Nutritional Insights For Pregnancy

Eating for two… or eating for you? Here are some nutritional insights on what foods to eat when expecting.

If we consider an athlete’s bodily and nutritional preparation before a big event, we might better understand the increased nutritional demands of a pregnant woman, says Caréne Joubert, founder of Bump to Babe and spokesperson for BabyWombWorld.

“Closely matching the energy intake to meet the increased expenditure, while focusing on specific nutrients to allow the body to perform at its best, is very similar for the athlete and the pregnant woman.

“However, because we often don’t consider pregnancy to be a high-demand, extreme bodily task, we often miss the opportunity to properly prepare and fuel the body to grow a strong, healthy baby and recover optimally.

So, let us refer to pregnancy as a marathon and find out how best we can prepare for this spectacular event.”

why does nutrition during pregnancy matter?

Nutrition is important at all stages of life, from infancy to seniority, but especially during pregnancy. Your diet affects not only your own body, but also your baby.

Poor nutrition during this phase poses significant risks to both mother and baby, such as increased risk for preterm birth, gestational diabetes, hypertension, excessive weight gain and other birth complications.

Diet during pregnancy is a delicate balance between meeting the increased nutritional requirements and gaining just enough weight with nutrient-dense foods to sustain the growing foetus.

Find more articles on pregnancy here.

flavour and baby’s future tastes

Research suggests that the flavours of foods you consume during pregnancy and lactation prime your baby for an affinity for this food when they get older.

It is thought that flavours transfer to the baby, and they become accustomed to and enjoy those familiar tastes and smells as they mature.

So, a healthy, nutritious diet not only meets the baby’s changing demands, but also essentially primes your baby’s dietary behaviour as early as pregnancy.

your diet

During pregnancy your diet needs to perform three major functions:

Create a healthy environment for growth in the uterus.
Meet the higher nutrient demands for the baby’s growth.
Meet your nutritional requirements as you prepare for birth.

let’s talk weight

“We cannot discuss energy requirements without touching on adequate weight gain during pregnancy.

“The weight you gain during pregnancy should be that of the growing baby and not necessarily your own body fat,” Joubert says.

healthy uterus

“When we think about the uterus and the surrounding structures that will be supporting the foetus, we can immediately picture the muscles providing structural support, the fluid surrounding the foetus and blood flow,” comments Joubert.

“This leads us to focusing on energy, protein and fluid intake. Let’s call them macronutrients.”

energy requirements

“Your energy requirements will dramatically increase during the second and third trimesters. You may require over 300 to 450 extra calories as you progress to the third trimester,” explains Joubert.

“To put these numbers into food, you may need to eat an extra slice of toast with peanut butter and a 125ml tub of full cream yoghurt.”

the protein component

“Protein is an extremely important component during pregnancy. Proteins form the building blocks for the physical structures of the growing foetus, such as the brain, organs and muscles,” Joubert says.

“The additional protein requirements also form part of the mother’s uterine and breast tissue growth. It is estimated that an expectant woman requires about 71g of protein daily to meet these requirements.

“Proteins can be found in various food sources such as lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, beans, lentils, tofu, and dairy products.”