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Expert Q&A

	By Bridget Swinney, M.S., R.D. General Nutrition Expert Prenatal Nutrition Expert

What are the most important things I need to keep in mind regarding nutrition during the months to come?

First of all, congratulations on focusing on eating right; it's so important! During pregnancy, you need only about 300 extra calories. But you need many more nutrients, which is why you need to choose your food wisely. Weight gain is an important indication of how your baby is growing and helps ensure a healthy outcome for your pregnancy. For a normal weight woman, you should gain 25 to 35 pounds. This translates into gaining just about 2 to 4 pounds during the first trimester and about a pound a week during the second and third trimesters.

Secondly, the best way to eat throughout your pregnancy is to eat small, regular meals with small snacks in between. Eating like this will help you avoid nausea as well as heartburn. You'll want to eat three to four servings of milk or other high-calcium food every day. Grains give you energy so have at least eight a day, three being whole grain.

Protein foods are important too – eat a variety of them including beef, pork, chicken, fish and vegetarian sources like beans and lentils. Try to eat fish a few times a week, but no more than 12 ounces a week. Cold-water fish like salmon, anchovies, mackerel, herring and sardines contain a special fat called DHA, which is needed for your baby's brain and vision development. Other fish that contain smaller amounts of DHA include trout, tuna and shellfish. Certain brands of eggs, like Eggland's Best, are fortified with DHA, too.

Don't forget fruits and veggies – have at least five servings but try for eight a day. Finally, every diet needs some fat. Choose canola or olive oil for cooking, and if you use margarine, choose one with no trans-fat, which can affect the amount of omega-3 fatty acids available in the infant.

Read more about DHA here.
Read more about trans-fats here."

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