Pregnancy is a time of tremendous change in a woman's life and it can be both and emotional and physical roller coaster ride.
Leslie Beck, author of Leslie Beck's Nutrition Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy joined Balance Television host Dr. Marla Shapiro to talk about some things you need to know to successfully manage all three trimesters of pregnancy.
Pregnancy Weight Gain
The most common questions women typically have about pregnancy are weight-related, agreed Beck and Shapiro.
"A lot of women are freaked out about having to gain weight all of a sudden and they look at the scale and they see numbers they've never seen before," Beck said. "But women need to gain weight and at no point in a woman's pregnancy should she attempt to lose weight."
How much weight a woman should gain during pregnancy, Beck said, is dependent on her pre-pregnancy weight or Body Mass Index (BMI).
• BMI less than 20: gain 28 to 40 lbs
• BMI between 20-27: gain 25 to 30 lbs
• BMI over 27: gain 15 to 25 lbs
Women who are underweight prior to becoming pregnant need to gain a little more and women who are overweight should gain less. These weight gains are the ones associated with the best outcomes for both mom and baby, Beck said.
"Especially in the first trimester, women only need to gain a little bit," Beck explained. "Some women don't gain at all and that's okay because the baby isn't really growing in the first trimester. I usually aim for about 3-5 pounds in the first trimester. The average weight gain for women in the first trimester is 3-8 pounds actually."
For the duration of the pregnancy, we look for about a pound per week on average, she said. If a woman is expecting twins, the average is approximately 1-1/2 pounds per week.
Pre-Natal Vitamins
"I strongly recommend pre-natal vitamins," Beck said. "A woman may have a very healthy diet but first of all, it's important because when women are pregnant they need 600 mg of folic acid so they get that in a pre-natal. Also, the iron. Women's iron requirements really go up in pregnancy, especially around week 12, as women are close to their second trimester. They just can't get it through diet."
Because it's assumed that most women go into pregnancy with inadequate stores of iron, Beck said, we recommend a low-dose iron supplement.
Some women complain of nausea when taking pre-natal vitamins. Beck suggests taking the pre-natals at night because they can sleep through the nausea. You could also take them after a heavier meal.
Beck also said that if you're really feeling ill during the first trimester, don't take the iron dose until around week 12, when the iron requirements really go up. But make sure to take folic acid supplements regardless.
Nausea
"At least 50 per cent of pregnant women have morning sickness, anytime, anywhere," she said. "It doesn't even have to be in the morning. As many as 70 per cent may feel morning sickness in the first trimester."
The key strategies to fighting this off, Beck said, are to never let yourself get hungry and never letting yourself get too full. You want to maintain a consistent blood sugar level throughout the day to minimize nausea.
Bland carbohydrates such as crackers and rice cakes are good to keep by your bedside table. Munch on them before you get out of bed in the morning and wait 20 minutes before getting up.
Another strategy is to eat foods that are easy to digest, such as lean protein. Also, avoid fatty foods that stay in your stomach longer and eat small amounts often throughout the day.
