Eating Well in the First Trimester
January 6, 2009
How well are you eating now that you are pregnant? Early on it may be impossible to approach what anyone would consider a balanced diet. Some days, you just have to take in whatever will go down — whether that is Jell-O and crackers or Reese’s peanut butter cups. Your embryo is tiny at this point, and can absorb from your bloodstream everything that it needs. The best you may be able to do is to stay hydrated and take in some calories. If you can’t keep a vitamin down, talk to your practitioner about just taking a folic acid supplement. On bad days, try ginger ale or sports drinks. If you can’t keep fluids down for 6 to 12 hours, call your doctor or midwife, because dehydration and lack of calories are unhealthy for you and for your little embryo.
When you are feeling well enough to try to eat healthfully, it is reasonable to follow the food pyramid: varied types of fruits and vegetables, lean meat and beans, whole grains, and three or four cups of low-fat milk or milk-equivalents each day. If you are lactose intolerant, talk to your doctor or midwife about alternatives to milk.
Women who have a history of eating disorders, who start off underweight or overweight, or who are vegan vegetarians should ask their practitioners for more individualized information. Sometimes a consultation with a dietitian can be helpful. And while your mother may have told you to eat three square meals a day, you will probably find in pregnancy that eating five or six small meals works better than three big ones.
On average, pregnancy requires just 300 extra calories a day — the equivalent of a low-fat fruit yogurt and an apple. As pregnancy progresses, if you listen to your body, your appetite will guide you to take in the right amount of calories for you and your growing baby. If most of the foods you eat are healthful and follow the food pyramid, you will be off to a great start.
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