Congratulations! So now you have James (or Fiona/Vurmilaa/Izzul, or you name it) as your future family member. Let us guess, since now there are two of you, you are facing weight control problem right?

Tips for controlling weight

Since there is only small change on the additional calories to take in (about 300 calories). Thus, you need to eat more nutrient dense food (which provides more nutrition than others at a given energy amount) and reduce your sweets and treats intake.
(Psst! Any excessive energy left over in your body will be converted into fat and make you gain weight!)

https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/food”>Food photo created by valeria_aksakova – www.freepik.com

What are the necessary foods to take?

Instead of listing all the foods out, we decided to tell you the nutrients that you need to take in together with some sources of it. Of course there are more to go but these are relatively famous.

• Folic acid. It could be the most important thing that you should take in for your baby. It can prevent problems (neural tube defects to be specific) on your baby. Sources: nuts, beans, citrus fruits and green leafy vegetables
• Calcium. To build strong teeth and bones, your baby need considerable amounts of calcium and your body will take them from your bones. You might in risk for problems like osteoporosis if you don’t take in enough through your diet now. Sources: dairy products, dark & leafy vegetables, almond and sesame seeds.
• Iron. Your little one need iron to build red blood cells for healthy blood supply just like you do!

Sources: fish, meat, leafy green vegetables and nuts

• Protein. It is important nutrient for baby growth and development. Protein is needed for energy and most importantly build and repair different parts of body.

Sources: seafood, lean meat, eggs and soy products.

Pregnant DOs and DONTs

• Do exercises for about 150 minutes per week, exercises you can do can be as simple as walking. Just make sure you exercise!
• Don’t go on diet or try to lose weight. We know you want to control weight, but doing this will risk you and your baby to miss essential nutrients for good growth.
• Don’t take in alcohol. It is linked to premature delivery, baby with lower birth weights and even Fetal Alcohol Syndrome!
• Don’t take medicine (especially those weight control pills!) without approval from your doctor.

You have our support

We hope you follow our guide above and wish you a wonderful kid!

References

1. Sarah, K. (2019, July 9). Healthy Weight during Pregnancy. Retrieved 25 October 2019, from https://www.eatright.org/health/pregnancy/prenatal-wellness/healthy-weight-during-pregnancy
2. Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Pregnancy: Nutrition. Retrieved 25 October 2019, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/12593-pregnancy-nutrition
3. UPMC Susquehanna. (n.d.). Do’s & Don’ts During Pregnancy. Retrieved 25 October 25, 2019, from https://www.susquehannahealth.org/services/maternity-care/pregnancy/dos-donts-during-pregnancy
4. Medline Plus. (n.d.).  Managing your weight gain during pregnancy. Retrieved 25 October 2019, from https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000603.htm
5. https://www.freepik.com/free-photos-vectors/people”>People photo created by valeria_aksakova – www.freepik.com