The best dietary approach to pregnancy is to consume whole foods nutrition before trying to conceive and to continue that practice during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and beyond. Lab work can be done to determine what is needed in the woman’s diet to bring her body into the healthiest condition possible. Determine if the mother has any food allergies. If so, she would try to avoid food sensitivities so her digestive system can do its work effectively. This could lead to more nutrients making their way to various body systems and better health for mom and baby. Supplementing with a prenatal vitamin/mineral supplement, vitamins, and herbs is an important part of good prenatal care. The nourishment of the mother affects her baby’s constitution for life, so she will want to do her best to eat foods which will give her baby the best start.

Personal Story

My oldest child was only nine months old and still breastfeeding when I found out that I was pregnant with our second child. I wondered how I would be able to give the new baby a great start in life while nursing and recovering from childbirth. My doctor told me I needed to stop nursing my oldest and so I reluctantly weaned him at ten months. It was a big mistake! I now know I could have kept breastfeeding. I could have eaten nutritiously and provided plenty of nourishment for each of us. God made a woman’s body to provide nourishment to her young in this way.

The Nutritional Needs of a Pregnant Woman

A woman will do well to focus on nourishing herself and her baby in the following ways.

1. A pregnant woman could try to drink one half of her body weight in ounces of filtered water each day.
2. She can attempt to eat mostly vegetables and fruits. She might start with a goal of five to nine servings a day.
3. A woman can strive eat three servings of concentrated proteins, such as two eggs, fish, poultry, lamb, beef, or veggie burger each day. Having some protein with snacks is also encouraged.
4. Meat-eaters can aim to consume two legume servings daily and vegetarians could eat five servings daily.
5. Current recommendations are four servings of dairy products per day. However, if there is intolerance to dairy, the mother can replace the dairy choices by upping her calcium intake from other foods.
6. One or more servings of nuts or seeds could be eaten each day.
7. Four servings per day of grains, starches, or carbohydrates are recommended.
8. Three or more daily servings of healthy fats are necessary. These include avocado, coconut, coconut milk, flax-seed oil, olives, olive oil, or coconut oil.
9. A woman might consider using a modified Brewer’s diet. Modifications would be to base the amount of protein taken in on the woman’s weight, limiting weight gain, and decreasing eating out.

A pregnant woman can make food choices that give her baby a great start in life. The ones mentioned above are a great place to start.

May God bless your healthful endeavors!

Joni

P.S. Please encourage others by writing in the comment section above.