What Pregnant Women Need To Eat Week By Week To Have A Healthier Baby

What a woman eats and drinks during pregnancy is her baby’s main source of nourishment. This is why experts recommend that a mother-to-be’s diet should include a variety of healthy foods and beverages.

Eating well during pregnancy will not only help you manage the changes heading your way, but it will also help you grow a healthy baby. Pregnant women, read this to know what you need to eat week by week to have a healthier baby.

The early weeks

• leafy greens
• broccoli
• eggs
• legumes

Weeks 4 to 12

• dairy
• eggs
• meat
• seafood

By the end of the first trimester, the baby’s brain starts developing faster than any other part of the body. Eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acid and DHA at this stage will provide the nutrients needed to aid in this process.

• mackerel
• sardines
• prenatal vitamin supplements containing EPA or DHA

Weeks 13 to 28

Beta-carotene and DHA for the eyes

• carrots
• sweet potato
• spinach
• mackerel
• sardines

Calcium for bone development and strengthening

• milk
• yogurt
• tofu
• cheese
• sardines

Vitamin D to help absorb the calcium

• sardines
• herring
• fortified milk

Zinc for the production, repair, and functioning of DNA

• red meat
• shellfish
• beans
• nuts
• whole grains
• dairy products

Weeks 29 to 40

Vitamin K to help with blood clots

• kale
• spinach
• green leaf lettuce
• Swiss chard
• broccoli
• cauliflower
• cabbage

Calcium and magnesium for stronger bones

• milk
• cheese
• legumes
• avocado
• banana
• raspberries

Selenium for healthy lung function

• brazil nuts
• eggs
• brown rice

The most important thing is to not starve yourself during pregnancy and while breastfeeding. Dieting to lose weight should be the last thing on a pregnant woman’s mind at this point. Not eating enough and not consuming the right amount of nutrients for you and your baby is a very dangerous thing.

A lot of women are afraid to gain tons of baby weight during pregnancy. They are thinking too much about how to lose all the excess pounds when the baby is born, without thinking about their current situation.

Pregnant women must eat a variety of healthy food every day and it obviously includes fruits and vegetables. Since they are eating for two, the expecting mom should add 300 calories to her daily diet.