Pregnancy is something many women experience at some stage in their lives. It’s one of the most exhilarating, frustrating, scary, thrilling and confusing times ever.
There’ll be days when you’re miserable and days when you’re over the moon. There’ll be days when the thought of caring for a baby frightens you and days when you just can’t wait to hold baby in your arms.
Cherish this time and reassure yourself, knowing your body is doing the most important job in the world. And in order to do that job it’s important to remember that you look after yourself! That means getting lots of rest and having a healthy diet.
A healthy diet means you should include the following:
Vitamin A
This is needed for baby’s cells, tissues, sight and immune system to stop it getting sick. You can get vitamin A by eating lots of vegetables and legumes, like split peas and beans.
Vitamin C
This is crucial for baby’s bones and is found in fruit and vegetables, especially citrus fruits like oranges and lemons.
Iron
This is really important in the later months of pregnancy as baby draws iron from the mother to prepare itself for the poor iron levels in breast milk. You can obtain iron from many foods: bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles, vegetables, legumes, meat, fish, poultry, eggs and nuts, just to name a few.
Calcium
This is important for the baby’s teeth, muscles, heart and nerve development, and also for the maintenance of your bones. You can get plenty of calcium from dairy products such as milk, yoghurt and cheese.
Vitamin D
This helps absorb calcium and can be found in food groups such as fruit and vegetables.
Fats, oils, sugar and salt
Aim to include these in small amounts.
Remember you should try to eat plenty of fresh, healthy food and cut back on sugary snacks.
Drugs
And most importantly, don’t smoke during your pregnancy! Women who smoke during pregnancy have a 27 per cent higher chance of miscarriage.
It goes without saying that you should completely avoid recreational drugs. Alcohol should be consumed at a very low level – that is, about one glass a week at the most!
If you need to drink, drink water. You can never have too much, especially when you’re pregnant.
So enjoy this unique experience – it’s one of the most fascinating experiences you’ll ever have in your life! And remember that whatever you do to your body, you’re doing to your baby.
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