Eating right during pregnancy will make both mom and baby healthy and happy.

While following every food craving you have during pregnancy may be easier, keeping the proper dietary guidelines in mind will improve the health of both you and your child.

Simple tips for a healthy pregnancy.

Eating for two is a difficult process. Not only are you eating much, much more, but you also have to think about the nutritional effects of this new diet on your baby. Deficiencies of vitamins or minerals during pregnancy are two of the most common factors leading to complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Alternately, good nutrition during pregnancy leads to stronger, healthier babies and better lives for both mother and child. Keeping these tips in mind can help you make the right food choices while pregnant.

Know Your Weight: During pregnancy, expect to gain about 30 pounds. If you are underweight, you will probably gain slightly more, and if you are overweight, you will probably gain less. Worrying about gaining too much weight can cause a shortage of nutrients for both you and your child, and increases the risk for underweight delivery. During the first trimester, a gain of about 4 pounds is normal. For the second and third trimesters, a pound a week is normal. Never attempt to lose weight during pregnancy, so if you think you are gaining too much weight, talk with your doctor about slowing the weight you are gaining.

Eliminate Toxins: It is extremely important to not consume any toxic substance, including alcohol, nicotine, and even over-the-counter medications. Even substances such as medicinal herbs and some vitamins (such as vitamin A) can be toxic at high doses. Caution should be taken with any supplementation, so always inform your doctor about any changes in your dietary routine.

Eat the Right Amount: As the body’s nutrient needs increase, so should the amount of food you are eating. The first trimester, calorie needs of the body are about the same, though nutrient needs increase. In the second and third trimesters, calorie needs increase by approximately 15%. Therefore, if you normally ingest 2000 calories per day, increase this number to 2300. Make sure that those extra 300 calories come from healthy, nutrient-dense foods.

Eat the Right Foods: Although calorie needs increase only slightly during pregnancy, nutrient needs increase substantially. Therefore, it is important that you choose healthy foods instead of junk food. Talk with a doctor about taking a vitamin supplement. Folate and Vitamin B12 needs increase the most during pregnancy, so fortified cereals and grains should be eaten regularly to ensure the health of your child.

Take Your Omega-3 Fish Oil: Omega-3s are especially important for the formation of a healthy brain, eyes and nervous system. Each of these organs is made up in large part from the long chain omega-3s, and studies have shown that if the mother’s diet does not provide sufficient omega-3, then the formation and function of the fetal organs can be impaired. Additionally, recent research has shown omega-3’s benefit on the mental health of the mother, even reducing the incidence of postpartum depression. Oil-rich fish is an excellent source of omega-3, but because of the adverse effects on fetal development of certain toxins frequently found in fish, ultra-purified omega-3 fish oil supplements are a much safer source. Learn more about which omega-3 supplement is best for a healthy pregnancy.

The experts agree that omega-3 fish oil is critical to a healthy pregnancy.

Doctors, scientists, authors, leading universities, and others are all unanimous in their support for omega-3 fish oil. Here is a sampling of what they have to say:

“At no other time of a woman’s life is she more concerned about good nutrition than during pregnancy. As a practicing obstetrician, one of the most common questions I am asked is, “What should a pregnant woman eat to make sure her baby gets off to the best start in life?” Scientific research continues to expand our knowledge of nutrition in pregnancy, and perhaps the most important recent development in this field is the role played by omega-3 fatty acids in the development of a healthy baby.”
- Steve Hasley, MD., practicing obstetrician at West Penn Hospital

“Fetal DHA and AA needs are extremely high during the last trimester because 70% of brain cell development takes place while the fetus is in the womb. The fetus depends on transport of the fatty acids from the mother across the placenta. It is important for pregnant women to have adequate amounts of EFA’s in their diet to cover their own requirements plus the requirements of the growing baby. If the mother is depleted before pregnancy, neither the mother nor the developing baby will have adequate levels of omega-3s.”
- Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe, BSc and Karlene Karst, BSc, RB Authors of Healthy Fats for Life

“In the last month of pregnancy and first month of neonatal life, omega-3 fatty acids are rapidly incorporated into the brain of the baby.”
- Andrew Weil, M.D. - Author of 8 Weeks to Optimum Health

“The EPA of oily fish or fish oil supplements assist development of the fetal brain. They prolong gestation and increase birth weight.”
- Thomas Bartram, Author of Bartram’s Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine

“The human body converts Omega-3 fats into DHA—a nutrient that is needed by all of us, and one that is especially critical for the brain development of fetuses and newborns. There are, however, indications that there can be a great deal of variation among people in how efficiently their bodies convert Omega-3 fats into DHA. For this reason, I strongly advise those pregnant and nursing women who choose not to eat fish to be certain to include ample amounts of flax seed oil in their diet, and as well to take supplementary DHA. Fatty fish are high in DHA, which is good, but they are often high in toxic metals and environmental contaminants that are particularly damaging to babies.”
- John Robbins, Author of Food Revolution

“DHA is essential for the growth and functional development of the fetal and infant brain and visual system. Human breast milk contains DHA but, unless supplemented with DHA, infant formulas in the U.S. do not contain any significant amounts.”
- Sheldon Saul Hendle and David Rorvik, Authors of PDR For Nutritional Supplements

“DHA is vital for normal brain development for the fetus and infant and for the maintenance of normal brain function throughout life. DHA appears to be a major determinant of membrane fluidity in brain cells, and this could play a major role in the maintenance of normal cognition and mood.”
- Sheldon Saul Hendle and David Rorvik, Authors of PDR For Nutritional Supplements

“Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for the normal development of the unborn baby's brain, especially during the final three months of gestation when the size of its brain increases threefold. If the mother fails to get enough of these nutrients in her diet, the fetus will pirate what she has stored in her tissues—including her brain. Lab tests show that new mothers have half the normal blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Women who breast-feed their babies have even lower levels of DHA because they are continuing to supply the baby's need for omega-3 fatty acids. If a woman does not replenish her store of these essential elements following the birth of a child, she will have lower and lower levels with each additional child. Some people suggest this is why firstborn children score higher on intelligence tests. Until now, people have attributed the well-documented mental superiority of firstborn children to the fact they spend more one-on-one time with a parent. It is now being suggested that their greater cognitive abilities may also be due to a more generous supply of maternal DHA.”
- Artemis P Simopoulos MD and Jo Robinson, Authors of The Omega Diet

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