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A varied diet to meet your needs
We adopt a varied diet, as much as possible. It is the CLE that will allow us to cover the nutritional needs of our baby, as well as our own. No need to spend money on food supplements without medical advice. In the best case, they will be useless, in the worst, they will involve a risk (overdose for example), in particular if they are added to prescriptions of our doctor. Finally, we only take medicinal supplements (folate, iron, vitamin D, iodine) on prescription from our doctor.
Folic acid to develop your nervous system
Folate, also called vitamin B9 or folic acid, is found in high amounts in fruits and leafy vegetables. They play a very important role in the development of the nervous system of the embryo, but also help reduce the risk of growth retardation or serious birth defects. So they are essential from conception and at the very beginning of pregnancy. This is why they are often prescribed in the form of medicinal supplements from the project of pregnancy and during the first weeks of gestation, even if normally, a varied diet provides enough for the mother-to-be. Green vegetables (spinach, watercress, lamb’s lettuce, artichokes, beans, peas, etc.) as well as seeds (nuts, chestnuts, chickpeas, etc.) are, for example, foods rich in folate. They can easily be integrated into our menus during pregnancy.
Calcium to build your skeleton
Calcium, it is well known, is a fundamental player in the solidification of bones during growth. It is also particularly important in building our baby’s skeleton during pregnancy. To meet their needs, we consume 3 dairy products (or equivalent) per day. The forms can vary: milk, yoghurts, cottage cheese, cheeses (except those made from raw milk and flowery paste, because of listeriosis). We eat nuts, almonds, green vegetables, which also contain a lot. We opt for mineral waters enriched with calcium. As a benchmark, we choose those whose label mentions more than 150 mg of calcium per liter. At last, beware of soy products. Even if they are fortified with calcium, it is only eaten per day during pregnancy.
Vitamin D to strengthen your bones
Vitamin D is associated with calcium in the mineralization of the baby’s skeleton. In fact, this vitamin increases the body’s absorption of calcium contained in food. At the end of pregnancy, our vitamin D reserves will also constitute those of our child. Vitamin D is made by the body when it is exposed to the sun. Certain foods, such as oily fish (sardines, salmon, tuna), also provide some. Women who give birth in summer or fall, who are normally exposed to the sun (10 to 15 minutes per day), eat fish twice a week (including oily fish once) or consume dairy products fortified with vitamin D , normally have sufficient reserves. For others or as a precaution, a vitamin D supplement may be prescribed by the doctor who follows the pregnancy.
Iron for its growth and that of the placenta
Iron is necessary for the formation of the placenta and the growth of the fetus. Drawn by the baby in large quantities in our reserves, it happens that we find ourselves in iron deficiency (anemia). The latter, if it is not compensated by a drug supplement, increases the risks of prematurity and delays in growth of the baby. Normally, a varied diet covers the iron needs of mother and baby. Iron is mainly found in red meat and fish. We find a lot of it in black pudding. Dried vegetables (lentils, white beans, chickpeas, etc.) also provide it. Note: we slow down our tea consumption if we are in anemia because it decreases the absorption of iron of plant origin.
Iodine to train your brain
Iodine is one of the thyroid hormones necessary for the growth of tissues, especially those of the brain. This applies to us as well as to our baby. The latter, unable to produce iodine on its own, draws on that which is supplied to it through our food. Iodine is mainly found in foods of marine origin, such as crustaceans, mussels and fish, to consume fresh and well cooked during pregnancy. It is also present in eggs and dairy products. Finally, we favor iodized salt to cook or season meals.
More info on the Public Health France website.
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