Believing in the old pregnancy myth ‘you’re eating for two,’ many women think they can double up their food intake and all the extra weight they gain as a result will fall off after pregnancy. However, this isn’t the case. Before pregnancy, you should be consuming approximately 2000 calories per day depending on your weight and activity level. During pregnancy the calorie intake should increase by only about 200 calories per day starting in your third trimester.
The extra calories provide energy and nutrients for your baby. They are also required for the growth of the placenta, increase in blood volume, and formation of amniotic fluid. They are also needed to supply your body with the extra energy required to perform all the extra functions of pregnancy.
A woman who is overweight at the beginning of her pregnancy should still consume the extra calories unless her doctor advises her otherwise. Pregnancy is not the time to diet, as the process of burning fat creates ketones, which can be dangerous to your baby. However, often women who start out overweight do lose some of it if they adapt a healthy lifestyle, including a diet high in fiber, fruits and vegetables and lean protein and low in bad fats. These women will find that losing weight after the baby is born will be easier if they have spent the nine months becoming healthy and getting in better shape.
A woman who is underweight will probably be encouraged to gain extra weight, that is, she will be advised to consume more than the recommended 200 extra calories and she may be advised to increase her calorie intake before the start of her third trimester of pregnancy. This might be necessary to allow her to have a healthy pregnancy and to be able to support the proper growth and development of her baby.
While you may have been used to three meals a day before pregnancy, you may find it beneficial to eat 6 smaller meals throughout the day. This doesn’t mean eating six regular meals, but more like 3 smaller meals and 3 healthy snacks. This helps not only to regulate your blood sugar levels, but also to easily digest your food.
Smaller meals are also helpful for women who suffer from morning sickness as they cause less strain on their digestive system at any one time. Women suffering from constipation are also benefitted by having smaller meals.
If morning sickness is severe, and you don’t have enough food staying down, it’s important to talk to your doctor to avoid complications during pregnancy. Severe vomiting should always be reported to your doctor right away.