What to Eat During Pregnancy

The First Thing I Tell Every Pregnant Woman Who Comes to Me

Stop trying to eat for two. That phrase has caused more confusion and unnecessary weight gain than almost anything else.

What you actually need during pregnancy is better food, not necessarily more food. Especially in the first trimester. The increase in what you need is smaller than most people think, and it only really starts in the second trimester.

Here is what I recommend, trimester by trimester, based on working with hundreds of mothers in Madurai over the past 30 years.

First Trimester (Weeks 1 to 12)

This is when the baby's spine and brain are forming. Folate is the most important nutrient in these early weeks.

Eat more of:

Drumstick leaves, spinach, and fenugreek leaves — all very high in folate. Include at least one dark leafy green every day. These are also available year-round in Madurai at very little cost.

Lentils and dals — folate and protein together. Make sure every meal has some form of dal.

Citrus fruits and amla — the vitamin C in these helps your body absorb iron better, which you will need a lot of.

For morning sickness:

Eat small amounts more often rather than three big meals. Keep some dry toast or roasted chana near the bed and eat something small before you even get up in the morning. Cold food causes less nausea than hot food, so cold curd, a fruit bowl, or a glass of buttermilk is often easier to keep down than a full hot meal.

Avoid: Raw or undercooked eggs and meat, more than one weak cup of tea or coffee per day, papaya and pineapple in large amounts.

Second Trimester (Weeks 13 to 26)

Most women feel much better in the second trimester. The nausea settles and energy comes back. This is when the baby starts growing rapidly, so what you eat matters a lot.

Calcium becomes very important now.

Curd, milk, buttermilk, paneer — include dairy in at least two meals daily. Sesame seeds, which we use a lot in Tamil cooking, are also an excellent source of calcium. Add them to chutneys and rice dishes.

Protein needs go up.

Eggs, fish, chicken, dal, paneer — include one protein source at every meal. This is not optional. Your blood volume is increasing significantly and the baby is building muscle and organ tissue.

Fish twice a week.

Sardines and mackerel are especially good because they also have omega-3 fats that the baby's brain needs. Simple curry or fried fish with sambar rice is all you need.

Get some sun.

Fifteen to twenty minutes of morning sunlight gives you natural vitamin D, which helps your body actually use the calcium you are eating. Many mothers in Madurai are vitamin D deficient despite eating well, simply because they stay indoors.

You need roughly 300 to 350 extra calories per day in the second trimester. That is about the same as adding one small meal — a bowl of dal rice, or curd with fruit.

Third Trimester (Weeks 27 to 40)

The baby gains the most weight in the final trimester. Your body is working very hard. This is not the time to restrict food.

Eat enough protein at every meal. The baby is still building.

Fibre is your friend. Constipation is extremely common in the third trimester because the baby puts pressure on your digestive system. Oats, whole grains, papaya, and lots of vegetables will help.

Dates from week 36. Six dates a day in the last four weeks of pregnancy is something I recommend to all my clients. The research on this is actually quite good — it appears to help the body prepare for labour. Dates are also high in iron, which you need a lot of at this stage.

Switch to smaller, more frequent meals. By the third trimester, your stomach does not have much room. Five to six small meals are more comfortable than two or three large ones.

You need about 450 extra calories per day now compared to before pregnancy.

Postpartum Nutrition

Recovery after delivery and breastfeeding need just as much attention as the pregnancy itself. Your body has been through a lot and breastfeeding takes significant nutrition.

Kanji, dry ginger preparations, sesame-based sweets. Many of the traditional Tamil postpartum foods have genuine nutritional value. Follow them.

Make sure you are eating iron-rich foods to recover from delivery. If you are breastfeeding, calcium and fluids are very important. Drumstick, fenugreek seeds, garlic, and oats are all good for milk supply.

Drink at least three litres of fluid per day while breastfeeding. Breastfeeding women who are dehydrated always produce less milk.

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Written by Mrs. Murugeswari, Senior Dietician at Tummy Dreams, Madurai. Contact: +91 86680 64391