel sick during this stage make sure you are taking enough vitamin B6, this can really help to relieve the sickness. Drinking enough water, taking regular exercise and eating small frequent meals will help too. Some people find eating a dry biscuit first thing can help to settle their nausea; some people find fresh ginger tea can settle them! Some people find a brisk walk can help and others can’t move! It is important to do what feels right for you. Morning sickness will pass! If nausea is very bad and you can’t keep any foods down PLEASE the help of your doctor. Remember that everyone is different – listen to what you need to establish your own personal plan! If ever there was a time to eat your greens this is it!!! 2nd Trimester Hopefully by this time nausea has settled and you are more emotionally stable. This is the more relaxed time as miscarriage scares have passed and so has the fist scan (if you are having any that is). IT IS NORMAL TO GAIN WEIGHT – YOU ARE GROWING A BABY INSIDE OF YOU! Weight gain is normal at around 1lb per week. Progesterone causes you to lay down FAT to ensure that there is enough FUEL for milk production after the birth – you see nature does it all for you. Limbs are formed by 14 weeks and the baby begins to lay down fat stores also! 3rd Trimester Blood volume still on the up – plenty of iron rich foods –this is the time when mums get iron deficient so keep the supplies high. Lots of vitamin C to allow for good absorption of the iron is VITAL here. This is the trimester when you will gain weight faster than at any other time. And that is OK. The body is preparing for making milk so getting lots of fat ready for that – that is why women breastfeed??? It is the most natural function and the body knows only how to prepare for that! SO we need to eat the right types of FAT to obtain the essential fatty acids. The thing is – if you eat a varied, sensible diet including fruits and vegetables, drink enough water and avoid too many fast foods and sweets you are doing the right thing! Cut out alcohol, avoid too much caffeine, salt and sugar, exercise and rest well. REST is a key point here … rest allows the body and baby to grow, repair and recuperate. Don’t just keep going when you are tired, that creates STRESS… rest when you can – really!! A suggested meal plan may be: Soaked oats or an oat based sugar free cereal with sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, banana or pear and milk – if you want avoid dairy, use rice milk, almond milk or soya milk. Drink hot water and lemon or a mild green tea. Avoid coffee and caffeine teas if you can! (See foods to avoid below***) Snack on fruit such as apples, raisins and nuts and seeds (soaked if you can) – if you get constipated remember to always soak dried fruits and nuts please. Maybe an oily fish salad for lunch e.g. Mackerel or sardines with some watercress, rice, pumpkin seeds, tomato, carrot, wholemeal bread or oatcake, fruit such as an orange or pear. Snack on dried figs and soaked almonds. (Avoid readymade oat snack bars that are covered in sugars!) Maybe some Organic Chicken for dinner with stir fry or steamed vegetables with brown rice or a jacket potato – vegetables could include broccoli, kale, carrots, cabbage, peas or Swede. If you are vegetarian you get abundant proteins from tofu, pulses and beans instead of meat and fish, nuts and seeds. Try and eat seated and don’t rush! Never add salt to your food and drink before and after eating not during – drinking during eating can dilute stomach acids and prevent optimum digestion. *** What Foods to Avoid Pregnancy is such a precious time and one where the new mother really wants to take extra care of herself, her growing baby and their diet. Of course it is important to eat what you like and fancy, but there are certain foods that really do need to be avoided during pregnancy. The main foods to avoid during pregnancy are the groups that could cause Salmonella, listeria or toxoplasmosis. What you eat during pregnancy is so important; that making sure you do not eat these is a must! Foods that could cause Salmonella include: Raw or Runny Eggs, Mayonnaise made with Raw Egg and Raw or Undercooked Meat. Salmonella Bacterium can cause food poisoning. It's a risk to both you and your baby as the food poisoning causes high temperature, vomiting, diarrhea and dehydration. This could potentially cause a miscarriage or preterm labor. Foods that could cause Listeria include: Liver and Liver pate, Unpasteurized Dairy Products (ripened soft cheeses like brie, camembert and blue veined cheeses), Unpasteurized Milk and Unheated Cooked foods. Make sure that reheating is thorough if you are eating ready meals. Listeriosis is a bacterium that causes a mild flu like illness in the mother. This could lead to a miscarriage or stillbirth. Foods that could cause Toxoplasmosis include: Raw or undercooked Meat, Raw Cured Meats such as Parma Ham and Salami. Toxoplasmosis is caused by the toxoplasma parasite. It's usually symptomless apart from a mild flu like symptom. Toxoplasmosis can cause serious problems for your baby. Caffeine and Alcohol also need to be watched and limited! It is recommended (Food Standards Agency), that you stop drinking alcohol altogether. However, if you do continue then please limit it to only 1 or 2 units per week, and never get drunk (1 unit = half a pint of beer, lager or cider or a pub measure of spirit. A glass of wine measures approximately 2 units). As for Caffeine, this also needs to be limited. As we know it is found in tea, coffee, chocolate, cola drinks and energy drinks, but it can also be found in cold and flu remedies! Excessive caffeine can result in a low birth weight baby or even a miscarriage. Recommendation (FSA again), for caffeine daily is 300mg, and here is a guide for you to work it out: 1 Mug Instant & Brewed Coffee = 100mg each 1 Mug Tea = 75mg each Can Cola = 40 - 50mg each (plus sugar!) Energy Drink = 80 mg each (plus sugar) Plain Chocolate 50g bar = 50mg (milk chocolate is less) both contain SUGAR too! Other Foods That Should Be Avoided include: shellfish, Peanuts (could increase the risk of your baby developing an allergy to nuts, especially if it is in your family) and Buffet foods (the reheating thing again) Also eating too much tinned fish especially Tuna can be harmful due to the mercury levels (high levels can harm a baby's nervous system). Therefore, I would avoid tinned tuna and if you can and limit tuna steaks to only 1 or 2 per week. Other fish to avoid is swordfish, shark and marlin.  * What to Eat When Pregnant * Top Breastfeeding Tips * Information provided by Helena Bingham - Pampers Fitness Expert |
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