Pregnancy is an amazing time to connect to your body and really embrace the responsibility of nourishing and caring for it properly.
When everything you put into your body has an effect on you and your baby it’s time to have a healthy diet for pregnancy and even continue on into the post partum months. Plan your diet for fertility around the needs of yourself and your baby by understanding the new strains and changes that you are both going through, supporting each new stage of development and each physical, emotional, and psychological adjustment.
Along with a healthy, preferably organic diet, filled with quality food from all food groups, here are a few extras to take note of while planning your pregnancy diet.
Eat your Veggies
If you don’t already, get familiar with your local produce stands. Eating lots of local fresh produce is beneficial for everyone’s diet, especially a growing baby and mom. All those green leafy veggies like kale, swiss chard, and spinach, even load up on the broccoli to attain all the vitamins and nutrients you want for a healthy diet.
Cut out the White
This goes without saying really, because it’s what we should all be doing at all times not just when you’re eating a healthy diet for pregnancy. Clear the cupboards of that white sugar, white flour, white rice etc. There are many alternatives that you can substitute for all these refined carbohydrates like honey, spelt flour and ancient grain rice which are equally delicious. When grains are refined they are stripped of seventeen nutrients, many of which are good for fertility including vitamin B and iron.
Folic Acid
This is imperative to the health of your growing baby. Folic acid helps prevents abnormalities of the brain and spine such as Neural Tube Disorder. It can be found in sorts of food like green leafy veggies, kale and orange juice. Start taking folic acid before you start trying for a baby, since you won’t know you’re pregnant the day it happens. It is best to take it as a supplement of 400-1000 micrograms (check with you caregiver), this may either be a part of a prenatal vitamin or if you already have a high quality multivitamin, just add a folic acid supplement along with it.
Iron
Your body will soon be needing an inventory of iron so load up now. Iron is used to help carry oxygen to your blood cells. Soon your baby will be taking it from you so you’ll need adequate stores as to avoid low birth weight, preterm labor or even postpartum anemia which is when your red blood cells are depleted therefore exhausting all your energy – this affects 27 percent of women.
Calcium
Make sure you’re taking enough calcium. Already as women we tend to have weaker bones and more trouble with osteoporosis. Your body will take calcium from your bones in order to give the baby what it needs leaving your bones very fragile. Take a supplement of calcium and include skim milk and green leafy veggies to create a healthy diet for pregnancy.
Now is the time to be super picky as to what you put in your mouth. Nourish him well and you both reap the benefits.







