User's comments:
Hi, I would like to know if this eating is enough for me and my unborn baby. I am 11 weeks pregnant.
BREAKFAST
A bowl of Kellogg's All-Bran Flakes
1 slice of low-GI brown bread with fish paste (omega-3 enriched) with lettuce
1 cup of Rooibos tea with low-fat milk and 1 teaspoon of sugar
Supplements: 1 capsule of omega 3 and 1 Centrum
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MID-MORNING SNACK
1 small tub of Danone yoghurt
1 cup of Rooibos tea
1 banana & 1 plum
LUNCH
2 slices of low-GI bread with fish paste and lettuce
1 wing of baked chicken
A glass of water
A pear
1 small cup of Rooibos tea with low-fat milk
MID-AFTERNOON SNACK
1 apple
A cup of Rooibos tea
SUPPER
1 fresh corn on the cob
1 fillet of baked fish
Potato chips, baked
A glass of juice made of fresh fruits and veggies
Expert's comments:
I must apologise for the delay in sending you this reply. By this stage you should be approximately 21 weeks into your pregnancy.
The demands pregnancy places on a woman’s body are extensive and the nutritional status of a pregnant woman can affect the outcomes of her pregnancy. Following a healthy lifestyle, including balanced eating habits, physical activity, management of stress, not smoking and restricting alcohol consumption plays a vital role in promoting good health in both mother and baby.
Congratulations on a very balanced eating plan. You are eating an excellent variety of fruits and vegetables, fibre-rich carbohydrates, moderate low-fat protein and seem to be eating low fat overall while enriching your intake with omega-3 fats. It is essential throughout your pregnancy that you continue to eat a variety of foods to ensure the right balance of nutrition for both you and your unborn baby. Although you should not be ‘eating for two’ while you are pregnant, you do have increased energy and nutritional requirements overall.
Generally, energy needs are increased by between 250-550 calories per day (depending on activity levels and pre-pregnancy weight). By eating nutritious food regularly throughout the day, i.e. 5-6 times a day, you should ensure that you are meeting your and your baby’s needs. With regards to fruit and vegetables, these are great fillers and you should try to eat approximately 2-3 fruit and 3-4 vegetables daily. Include at least 1 good source of vitamin C (tomato, citrus, guavas, cabbage family), 1 dark green and 1 deep yellow vegetable.
Healthy and appropriate weight gain is essential throughout your pregnancy. You will find that your rate of weight gain is generally highest around mid-pregnancy, prior to the time that the foetus gains most of its weight. By the end of your pregnancy you may find that your rate of weight gain actually slows a few weeks before delivery.
So where does the weight go? The foetus comprises about a third of the total weight gained during pregnancy in women who enter pregnancy either normal weight or underweight. Most of the rest of the weight is accounted for by the increased weight of maternal tissue, i.e. placenta, uterus, amniotic fluid, breast tissue, increased blood supply and maternal fat stores.
At this time you may experience some of the following side effects:
Nausea and vomiting
This is usually over by the end of the first trimester. However, if you still find you suffer from these symptoms occasionally, here are some recommendations which may help:
Separate liquids and solid food intake, e.g. try to take liquids between meals.
Avoid getting hungry – eat small meals/snacks regularly throughout the day.
Dry crackers and rusks, as well as other carbohydrate-rich foods, are usually well tolerated.
Always stick to those foods which you find you tolerate well.
Ginger tea may relieve the nausea.
Strongly flavoured or odoured foods may trigger nausea, so try to avoid these.
Drink adequate fluid.
If your appetite for food remains poor, consider a nutritionally complete supplement drink as a meal or snack replacement, e.g. Formance, Nutren Activ, Ensure, Nutren Optimum, Nutren fibre.
Reflux and heartburn
During pregnancy the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract relax and the relaxation of the lower oesophageal sphincter at the top of the stomach results in stomach contents being pushed back into the oesophagus. Suggestions to minimise heartburn include:
Eat small, frequent meals (5-6 times a day).
Avoid going to bed soon after a meal (wait at least 30-60 minutes after eating, before lying down).
Avoid foods that worsen the heartburn, e.g. spicy foods, caffeine-containing foods and drinks, peppermints.
Don’t wear tight clothing.
Consult your doctor about a safe antacid.
Constipation
Ensure that you eat fibre-rich foods – such as fruit (fresh & dried), vegetables, wholegrain products, porridges, cereals, and legumes (beans, lentils etc.) – to reach the recommended 25-30 grams per day. Foods rich in soluble fibre, particularly oats, oat bran, fruit (fresh or dried), beans and legumes, are very beneficial.
Fibre must be increased in conjunction with fluid. You should drink at least 1-1.5 litres of water per day.
Seeds and nuts may be helpful: have 1 - 3T seed mix daily (linseed/ flax seed, sesame, sunflower & pumpkin seed).
Do mild to moderate exercise regularly.
Avoid laxatives, but if needed, bulking agents can be used safely and effectively for prevention and treatment of constipation, e.g. Movicol, Metamucil, Agiolax.
A probiotic supplement (friendly bacteria) in combination with a prebiotic can assist in maintaining regular bowel movement.
Healthy snacks
Examples of healthy and nutritious snacks include:
Fresh, dried or stewed fruit. Fruit can be chopped into low-fat yoghurt.
Dried fruit rolls, sticks and bars.
Banana, carrot, date & nut or bran muffin.
Yoghurt and drinking yoghurt (low fat/ fat free).
Nuts, nuts/ peanuts and raisins, dried fruit and nut mix.
Fibre-rich health bars – e.g. Woolworths Cranberry & almond bar, Apricot & sesame seed bar, Yoghurt & nut bar; mixed seed bars, Jungle oats Berry or Yoghurt bars; Jungle Energy Munch bars.
A slice of wholegrain bread/ toast, with peanut butter and/or honey. Other toppings could include cottage cheese, cheese, Bovril, marmite, avocado pear, honey, jam.
Plain biscuits, e.g. rice cakes, Cornthins, Provitas, digestive biscuits.
Vegetable bites, e.g. tomato wedges, cucumber or carrot sticks, celery sticks, baby tomatoes.
Popcorn (made with minimal oil).
Exercise is recommended while pregnant. Not only will it help keep you toned and maintain a minimal level of fitness, but you will also feel healthier and better about yourself. Exercise helps in preventing conditions such as gestational diabetes.
You should aim to do mild to moderate exercise 3-5 times a week for 30-60 minutes. Always start and end your exercise session with warm-up and cool-down stretches. Recommended exercise includes walking, swimming, aqua aerobics and stationary cycling.
Pilates and yoga can be done, however please ensure that the instructor is trained in giving these classes for pregnant women. Be aware that you need to drink adequate fluids and exercise should be stopped immediately if you start feeling light headed, dizzy or faint.
So what’s off limits?
During your pregnancy, you shouldn't avoid any foods. With regards to potential risks of your baby developing allergies, the latest evidence suggests that there is no benefit to maternal avoidance of potential allergenic foods. On the contrary, maternal food avoidance may in fact place both the mother and baby at nutritional risk and lack of exposure to ingested proteins while in the uterus may even increase the unborn baby’s risk of poor tolerance at birth.
Caffeine-containing beverages should be limited to no more than 1 cup a day, e.g. coffee, Ceylon tea, or Coke. Avoid alcohol, particularly during the first 12-16 weeks of pregnancy, thereafter the odd glass of wine or beer is not considered to be a risk (no more than 1 unit daily).
Food safety is important throughout your pregnancy. Here are some guidelines:
To avoid bacterial infections as a result of food poisoning, which may be particularly dangerous for both pregnant women and newborn babies, it is advised that Camembert, Brie, Blue cheese and other soft, mould cheeses be avoided.
Make sure that meat, chicken or fish are well cooked before eating. Avoid sushi, smoked salmon, smoked snoek or haddock and biltong.
Always cook eggs thoroughly and avoid dishes with lightly cooked/raw eggs.
Beware of ready-to-eat meals, ready-made and deli foods.
Limit patés.
Avoid raw honey and unpasteurised milk/dairy products.
I have listed below various nutrients and their food sources which are considered important during pregnancy:
Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and asparagus
Zinc
Red meat, liver, kidneys, chicken
Oysters, shellfish, fish
Milk, cheese
Soya products, legumes & nuts
Wheat germ/bran, whole-grain cereals
With regards to vitamin and mineral supplementation:
A general multivitamin supplement (including folate/ folic acid) should be taken daily. At least 400-600mcg folic acid/folate should be taken daily - 400mcg of which should come from supplements. Ideally vitamin A (retinol) from supplements should not exceed 5000IU or be in the form of beta-carotene. You are taking 1 Centrum which is adequate.
A calcium supplement providing 1000mg elemental calcium should be taken daily. Ideally, the calcium supplement should not be in the form of calcium carbonate and should contain magnesium and/or zinc. I suggest that you begin taking a calcium supplement.
Omega 3 – This supplement is optional and if you are eating fish (fresh or canned) 3-4 times a week, probably not indicated. Do not exceed 1000mg daily. Always choose a supplement with omega 3 from a marine source. I'm not sure how much is in your specific supplement, so please check.
All the best for the rest of your pregnancy and enjoy being a mom!
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