You are expecting now. Best time of your life they say, right?
Apart from a morning sickness for the first 3 months, a tiredness for 9 months, a short memory, mood swings… you name it. Did I mention that walking up a small hill takes you out of breath? That’s right, let’s embrace the joy of pregnancy!
On a bright side it might be the time to slow down, let yourself be forgetful and out of breath walking this damn hill and just purely enjoy what you can do.
You also might concern of this growing every day belly and check your weight every morning, even if you never ever bothered to do it before. What’s normal to gain? How big can you grow? Lots of questions on your mind. The worst that Google doesn’t help at all. It just provides vague guidance what’s ‘normal’.
I did my own research and will summarise the latest insights on how much a pregnant lady is to increase daily calorie intake and what are the main considerations and special dietary requirements to maximise healthy pregnancy outcomes.
First of all, let’s list all the factors why you are feeling hungrier than usual?
Your metabolic rate has increased for a couple of reasons:
1. Increased body mass (yes yes yes you are gaining weight and it’s okay and healthy);
2. Physiological changes, i.e. increased cardiac output and the growing foetus.
You probably know already that smaller frame women put on more weight during pregnancy than those who initially are a bit over weight pre-pregnancy. Again, it’s okay because women with low body weight require more fat mass accumulation than women with obesity or over weight.
Remember, for healthier pregnancy outcomes you need to find your own balance of healthy eating: not to eat for 2 but neither to diet but more to focus on nourishing yourself and your baby. Another important thing: we are all different and we all feel differently during pregnancy too.
FIRST TRIMESTER
The Institute of Medicine and American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists suggests that minimum calorie intake increase is recommended during the first trimester, which would lead to weight gain of 0.5 – 2 kg. The energy intake requirement suggests that women should consume an additional 100-200 kCal per day assuming that physical activity does not decline during the first trimester. It means you can eat extra 1 banana + 1 carrot, for example. Not that much.
SECOND & THIRD TRIMESTER
Second and third trimester – that’s where it gets a bit tricky as there are lots of contradictory recommendations here on how much more carrots and bananas and maybe chocolates we can eat. The Institute of Medicine estimates the energy requirements during the second and third trimester to be around 340 kCal per day (assuming a woman was of an average weight pre-pregnancy.
350 kCal sounds like an additional generous meal, like a cup of rice with a bit of chicken and veggies for example.
Another research undertaken by Canadian gynaecologists estimate surplus energy requirements to be at around 400–600 kCal per day for underweight and normal-weight women. That sounds even better! 500 kCal sounds like an additional block of chocolate, but please think twice before you reach out to this chocolate: what’s more important for you and your baby now? Empty calories or more nutrients? You can have, for example, a big meal and a bit of a choccie and feel like you do the right thing and also satisfy your sweet tooth.
HOW MUCH MORE SHOULD I ACTUALLY EAT?
Above there are some fictious numbers suggested to pregnant women, and in reality we are all different: height, weight, activity level, pregnancy complications etc, and most importantly genetics. Of course, it’s still vague guidelines on how much more we are supposed to eat.
In real life, eat when it’s right for you, eat more if you are hungry and opt out for more veggies and quality protein and fats. Now it’s time to get all these nutrients in for yourself and for your little one in a tummy.
WHAT TO ADD EXTRA TO YOUR PLATE DURING PREGNANCY
FOLIC ACID (folate)
Your GP has already advised to take folic acid but what it does to you and can you get it from other sources rather than from a chemistry?
Folate (known as folic acid when added to foods) is a B-group vitamin found in a variety of foods. Folic acid helps protect against neural tube defects in the developing foetus.
Sources of folate:
· broccoli
· chickpeas
· lentils
· spinach
· cabbage
· leeks
· oranges
· parsley
· peas
· hazelnuts
· parsnips
· potato
· salmon
· tomato
· unsalted peanuts
· walnuts.
IRON
Lots of women in Australia are low on iron, and during pregnancy, a woman’s requirement for iron increases. This is because the developing foetus draws iron from the mother to last it through the first five or six months after birth.
SUMMARY from SASH
Ok, now enjoy your pregnancy, stay active, eat well and listen to your own body and your little one in your belly! Remember: you are not eating for 2 now but you definitely should clean up your diet and consider consuming more nutritious meals!