Proper nutrition of a pregnant woman by trimester - diet and menu

At any stage of pregnancy, it's not too late to start eating right. But the sooner you do this, the better for the child. Diet of a pregnant woman, the optimal calorie content of food differs depending on the period. This is due to the peculiarities of the processes of fetal development and physiological changes during pregnancy.

• Nutrients
• Minerals and vitamins
• Nutrition during pregnancy, depending on the trimester
  • 1 trimester
  • 2 trimester
  • 3 trimester
• What else is important?

Principles of catering for a pregnant woman

The fundamental factor in the choice of food and the composition of the diet of a pregnant woman is BMI - body mass index. This indicator is defined as follows: weight (kg): (height (m)) ² = BMI.

	Weight	Recommended weight gain for the entire period of pregnancy, kg	Increase per week in the 2nd and 3rd trimester, kg
≤ 19	Short	12–18	0,5
19–25	Normal	11,5–16	0,4
25–30	Excess	7–11,5	0,3
> 30	Obesity	Less than 7	0,25

Through the mother's blood, all the necessary substances are supplied: oxygen, food components, biologically active compounds, trace elements, vitamins, macronutrients, hormones. The fetus is freed from decay products also through the mother's blood. Therefore, the diet during pregnancy should contain a minimum amount of artificial products and meet criteria such as naturalness, variety, the right combination of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. During pregnancy, it is important to monitor your drinking regime. You need to drink 8-10 glasses of water a day and exclude hot spices. From the seventh month of pregnancy, the baby is already able to distinguish between taste.

Nutrients

The foundation for a new life is 3 elements: protein, fats, carbohydrates.

Protein

Protein is the component from which new cells of the embryo (fetus) are built. It is necessary for the growth of the uterus, the formation of the placenta, and maintaining stress resistance. Proteins are part of the amniotic fluid. With their participation, hormones are synthesized, the level of glucose in the blood is regulated. A sufficient amount of protein allows you to get rid of the nausea characteristic of the early stages, to avoid the manifestations of toxicosis in the later ones. The presence of proteins in the diet of lactating and pregnant women is mandatory.

All proteins are divided into incomplete - vegetable and complete - of animal origin (more complete in terms of amino acid composition).

Complete proteins are found in foods such as:

• Meat (veal, lean lamb, dark chicken, horse meat, turkey).
• Seafood (lobster, shrimp, crabs, fish). You should eat freshly caught seafood that you previously eaten in order to exclude allergic reactions.
• Dairy products (, cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, kefir, yogurt, feta cheese).
• Eggs.

During pregnancy, regardless of trimester, give preference to protein-containing foods with a low amount of fat.

Incomplete proteins are found in legumes, nuts, mushrooms, seeds. These products are more valuable in the content of vegetable oil, and the quantity and quality of proteins in them cannot compensate for the lack of complete proteins of animal origin.

Fats

Fats are an important energy reserve and a structural part of body tissues. They are called lipids. They affect the functioning of the nervous system and endocrine glands, reduce the influence of fluctuations in the temperature of the external environment, and maintain the proper level of blood clotting. Lipids are necessary for the assimilation of a number of vitamins and minerals: tocopherol, retinol, calcium, magnesium.

Fats are divided into two large groups:

• Solid fats are a source of vitamins A and D (included in animal products - butter, lard).
• Liquid fats are a source of vitamin E (included in vegetable oils).

A pregnant woman's diet should include both groups. Each of them is useful and necessary for the developing fetus and its mother.

Carbohydrates in the diet during pregnancy

Carbohydrates are a source of rapidly released energy. As the fetus grows, its cells divide rapidly and organs develop rapidly. The child draws energy for this by receiving carbohydrates.

The body cannot synthesize carbohydrates on its own, so their intake should be regular and moderate. When there is a lack of sugars, proteins are consumed for energy production. With an excess of carbohydrates, the weight of the child and mother increases, fluid is retained and the threat of allergic reactions increases.

During pregnancy, the predominant source of carbohydrates should be foods with a slow release of sugars - bread, wholemeal cereals, or whole grains. Vegetables and fruits should take a significant place in the diet of a pregnant woman. They contribute to good peristalsis, which allows you to eliminate nausea in the 1st trimester, and constipation in the 2nd and 3rd trimester.

Minerals and vitamins during pregnancy

Rational nutrition is the key to a variety of micro- and macroelements, vitamins during pregnancy.

Calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D

With a deficiency of vitamin D and magnesium, the bioavailability of calcium decreases (it is not absorbed from the intestine). The daily requirement for calcium during pregnancy is 1000 - 1200 mg. The source is dairy products, dates. The body absorbs 10-40% of dietary calcium. The source of vitamin D is butter, eggs, liver. A sufficient level of phosphorus is also important (source - milk, meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes, cereals).

An increased but unbalanced intake of phosphorus and calcium can lead to a decrease in their reserves in the body.

Antioxidant complex

Vitamin and mineral complex with antioxidant properties consists of substances that complement each other: ascorbic acid, selenium, vitamins A and E, copper, zinc and iron. They must certainly be present in the diet of a pregnant woman.

The main component is vitamin C, the daily requirement for which is 50 mg. It protects the hemoglobin molecule from destruction, participates in the neutralization of foreign compounds, increases the absorption of non-heme (ionized) iron, and strengthens the vascular wall. During pregnancy, the concentration of vitamin C in the mother's plasma decreases, and in the fetal blood increases, especially at the time of birth (2-4 times).

Selenium - takes part in production, prevents the development of atherosclerosis. The trace element is found in whole grains, poultry, fish, vegetables and fruits.

Magnesium

Magnesium is involved in the activation of more than 300 of the most important enzymatic reactions occurring in the body, regulates the work of the heart, helps to maintain blood clotting, prevents the deposition of calcium salts in blood vessels, and affects the formation of the cardiovascular and nervous system of the fetus.

Sources of magnesium are nuts, grain bread, beans, leafy vegetables, and fish.

Sodium and potassium

These two minerals maintain a constant volume of extracellular fluid. With an increased sodium level, anemia may develop, an increase in the load on the heart, and vasoconstriction, which negatively affects the course of pregnancy.

Iron

During pregnancy, women are often faced with. Therefore, iron is an essential component of proper nutrition in the 2nd and 3rd trimester.

The daily requirement for an element for pregnant women is 12.5 mg. Iron is better absorbed from animal products. Its bioavailability ranges from 1 to 37%. 50 gr. fish in a vegetable diet increases absorption by 3 times, and meat by 2 times.

Iodine

Iodine is a trace element that a person needs for growth and development. For pregnant women, the daily requirement for iodine is 200 mcg. Consumption of the required amount of iodine is of great importance for the prevention of hypothyroidism in the mother and newborn.

Lack of iodine has a negative effect on the fetus from the 8th week of pregnancy. Sources of the trace element - fish, iodized salt, seaweed.

B₉

Folic acid is an important vitamin for the intrauterine development of a child. The daily requirement for pregnant women is 370-470 mcg. В₉ - necessary in the menu of a pregnant woman, regardless of the trimester. It does not accumulate, so it must be ingested daily. Sources of vitamin - kidneys, spinach, yeast, cabbage, nuts, beans, eggs,.

Nutrition depending on the trimester

Proper nutrition for the trimesters of pregnancy has specific characteristics for each of the periods.

Nutrition for a pregnant woman in the 1st trimester

In the 1st trimester, nutrition for pregnant women should be relatively high in calories - 1940 kcal per day. Meals should be frequent and small (up to 5 times a day).

Raw vegetables, fruits, herbs, juices should prevail among food products. It is imperative to introduce fermented milk biological products, decoctions of dried fruits, rose hips into the diet. Now the cells of the fetus divide especially quickly, so one should not forget about cereals from whole grain cereals.

The increase in body weight in the first three months can be very different and does not actually depend on what the woman eats.

Nutrition during pregnancy in the 2nd trimester

Proper nutrition for pregnant women in the 2nd trimester implies an increase in the calorie content of the daily diet to 2140 kcal. It is best to switch to 3 meals a day. In the 2nd trimester, it is recommended to reduce the amount of carbohydrates consumed - sugar, jelly, biscuits, chocolate and other sweets.

More protein is required for the development of the baby. Proteins of animal origin are especially valuable at this time. From the second half of the trimester, the need for calcium increases, so dairy products are an essential component of proper nutrition for a pregnant woman.

Nutrition during pregnancy in the 3rd trimester

Proper nutrition for pregnant women in the 3rd trimester means reducing the calorie content of the daily diet to 1900 kcal. It is necessary to return to more frequent meals. The uterus has increased in size, the internal organs are displaced, some are compressed. Therefore, the amount of food should be less than in the 1st and 2nd trimester.

With special care, you need to monitor the sufficient intake of iron, folic acid, calcium. To overcome constipation, it is necessary to increase the amount of raw fruits, berries and vegetables in the diet. Starting from the second half of the 3rd trimester, the calorie content is reduced by 200-300 kcal (due to bakery and confectionery products). It is important to reduce fat intake along with meat products, cheese, sour cream.

What foods are not allowed during pregnancy?

Any food should not be abused during pregnancy. , lots of red berries, mushrooms, canned food and smoked meats. It is categorically impossible to adhere to diets.

Nutrition during pregnancy should not change dramatically from your usual menu. If you used to have, so to speak, not quite correct eating habits, then change them gradually. This will avoid stress for the body and for yourself.

What and how should a future mother eat? There is too much information to make the right decision right away. We are frightened with allergies, problems in the development of the future baby, and various threats to our appearance.

And striving to prevent the coming diathesis, lack of height or weight of the child and hair loss, pregnant women begin to invent all kinds of diets... Or they just wave at everything and continue to eat as they did before pregnancy. What is the right thing to do?

The nutrition of the expectant mother is, first of all, healthy, varied, nutritious food. When composing our menu, we must be guided by the following principles.

The first principle

The sooner the product reached our table from nature, the more “lively” it is, the better for a woman. This applies to absolutely everything: meat, fish, vegetables, fruits, and dairy products.

It is quite obvious that milk that is stored for six months, yoghurts that do not spoil for several months, canned food, sausages, it is not known how long frozen fish lying in the store are far from the concept of "live food".

Second Principle

During pregnancy, as in any other period of life, food should be enjoyable. It is important that this or that food wanted ... One should be guided by desire (“I want to eat it”), and not by some attitudes (“This is useful” or “This is not for me”).

We often eat from the principle that comes from the head, and not from the needs of the body - and then such food is not very well absorbed just because the body does not need it. The most striking example is the use of cottage cheese by pregnant women. It is eaten regardless of desire, because it is believed to be the best source of calcium that expectant mothers need.

Meanwhile, first of all, cottage cheese is primarily a protein, and secondly, if you eat it through force, then it is not a fact that nutrients will be assimilated from it.

.Fthere is no hard and fast rule for everyone! Each woman has her own metabolism, and during pregnancy, these differences increase even more. Therefore, one cannot be guided by the average consumption rates of a particular product.

Many will probably have a question: what if you want frankly harmful products? Chips, Coca-Cola, chocolate in large quantities are not useful in their normal state, let alone pregnancy.

Such addictions can be considered as a certain diagnostic sign- this means that a woman has already a disturbed diet, and she is not able to correctly feel the needs of her body, but at the same time she feels well the pleasure received from these products. Oddly enough, but in a state of pregnancy, the joy of eating a certain type of food prevails over its usefulness.

What can this or that addiction speak about? For example, if a woman irresistibly wants chocolate, then perhaps she does not allow herself to receive joy from life, lives in the power of prohibitions and obeys everything. The second, more important reason may be that a woman systematically denies herself fat - and the body seeks to make up for their lack at least in this way.

Another common food craving is cravings for salty- may be due to the fact that the woman drinks little, and the body thus takes care of retaining the required amount of fluid in the tissues. This is also signaled by an irresistible desire for carbonated drinks.

In any case, the child will receive everything necessary from the mother's body, especially if this is the first pregnancy. This is how our body works. The only question is what will remain for a woman and what will be her condition after childbirth with a diet that does not provide a sufficient amount of nutrients.

The third principle

Omandatory inclusion in the diet of the necessary food components ... Pregnant women often set themselves a super task: to eat as many vitamins as possible. Meanwhile, a woman in a position needs primarily not vitamins, but proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Your daily menu should definitely include foods that contain these three ingredients. Source squirrel are dairy products, fish, meat, legumes, eggs, cereals - and all this must be consumed, because protein is a building material for the growth and development of a child.

Carbohydrates are also necessary - they provide the woman's body and the growing child's body with the necessary amount of energy. Bread, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, cereals must be in the diet of pregnant women. How much carbohydrates you need depends on the woman's lifestyle - the more active he is, the more carbohydrate foods need to be consumed.

Use fat during pregnancy, it acquires an especially important role, because they are involved in the construction of the nervous system and membranes of the growing baby's body. It is impossible to reduce them to a minimum and even more so to exclude fatty foods.

In the diet of a pregnant woman, there must be fatty fish, fatty meat, lard, broths of long cooking, jellied meat, butter and vegetable oil, nuts, dairy products. Fatty fish is especially useful, because it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids in an active form, which are very well absorbed and immediately incorporated into the body.

Yulia Gusakovskaya - Starovoitova, Director Family center

Dear Readers! In your opinion, what should be the nutrition of a pregnant woman? Should the mom-to-be adhere to strict healthy limits, or can she afford tasty and salty foods?

Did you know that certain groups of vitamins and minerals are important for each period of pregnancy? We will tell you about a balanced diet in early pregnancy.

If you did not adhere to proper nutrition before pregnancy, were frivolous about food, abusing fast food and convenience foods, you urgently need to reconsider your habits. After all, proper nutrition is directly related to the development of the baby in early pregnancy. In the first trimester, almost all organs and internal systems are formed in the unborn child. In the future, only their growth, development and adjustment of body functions occurs. During this period, the embryo develops into a fetus.

Balanced nutrition at the very beginning of pregnancy (up to 10-12 weeks) is necessary to provide the mother and the baby's body with useful vitamins and minerals. The use of these substances allows the baby to grow and develop harmoniously. A well-designed diet will help his mother avoid problems with the digestive system and other organs, as well as not gain excess weight.

Eating early in pregnancy can often be accompanied by unusual eating habits. Food choices and food combinations can seem very odd. But there is an explanation for this. It is believed that in this way the body gives a signal about the lack of certain vitamins or trace elements. For example, if you wanted seaweed - the body lacks iodine, pickles - you need to replenish the supply of vitamin C, draws on fish - lack of vitamin B1, bananas - potassium and vitamin B6, etc.

When developing a menu for yourself at the beginning of pregnancy, remember that food should be fractional, the products are always fresh. If you really want something, do not set yourself strict prohibitions. Sometimes, but not often, you can treat yourself to a cup of coffee or a chocolate bar. After all, the emotional state of the expectant mother also affects the mood of the baby.

Nutrition in the first month of pregnancy

The onset of obstetric pregnancy is not the time of conception, but the first day of the last menstruation. Therefore, your diet in the first two weeks of pregnancy was unlikely to differ from your usual diet. Although this period is very important for the development of the baby. During the planning period of pregnancy, it is necessary to increase the amount of folic acid, which provides the necessary rate of development of the embryo, minimizes the risk of developing congenital defects in the child. In the early days of pregnancy, it is imperative to include greens, lettuce, and cereals in your diet.

Making a menu in the first weeks and months of pregnancy is a difficult process, since every week the embryo grows, it has new organs and systems. And this requires changes in the diet, the addition of new products to it containing certain nutrients, vitamins and minerals.

At 3-4 weeks, the placenta and fetal membrane begin to develop, so during this period it is worth increasing the consumption of foods containing calcium and manganese. The menu should include dairy and sour milk products, broccoli, green vegetables, as well as turkey, pork, oatmeal, raisins, carrots.

Toxicosis may begin from 5-6 weeks. If you are overtaken by this trouble, then you should change your menu. Replace meat and eggs with vegetable proteins: nuts, legumes, and instead of milk, eat a few slices of cheese or drink yogurt. To protect your body from dehydration, you need to drink more. To relieve the condition, you can eat a handful of raisins at night.

How to eat with toxicosis in the first months of pregnancy, your doctor may advise you.

Nutrition in the first month of pregnancy: basic rules

How to eat right for an expectant mother in the early stages of pregnancy, only a doctor can tell. After all, each organism is unique and has its own characteristics. It should be remembered that during pregnancy there is a risk of exacerbation of chronic diseases, so if you have had digestive problems, be sure to inform your doctor about this, who will make a special diet for you not only in the early stages, but also for the entire period of pregnancy.

To protect yourself from food poisoning, rapid weight gain, the risk of developing pathologies in the fetus, it is very important to follow proper nutrition throughout pregnancy, and not just in the early stages. The following recommendations will be useful for expectant mothers:

• choose cheeses made from pasteurized milk, hard or processed varieties;
• try not to buy loose or cut foods if they are not vacuum packed;
• it is better to refrain from eating dishes with raw fish and seafood;
• meat and fish are recommended to be consumed after heat treatment;
• wash your hands thoroughly before preparing and eating food;
• in any case, do not eat foods that have expired;
• follow the rules of hygiene in the kitchen (use different cutting boards and knives for meat, fish and vegetables, keep the refrigerator clean).

Listen to yourself, your body will tell you what to eat in the early stages of pregnancy, and your doctor will adjust your menu.

You found out that you are pregnant, and there is no limit to your joy! After the emotions subside (and they never subside to the end), you will have a lot of questions. One of them will be the issue of early nutrition. Here it is necessary to understand how important the correct and harmonious development of the child is in the early stages of pregnancy.

For 14 weeks from the beginning of pregnancy, your baby quickly turns from a fetal egg into a human. These days, the digestive, respiratory, excretory, circulatory and nervous systems are being formed. During pregnancy, your baby's internal and external organs are formed, a tiny heart begins to pump blood. The shapeless embryo takes on the appearance of a man, and by the end of the first trimester, your baby already knows how to suck a finger and go to the toilet.

First of all, nutrition should be balanced... You bear a colossal responsibility for ensuring that your baby receives all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Sometimes you have to eat something that you never really liked. But your body will require certain substances. Therefore, the habit of proper nutrition often takes root painlessly. The whole body of the mother will be tuned to what the baby needs. It can not be in any other way. The menu of the expectant mother must necessarily contain a large amount of protein and carbohydrates, as well as saturated with fatty acids and other microelements. It is best to correct this with a balanced diet.

Early pregnancy nutrition should include:

Meat products. Beef, veal, lean pork, turkey, rabbit. Any of these types of meat must be steamed or baked. The expectant mother should refuse fried or fries. Frequent consumption of chicken and chicken meat is also not recommended. The modern poultry industry uses a large number of hormones and various drugs to increase the poultry population. All this is deposited in the meat.

Fish. Fatty fish such as herring, mackerel, salmon and sardines must be present in the pregnant woman's menu. It is recommended to eat fish no more than twice a week. Fatty fish contain protein, minerals, vitamin D and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which the child needs so much. The requirements are the same as for meat - either steaming or baking with a minimum amount of oil.

Vegetables and fruits. Doctors recommend eating vegetables and fruits that grow in the strip where you live. You should also pay attention to the time of the year in which your pregnancy takes place. And do not buy vegetables and fruits that are not specific for this season.

The drinks. You should either refuse or completely limit the consumption of drinks containing caffeine: black and green tea. It is also not recommended to consume packaged juices and carbonated drinks. The best for a pregnant woman is water, freshly squeezed vegetable and fruit juices, jelly and fruit drinks. Drink water in the quantities in which your body requires it. Alcohol taboo! Even if they tell you that it is possible a little - a little, then do not believe it! This has nothing to do with the truth.

Diet of pregnant women: 1 trimester

In the first months of pregnancy, you do not need to change your eating habits drastically, especially since it can be very difficult to cope with all kinds of "eccentricities" when choosing food at this stage. Therefore, if you, as before, want fried potatoes, eat without a twinge of conscience.

By the way, a few words about "eccentricities" when choosing food. Experts believe that in this way the woman's body signals a lack of certain substances: for example, interest in dairy products indicates a lack of calcium in the body, and if a woman suddenly wants seaweed, the body needs iodine. Fresh vegetables and fruits, potatoes and pickles will be a source of vitamin C; nuts, green peas, fish - vitamin B1, bananas - vitamin B6 and potassium, orange and red vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamin A (carotene).

It happens that at the very beginning of pregnancy, expectant mothers refuse obviously healthy products, for example, meat, because they simply cannot tolerate it. These changes are associated with early toxicosis and usually disappear over time.

Do not force yourself to eat, consult your doctor, now there are special products for pregnant women on sale (Nutridrink, Nutricia; Femilak, Nutritek; Enfamama, Mead Johnson), in fact - protein vitamin and mineral complexes that will help cope with nutritional deficiencies.

They will provide you with a guaranteed amount of vitamins, calories, proteins and eliminate the need to cook, while inventing something tasty and healthy at the same time.

Diet of pregnant women: 2-3 trimester

Starting from the second half of pregnancy, the expectant mother will be stricter about her diet. And some useful restrictions will now even be desirable, since the gastrointestinal tract of a pregnant woman begins to work in an overload mode: heartburn and constipation may appear.

Stews, baked foods, or steamed foods can help deal with these problems. By the way, everything fried makes you thirsty, and you need to remember that during pregnancy, excess fluid can cause edema. Therefore, try not to allow yourself too much.

Stay away from salty foods for the same reason. Salt food as usual (and preferably with iodized salt), but exclude pickles, salted fish and smoked meats from the menu. The problem is that too much salt makes you thirsty, and drinking too much fluids increases your risk of edema.

In the last two months of pregnancy, doctors recommend that expectant mothers do not even add some salt to their food and do not drink more than 1-1.2 liters of liquid per day. At the same time, you should not completely give up salt, it can cause dehydration of the body.

From the first days of pregnancy, try to drink caffeine-free coffee: this way you will reduce the load on your body and you will not have to lose the habit of your favorite taste. This transition will help you avoid many problems: the stimulating effect of coffee can activate the smooth muscles of the uterus, where the baby is developing, and cause the threat of termination of pregnancy.

Those of us who are worried about the preservation of the figure need to remember that the usual lightweight foods will now need to be replaced with products of standard fat content, and meat, fish, cereals, and bread should be added to vegetables and fruits.

Correct diet for pregnant women: regimen

• To feel good, try to eat every 4 hours.
• Start your day with a full breakfast (a dairy dish, some whole grain bread or muesli, and fresh fruit).
• Have a real lunch for yourself (if you can't afford it, eat a sandwich with fresh vegetables and fruits, or a salad with soy or corn oil, yogurt, and some kind of fruit).
• Dinner lightly (the fourth meal should be a dietary meal: a dairy dish, some kind of fruit, some black bread or unsweetened cookies).
• Between breakfast and lunch and during afternoon tea, you can have a light snack with fruits, a low-fat sandwich, yogurt and juice. It is better to forget about pastry and puff buns, pizza, sausages, sausages, fatty and fried foods.

Diet of pregnant women: safety rules

By following simple hygiene practices, you can protect yourself from food poisoning. In addition to general advice to store food in the refrigerator, wash vegetables and fruits, and avoid undercooked or undercooked food, raw eggs, or expired products, there are some other important and not too obvious recommendations.

• Cheese. Choose cheeses based on pasteurized milk, hard or processed varieties. It is better to cut the crust from the cheeses.
• Do not buy sliced ​​food (by weight), prefer ready-made vacuum packaging.
• Seafood, raw fish dishes can be eaten only if you are firmly convinced of their quality.
• Do a general cleaning of the refrigerator at least once a week.
• Meat and fish must be subjected to hot processing, reheat well, but do not boil ready-made meals and store them in the refrigerator for no more than 24 hours.
• Don't drink raw milk: all dairy products must be pasteurized or sterilized.
• Eat liver foods no more than once a week. Remember that the liver is a chemical laboratory for the neutralization of harmful substances that tend to accumulate in it.
• Transport frozen food in an insulated bag. Thaw them in the refrigerator and never freeze them again.
• Store vegetables, meat and cooked meals separately.
• If you need to cut salad after cutting raw meat or fish, be sure to wash your hands. Use different knives and cutting boards for different foods.