Welcome to the third trimester! It’s a bittersweet time to be pregnant, and you’re probably feeling some level of guilt about all of the things that you haven’t done yet.
Don’t worry, there are plenty of things for you to do during this time without sacrificing your other responsibilities. One of the easiest things you can do for your unborn baby is to eat healthy, nutritious foods. Here are some diet tips for pregnant women in the third trimester to keep in mind.
These tips are presented in no particular order. Some are obvious, others might surprise you a little. After all, one thing that we hope to accomplish is to give you options and let you choose the ones that fit your lifestyle and habits best!
Here are 10 simple pieces of advice to follow in your third trimester:
1) Go Organic: Avoid all pesticides and chemicals as much as possible. In addition to it, buy only natural or organic foods from prepared meals and commercial stores.
The first and foremost reason is that you don’t want to expose your baby to any toxic substances. There is a study that reported that mothers who consumed organic food had reduced the incidence of preeclampsia compared to those who did not.1
Moreover, eating organic foods during pregnancy may result in a healthier pre-pregnancy BMI and a lower incidence of gestational diabetes.2
However, it is not compulsory to have a list of organic foods in your kitchen. It is just a better recommendation if you can have it at home.
As long as you practice a healthy lifestyle that could be enough!
2) Take Daily Multivitamins: Multivitamins or prenatal vitamins are essential for mothers to meet the increased demands during this period. Even if you are eating all healthy, it is a good idea to take daily Multivitamins.
This will help you take care of your personal needs for essential vitamins and minerals during your pregnancy.
Moreover, studies have shown that the intake of multivitamins may reduce the risk of preterm or small-for-gestational-age birth.3
3) Eat More Greens: Eat more greens. They are rich in nutrients and are of great benefit to the health of your baby.
Dark leafy vegetables packed with nutrients that promote the healthy development of the baby. Vegetables like spinach are rich in iron and folate, while broccoli is a good source of calcium and vitamin D.4
Anyone who has doubts that greens are good for health should probably ignore the statement that “The baby is inside you.”
4) Avoid Junk Food: Research found that the consumption of an unhealthy diet during pregnancy can cause mental disorders in children later.5
If you have been eating a lot of junk food, replace it with healthy stuff like whole-wheat bread, rice, pasta and fruits.
Not only does this make it easier on your body but also helps in growing a healthy baby.
5) Eat Protein: The protein requirement during pregnancy will increase accordingly throughout the stages. The recommendation suggested by the expert is around 75 to 100 grams of protein per day.
Protein is vital for the growth of fetal tissue and also for the brain’s development. It also helps your breast and uterine tissue to grow during pregnancy, and it plays a role in your increasing blood supply.6
Your baby needs the proteins in order for her to grow and it is very important that you do not lose too much weight during pregnancy.
6) Avoid Alcohol: Even though alcohol might help you sleep at night, your baby can’t understand if you get drunk, so there is no use in doing that.
It does its damage on your baby’s body and it can cause birth defects or health problems for the child later on.7
7) Get Plenty of Exercises: If you are able to do physical activities, then you should do so during pregnancy.
It is good for the baby’s health and your body and also can promote healthy weight gain during pregnancy.8
8) Avoid Food Additives: Read ingredient labels of food products. Right now, there are thousands of food additives on the market and you don’t want to expose your baby to any of them, do you?
This is also especially important if you are breastfeeding or formula feeding your baby.
9) Eat a Healthy Breakfast: Eating a good breakfast is very important in your pregnancy. It helps you feel better and it also helps you have more energy throughout the day.
10) Antioxidant-rich foods: Last but not the least, include more antioxidant-rich foods in your diet. This can help you combat oxidative stress on your body and can protect against atopic multimorbidity in children.9
Examples of antioxidant-rich foods you could include are dark leafy greens, berries, tomatoes, onions, and avocado.
It’s quite simple, right? Easy and very effective.
Without realizing it, the diet you’re currently doing is giving you double-duty. While the nutrients that your body craves help your baby “grow,” they also help you stay healthy and maintain a healthy weight for both yourself and your unborn baby!
Just follow these diet tips for pregnant women in the third trimester, keep your healthcare experts’ advice in mind and you’re on your way to having a healthy baby!
Please comment if you have any experience or knowledge about the above 10 diet tips for pregnant women in the third trimester to share with us! 🙂
References:
- Potera C. (2016). Eating for Two: Does an Organic Diet Make a Difference?. Environmental health perspectives, 124(3), A55. https://doi.org/10.1289/ehp.124-55
- Simões-Wüst AP, Moltó-Puigmartà C, Jansen EH, van Dongen MC, Dagnelie PC, Thijs C. Organic food consumption during pregnancy and its association with health-related characteristics: the KOALA Birth Cohort Study. Public Health Nutr. 2017 Aug;20(12):2145-2156. doi: 10.1017/S1368980017001215. Epub 2017 Jun 19. PMID: 28625206.
- Janet M Catov, Lisa M Bodnar, Jorn Olsen, Sjurdur Olsen, Ellen A Nohr, Periconceptional multivitamin use and risk of preterm or small-for-gestational-age births in the Danish National Birth Cohort–, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Volume 94, Issue 3, September 2011, Pages 906–912, https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.111.012393
- Pregnancy Superfoods, fruit & Vegetables| Aptaclub. (2020, September 25). Aptamilâ„¢ Early Life Nutrition & Pregnancy Advice – Join Aptaclub. https://www.aptaclub.co.uk/pregnancy/diet-and-nutrition/understanding-food-groups/superfoods-for-pregnancy.html
- Junk food may lead to mental health problems in children. (2013, August 20). Deakin. https://www.deakin.edu.au/about-deakin/news-and-media-releases/articles/2013/junk-food-may-lead-to-mental-health-problems-in-children
- Pregnancy nutrition. (2020, September 23). American Pregnancy Association. https://americanpregnancy.org/healthy-pregnancy/pregnancy-health-wellness/pregnancy-nutrition-1008/
- Drinking alcohol while pregnant. (2020, December 2). nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/drinking-alcohol-while-pregnant/
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. (2019, July). Exercise during pregnancy. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/faqs/exercise-during-pregnancy
- Milewska-Wróbel, D., & Lis-Święty, A. (2020). Does antioxidant-rich diet during pregnancy protect against atopic multimorbidity in children? EXPLORE. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.explore.2020.11.001