728x90
my iParenting
From Our Sponsors
e-newsletters
Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters

new terms of use
new privacy policy
award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Home › Articles › Eating For Two › Food Facts, Cravings and Cautions

Food Facts, Cravings and Cautions

The Formula for a Healthy Diet During Pregnancy

By Jennifer Lacey

Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Methylmercury can be found in certain fish, including swordfish, tilefish, king mackerel and shark. Although nearly all fish and sea creatures contain traces of methylmercury, those fish with lower mercury levels include shrimp, pollock, catfish and salmon. The FDA states that an expectant woman can eat up to 12 ounces a week of a variety of fish that are lower in mercury.

"Food safety is a big issue during pregnancy," says Levine. She cautions her expectant patients to avoid eating at sushi bars, as cross contamination of a knife that has touched a contaminated piece of raw fish, even though the woman is eating a vegetable roll, is a concern. "If a woman has consumed these foods early in the pregnancy without incident and later finds out that she is pregnant she probably is fine," she says. "If she does become ill, this should be discussed with her specialist. As a rule, cook your food well, and don't leave food un-refrigerated for too long, particularly on hot days."

Resources for Good Nutrition

For more information, contact the following organizations:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
1600 Clifton Road NE
Atlanta, Ga. 30333
(404) 639-3534 or (800) 311-3435

Food and Drug Administration
5600 Fishers Lane
Rockville, Md. 20857
1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)

National Women's Health Resource Center
157 Broad Street, Suite 315
Red Bank, N.J. 07701
1-877-986-9472 (toll-free)

Debunking Common Pregnancy Food Myths

1. It's OK to eat more – I'm eating for two now! "If you do eat for two, you will probably gain too much," says Levine. "Early in pregnancy, you really don't need to eat much more than your regular intake if that is healthy. Later in pregnancy, a woman should eat to gain the appropriate weight gain as advised by her primary care physician. For some to gain one pound a week, they should increase intake by a few hundred calories. An active person may need even more calories to gain weight. A person on bed rest may gain without adding additional calories, particularly if she was active and ate more prior to needed bed rest."

2. If you eat a little less, the baby will take some of the extra fat off of you. "Obese women might be able to get away with less weight gain than women who are at their ideal body weight prior to pregnancy, which may lead you to think that is true," says Levine. "The concern would be to avoid losing weight or to avoid breaking down fat for energy. That can cause ketones, which are not good for the baby."

3. A low-fat diet will help to keep the extra weight off. "Low fat isn't calorie free," says Levine. "If a woman eats a lot of sweets that don't have fat, she might be having too great a caloric intake anyway."


Pages:  1  2  3  4  

Want to see more?

Comments

There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to add a comment.

Post As:
Enter your comment below:
Title
Comment Text
CAPTCHA
Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection.