Pregnancy Yes-Yeses!

We figured that there are so many pregnancy ‘no-nos, we would devote a series to definite pregnancy ‘yes-yeses’ for our dear readers begin with the HEROES of health during pregnancy:

Hero No.1:
Don’t be a hero-sit back, and let calcium do it for you!

Your developing baby needs calcium to grow strong bones and teeth, a healthy heart, nerves, and muscles, and to develop normal heart rhythm and blood clotting abilities. If you don’t get enough calcium in your diet, your baby will leach it from your bones, which may impair your own health later on. Before, during, and after pregnancy you need 1,000mg a day, because your body can’t absorb much more than that amount. Aim for four servings of dairy or other calcium-rich foods a day, such as:

• 1 cup low-fat yogurt
• 227 g skim milk
• 2 cups cottage cheese
• 227 g calcium-fortified orange juice
• 2 slices calcium-fortified bread
• 85 g sardines
• 28 g Gruyere cheese
• 28 g cheddar cheese
•   3 corn tortillas

Notes:
1. Even after your baby’s born and you’re finished nursing, keep paying attention to your calcium intake-you need the mineral to help ward off osteoporosis (bone loss) later in life.

2. Look for tablets that say they’re lead-free. Recent studies have found that some ‘natural’ calcium supplements contain a small amount of lead, which can be harmful to your growing baby.

A good multivitamin or prenatal vitamin should include at least 150 to 200 mg-of calcium. You can also try a calcium supplement. Look on the label for calcium carbonate, the type most easily absorbed by the body.

Hero No.2:
It is a super-protector for your baby so you will need it-folic acid.

You should take a daily 400 microgram (mcg) folic acid supplement from the time you stop using contraception until the 12th week of pregnancy.

You should also eat foods containing folate-the natural form of folic acid, such as green vegetables, brown rice, fortified bread and breakfast cereals.

It would be almost impossible to get the full recommended amount of folic acid from food, which is why we advise pregnant women to take folic acid supplements. If you would like to take your folic acid in a supplement that contains other vitamins, make sure it contains 400mcg of folate and it doesn’t contain vitamin A or fish liver oil.

Brussels sprouts, asparagus, black-eyed beans, spinach and kale are rich sources of folate. Broccoli, spring greens, cabbage, cauliflower, iceberg lettuce, parsnips and oranges also contain significant amounts, but folate is destroyed easily when cooked and tends to be lost in the water used for boiling. You can increase your intake of folic acid by eating foods that are fortified with it, for example, some breakfast cereals.

Folic acid has been shown to reduce the risk of neural tube defects.

Hero No.3:
No pregnant woman should be walking about without her iron. Pregnant women can become deficient in iron, so make sure you have plenty of iron-rich foods. Try to include food or drink containing vitamin C, (like fruit, vegetables or a glass of fruit juice) with any iron-rich meals, to help your body absorb it.

Good sources of iron include:
• red meat
• pulses (lentils, peas)
• bread
• green vegetables
• fortified breakfast cereals

Note: Although liver contains a lot of iron, you should avoid eating it while you’re pregnant, because it contains high levels of vitamin A, which could harm your baby if taken in excess.

FOODS YOU DO NOT NEED TO AVOID
It can be confusing trying to work out which foods you can eat and which foods you should avoid when you’re pregnant. You might find it helpful to look at this list of some of the foods you do not need to avoid:

• Shellfish, including prawns-as long as they are part of a hot meal and have been properly cooked.
• Tuna sandwiches
• Live or bio yoghurt
• Probiotic drinks
• Soured cream
• Spicy food
• Milk chocolate
• Mayonnaise, ice cream, salad dressing-as long as they have not been made using raw egg.
Generally, mayonnaise, ice cream and salad dressing you buy in shops will have been made with pasteurized egg, which means it is safe to eat. But it is better to avoid home-made versions if they contain raw egg. If you are not sure about any of these foods when you are eating out, ask staff for more information.

• Honey – it is fine for pregnant women but honey isn’t suitable for babies under a year old.
• Many types of cheese including:
Hard cheese (like Cheddar and Parmesan)
Feta
Ricotta
Cream cheese
Mozzarella
Cottage cheese
Processed cheese, such as cheese spreads
Chocolate ice-cream … Oh, did I say that already?
PG 15/47-48