Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Foods to Avoid While Pregnant

Almost every woman knows the basic of what they should and should not do during pregnancy.  They know that caffeine should be cut back; they should not smoke, drink alcohol or spend time in any hot tubs.  However more and more studies are being done to see if pregnant women should avoid certain foods for the duration of their pregnancy.Click Here for Pregnancy Guidebook

It is essential that pregnant women eat a well balanced meal at all times to provide their growing baby with the vitamins, nutrients and minerals that the baby needs to grow.   There are some foods though that needs to be avoided due to the risk they pose to not just to the mother, but also to the growing baby. 

For starters, raw meat needs to be avoided due to the risk of toxoplasmosis and salmonella.  This means no more rare steaks, or rare burgers.  Pregnant women should take caution and make sure that all of the meat they eat is cooked well done.  Cold deli meat should also be avoided because of the risk of listeria.  Listeria can cross the placenta and can cause an infection or blood poisoning to the baby.  Keep in mind though that deli meat can be reheated until it is steaming and this will help reduce the risk.

Speaking of listeria there are other foods that can contain this bacteria.  Some soft cheeses such as brie, feta, and gorgonzola.  These cheeses are commonly made with unpasterized milk.  Unpasterized milk often contains listeria, so pregnant women need to make sure that any soft cheeses they are going to eat are made with pasteurized milk.

Fish has always been a subject of debate for pregnant women. While some forms of fish contain essential nutrients that are needed by the baby, others contain a high level of mercury.  Any fish with a high level of mercury such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish and fish used in sushi should be avoided through out pregnancy.  Studies have linked mercury to developmental delays and in some cases brain damage. Tuna also contains a lot of mercury but canned, chunk light tuna has a lower amount of mercury and can be eaten in moderation. Raw shellfish also should be avoided through out pregnancy.

Raw eggs or anything containing raw eggs is a no no during pregnancy.  There is a potential exposure to salmonella.  This means no raw cookie dough, no brownie mix, and some homemade sauces such as hollandaise, Caesar dressing and blue cheese dressing.  When dining in a restaurant, it would be wise to ask any sauces or dressings contain any raw eggs.  Most restaurants should be using pasteurized eggs in any raw egg recipe but one should still double check.

There has never been a more important time to be careful what a woman eats then when she is pregnant.  Some of the above foods have been linked to miscarriages and other birth defects. If you are pregnant and you have already indulged in a few of the foods you should not have, do not panic. Chances are, you and your baby are fine but take extra care to avoid these foods in the future.each Click Here

Have To Deal with Being Overweight and Pregnant

Plus Size and Pregnant

A majority of plus sized women who are pregnant will experience a healthy pregnancy, but they are at a risk of having a more bumpy ride than someone who is not overweight.Click Here for Solution

Women who are overweight, or have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or more are at a greater risk of certain pregnancy complications like gestational diabetes and preeclampsia.  No knows for sure why weight matters so much, as far as most doctors are concerned it is just one piece of the puzzle.  The truth is most plus size women go on to have completely uneventful pregnancies and deliver perfect healthy babies as long as they eat well, exercise and watch their weight throughout pregnancy.  The biggest problem with being plus sized and pregnant is that you are at a greater for some of the following.

Studies have shown that overweight women have a higher rate of neural tube defects which are problems with how your baby's brain and spinal cord develop.  These studies are unable to pin point exactly why overweight women are at a higher risk and have a higher rate.  Some studies have shown that overweight women have lower blood folate levels than a woman who is of normal weight.  Folate is needed especially in the early stages of pregnancy to help avoid neaural tube defects.  Because of this, if you are overweight your doctor may prescribe you a prenatal vitamin with 1000 micrograms of folic acid.  In fact, if you are overweight and planning on becoming pregnant, you may want to start taking folic acid before you even conceive. 

Gestational diabetes is another complication that overweight women are at a greater risk of developing.  Gestational diabetes is elevated blood-sugar level during pregnancy.  The National Institute of Child Health and Human Development estimate that women with normal BMI which is between 19 and 24 have a 2% chance of developing gestational diabetes.  Overweight women have a 6% chance of developing this condition and obese women or women who have a BMI of 30 or more have a 9% chance of being diagnosed with gestational diabetes.  Remember though that if you are diagnosed with this, you can still go on and have a healthy pregnancy with a modified eating plan.

Almost 10% of obese and overweight women develop a condition called gestational hypertension.  This is when your blood pressure becomes high with a reading of 140 over 90 or higher after your 20th week of pregnancy but you do not have any protein in your urine.

Gestational hypertension is usually a small concern but can put you at a higher risk for preeclampsia (which is indicated by high blood pressure AND protein in your urine), intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth, placental abruption and still birth.  If you do go on to develop preeclampsia, your weight is probably not that big of a factor.  In fact if you are under 35 and overweight you have LESS of a chance of developing preeclampsia that a woman over 35 and a healthy weight.Click Here For More Information

Perhaps the most common complication for overweight women is longer labors and the possible risk of a cesarean section.  Nearly 26-35% of deliveries are cesarean delivery.    You are at a bigger risk if you have been diagnosed with preeclampsia or gestational hypertension or have a large baby.
    Eating healthy throughout your pregnancy and working with your doctor to manage your weight will help reduce these risks and increase your already high chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.

Exercising During Pregnancy is it Healthy?

Exercise During Pregnancy

For some women the thought of exercise during pregnancy is as appealing as a root canal without novacane.  In their minds they have a nine month pass to keeping up with their gym routine.   The first three months they are battling morning sickness and exhaustion.  The next three months they are beginning to show.  The last three months are so uncomfortable that walking ten feet to the bathroom is pure torture, so there is no way they will be able to walk on a treadmill for ten minutes. Click Here for Secrets to Pregnancy

On the other side of the coin, there are some women who do not let something as little as creating a life stand in their way of exercise.  These are the women we might see actually teaching a class at the gym, or speed walking throughout our neighborhood with their protruding bellies. 

Most of us however fall somewhere in the middle and that is just how their doctors like it.  Exercise comes highly recommended when pregnant.  Not only does it help control weight gain, but some women swear it helps with delivery also.  There are some things to keep in mind in order to protect yourself and your growing little one. 

For starters you need to keep an eye on your heart rate as you are working out.  Letting your heart rate rise to high could be dangerous to your little one especially in your first trimester.  You want to maintain a steady heart rate and should do the talk test throughout your workout to make sure you are at a safe level.  The talk test is when you talk during your workout.  If you are having a hard time talking and wind up huffy and puffing more than getting out actual words, then you are working too hard and need to take it down.  Most doctors recommend that you work at a pace where talking is challenging but still doable.

Pregnancy is not the time to try out new exercise routines.  This means that you should not try the new spinning class that your gym offers.  Stick with the routine you have already been doing and that your body is use to.  You may find that you have to make some modifications to some of your exercises as your pregnancy progresses.   If you are a runner, a modified low impact jog through out your first trimester is fine but once you enter your second trimester and begin to show, your jog has to be brought down to a walk.  For those of you who love sit ups, crunches and floor pushups, you can continue to do these up until you hit about 14 weeks or so. After that time period no floor exercises are recommending.

If you do not have any sort of exercise routine in place before you get pregnant, this still does not give you a free pass.  Almost every doctor will tell you that walking is a great exercise for any pregnant women who are not high risk.  Walking at least thirty minutes, three times a week is a safe way for a pregnant woman to stay active.

Walking is something you can do through out all three trimesters though you might find yourself moving at a slower pace by your third trimester.   Another great plus to walking, especially as you approach your due date, is that walking can actually bring on labor.  Many doctors will advise their patients to walk, walk and walk some more in the weeks leading up to their due dates to get things rolling.   Some women who have walked throughout their entire pregnancy have an easier delivery and recovery period.Click Here

The days of pregnant women kicking their feet up and not moving from the couch for nine months are days of the past.    While strenuous exercise is a no no pregnancy is no longer a good excuse to stop moving.   

Pregnancy Guidebook to Nutrition

Pregnancy and Nutrition

You are besides yourself with joy as you see that your pregnancy test is postive.  You find yourself already caressing your stomach in hopes that your little one can feel you.  The next nine months are going to be an exciting time for you and your baby.  You are going to have a human life grow inside of you and feel them move as they get bigger. Your baby is going to go from a single sperm and egg into pounds of adorable flesh that you can't help but kiss over and over again.  It truly is a miracle.click here

In order to help this miracle along, it is essential for you to eat as good as you can through out most of your pregnancy.  The first three months might be a little difficult to eat balanced meals when you are dealing with food aversions and morning sickness.  If you are one of the rare lucky ones whose stomach doesn't so much as move during your first trimester, then you can take full advantage of eating healthy right out of the gate.

Making sure you eat balanced nutritious meals is laying down the foundation for your baby.  A diet of junk food is not going to help your baby with bone development and organ formation.  Potato chips will not help with brain development.  Your baby and your body need calcium and vitamins to achieve all of this.

Eating well during pregnancy is going to help your baby eat well after it is born and on solid foods.   As your pregnancy progresses, some of what you eat will cross the placenta and the taste will be in your baby's amniotic fluid.  Babies swallow this fluid and their taste buds are so develop that even in the womb they are able to taste the flavors.  Doctors believe that babies who are exposed to a wide variety of fruit and vegetables while in utero have less of a chance of being a fussy eater later in life.   They believe that these are the babies who will eat their fruit and vegetables without putting up any fight. 

Doctors also believe that moms who drink their milk through out their pregnancy have an easier time weaning their babies from formula or breast milk to regular milk.   This however is only one benefit, the other benefit of drinking milk throughout your pregnancy is all the calcium you will be giving your baby's bones.  Many doctors recommend that you drink at least one eight oz glass of milk, usually fat free a day.  Calcium is a must have your baby's bones and his teeth, even though you won't see his teeth for at least a few months.

This isn't to say that you have to stay away from all sweets all the time.  You can indulge every now and then and thanks to cravings you may find yourself wanting sweets more often than not.  You do have to keep it in moderation.  Being pregnant should not be looked at as an excuse to eat whatever you want for nine months.  Both you and your baby could pay a dear price.Click Here

Pregnancy Guidebook for Eating

Eating to Beat Pregnancy Fatigue

Ask any pregnant woman who is in her first or third trimester how they are feeling and the answer will almost always be "tired".  One of the first clues that many women have that they may be expecting a visit from the stork is the fact that they find themselves droopy eyed in the middle of the day for no reason.Click Here

You may find that doing a simply task as walking around the block leaves your desperate for an afternoon nap. The energy you use to have is now faced with the challenge of growing a baby and your body is hard at work. You are also producing more blood, using more water and nutrients and have a higher heart rate and metabolism when you are pregnant. While the best defensive against the tiredness you will face is to get more sleep. There are also some healthy foods choices you can make that will help you get through your day if you do not have the opportunities to take naps.Click Here

First, adjust the size of your meals.  Anyone who eats a large meal is going to feel tired afterwards regardless of if they are pregnant or not.  Being pregnant is going to make the effect of a big meal that much worse.   Most of your energy is going to be used towards digesting the meal so of course you will feel sluggish and drained.  Eat smaller meals and eat more often.  Eating six small meals a day will help you combat fatigue.

Eating a good breakfast is the best way to start your day.  You are refueling your body after a long foodless night with a good breakfast.  A good breakfast is not a cup of coffee and a piece of toast. You want to stick to complex carbs and protein.  Whole grain cereal and a banana for example.  These foods will stay with you and keep your blood sugar and energy level up for quiet a while.

Do not skip lunch.  There are many people who skip lunch thinking they will make up for it by having a big dinner.  This is bad when you are not pregnant but it's even worse when you are pregnant. You need that midday meal to help refuel your body.  As with your breakfast, you should keep it filled with whole grains and protein.  Have a whole grain pita and stuff it with chicken salad and add a side of grapes or an apple.

Plan to eat most of your calories during the day. A pregnant woman needs an extra 300 calories a day throughout their second and third trimester.  The first trimester those are not needed yet. You should eat these extra calories through out the day in the form of healthy snacks such as nuts, cheese, veggies and dip.  Do not save your biggest meal until the end of the day.  Your body needs these calories to help you get through your day.  Steer clear of the quick sugar fixes like candy and soda.  In the end these will only make you more tired.

Lastly, make sure you are getting enough iron. Eat iron fortified food such as spinach and lean red meat to keep your energy up.  There are times when extreme fatigue could be the symptom of an iron deficiency and you might need an iron supplement also.

Besides eating well, make sure you get plenty of rest even if this means pushing your bedtime up and giving up those late night TV talk shows.  As any parents of newborns will tell you, get your rest while you still can.Click Here

Pregnancy Guidebook for Breast-Feeding

Eating for Breastfeeding

In your third trimester, your baby was old enough to start getting a taste of the foods his or her mommy likes.   Now that your baby is here and you're breast feeding, your baby will get an even better taste of your favorite food.  Click Here

Typically if you are nursing your baby you should produce anywhere from 23 to 27 ounces of milk a day. In order to do this, you need to increase your calorie intake by about 500 more a day.

You also have to increase your water consumption to at least 2 1/2 to 3 quarts of water a day.  You may notice that you are thirstier during nursing session.  This is because the water you drink goes right to milk production.    Try not to drink more than 3 quarts of water a day.  Anything more than 3 quarts can reduce the amount of milk your body produces.Click Here

As stated earlier, you need to up your calorie intake. Plan to take in about 2500 calories a day or more if you are planning to nurse for longer than three months. These extra calories should not come from junk food. Junk food and sweets are just empty calories and offer no nutritional value to you or your baby. Eat more protein.  A good rule of thumb is to eat 1 gram of protein each day for every pound you weigh. If you weigh 150, aim to eat 150grams of protein a day.

If you were not doing so during pregnancy, adopt the six meals a day program. Eat breakfast, a midday snack, lunch, a mid afternoon snack, dinner and a night time snack. Your body is going to be making milk continually so it is a good idea to keep it charged with calories through out the day. 

There are some foods you might want to avoid during pregnancy. Pretty much everything passes through breast milk and to the baby. This is why the first thing pediatricians advise nursing moms to do when their baby has colic is to look at what they are eating. Chocolate has been blamed in many cases of colic and can cause an upset tummy for most babies.  f you have a baby with a tummy ache think back to see if you had a candy bar or even a cookie in the hours before you nursed. The best advice is to stay away from chocolate while you are nursing.

Stay away from greasy and spicy foods while you are breastfeeding. Greasy foods sometimes upset adults stomachs, imagine what it  would do to your baby's immature stomach?  Wait until your baby is older and no longer nursing before you start making trips back to McDonalds.

You may also want to stay away from garlic and onions while you are breast feeding. Both of these can flavor the breast milk and you may find that your little one  will not nurse if you have eaten these. Your little one may be just a tad too young to appreciate the taste of garlic and onions anyway. Remember it takes a few hours for the food you eat to make its way into your breast milk. You may have eaten one of these foods right before you nurse and see your baby is fine but by either the following nursing session or the one after you might find your baby having a reaction then. 

Your breast milk does not only taste like what you eat, but also what you drink. Just as with pregnancy, you should stay away from a lot of caffeine while breastfeeding. You might need some coffee or caffeine filled soda to keep you functioning and a cup or two will not hurt you or your baby, but too much could have disastrous effects. Just as we experience the jitters and shakes from too much caffeine, your baby does also. Keep your caffeine down to a minimum.

You have made an excellent choice breastfeeding your baby.  Keep it up by making good choices as to what you eat.Click Here

All Hands on Baby

Everyone wants to touch the baby, especially during the pregnancy but no one every asks.  If you haven't noticed yet, the minute you start to show a tummy everyone else will gladly show you.  The tummy becomes this magnet for hands and everyone wants to handle it. It doesn’t matter if you are walking around in a store, sitting down in a restaurant or walking on your own street, someone is bound to start rubbing all over it.

You aren’t the only one that is being driven nuts by this either, take a look at your husband. Sure he seems like a trooper but deep inside he’s probably ready to put someone’s lights out.  Talk with your husband and see how he feels. Even if you don’t mind, he might not like other men’s hands on you. He may not care if it is a female touching your body but he can mind about a man. Think about how you would feel if you saw some woman rubbing her hands all over your husband’s chest. Maybe the two of you can come to an agreement, after all do you have to let everyone touch the baby?

Your belly, clothed or not is a personal space, sure there is someone intruding inside you but that person in welcome. But to actually touch someone else’s belly one should ask before they do it and respect your answer. If you don’t want them to touch it, tell them. While some women don’t mind all the attention, there are other women that don’t want their belly’s touched, let alone them to be showing for the whole world to see. Maybe they’ve gained 10 pounds and feel conscious enough about it, or they could be a very private person. 

Children may also want to touch the belly, normally it is because they know someone that has had a baby and they were able to do it. If you don’t like it, let them know. If you don’t mind, you may want to place their hand on your belly. Children tend to get excited and actually smack the belly when they are trying to reach for it.

Forget about the rubbing the belly for a moment, be careful that you don’t get the person that likes to poke at it. That hurts more than anything and half the time they don’t get it. Try explaining to them as nicely as you can that it hurts. They may only be doing it because they want to see the baby move and when you jump they just think it is part of the pregnancy reaction. They may think twice before doing it again to you or anyone else.

If nothing else seems to work and you’ve been polite in letting people know that your belly is off limits, feel free to sick your husband on them or start swatting. You’ve already given fair warning.  Don’t feel bad if you smack a person that lifts up your shirt in broad daylight either. This is a normal reaction and people should really think twice before doing it. They wouldn’t do it if you weren’t pregnant. 

Pregnancy Guidebook to Staying Fit and Healthy

Staying Fit During Your Pregnancy

Keeping fit during your pregnancy is great for you, not only will it help you keep your body toned but it also can help when it comes time to push that baby out. Every pregnant woman wants to be able to go back to her pre-pregnancy weight after the baby is born, but the only way to do that is to make sure you can. By excising or working out every day you are making sure you don’t add fat to your body.  During labor it’ll be much easier to push the baby if you’ve been strengthening your leg and stomach muscles. Who knows, it may even make labor a little bit shorter.  Isn’t that what we all want?     Click Here

Plus when you are tired and just feeling a little blue, just by exercising you actually increase your energy.

Here are a few quick things you can do to stay fit during pregnancy, without really having to break out a sweat. I’m sure by now you’ve heard of yoga, this is a very good thing for you to practice, especially if you haven’t always been in the best of shape. Not to worry, there are beginning levels here, you don’t have to jump into the human pretzel right away. Try purchasing a set of small weights that you can use throughout the house, like hand weights or wrist weights that can use while walking. Instead of just laying on the couch while you rest you can be lifting small weights.

Get a chair and try doing a couple crunches, 5 to 10 in the beginning to make sure you don’t pull anything. Don’t worry you can always add to it as the weeks go on.

Try running, walking or jogging outside. Not only will this boost up your energy but it’ll also help get your spirits up, especially if you’ve been inside all day. Remember, if you are going for a walk to always bring a drink with you. You don’t want to dehydrate out there. Always make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes, before you leave the house. If you didn’t always run, ask your doctor if you can. Sometimes a doctor may suggest you walk around the block at first and increase it from there, if you didn’t always do it before you were pregnant.

If you can you may want to try going for a swim or try bicycling. However, if you find that you are accident prone you may want to stay away from the bike.  A bike accident is something that can easily happen, even when you’ve always road a bike. Swimming can help you relax and stay cool. Take a dip in the pool near you, they may even have a swim class for pregnant women in your area. This would be a great way to meet other moms.

Whenever you are doing exercises, make sure you aren’t overdoing it. If you believe you could be stop immediately and take a break. You never want to do anything that’ll harm the pregnancy. Click Here

Pregnancy Guidebook for Concerns during Pregnancy

Concerns During Pregnancy

There is nothing more stressful than to have something go wrong during pregnancy. It doesn’t matter if it is your first time being pregnant or your fourth. There are many things to be concerned about during your pregnancy and it is easier when you know what they are.Click Here

Vaginal bleeding- This may also known as spotting, but make sure that is what is going on. There is a difference between actively bleeding and spotting. Spotting is lightly bleeding kind of like your period, the blood can be red, pink or even brown. If you are bleeding actively with any pain call your doctor, if you can’t get a hold of him go immediately to the emergency room. Bleeding can be a number of things from implantation, ectopic pregnancy, labor, infection or even miscarriage. Always let your doctor know, so everything can be ruled out, you’ll feel better too.

Stomach pain or cramping- During the pregnancy it may be hard to decipher the difference between a growing pain and an actual stomach pain/cramping. However, if you do get a pain of any sort rest. After a few minutes if it doesn’t subside, call your doctor and describe the pain to him. Don’t worry about it if you find out you only had gas or were having Braxton hicks contractions, at least you know everything is okay with pregnancy.

Gush of liquid- This could mean you are in labor and that your water broke, however if it isn’t close to the time of birth it can be something else. Call your doctor immediately and head for the emergency room.

Dehydration-  While you are pregnant it is easy to become dehydrated, especially if you have morning sickness or just don’t drink those 8 glasses of water. If you find yourself pale, dry mouth or dizzy, you could be dehydrated and should be seen by a doctor. Dehydration can cause premature labor and/or distress on the pregnancy.

Painful urination - Could be a urinary tract infection, also known as UTI. This can be easily treated with medication or by drinking lots of fluids and cranberry juice. A urinary tract infection isn’t something to be embarrassed about, it is very common amongst pregnant women. The growing belly pushes against your ureters and makes it harder for it to flow through. Which of course can cause infection. Another way to find out if you have it is if you have a foul odor when you pee.

Pregnancies can be scary enough, there’s no reason to add to it. If you are ever in doubt or have a concern talk with your doctor. It is common that first time moms are worried about many pains that they feel.  Never fear calling because you are afraid of waking the doctor up or because you feel silly. Being silly might just save the baby. While you are worrying, you are only causing stress on you and the baby, find out what’s wrong and relieve your anxiety.

Morning Sickness During Pregnancy

Morning sickness can be one of your first signs that you are pregnant.  This doesn’t always mean that you’ll get sick only in the morning. This can happen, morning, noon or night. It will normally occur in the first trimester or your pregnancy and end by the second, this isn’t the case in all pregnancies though. Some women will continue with it until the very end of term.

Nausea can happen immediately or you may get lucky and have no morning sickness at all. No one is for certain what causes morning sickness, it is a change in the body that happens during pregnancy. Many women seem to get sick after taking the prenatal pill, try taking it later in the day. Your doctor may even advise you to take some other form of vitamin instead of the pill. Always find out first with your doctor before taking anything new or taking yourself off medication, even prenatal pills.

There are a few ways to minimize the sickness, but they don’t work for everyone. Try keeping crackers on hand, I prefer saltines for some reason. Try drinking some ginger ale, it calms the stomach down.  Dry cereal is another good thing to eat, your stomach may just be a little bit hungry and trying to tell you. Remember to take small portions, this way you know if it is all going to come up or not. Sleeping is another good way to avoid it, however it will wake you up. Keep yourself hydrated, not only can this make your sickness come but you can become dehydrated and need to go to the emergency room if you aren’t careful.

Smells is another thing that seems to cause morning sickness. Imagine walking into a restaurant and the first thing you smell is grease. Yes, this can easily set it off. Bad smells and even certain tastes, get the feel for your body during the pregnancy and figure out just what sets it off. Knowing how to avoid it, can make a world of difference.

A few reasons you should go to your doctor would be if you begin losing weight because you are constantly sick. If you become dehydrated, faint, look pale, confused or throw up more than four times in a day. Your doctor may be able to prescribe something that will stop it.

Try slowing down a bit, sometimes your body is just exhausted from all the errands you are running and it tries to give you a break. Listen to your body, take a nap, relax and watch a television show…take some time off. If you are looking for remedies for your morning sickness, you may try buying some pregnancy pops. Or if you’d prefer to stay away from the sweets you can wear a bracelet designed to stop morning sickness, they are just like the motion sickness bracelets.  They don’t work for everyone but they could work for you.

Eating the Right Foods during Your Pregnancy

Eating Right During Your Pregnancy

You already know it is important to eat a well-balanced diet, but it is even more important when you are pregnant. Keep in mind now you are eating for two. Whatever you eat, the baby eats as well. In fact the baby actually takes your nourishments so you must eat enough for both of you. The healthier you eat the better it is for the pregnancy and you.Click Here

Never miss a meal while you are pregnant, especially breakfast. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and your baby has probably been waiting since he/she woke up in the middle of the night. You may learn that if you wait so long before eating you start to feel sick, this is your body telling you to eat. Do it!

Make sure you are getting enough of the food you need daily.  It takes 4-6 servings of dairy a day for a healthy pregnancy, this can include some cheeses, milk, yogurt. This provides the baby with calcium which it’ll need to develop healthy growing bones. Adding extra calcium to your diet wouldn’t hurt you either, especially your teeth and bones.

Don’t forget about your fruit and vegetable servings. Lots of green is always a good choice, so are sweet potatoes.  Not only will you be giving your body what it needs but you’ll start to have more energy. Try laying off the sweets for a week and replace them with healthier items and see how alive you feel.

Foods to Avoid
Not all foods are safe during your pregnancy, there are a few things you should avoid eating:

-  unpasteurized  products- brie

-  Certain fish- exotic, shark, swordfish, anything high in mercury
-  Raw eggs

 -  Undercooked meats- lunch meats. If you are buying a deli sandwich you can ask for them to eat the meat up a little.

-  Caffeine- soda, chocolate. If you find this difficult you can wean yourself off, but the less caffeine in your system the better it is for the baby.

If you are ever unsure of the foods you can eat you can ask your doctor for a list of items to avoid during pregnancy. They’ll be more than happy to share this with you.

You may also learn that your stomach won’t handle certain foods that it would before. Some of those foods may include foods that contain grease, fast foods, meat, and certain foods that have a strong odor.

Eating healthy doesn’t mean you have to cut out all the fun in your life, you can still treat yourself from time to time. Go out and get a frozen yogurt or a smoothie.

While you are making sure you get enough to eat throughout the day, that doesn’t mean neglect your fluid intake. You’ll need lots of water and juices from here on out. The baby will thank you later. Who knows, you may discover that you really enjoy eating healthier and continue it even after the pregnancy.CliBobck Here