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Reliable information on
pregnancy topics
by Heisje de Jong,
Certified Lactation Consultant
 Welcome
(home page)
 Your
pre-conception diet
Home pregnancy tests
Early signs of pregnancy
Diet for your pregnancy
Things to give up
Lifestyle changes
Childbirth classes
Breastfeeding - preparation
Complications during
pregnancy
Prenatal testing
Pregnancy Week-by-Week
When to contact your doctor
What to ask your obstetrician
Hospital or home delivery?
And your Packing Guide!
Pain relief in labor
& birth
Medical intervention
during
labor and delivery
Post partum exercises
Breastfeeding
About Heisje de Jong
Useful links
Contact Heisje
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If you have already a healthy diet, there is no reason to make
any major changes when you are planning to become pregnant. However
if you know that your diet needs improvement now is the time
to make some changes. Ideally, you start with your healthy diet
three months to a year before you conceive. When you eat a well
balanced diet the more likely you are to get pregnant. Foods
and fertility are linked; you need to stick to a healthy diet
to increase your chances of conceiving and of having a healthy
baby.
What is a healthy, well balanced
diet?
First of all bring variety in your meals. This helps to provide
the right balance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals you need.
Don't limit yourself to only a few choices in vegetables and
fruits. There is so much to choose from. Try some vegetables
that you didn't eat before or you thought you didn't like. Consider
bying a new cookbook , this will provide you with lots of new
ideas for recipies and different ways to prepare food.
Furthermore, go for the whole
grain breads, whole wheat flour, and brown rice rather than the
white varieties. They provide energy, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Eating more fiber will help you to battle constipation and may
reduce the risk of colon cancer.
A daily salad is a must. Try
a different salad every day. Combine different vegetables and
even fruits in a delicious salad that you can also use as a maincourse
if you add some cheese and nuts. Lots of vegetables, carrots,
broccoli, cauliflower,green pepper can be eaten raw for a quick
snack in between meals.
Eat 3-4 servings of fresh fruit
every day. Don't forget the citrus fruits. They are full of vitamine
C which helps your body to absorp iron. Unpeeled fruits are good
as long as you wash them very well.
THINGS YOU CAN DO WITHOUT.
* Cut back on caffeine. When
you consume a lot of caffeine your chances of conceiving may
decrease. So it's better to reduce or wean yourself from caffeine.
Don't forget there's also caffeine in chocolade, cocoa and some
soda drinks.
* Cut out or only occasionally
drink alcohol. Use non alcoholic alternatives.
* Stop using recreational drugs.
They are not good for you and can harm your soon-to-be-conceived
baby.
* Quit smoking now. It may take a while before you get used to
a life without sigarettes. Smoking can be dangerous for an unborn
baby, it can cause low birth weight and premature labor.
VITAMIN SUPPLEMENTS.
While you can meet almost all your nutritional needs through
a balanced diet, some experts believe that even the healthiest
eaters can use some extra help. For those of us who do not always
have time to plan meals and sometimes eat on the run (and who
doesn't), it may be a good idea to take a vitamin supplement.
Remember that a supplement is
not a substitute for a sound diet. And since some over-the-counter
supplements may contain megadoses of vitamins and minerals that
could be harmful to a developing baby, you may want to use a
supplement formulated for pregnant women even before you conceive.
Talk with your doctor about the right prenatal supplement for
you.
FOLIC ACID.
Get lots of folic acid -- at
least 400 micrograms a day. Folic acid reduces the risk of your
baby having neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. It's
important to start taking folic acid before you conceive.
During their childbearing years,
women should get 400 micrograms (mcg) (0.4 milligrams) daily.
You'll need 400- 600 mcg once you're expecting, although some
doctors advise more. Ask your own doctor for his recommendations.
Check that your prenatal vitamins
contain folic acid. In addition, you can eat folate-rich foods,
such as dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach or kale),
citrus fruits, nuts, legumes, whole grains, and fortified breads
and cereals.
LOSING WEIGHT.
If necessary, shedding some pounds
while you're attempting to get pregnant is a good idea, since
you don't want to start your pregnancy being overweight.
Choose lower fat products, higher fiber foods, cut down on sweets.
Start or increase an exercise routine, and aim to lose one to
two pounds a week, a safe rate of weight loss. Extreme weight
loss from crash dieting can deplete your body's nutritional stores,
which isn't a good way to start a pregnancy.
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OshKosh B'Gosh
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All about baby and toddler at Babystyle - fine
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Babystyle is an online retailer providing shopping solutions
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As a one-stop shop, their baby department offers everything including
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iMaternity, your
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