Pregnancy is a great time for some women. For others it is simply hell. There are many side effects that are nightmares to deal with, especially if you suffer from morning sickness or severe food aversions. You may worry about getting all the right nutrients for your baby. The good news is there are some tips to help you.
Make Sure You Keep Drinking Fluids
If you suffer from food aversions or morning sickness, you will become dehydrated. Whatever you do, make sure your body doesn’t suffer from this as it will make your morning sickness worse.
Water is perfect for this but you can also get it from tea (especially herbal tea!), fruits and vegetables. Just take little sips to avoid bringing it back up.
Eat the Green, Leafy Vegetables
If you want to focus on one type of food, focus on the green leafy vegetables. These are full of the majority of nutrients that you and your baby need, including calcium and iron.
Some of the best options include kale, spinach and broccoli.
Take Your Folic Acid Tablets
Folic acid is very important during the first 12 weeks so make sure you take the supplements. This helps the baby develop healthily and helps with preventing the majority of birth defects.
Other supplements you could consider include vitamin D and calcium to encourage healthy bone and teeth development.
Eat Plenty of Citrus Fruits
Your immune system will struggle during this time but getting ill can be dangerous for you and your baby. Give the system a boost with vitamin C—something that your body cannot store or make itself.
Citrus fruits are the best for this but you can also get it from carrots, fruit juices, peppers and blackcurrants.
Have a Varied and Balanced Diet
Don’t focus on just one type of food. Right now you want to focus on eating a healthy and balanced diet. This means keeping it varied.
You can have the takeaways every now and then and you can eat pasta, bread and lean meat.
There are some foods that you will need to avoid during pregnancy but you can make up for the nutrients lost from them through other ones.
Enjoy the Sun
Spending 15 minutes out in the sun without sunscreen is good for you. It’s just enough to get all the vitamin D that your body needs. This is required to help absorb more calcium, which helps to grow strong bones and teeth.
Your baby needs this during development and you need it to make sure your body is able to hold the excess weight during this time.
Don’t Worry About It Too Much
Don’t spend the next nine months worrying about getting the right amount of nutrients. If you do struggle to really eat or drink, talk to your doctor who will be able to help.
Worrying will actually make it harder for your body to absorb all the nutrients and puts stress on the baby. Focus on a healthy diet and you will get the nutrients you and your little one need.