Can a Mother Have a Diet While Pregnant?

Contents:

• Medical Video: What foods to eat while pregnant - Diet & nutrition during pregnancy
  
• Can I diet while pregnant?
  
• What is the ideal weight gain during pregnancy?
  
• Then, how should you eat when you are pregnant?
  

Medical Video: What foods to eat while pregnant - Diet & nutrition during pregnancy

When you are pregnant, you have to feed two people, not just yourself. So, you are required to consume extra calories compared to the calories you need before becoming pregnant. But as a woman, you may still have a fear of increasing your weight and appearance in the future. But actually, may or not, mothers go on a diet while pregnant?

Can I diet while pregnant?

During pregnancy, adequate nutrition is needed both by you and the development of your fetus. So, you are not allowed to try to lose weight through a diet while pregnant. Most diet plans may not only reduce your weight, but also other nutrients that you really need during pregnancy such as folic acid, iron, vitamins, calcium, protein and other minerals.

What is the ideal weight gain during pregnancy?

Rose weight during pregnancy, often interpreted as a good sign that you have a healthy pregnancy. However, as reported by Baby center, does not mean that you have to eat more.

A study revealed that mothers with body weight exceeding predictions during pregnancy will tend to give birth to babies over normal weight and even potentially complications for both the mother and the baby, until finally giving birth by caesarean section and the condition of premature babies.

The Institute of Medicine itself recommends normal weight gain for pregnant women approximately:

• If the mother's weight starts with a body weight below normal (with a BMI below 18.5), the mother needs to increase the weight by about 12.7 to 18 kg.
• If the mother's weight starts with a normal body weight (with BMI 18.5-24.9), the mother needs to increase the weight by about 11.3 to 15.8 kg.
• If the mother's weight starts with a body weight above normal (with a BMI of 25-29.9), the mother needs to increase the weight of about 6.8 to 11.3 kg.
• If the mother's body weight starts with an overweight body weight (with a BMI above 30), the mother needs to increase the weight of about 5 to 9 kg.

Unlike the case if you contain twins:

• If the mother's body weight starts with a normal body weight, the mother needs to increase the weight around 16.7 to 24.5 kg.
• If the mother's weight starts with a body weight above normal, the mother needs to increase the weight of about 14 to 22.6 kg.
• If the mother's weight starts with an overweight body, the mother needs to increase the weight by about 11.3 to 19 kg. (You can calculate your BMI here)

Then, how should you eat when you are pregnant?

You can start appearing from eating with frequent frequency but serving slightly. Moreover, along with the development of your pregnancy, there will be less space for food with a large portion in your stomach. You can start with the following steps:

1. Choose foods with high fiber content, such as beans, wheat, rice, vegetables and fruit.
2. Make sure your daily intake also contains enough vitamins and minerals for you and your fetus.
3. Take at least 3 iron-rich dishes with a total iron content of about 27 mg per day. You can get this iron content in foods such as meat, spinach and cereal.
4. You need 220 mg of iodine while you are pregnant for the development of the brain and nerves of your fetus. You can get this iodine in foods such as milk, cheese, yogurt, baked potatoes, salmon and shrimp.
5. Consume at least 1 food rich in vitamin C (such as oranges, papaya, tomatoes and strawberries), rich in vitamin A (such as carrots, spinach and pumpkin) and rich in folate per day.
6. A small portion will help you to consume food with a variety of nutrients. With daily combinations it includes roughly:

• 6-11 servings of foods containing bread and cereals,
• 2-4 fruits,
• About 4 servings of vegetables
• 4 servings with milk content. Make sure the food you consume contains 1000 to 1300 mg of calcium every day.
• 3 servings with protein content and
• We recommend that you consume dishes with fat content and sweeteners separately.

Instill in yourself that you will immediately lose weight in the first weeks after you give birth. Also remember that the nutrients you consume are as important as the weight you increase during pregnancy. Maybe this will ease your worries about gaining weight during pregnancy.