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Nutrition During Pregnancy: Care Instructions

Overview

Healthy eating when you are pregnant is important for you and your baby. It can help you feel well and have a successful pregnancy and delivery. During pregnancy your nutrition needs increase. Even if you have excellent eating habits, your doctor or midwife may recommend a multivitamin to make sure you get enough iron and folic acid.

You may wonder how much weight you should gain. In general, if you were at a healthy weight before you became pregnant, then you should gain between 11.5 and 16 kilograms. If you were overweight before pregnancy, then you'll likely be advised to gain 7 to 11.5 kilograms. If you were underweight before pregnancy, then you'll probably be advised to gain 12.5 to 18 kilograms. Your doctor will work with you to set a weight goal that is right for you. Gaining a healthy amount of weight helps you have a healthy baby.

Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor or nurse advice line (811 in most provinces and territories) if you are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results and keep a list of the medicines you take.

How can you care for yourself at home?

  • Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Include a variety of orange, yellow, and leafy dark-green vegetables every day.
  • Choose whole grain bread, cereal, and pasta. Good choices include whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and oatmeal.
  • Include protein foods each day. Try foods like eggs, beans, fish, poultry, lean meat, peanut butter, milk, fortified soy beverages, yogurt, and cheese.
  • Limit how much liver and liver products (such as liverwurst or liver sausage) you eat. Liver is high in iron, folate, and vitamin A. Too much vitamin A may cause birth defects. If you eat liver, ask your doctor or midwife about how much is right for you.
  • Choose foods that are good sources of calcium. Good choices include non-fat or low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. If you cannot eat milk products, you can get calcium from calcium-fortified products such as orange juice, soy or other plant-based beverages, and tofu. Other non-milk sources of calcium include leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, and Brussels sprouts.
  • Limit how much high-mercury fish you eat.
    • Do not eat more than 150 g (5.3 oz) of high-mercury fish in a month. These include fresh or frozen tuna (not canned "light" tuna), shark, swordfish, marlin, orange roughy, and escolar.
    • Do not eat more than 300 g (10.6 oz) of canned (white) albacore tuna each week.
  • Choose fish that are lower in mercury. These include salmon, rainbow trout, pollock, herring, shrimp, mussels, clams, oysters, and canned "light" tuna.
  • Do not eat raw or undercooked eggs, meat, poultry, or seafood. Heat all deli meats, hot dogs, refrigerated meat spreads, and refrigerated smoked seafood to 74° C (165° F) before eating. Do not eat or drink raw or unpasteurized dairy products and fruit juices. Thoroughly wash all vegetables and fruits. Avoid all sprouts, even if cooked.
  • Do not eat pasteurized or unpasteurized soft, semi-soft, or blue-veined cheeses, such as havarti, brie, camembert, or Mexican-style cheeses (like queso fresco or queso blanco). They have a bacteria that could harm your baby.
  • Limit caffeine to less than 300 mg per day. This is about 2 cups of coffee.
  • Do not drink any alcohol. No amount of alcohol has been found to be safe during pregnancy.
  • Do not diet or try to lose weight. For example, do not follow a low-carbohydrate diet. If you are overweight at the start of your pregnancy, your doctor or midwife will work with you to manage your weight gain.
  • Tell your doctor or midwife about all medicines and natural health products you take.

When should you call for help?

Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse advice line if you have any problems.

Where can you learn more?

Go to https://www.healthwise.net/patientEd

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