Whether this was a planned pregnancy or a happy surprise, the first time you are pregnant can be consumed with a range of emotional highs and lows.
As soon as you start telling your friends and family there will be an influx of advice, opinions, recommendations or so on.
I had been treating pregnant women for 13 years before I became pregnant for the first time and it didn’t make things any easier. My approach was to only take on board advice that didn’t carry a tone of fear.
I knew my body would cope with what was ahead of me and I had faith in myself and my husband that whatever would present in our journey of parenting our baby, we would find a way to deal with it.
With many misconceptions out there, I will clarify a few of them in upcoming blog posts. If there are specific questions you would like answered, leave your comments below and I will address them in subsequent posts.
Okay, so let’s clarify whether you should be eating for two! This perhaps is the biggest misconception which many of us have actually realised and luckily aren’t doing.
Your baby is tiny; yes he/she needs lots of nutrients to develop and grow but not that of an adult. In fact, gaining a lot of weight (if unnecessary) during your pregnancy can increase the chances of your baby developing diabetes.
Be mindful of your calorie intake as it does depend on whether you are at a healthy weight range.
If you are underweight you will need to eat more. If you are at a healthy weight, then increase intake by eating extra protein and veggies. If you are over weight omit all processed foods and sugars and focus on eating clean healthy foods.
Always take on the advice of your midwife/OB as they will be monitoring your pregnancy and will recommend the best nutritional path to take.
Generally:
- First Trimester - 85 Extra Calories
- Second Trimester - 285 Extra Calories
- Third Trimester - 475 Extra Calories
