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Despite the common nausea that sweeps over women who find themselves pregnant, proper nutrition remains essential to both mother and baby throughout the entire pregnancy.
In the first trimester, through 12 weeks gestation, many expectant moms experience nausea which may hit them in the morning, mid-day or even in the evening. For these difficult times, crackers make good snacks to get through the period when no food is the best food. One nutritional way to combat "morning sickness" during pregnancy is to eat a protein snack before bedtime, like cheese or peanut butter. This will help the rough mornings when eating is the last thing on your mind, while also supplying essential nutrients to your growing baby.
Protein is one of the most important considerations in planning meals during a pregnancy. A growing baby requires lots of nutrition from its mother to make it to term. Frequently, preterm deliveries can be traced back to an inadequate diet and thus a baby is born early because it isn't thriving and growing inside its mother.
Good protein foods are cottage cheese, milk, meats, peanuts and eggs. Each of those can easily be incorporated into a typical day. If nausea continues to be a problem, then protein shakes are a preferable second choice to protein obtained from your diet. Any health food store or even grocery stores will carry a wide array of choices in shake powders which can be mixed with milk or water. Even in between meals, these shakes can add additional protein for your baby while giving you a nice mid-day snack.
As always, a healthy supply of fruits and vegetables during pregnancy will aid your body as well as your baby's. Since constipation is frequently a problem during pregnancy, adequate fiber is essential, so consume at least 3-4 servings of fruits and vegetables a day, and more if your body needs more to maintain healthy bowel function.
Sufficient calcium is also essential to your growing baby's bones and to your life-long health as a woman trying to prevent osteoporosis. Calcium supplements are nearly essential to obtain the right amount needed during pregnancy. In terms of food, milk is the preferred choice though some research considers that milk may not be as good a source of calcium as we thought and orange juice which is calcium fortified could be just as good if not better.
So as you peruse the grocery store in search of the perfect pregnancy foods, bear in mind your growing baby's needs and search for just those items to help your baby grow and to deliver a full-term baby.
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