A healthy diet during pregnancy

Why diet is important during pregnancy for you and your baby

Your diet during pregnancy supports your own well-being and provides essential nutrients for your baby's growth and development.

Pregnant women should generally have a nutritious diet low in sugar, salt, and saturated fat and high in nutrients.

Gaining weight during pregnancy is natural, but gaining too much or too little weight puts you and your unborn child at risk for issues.

The mother's pre-pregnancy weight determines what constitutes a healthy weight increase.

A balanced diet is usually enough to meet your nutritional needs during pregnancy. However, some foods contain high amounts of certain nutrients that are especially recommended during pregnancy.

Folate, iron, iodine, and vitamin D are nutrients needed for the health and development of a growing baby and can prevent certain conditions. If you are planning to become pregnant, you should start taking a folic acid supplement at least one month before conception and 3 months after conception. Folic acid supplements have been shown to help protect against neural tube defects.

If you are considering taking or are currently taking any supplements, please discuss this with your doctor or midwife, as doses may vary depending on your individual circumstances.

What is a 'balanced diet'?

A healthy, balanced diet includes foods in proportion to the five food groups. To keep hydrated, it's also recommended to drink a lot of water.

Whole grains and cereals

Vegetables and beans/legumes

Lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, and seeds as well as beans/legumes

Fruit

Dairy foods including most low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt

Most of us have days when we eat well, and days when our 'treat' food intake can be high. Pregnancy cravings can also be difficult to manage, especially when they are for foods high in sugar, salt, or fat.

If you should get in touch with your midwife or doctors if you are worried about suffering from morning sickness or severe vomiting during pregnancy, it is important to eat whatever you can at the time.

What about pregnancy cravings?

Pregnancy food cravings were thought to be a sign of nutrient deficiencies in the expectant mother's diet. But there isn't any proof to back up this connection Pregnancy can also cause a mother's taste buds to change, and foods that once seemed appealing can taste completely different. Food aversions can develop during pregnancy, due to the effects of hormones.

Any foods I should avoid during pregnancy?

Certain foods need to be avoided during pregnancy, as they carry the risk of certain bacteria or parasites. Infection with listeria, salmonella, or toxoplasmosis during pregnancy can cause serious complications for your baby and increase the risk of pregnancy loss.

Some types of fish have high levels of mercury, including shark/flounder, marlin or broadbill/swordfish, orange ruff, and catfish. Choosing what kind of fish to eat during pregnancy is important.

It is also important to check 'use by' dates and ensure that food is stored properly. If in doubt about the safety of a particular food, the safest option is not to eat it.

Does being pregnant require me to cook and prepare food differently?

It is important to be careful about food preparation and safety during pregnancy. Food poisoning is usually caused by contamination of food with certain bacteria or viruses. Sometimes it's easy to suspect that food is contaminated because it smells or looks different than it should. But it's not always clear that food may not be safe. When preparing food, you should always:

Defrost frozen meat, especially poultry, in the refrigerator or microwave.

Before preparing and consuming meals, wash your hands.

When chopping meat and veggies, use separate cutting boards.

Wash benches, cutting boards, and utensils with warm, soapy water.

Change the dishes often - if they smell, this is a sign of contamination.

Cook food well and do not eat raw or 'rare' meat or fish.

Reheat the food to at least 60°C and until it is warm.

What can I drink during pregnancy?

The safest drinks during pregnancy are water and milk. Current evidence supports recommendations that you should avoid drinking alcohol if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Even small amounts can harm a child's development and have lifelong effects.

Water and milk are considered safe to drink during pregnancy. Small quantities of juice, soda, or mineral water are OK, as are low-sugar soft drinks. In a similar vein, trace levels of caffeine in coffee and tea are deemed harmless. A mother and her unborn child are thought to be safe when taking up to 200 mg per day when pregnant and nursing.

What foods should I limit during pregnancy?

 Processed foods include a lot of fat, sugar, and salt. Although they may taste good and are often convenient, they do not meet daily nutritional needs. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend that during pregnancy, you should limit your intake of foods high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar, as well as alcohol.

What are the recommended servings during pregnancy?

During pregnancy, you'll need extra energy and you'll need more servings from the five food groups. It is important to understand that 'serving size' does not change, but instead the variety of foods and servings increases daily to meet the needs of mother and baby.