Week 7: What to Eat When You’re Expecting

It’s a physiological fact that you will gain weight when you’re pregnant, but how much depends on a lot of things: your pre-pregnancy weight and overall health, the foods you eat when you’re pregnant, and your amount of regular exercise (just to name a few). According to the American Pregnancy Association, the average weight gain during pregnancy is 25-40 pounds, but keep in mind that is just an average, some people (like myself) will gain way more than that, and others may gain less. The important thing to focus on during your pregnancy is not how much weight you gain, but what kind of foods you’re eating. Every pregnant woman (and well everyone everywhere not living under a rock) knows about food cravings during pregnancy. Some say our bodies crave foods that contain nutrients that our bodies are lacking, which I think is true to some extent, but unfortunately our bodies are rarely lacking refined sugars or artificial food colorings. Which means, put down the skittles, twizzlers, and m&m’s, your body doesn’t need that stuff no matter how much you crave it (and it can set you up for gestational diabetes, which is super not cool), and pick up some blueberries, strawberries, and bananas. Basically feel free to give in to your food cravings as often as you like, when you’re craving fruits and vegetables, and when you crave something that’s not so healthy, try substituting in a healthier option (frozen yogurt and fruit as opposed to ice cream, for example). This will ensure that your body and your baby have the nutritional building blocks they need for a healthy mom and baby after delivery.

PS Breastfeeding is the best “diet” you’ll ever try, seems like I dropped the weight I gained with my first 2 pregnancies faster than I put it on…what other diet can boast that!

Cited: American Pregnancy Association. www.americanpregnancy.org. Pregnancy Wellness. Accessed 1.18.2011.