Pregnancy Nutrition Resources

[britterrss]

Hey y'all.

Some of you may know that I'm a dietitian. If not, hi! I'm a Registered & Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist. I also love all kinds of food (and don't believe in diets), so this is a no judgment zone. I just wanted to give y'all some resources as we all know how important nutrition is during a pregnancy. I'm sure you all have found the No-No lists... but of course I included another.

Be sure to get plenty of water - now is a great time to cut back on or eliminate sodas. The average female only needs about 300 extra calories per day during pregnancy. Protein, iron, and calcium are also super important! If you ever have any questions about nutrition in pregnancy, please feel free to PM me! (or ask here to serve as a resource for our fellow ladies).

If your eyes glazed over while reading this - that's fine, too! I know nutrition stuff isn't for everyone - just want to offer my skillz.

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General: www.choosemyplate.gov/pregnancy-breastfeeding.html

             www.nal.usda.gov/wicworks/Topics/PregnancyFactSheet.pdf

             www.nutrition.gov/life-stages/women/women-pregnancy

Weight Gain: resources.iom.edu/Pregnancy/WhatToGain.html

Morning Sickness: www.marchofdimes.org/pregnancy/morning-sickness.aspx

No-No List: www.foodsafety.gov/risk/pregnant/chklist_pregnancy.html

*Also, I use a lot of government resources because A. I used to work for the WIC program, and B. they only use non-biased scientific resources that are backed by research and data collected from the general population.

** This information is for the purpose of nutrition and wellness. It is intended only to assist readers in their personal lifestyle management. Nothing on this forum should be construed as medical advice or diagnosis. The information posted is intended to be a supplement to the expertise, skill, and judgment of physicians or other HCPs. 


A gif for your time.
 

[chocolate]

Awesome, thank you for posting!! I was actually going to post about calcium earlier just as a reminder. I am not a milk drinker so every day I have to keep reminding myself to drink some milk and make sure to pay attention to my other sources of calcium.

[SubtleGrandeur]

Thank you for posting this!! I definitely need to stay on top of drinking more water.

[musicalsilver]

Thanks for the info! I feel like I'll for sure be picking your brain about something down the road!

[EatsRitz]

This is all very helpful and good information, but I've always been kind of put off by nutrition guides for pregnancy- especially during first trimester. You eat what you can when you can and don't feel guilty about it AT ALL.

[rivers and roads]

Thanks! Aren't we lucky to have our own resident dietician!?
I'll definitely be reading through these..

[bee]

Oh great! I have a question actually! Before we got our BFP we were getting ready to start treatment cycles. My doctor (Ob/gyn) put me on a low carb diet to help with high blood sugars (on my patient portal they are still in normal range, so I'm confused anyway) but I stick to it and got my BFP. I really think it helped. Anyway, I had restricted myself to 20-25 carbs a day (I wanted to cry) I called when I made my appointment and my nurse said to just keep at it. Should I be adding more carbs? Is a low carb diet ok with pregnancy? I'll be asking my dr next week too but I am just curious and since your here I might as well ask!

Eta sorry for the dear diary. I should have just sent you a PM.

[britterrss]

Jun 8, 2015 14:59:53 GMT -5 bee said:

Oh great! I have a question actually! Before we got our BFP we were getting ready to start treatment cycles. My doctor (Ob/gyn) put me on a low carb diet to help with high blood sugars (on my patient portal they are still in normal range, so I'm confused anyway) but I stick to it and got my BFP. I really think it helped. Anyway, I had restricted myself to 20-25 carbs a day (I wanted to cry) I called when I made my appointment and my nurse said to just keep at it. Should I be adding more carbs? Is a low carb diet ok with pregnancy? I'll be asking my dr next week too but I am just curious and since your here I might as well ask!

Eta sorry for the dear diary. I should have just sent you a PM.

I would go with the doc and not change anything until they see you. You can also up your fruit and veggie intake (which are also technically carbs) if you're worried - and that would ensure you're getting adequate carbs, but they aren't processed by your body in the same way bread/pasta is. You don't want to get your blood sugar too low, so watch for symptoms like dizziness, shakiness, headaches, or a racing pulse. If you do feel that way, drink some juice or other sweetened beverage ASAP.

I'm supposed to be on a low carb, high PRO diet for PCOS, but it was making me lose too much weight, so I nixed it. I would go with the higher end of that range, also. When is your appt?

[bee]

Jun 8, 2015 15:06:32 GMT -5 britterrss said:

Jun 8, 2015 14:59:53 GMT -5 bee said:

Oh great! I have a question actually! Before we got our BFP we were getting ready to start treatment cycles. My doctor (Ob/gyn) put me on a low carb diet to help with high blood sugars (on my patient portal they are still in normal range, so I'm confused anyway) but I stick to it and got my BFP. I really think it helped. Anyway, I had restricted myself to 20-25 carbs a day (I wanted to cry) I called when I made my appointment and my nurse said to just keep at it. Should I be adding more carbs? Is a low carb diet ok with pregnancy? I'll be asking my dr next week too but I am just curious and since your here I might as well ask!

Eta sorry for the dear diary. I should have just sent you a PM.

I would go with the doc and not change anything until they see you. You can also up your fruit and veggie intake (which are also technically carbs) if you're worried - and that would ensure you're getting adequate carbs, but they aren't processed by your body in the same way bread/pasta is. You don't want to get your blood sugar too low, so watch for symptoms like dizziness, shakiness, headaches, or a racing pulse. If you do feel that way, drink some juice or other sweetened beverage ASAP.

I'm supposed to be on a low carb, high PRO diet for PCOS, but it was making me lose too much weight, so I nixed it. I would go with the higher end of that range, also. When is your appt?

Thanks! It's next Wednesday so I will talk in more detail with her about it. I can definitely add more fruit. I've been craving strawberries and that should help my sweet tooth as well.

[britterrss]

Added a disclaimer due to me offering free nutrition advice

[kellybenelly83]

oh thank you! I needed that No-no list. I was wondering where there was one.

[akraus2015]

Thanks for posting! However, none of the links are working for me. Is it just because I'm mobile?

[britterrss]

Jun 8, 2015 15:31:45 GMT -5 akraus2015 said:

Thanks for posting! However, none of the links are working for me. Is it just because I'm mobile?

Not sure - they are all working on Safari on my iPhone

[akraus2015]

Jun 8, 2015 16:55:55 GMT -5 britterrss said:

Jun 8, 2015 15:31:45 GMT -5 akraus2015 said:

Thanks for posting! However, none of the links are working for me. Is it just because I'm mobile?

Not sure - they are all working on Safari on my iPhone

Got it. Now it works. Tapatalk is always drunk.

[tkford216]

I think I love you. Thank you for posting this and offering your knowledge!

[akraus2015]

britterrss, what are your thoughts on a calcium supplement? I don't eat much dairy because I have a lactose intolerance, and I only drink coconut milk. My first OB appt isn't until 7/3. Would you recommend me taking a calcium supplement?

[chocolate]

Jun 8, 2015 20:33:28 GMT -5 akraus2015 said:

britterrss, what are your thoughts on a calcium supplement? I don't eat much dairy because I have a lactose intolerance, and I only drink coconut milk. My first OB appt isn't until 7/3. Would you recommend me taking a calcium supplement?

Is your coconut milk supplemented with calcium? I prefer almond milk over regular milk and it actually has more calcium. I haven't had coconut milk though so you'll have to look. Broccoli is also a good source of calcium.

[akraus2015]

Jun 8, 2015 20:43:54 GMT -5 chocolate said:

Jun 8, 2015 20:33:28 GMT -5 akraus2015 said:

britterrss, what are your thoughts on a calcium supplement? I don't eat much dairy because I have a lactose intolerance, and I only drink coconut milk. My first OB appt isn't until 7/3. Would you recommend me taking a calcium supplement?

Is your coconut milk supplemented with calcium? I prefer almond milk over regular milk and it actually has more calcium. I haven't had coconut milk though so you'll have to look. Broccoli is also a good source of calcium.

No, I don't think it is. I was thinking maybe OJ with calcium might be okay though?

[chocolate]

Jun 8, 2015 21:12:43 GMT -5 akraus2015 said:

Jun 8, 2015 20:43:54 GMT -5 chocolate said:

Is your coconut milk supplemented with calcium? I prefer almond milk over regular milk and it actually has more calcium. I haven't had coconut milk though so you'll have to look. Broccoli is also a good source of calcium.

No, I don't think it is. I was thinking maybe OJ with calcium might be okay though?

Yes OJ was another I was going to mention! Maybe just check the recommended amounts and see how much you get in your PNV and check your OJ or beverage of choice and see how much you'd need.

[cassey910]

Thanks for posting this! Looking forward to reading it all!

[britterrss]

A calcium supplement won't hurt - but if you're prone to taking Tums at all, there's your calcium. Anything fortified with calcium will be good, especially any kind of yogurts (dairy or not), cheeses, cereals, OJ with calcium.

Eta: sorry forgot quotes

[krl52014]

Thanks for posting this and educating us

[tkford216]

Question: Why only fat-free or low-fat milk and milk product? There are a ton of studies and articles indicating that full-fat dairies may actually be better for us. (Of course, I know there are also studies and articles that sway the other way.) Personally I prefer full-fat dairies, and I've read that (while yes, it has more calories and cholesterol - both of which are not necessarily always bad) it can actually be better for absorbing nutrients and that milk fat is actually considered a "healthy" fat. Plus, don't they have to add a bunch of bad things back in to make it taste okay? (Same concept as diet soda: less calories, sure, but at the expense of a lot of other awful, awful added ingredients.)

Disclaimer: I don't plan to change from my full-fat dairy ways, but I'm curious why they specifically make that a thing for pregnancy women.

Thanks in advance!

[chocolate]

Jun 9, 2015 9:59:57 GMT -5 tkford216 said:

Question: Why only fat-free or low-fat milk and milk product? There are a ton of studies and articles indicating that full-fat dairies may actually be better for us. (Of course, I know there are also studies and articles that sway the other way.) Personally I prefer full-fat dairies, and I've read that (while yes, it has more calories and cholesterol - both of which are not necessarily always bad) it can actually be better for absorbing nutrients and that milk fat is actually considered a "healthy" fat. Plus, don't they have to add a bunch of bad things back in to make it taste okay? (Same concept as diet soda: less calories, sure, but at the expense of a lot of other awful, awful added ingredients.)

Disclaimer: I don't plan to change from my full-fat dairy ways, but I'm curious why they specifically make that a thing for pregnancy women.

Thanks in advance!

I was just reading an article the other day about this! I'll have to look for it and post it.

[britterrss]

Jun 9, 2015 9:59:57 GMT -5 tkford216 said:

Question: Why only fat-free or low-fat milk and milk product? There are a ton of studies and articles indicating that full-fat dairies may actually be better for us. (Of course, I know there are also studies and articles that sway the other way.) Personally I prefer full-fat dairies, and I've read that (while yes, it has more calories and cholesterol - both of which are not necessarily always bad) it can actually be better for absorbing nutrients and that milk fat is actually considered a "healthy" fat. Plus, don't they have to add a bunch of bad things back in to make it taste okay? (Same concept as diet soda: less calories, sure, but at the expense of a lot of other awful, awful added ingredients.)

Disclaimer: I don't plan to change from my full-fat dairy ways, but I'm curious why they specifically make that a thing for pregnancy women.

Thanks in advance!

IMO low-fat guidelines are using old research. Keep on with your full-fat ways! Low fat is better for people with high cholesterol or heart disease, but I support full-fat products for the general population. In my house (we compromise because MH wants all low fat) we do 2% milk, full fat cheeses, and yogurt can go either way. Full fat ice cream, always.

[tkford216]

Jun 9, 2015 10:16:36 GMT -5 britterrss said:

Jun 9, 2015 9:59:57 GMT -5 tkford216 said:

Question: Why only fat-free or low-fat milk and milk product? There are a ton of studies and articles indicating that full-fat dairies may actually be better for us. (Of course, I know there are also studies and articles that sway the other way.) Personally I prefer full-fat dairies, and I've read that (while yes, it has more calories and cholesterol - both of which are not necessarily always bad) it can actually be better for absorbing nutrients and that milk fat is actually considered a "healthy" fat. Plus, don't they have to add a bunch of bad things back in to make it taste okay? (Same concept as diet soda: less calories, sure, but at the expense of a lot of other awful, awful added ingredients.)

Disclaimer: I don't plan to change from my full-fat dairy ways, but I'm curious why they specifically make that a thing for pregnancy women.

Thanks in advance!

IMO low-fat guidelines are using old research. Keep on with your full-fat ways! Low fat is better for people with high cholesterol or heart disease, but I support full-fat products for the general population. In my house (we compromise because MH wants all low fat) we do 2% milk, full fat cheeses, and yogurt can go either way. Full fat ice cream, always.

I like the way you think.

Also, I just noticed that I said "pregnancy women" above. My head is totally on straight today...

[britterrss]

Also - a lot of that has to do with the quantity of dairy people are consuming. Kids in America drink way too much milk - they should only have 2 servings/day and there are kids drinking like 4-5 cups of milk per day, plus cheese, plus yogurt... for those kids low-fat may be better (well decreasing dairy would be better... you get the picture).

[tkford216]

Jun 9, 2015 10:27:29 GMT -5 britterrss said:

Also - a lot of that has to do with the quantity of dairy people are consuming. Kids in America drink way too much milk - they should only have 2 servings/day and there are kids drinking like 4-5 cups of milk per day, plus cheese, plus yogurt... for those kids low-fat may be better (well decreasing dairy would be better... you get the picture).

That makes sense.

I was raised under the concept that milk is the only acceptable drink for dinner, and I still can't shake that as part of my routine.  Even as a full-fledged adult, I cannot wrap my head around having wine/beer with dinner.  It just feels wrong.  My husband totally makes fun of me...

[krl52014]

Is it ok if I have whey protein powder in my shakes?

[britterrss]

Jun 9, 2015 11:09:44 GMT -5 krl52014 said:

Is it ok if I have whey protein powder in my shakes?

That shouldn't be a problem as long as you don't have any kind of protein restriction set in place by your doctor (for kidney issues or otherwise).