Dieting during pregnancy is a crucial topic to discuss because it does not involve only the mother-to-be herself, but also the wellbeing of the child she carries. The baby is still developing and needs nourishment from the mother. All of this means that there are a plethora of factors to consider when trying to create an effective diet plan.
This article will discuss ten tips that can help pregnant women maintain proper nutrition during pregnancy under the title; ‘10 Tips for Your Diet During First Trimester Pregnancy’.
First Trimester Diet Tips:
1. Eat a wide variety of foods.1 You and your baby will need a lot of nourishment, which can’t be achieved if you just eat a specific kind of food only.
Different food provides different benefits so make sure to include all in your diet, especially fruits and veggies.
2. Eat breakfast every morning.2 Eating breakfast helps give you energy for the day and can help prevent overeating later in the day.
It is also a good idea to eat smaller portions at lunch and dinner since you will be eating again not long after and ensure not to get straight to bed right after your dinner.3
This will allow your stomach to rest, and help prevent discomfort, which can be caused by lying down with a full stomach.
3. Eat to eat, not to be thin or fit-looking. Some women may find that they feel better if they try to achieve a look that might be considered “perfect.”
This is not a good idea since it can cause you to consume less calories than you need because you want to get thinner rather than healthy enough for the baby.
You and your baby will be healthier if you just focus on eating for nourishment and trying to stay satisfied so that your energy levels will maintain a more even pace throughout the day instead of dipping on and off throughout the day.
4. Do not skip meals. You don’t have to eat three large meals like you would if you were not pregnant, but it is important that you take time to eat every 3–4 hours.
You need the energy, and it will prevent overeating at one sitting (which can cause heartburn4 and general discomfort).
5. Choose healthier snacks.5 Eating a lot of sugar or highly processed foods can make you feel tired or sick (or both), which will affect your body in other ways besides the obvious physical ones.
Snack on fruits and veggies instead to keep yourself feeling good and having your energy up throughout the day.
6. Eat smaller portions of unhealthy foods. You don’t need to cut out foods completely, but a good approach is to only eat one or two pieces of candy, and not have any creamy desserts (unless you are very healthy) since these are high in fat and calories.
If you really want something sweet, go for fruit (except honey) and try to only eat three cups of fruit instead of 5–6 which will allow more room for other healthier foods.
7. Watch your portions. You do not need a big plate of food at each meal and you should not use all the above tips to cut out eating certain foods.
This is because it will not be healthy for your baby if you start cutting out certain foods completely.
The most important thing to remember is just to make sure that you are eating healthily and that you follow the guidance from the other tips.
8. Drink plenty of water. About ten cups of water a day are recommended6 but don’t neglect this if it’s hot where you live.
Hydration is so important for our body to function properly, and it becomes more important when you are pregnant.
Drinking water is also a good way to quash any possible constipation, which is common during pregnancy.
9. Keep a food journal. This is very important so that you can see how much you are eating (if you don’t know, check out the food diary [also called the ‘food graph’] on the internet or buy a book dedicated to tracking your food intake for this and other reasons) and you can use this data to make sure that you are not overeating (which is often easy when we are hungry and we think we need more food).
10. Trust your body’s natural signals about hunger and fullness. Most people are used to eating when they are hungry and stopping when they feel full.
However, during pregnancy, it is recommended that you pay attention to your body because your stomach will expand more and there is no need to eat until you feel full.
This approach will prevent overeating and help you stay on a diet during pregnancy especially in the first trimester which is when it is important for the baby’s growth.
Also, don’t eat just because other people around you are eating or if the food looks good; otherwise, you might overeat since hunger can be perceived very differently by different people.
That’s about 10 tips for you to follow during pregnancy. As you can see it’s not as simple as just eating and not eating certain foods but instead it’s about what you eat, how much, when, and in what amounts. Also, make sure to get your healthcare experts’ advice if you are unsure about what to do and to ensure what you should do during this pregnancy period.
Pregnancy is a very natural process that happens in the body; making changes during pregnancy is not something that should be frowned upon or considered abnormal.
There are thousands of women out there who are pregnant and healthy.
The only difference is they made some small changes in their lifestyle for better health for their baby and themselves.
If you have any more questions please leave a comment below.
References:
- Danielewicz, H., Myszczyszyn, G., Dębińska, A., Myszkal, A., Boznański, A., & Hirnle, L. (2017). Diet in pregnancy-more than food. European journal of pediatrics, 176(12), 1573–1579. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-017-3026-5
- Shiraishi M, Haruna M, Matsuzaki M. Effects of skipping breakfast on dietary intake and circulating and urinary nutrients during pregnancy. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2019;28(1):99-105. doi: 10.6133/apjcn.201903_28(1).0014. PMID: 30896420.
- Pacheco D. (2020). Sleeping While Pregnant: 1st Trimester. Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/pregnancy/sleeping-during-1st-trimester
- WebMD (2021). Beyond Food: Other Causes of Heartburn and GERD. Retrieved from https://www.webmd.com/heartburn-gerd/causes-of-heartburn
- NHS UK. (2020). Have A Healthy Diet In Pregnancy. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/keeping-well/have-a-healthy-diet/
- Kay C. (2020). How Much Water Should Pregnant A Woman Drink. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/how-much-water-should-a-pregnant-woman-drink