Best Pregnancy Foods and Supplements

You are pregnant, congratulations! In order to keep you and your baby healthy and smooth during pregnancy, you may have started looking forHealthy food和nutritional supplements. Pregnant women do have various nutritional needs, but what are those specific needs, and what foods should they eat for the health of both mother and baby?

Nutritional requirements during pregnancy

After pregnancy, women need to supplementMore calcium, folate, iron, and protein. In early pregnancy (first 3 months), pregnant women need the same number of calories as before pregnancy. During the second and third trimesters (months 4-6 and 7-9), you only need an additional 200-300 calories per day. Most of the nutrients mentioned above can be obtained through food, but if you are deficient in certain vitamins or have special dietary habits, you can also supplement them through nutritional supplements. For example, if you're a vegetarian, you may not be getting enough vitamin B12 through your diet, or if you don't get enough iron from food, you may be more likely to develop anemia. Additionally, vitamin D is often deficient in people, so your doctor may recommend that you take a vitamin D supplement.

Folic acid

Folic acid, or vitamin B9, is an important vitamin for baby's brain development and for preventing birth defects of the brain and spinal cord. It is generally difficult to get enough folic acid from food, so your doctor will recommend that you supplement folic acid through nutritional supplements. Women who are trying to become pregnant may want to take more folic acid than usual, and women who are currently pregnant should take enough folic acid every day as recommended by their doctor.

Foods rich in folic acid during pregnancy:

Beans
citrus fruits
dark leafy green vegetables
Cereals fortified with folic acid
Whole-wheat bread, pasta, and regular noodles

Calcium and Vitamin D

Calcium is very important for pregnant women because if they do not get enough calcium, they can only take calcium from their own bones to feed the baby, so the new mother may suffer from bone-related diseases such as osteoporosis. Vitamin D is also important because it works with calcium to help develop bones and teeth.

Foods rich in calcium and vitamin D during pregnancy:

High calcium milk and soy milk
Yogurt
cheese
Sardines or salmon with bones
甘藍
Chinese cabbage
Mushrooms (vitamin D)

iron

Pregnant women need more iron because they have more blood to supply oxygen to the baby. To promote iron absorption, pregnant women should also take vitamin C when consuming iron-containing foods or supplements, as it can improve the body's ability to absorb iron. If iron intake during pregnancy is insufficient, pregnant women may suffer from anemia and even severe physical and muscle fatigue.

Iron-rich foods during pregnancy:

red meat
家禽
Fish
Beans
Tofu or fermented soybean products
Pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews
Dark leafy greens (kale, spinach)

protein

Protein helps build and repair muscle and tissue and is key to the development of your baby's organs, brain, and heart.

Pregnancy foods high in protein:

red meat
家禽
Fish
Beans
egg
nut
Tofu or fermented soybean products
Pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews
Dark leafy greens (kale, spinach)

Foods to avoid during pregnancy

Here is a guide on what to do and what not to do during pregnancy. If you are unsure about whether you can take a certain food or supplement, always consult your doctor before taking it.

caffeine

Although it cannot be said to be prohibited, pregnant women are usually advised to reduce their caffeine intake because, although caffeine can be absorbed by the placenta, the baby cannot metabolize caffeine and long-term use may affect fetal development. Pregnant women are advised to limit caffeine to 2-3 cups per day.

High-mercury fish

Unfortunately, as ocean pollution increases, mercury levels in some fish are increasing. Tuna, mackerel, shark and king fish are fish that are high in mercury. Since high concentrations of mercury are very harmful to the human body, pregnant women are advised not to eat fish with high mercury content. But not all fish contain high levels of mercury, and eating low-mercury fish can provide pregnant women and babies with the protein and omega-3s they need.

Undercooked or raw meat/fish

Raw fish, especially shellfish, can cause various infections. Pregnant women are 20 times more likely to be infected with diseases such as Listeria than the general population. Even if a pregnant woman does not experience any signs or symptoms, Listeria may have entered the uterus through the mother's body. Listeria can cause premature birth, miscarriage, or even stillbirth. Raw and processed meats can also cause a variety of infections that can lead to stillbirth and serious neurological disorders.

alcohol

Drinking alcohol can affect fetal development and increase the risk of miscarriage and stillbirth. Because there is no clear safe amount of alcohol, pregnant women are advised to avoid alcohol completely.

Unpasteurized foods

Unpasteurized foods and beverages, such as raw milk or juice, can increase a pregnant woman's risk of Listeria infection, which, as mentioned earlier, is very common in pregnant women.

Angelica sinensis

In China, although angelica is a commonly used medicine for treating dysmenorrhea and suboptimal cardiovascular indexes, it is not suitable for pregnant women to take it because it can cause uterine contractions and increase the risk of miscarriage.

Undercooked eggs

Raw or undercooked eggs may contain salmonella, which can cause gastrointestinal infections leading to vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. In severe cases, it can cause uterine spasms, leading to premature birth or fetal death. Only fully cooked and sterilized eggs are suitable for pregnant women.

Foods that commonly contain raw eggs: