What you eat EVERYDAY is THE most important thing you can do for yourself and your BABY! And YOU have complete control over it.

In pregnancy not only are you growing another living being… you are giving your body the nutrients it needs to have strong, healthy tissues to be able to birth more easily.

I cannot stress enough the importance of a GOOD diet!

1.Every day you should eat: One quart of milk, any percentage milk fat. You may substitute one cup of yogurt for each cup of milk.

2. 80-100 grams of protein per day. Getting this much protein everyday is quite a task. My best advice is to write down and count your protein intake with each meal and snack every day. On average my clients getting 60 grams of protein per day without trying to add more.

Many people believe that you can only get protein from meat or fish sources, however alternatives to meat or fish include:

For each serving of meat, you can substitute these quantities of cheese: Cheddar 3 oz., Cottage 6 oz., Swiss 3 oz., Monterey Jack 4 oz.. other cheeses are all about 3-4 oz. per serving such as Mozzarella, String Cheese and Colby. Also legumes (beans) and nuts are great sources of protein. Also adding a whey protein drink to your daily intake can add up to 27gms or more of protein to your diet.

For more information on vegetarian combinations that supply complete proteins see the book Diet for a Small Planet.

3. Two servings of fresh, green leafy vegetables: spinach, lettuce, cabbage, broccoli, or mustard, beet, collard, turnip greens, kale or swiss chard. Real dandelion leaves are excellent raw or steamed as also are nettle leaves if picked before flowers appear (nutritional information is below).

4. Three to five servings of grains, as whole as you can get including; breads, rolls, cereals, buckwheat or whole wheat pancakes, corn bread, corn tortillas, corn or bran or whole wheat muffins, brown rice, bran flakes, granola, shredded wheat, wheat germ, oatmeal.

5. Two choices of citrus from: a whole potato (any style), large green pepper, orange, grapefruit, lemon, lime, papaya, tomato, (one piece of fruit or one glass of juice). Have 1 of each of the above 3 times a week.

6. Healthy fats: Three pats of butter or margarine or three tablespoons of oil (olive, sesame, sunflower, corn, cold pressed oils are preferable). Also avocados and nuts are great sources of fats.

7. Fruits: Also include in your diet:-A yellow or orange vegetable or fruit five times a week.

8. Liver once a week if you like it.

9. Iron. Cook in Cast-Iron for extra , easily assimilated iron.

10. Salt your food to taste. Contrary to popular belief, the pregnant body requires more salt to keep the kidneys healthy and functioning properly. There is a marked increase in blood volume which puts an extra strain on the kidneys to keep filtered. Your body is also producing amniotic fluid and you have extra fluid in your tissues as a natural process of pregnancy. Gradual swelling of the ankles and feet is normal during pregnancy and not caused by high salt intake. It is very important that during your pregnancy that you eat enough salt.

You will undoubtedly find that you want more than you did prior to your pregnancy. However, avoid excessively salty foods like potato chips, pickles and processed foods.

11. Supplements: Your prenatal supplement is to be taken as a supplement. You really need food to help the vitamins be assimilated. Most of the supplement will not be utilized by your body, so don’t count on your prenatal to supply you and your baby with the nutrients you both need.

I suggest that you take an Omega 3 (fatty acids) daily throughout your pregnancy and for a year after your baby’s birth. Omega’s are great for your brain and your baby’s brain, they help with hormone production and many other functions of the body. I have given you a sample of Nordic Naturals. I get this supplement at a reduced rate, so buy them directly from me. I also suggest that you take 1,000-6,000 IU of Vitamin D per day. Vitamin D is great to keep your immune system working at its best and it assists in cell repair, reducing rates of cancer.

Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting – Vijakainen HT et al. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism 2010 Apr; 95(4): 1749-57 Vitamin D Council

12. Water! You should drink at least 2 QUARTS or eight 8 oz. glasses of water every day.

13. Liquids: It is important to drink enough fluids in pregnancy: aim for 6 to 8 eight ounce glasses in addition to any juice you drink. Liquids will keep your system flushed out (aiding your kidneys), are needed to increase your blood volume and may prevent constipation, edema, bladder infections and many other problems. You also need to constantly replenish the amniotic fluid surrounding your baby, which completely regenerates itself every 3 hours~

* The best source of liquids is water – plain, in herbal teas or in soup.

* Avoid soda and diet soda. These are high in phosphorus. Calcium and phosphorus are maintained in constant levels in our bodies, so if you take in too much phosphorus it will limit your body`s ability to utilize the calcium you need so much in pregnancy.

* Coffee, black tea and most sodas containing caffeine should be avoided or at least consumed in moderation during your pregnancy.

* Fruit juice – even “unsweetened natural” fruit juice is a high dose of concentrated sugar. Limit yourself to the 1 or 2 servings recommended in the daily checklist unless you are unusually slim and have never been overweight.

* Red raspberry leaf tea has been used by pregnant women in various cultures for centuries, because it is a uterine toner. I recommend that you drink at least 1 cup a day, with honey to sweeten it.

This is an AWESOME resource!
Meal plans per week according to your Trimester. Baby Center Trimester by Trimester Weekly Meal Planner

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Exercise
Exercising both parentally and during the postpartum is very helpful.

Exercise helps keep the body loose and limber. It also makes the body strong and helps it repair more easily.

I recommend 30 mins of moderate exercise 3 x a week.

An exercise program can consist of walking, swimming, prenatal or postnatal yoga or any other exercise program specifically designed for pregnancy or postpartum.
Exercise that you have been doing prior to you becoming pregnant should be fine to continue.

When doing any activity pay attention to your body and stop the activity if you experience any pain, lightheadedness, heart racing, over heating or fatigue.

It is best to avoid exercise where there is a risk of falling, ei: bike riding, horseback riding, skiing, skating, etc. or if there is a risk of you getting hit. Have fun!