In just 9 months, the embryo, which evolves rapidly to the stage of a fetus, goes from a tenth of a millimeter to 50 cm. To ensure this rapid growth, his mother must provide him with all the energy, vitamins, minerals and nutrients he needs. The diet of pregnant women therefore plays an essential role.

Eat twice as well

To put the odds in your favor to feel great during your pregnancy and to ensure the growth and development of your baby, the real good idea is to resume good eating habits. Because of course, it is in you that your child will draw everything he needs to develop, grow and build himself.

But contrary to popular belief, the energy needs of the expectant mother increase relatively little during pregnancy:

• during the first trimester, pregnant women should only increase their daily intake by 100 kcal / day, the equivalent of two plain yogurts or one piece of fruit.
• during the last two trimesters, energy needs increase by 300 kcal / day in order to provide the baby with the energy necessary for full growth.

You will understand: throughout your pregnancy, it does not necessarily mean eating a lot more. The important thing is to pay particular attention to the quality of your diet. Hence the famous adage about pregnant women: “eat twice as much but not twice as much”.

Adopt the zen attitude

If before your pregnancy you ate (almost) everything, do not upset your eating habits. Simply force small fish, oleaginous fruits (walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, etc.) and legumes (split peas, lentils, red and white beans, etc.). And remember to hydrate yourself more.

If, on the other hand, you feel that your diet deserves to be improved, trust your common sense and above all, do not make food a scary subject. It will just be enough to put in place small changes to evolve towards a simply healthier and balanced diet.

Ideally, pregnant women should consume as much Omega 3 as Omega 6 for the baby to develop at its best. However, nowadays, the diet is often too rich in Omega-6: between 10 to 30 times the daily amount recommended by ANSES. So take advantage of your pregnancy to restore the right balance.

To do this, increase your consumption of saltwater fish because they are the most valuable suppliers of Omega 3 and therefore greatly participate in the development of the cells of the eyes and the brain of the fetus. Note: the most fatty fish will be those that contain the most Omega-3.

Among oily fish, give pride of place to small fish because they are less rich in mercury which accumulates throughout the food chain. So opt for herring, mackerel, fresh sardines, trout, eel or anchovies for example.

That said, other fish are also excellent sources of Omega-3: pollack, sole, cod, perch, mullet, sea bream or red mullet, hake, whiting, dab, etc.

When it comes to quantity, ideally try to eat one part oily fish and one part lean fish per week.

In addition, beyond its Omega-3 content, fish also contains valuable health benefits such as iodine, iron, selenium, vitamin D and Vitamin B12, whose needs are all increased. during pregnancy.

Legumes in turn have nutritional benefits that are absolutely essential during pregnancy. Rich in protein and essential amino acids, fiber and minerals, they are also a valuable provider of Vitamin B9 (also called folic acid or folate). This vitamin indeed plays a major role during pregnancy because it intervenes in the closure of the neural tube which corresponds to the future spinal cord of the embryo.

Legumes, also called pulses, include: lentils (oranges, green, black), lentils, dried beans (pink, red, white, black, coconut, azuki, tarbais, mungo, flageolet beans, cornilla) , broad beans, peas (split, chick, whole).

Regarding the quantity, try to eat it at least twice a week.

And if you have trouble digesting legumes, because of their richness in phytic acid which can cause bloating, do not hesitate to soak them overnight in cold water with a squeeze of lemon or to add a teaspoon of baking soda in the cooking water.

They often have a bad reputation and yet they are absolutely essential to ensure the good neurological development of the future baby and his visual maturation.

To provide a balance in essential fatty acids, Omega-3 / Omega-6, the ideal is to consume 1 tablespoon of an olive oil – oil rich in Omega 3 mixture at noon and in the evening.

The oils richest in Omega 3 are:

• Perilla oil (65% Omega-3)
• Camelina oil (45%)
• Nigella oil (23%)
• hemp oil (20%)
• walnut oil (13%)
• rapeseed oil or canola oil (9%)
• soybean oil (8%).

Linseed oil for its part contains more than 50% Omega-3 but should be consumed in moderation in pregnant or breastfeeding women (but also in children and adolescents) because of its phytoestrogen content.

Water is essential for the constitution of amniotic fluid, the development of the placenta and its vascularization. The fluid requirements of the fetus also increase during pregnancy as the fetus develops and grows. Water will ultimately represent 75 to 90% of the total weight of the fetus and eventually, the baby’s water needs become greater than his oxygen needs.

So make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day by drinking at least 1,5 to 2 liters of water / day and increase your water intake significantly at the end of pregnancy.