6 Dietary Dos and Don'ts for Pregnancy
6 dietary dos and don'ts for pregnancy
Pregnancy is an important time in a woman's life. During this period, you need to be most conscious of what to eat, do and how to change everyday habits. Following these dos and don'ts will ensure a smooth pregnancy experience for you.
Dos:
1. Take your prenatal vitamin
If you have not yet started taking a prenatal vitamin, now is the time to start. It's particularly critical to get enough folic acid while trying to conceive importantly during the first trimester. It greatly reduces your baby's risk of developing neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida.
2. If you smoke, quit
Smoking increases your risk of developing several problems including miscarriages, placental and preterm birth problems. It slows the fetal growth and increases the risk of stillbirth and infant death. It's never too late to quit or cut back smoking. Every cigarette you don't light gives your baby a much better chance of being healthy.
3. Do eat seafood
Seafood is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Consume a variety of seafood so you don't have a concentration of minerals from only one type of fish. But remember to not eat more than 12 ounces of fish per 7 days.
Don'ts:
1. Don't drink alcohol
Alcohol may immensely impact your baby's development. Women who drink alcohol while pregnant could easily deliver a baby with fetal alcohol syndrome (fas). Symptoms of fas are usually low birth weight, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and lagging patterns in terms of growth and development milestones. Limiting or avoiding alcohol is a step that you need to take.
2. Don't eat raw meat at all
Raw and undercooked meat or eggs carries the risk of food-borne diseases as well as food poisoning incidence. Make sure all eggs and meat that you eat while you are pregnant are cooked well.
3. Don't drink lot of caffeine
Caffeine easily travels through the placenta and increases your baby's heart beats. Research shows that women can safely consume a cup or two of coffee every day, but avoid downing a triple shot strong latte while you have got a bun in the oven.
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Related Tip: 6 Changes You Can Expect During the 2nd Trimester of Pregnancy
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