Diet During Your First Month of Pregnancy

It’s exciting! You are now pregnant (again) and everyone knows how important it is that mothers pay attention to what they eat. Let’s start with things you should add into your diet and things to avoid for the time being.

Do eat these:

Folate-rich food/Folic supplements

Folic acid is vital for your embryo’s neural tube to properly develop into the brain and spinal cord. It’s actually ideal to start consuming folic acid as you prepare for pregnancy and then during it. Food that contains folic acid is dark leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, asparagus, b, citrus fruits, beans, peas, lentils, and avocados.

Fruits & Vegetables

You should be consuming more fruits and vegetables than ever as you are basically eating for two. Fruits and vegetables provide vitamins, antioxidants, and essential minerals for your baby. Not just that, the mother must also be healthy for the baby to grow healthy.

Consuming a lot of fruits also help your baby to grow healthy and smooth skin and ensure that the baby will proceed to grow healthy in the future.

Meat & Fish

Meat and fish are the main source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E, zinc and iron. Make sure that the meat are cooked and best served boiled or roasted, not fried with oil.

Seeds & Nuts

Seeds and nuts are also great source of protein and are great for pregnant mothers who are also vegan. They provide vitamins and dietary fiber which will help pregnant mothers with their digestive system.

Don’t eat these:

Soft cheese

Soft cheese is made of unpasteurized milk. Unpasteurized milk may contain dangerous bacteria which can lead to food poisoning. While dairy food contains good amount of calcium, to-be-mothers must be careful to avoid soft cheese.

Processed food

Processed food include instant noodles and microwave-ready meals. Packaged and canned food contains a lot of preservatives and chemical ingredients that enhance texture, color and flavor, but may pose danger to your baby.

Make sure to consume home-cook food with organic ingredients.

Pineapples and papayas

Pregnant women are encouraged to consume more fruits, but they must avoid these two tropical fruits. Pineapples contain bromelain, a substance that softens the cervix which may lead to miscarriage during early months.

Unripe papayas contain latex that can trigger uterine contraction. This can also lead to miscarriage or preterm labor. Papayas are good for your digestive system, but may be too triggering for your few weeks old baby to withstand. Ripe papayas, on the other hand, can be consumed in moderation.

Raw and under-cooked meat

Raw and under-cooked meat may contain dangerous bacteria, ring worms and other parasites or infection that can be dangerous to mothers. This includes sushi and half-done steak.

Alcohol

Alcohol has been known to affect the development of unborn babies and can lead to some serious birth defects.