Maternity Care at The Birthplace
Food and Nutrition
Prenatal Vitamins
- During pregnancy, it is important to take a prenatal vitamin daily
- We can send in a prescription, or you can get vitamins over the counter
- We recommend a prenatal vitamin with DHA to help with brain development
- A daily prenatal vitamin plus a healthy diet should provide all the vitamins and minerals you need in pregnancy
Foods to Avoid
Unpasteurized dairy
- Milk, yogurt and hard cheeses such as cheddar and parmesan are pasteurized
- Soft cheeses, such as brie, feta, blue cheese and queso blanco (used in queso dip) may not be pasteurized
Undercooked meat
- All meat should be cooked medium-well to well-done
Deli meat
- You can eat deli meat only if it has been heated on high heat to kill any bacteria
Some fish
- You should never eat raw fish, including sushi and sashimi
- Cooked sushi rolls are safe to eat
- Avoid eating fish high in mercury content, such as Bigeye tuna, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, shark, swordfish and tilefish
- Albacore tuna (canned tuna) can be eaten 1x per week
- Most other types of fish are safe to eat in pregnancy
- We encourage eating safe varieties of fish, as it has omega 3 fatty acids which can help with brain development
Weight Gain in Pregnancy
- For the average pregnant patient, we expect about a 25–30-pound weight gain
- In the first trimester no additional calories are needed
- In the second trimester an additional 340 calories are needed
- In the third trimester an additional 450 calories are needed
- We recommend getting these additional calories through healthy snacks such as nuts, fruits, yogurt, etc.
- There are times where we will advise differently based upon your starting weight
- It is safe to exercise during pregnancy, including cardiovascular and strength training
- Exercise has been shown to improve pregnancy outcomes and reduce risk