Healthy eating for pregnancy

For all pregnant women, you should understand that what you eat during pregnancy can also profoundly affect the health of your baby when that baby becomes an adult--for better or for worse. In other words, by eating the right kinds of foods and gaining weight in pregnancy you can make a significant difference in your babies' health and well-being. For this reason, healthy eating patterns should be established before pregnancy.

Inadequate nutritional intake is associated with preterm birth, low birthweight, and congenital anomalies. Pregnant women should avoid too many high-fat or high-sugar foods and should focus on obtaining adequate amounts of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and low-fat dairy sources. For prevention of iron deficiency anemia and protection of maternal iron stores in pregnant women, supplementation with 30 mg of elemental iron per day is recommended for all women during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy.