Pregnancy Nutrition: What to Know Before Conceiving and During Pregnancy

If you’re pregnant or looking to become pregnant, what to eat to support a healthy baby is probably top of mind. Good nutrition is always important, but especially before and during pregnancy. There are several essential nutrients that help support a healthy pregnancy. These are listed below along with tips to cope with some common side effects during pregnancy.

For help with nutrition during pregnancy, contact the experts at the Perinatal Movement and Physical Wellbeing Resource Center at HSS. This comprehensive, multidisciplinary team within the Women's Sports Medicine Center has a special focus on supporting movement and physical well-being before, during, and after pregnancy.

Nutrition While Trying to Conceive

Start taking a prenatal vitamin that contains folate. Folate is a B vitamin that can reduce the risk of neural-tube defects, such as spina bifida, by up to 70 percent. It’s the most important nutrient to get enough of before conception and in the first six weeks of pregnancy.

You can also get folate from foods. Food sources of folate include beans and legumes, citrus fruits and juices, whole grains, dark green leafy vegetables, poultry, pork, fish and shellfish. Folic-acid fortified foods include enriched breads, pastas, rice, and some breakfast cereals.

• Eat enough. Undernourishment can make it challenging to conceive. Make sure you’re eating nutrient-dense foods regularly throughout the day and not skipping meals. Be sure to include the following in your diet:
  • Plant-based fats like olive oil, avocado, nuts and nut butters, seeds
  • Quality protein sources like chicken, fish, turkey, lean beef, tofu, nuts and seeds
  • Whole grains like quinoa, oats, brown rice, and farro
  • Colorful fruits and vegetables
• Limit alcohol and caffeine. Speak with your doctor or dietitian about appropriate levels of alcohol and caffeine intake while you’re trying to conceive.

Nutrition During Pregnancy

• Prioritize calcium. Pregnant women need plenty of calcium to help support the growth and development of their baby’s bones and teeth, as well as muscles, nerves and the heart. If what you take in isn’t enough to keep up with your baby’s demands, the body will start to pull calcium from your own bones.

Most prenatal vitamins don’t contain enough calcium. If your diet is lacking in calcium, talk with your doctor or dietitian about taking an additional supplement. Food sources of calcium include low-fat dairy products (yogurt, milk and cheese); dark green vegetables; tahini; beans and chickpeas; and sardines or canned salmon (with bones). Other foods that are fortified with calcium include orange juice and soy products.

• Think about zinc. The body needs 50 percent more zinc during pregnancy to help promote growth and development and to help prevent birth defects and premature delivery. Food sources of zinc include nuts, whole grains and legumes. But the mineral is best absorbed from meat and seafood.
• Focus on fiber. Fiber can help reduce constipation, a common pregnancy complaint that can lead to hemorrhoids. Adequate fiber intake helps meals feel more satisfying and can stabilize blood sugar. Aim for 25 milligrams to 35 milligrams a day. Food sources of fiber include fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.
• Include iron. During pregnancy, the body uses iron to make blood for you and the baby, which means your needs increase by 50 percent. Iron also helps move oxygen from the lungs to the baby and the rest of your body. Iron deficiency is common during pregnancy and can increase the risk of premature birth, low birth weight, and postpartum depression.

Food sources of iron include chicken, turkey, beef, pork, fish/shellfish, beans, spinach, tofu, and ready-to-eat-cereals that have added iron. To enhance iron absorption, consume iron-rich foods with vitamin C¬–rich foods, like citrus fruits, bell peppers, leafy greens, berries and sweet potatoes.

Coping with Morning Sickness, Nausea and Food Aversions

Nausea and food aversions (not wanting to eat or smell certain foods), which can happen at any time of the day, impact 50 to 90 percent of all pregnant women during the first trimester. Symptoms can last longer for some women. While there is no cure, below are some tips to help nourish your body and manage your symptoms.

• Consume small, frequent meals and snacks. Eating five to six smaller meals per day can be more appealing than three larger ones, may lessen nausea and helps meet nutrient needs.
• Keep snacks at your bedside. Snacks like crackers, dry cereal and nuts can help alleviate nausea first thing in the morning.
• Try ginger. Ginger is a known nausea reducer. Try ginger candy, chews, tea and lollipops to help alleviate symptoms.
• Smell the lemons. Smelling lemons has been found to help block background odors.
• Lean into cravings. Whatever foods sound good to you, have them. Oftentimes more simple carbohydrates like bagels, crackers, rice, pretzels and bread are most appealing and tolerable, and that is ok. Your prenatal vitamin will cover the nutrients you may be missing from food aversions (and remember, they are temporary!).

For more information on outpatient nutrition services at Hospital for Special Surgery, please call 212.774.7325.