Calories In Pregnancy
Pregnant women often wonder about whether or not it is healthy to increase calorie intake in pregnancy. This is mainly because there are concerns about weight gain, derived from various physical changes.
Opinions on this subject are very diverse. However, only the treating physician can provide a valid answer to the woman. Especially when you have doubts about how to eat, in general.
Such concern is perfectly valid and even useful. Why? Because questioning eating habits drives us to seek improvement.
Is it necessary to eat for two?
Formerly it was considered that a pregnant woman should eat for two to guarantee optimal health for her baby. However, this caused many mothers to not feed properly.
In other words, they were concerned about eating more and were not overly concerned about the quality of the food. Therefore, the result was contradictory.
Feeding in pregnancy is a matter of vital importance not only for the mother but also for the baby. Both need nutrients for organisms to function properly.
Contrary to popular belief, when people recommend “eating everything” they do not mean that we should eat whatever, whenever and in exaggerated proportions.
Many pregnant women took advantage of their situation to go overboard with what they like best. Usually sweets. While it is true that it is good to pamper yourself, from time to time, all excesses are harmful.
And even more so in pregnancy given the multiple changes that the body experiences. The consequences can range from hypertension to gestational diabetes, among others.
So, it is not necessary to eat for two or succumb to “what we want” but to consult with the doctor what are the nutrients we need most at each stage and in what dose we should ingest them.
EYE! It is not about having a hypervigilant attitude but about taking into account the nutritional contribution of food in order to have variety and benefits. In addition, this will help us to enjoy food with a conscience.
Every woman has different calorie needs. According to your lifestyle, height, body mass index, current condition, and family history. Generally speaking, the optimal daily consumption is between 1,500 and 2,000 calories.
The right amount of calories in pregnancy
In the first trimester it is necessary to add more vegetables and fruits to the meals. It is also the ideal time to reduce and eliminate soda, fried foods, alcohol, among others from your diet. It is also recommended to eliminate caffeine and refined sugars.
Remember that according to research published in the journal Alcohol , exposure to high-grade drinks during pregnancy can cause problems in the brain development of the fetus.
During the second trimester the calorie intake should only be increased between 300 and 350. In the following trimester, the woman should consume an additional 500 calories. Of course, in practice, these extra 500 calories don’t mean a lot of food.
It is best if these extra calories do not come from simple carbohydrates. Otherwise gestational diabetes could develop. However, it has been shown that this is a transitory pathology that disappears shortly after delivery.
When it comes to weight gain, there is no need to worry if we maintain good communication with the treating physician at each visit. He will evaluate our physical condition and tell us what we can improve (or maintain) to enjoy good health.
Considerations
- If you had a normal weight before becoming pregnant, the woman should gain approximately 12 kilos throughout the pregnancy.
- The woman who had a low weight before the pregnancy, will have to gain between 13 and 15 kilos throughout the process.
- If you started your pregnancy overweight, the ideal is not to gain more than 7 or 9 kilos.
It must be remembered that the weight that the woman gains, month by month, in pregnancy corresponds to the increase in the weight of the baby, the placenta, the amniotic fluid and even the breasts that begin to prepare for breastfeeding, among other factors.
The importance of a proper diet during pregnancy
Pregnancy is not a time in which women undergo a regime that limits the amount of food, but rather to maintain control of basic nutrients in order to have good health and, therefore, a good pregnancy.
In other words, it is recommended to take advantage of this stage to improve the quality of the diet and adopt a much more appropriate lifestyle.
