Eating, Drinking and Keeping Well in Pregnancy
Keeping a healthy diet and lifestyle is important for any stage of your life, but during pregnancy is extremely vital, as it contributes to your baby’s growth and development.
In AAFC, we have an in-house nutritionist that can help you plan a balanced and personalized diet that will benefit you and your baby.
Generally your pregnancy diet should include:
Any type of meat, eggs, beans, nuts and fish are all sources of protein. Try to choose lean meat and remove the skin of chicken to avoid the extra fat. Make sure that you cook your meat all the way through during pregnancy, avoiding bloody juices for all types of meat. For fish, try to eat two portions a week. One of these portions should be an oily fish, such as sardines, mackerel or salmon. Limit the amount of tuna to 140g (cooked) at a time and completely avoid smocked fish, sushi (raw fish), raw shellfish, shark, swordfish and marlin.
They are a natural source of vitamins, minerals and fibers, which can help with digestion and constipation (a side-effect of early pregnancy). Try to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetable a day, either in a drinkable, cooked, raw or dried-out form.
Foods that contain starch are a source of carbohydrates, which can also provide energy, vitamins and fibers. These include breakfast cereal, potatoes, rice, pasta, noodles and bread (preferably whole-meal brown bread) among others. These could be your main meal, or part of your meal, as they are satisfying in taste and when eaten in moderation, they do not add up to many calories.
Milk, cheese and yogurt are important sources of calcium and other nutrients that you and your baby need. If possible, choose low-fat varieties and aim for two to three portions a day. Avoid soft and blue cheeses, as they may be a source of bacteria that can really affect your baby. You can have some of these cheeses cooked, but if in doubt, please talk to our nutritionist.
Try to avoid foods that are high in fat and /or sugar. These include fizzy drinks, crisps, excessive use of butter, salad dressings, chocolate, ice scream, pastries and cake. These add to your daily calorie intake and contribute to weight gain without offering any nutritional value to your daily diet.
Educate yourself
We provide antenatal care during first trimester of pregnancy. You will have the first visit two weeks after having the positive pregnancy test . In that visit, a routine obstetric evaluation will be performed ,including a transvaginal scan . Additional blood tests may be needed. Finally you will receive instructions regarding your medication, and you will have another appointment in 2 to 3 weeks time.
The last prenatal visit at AAFC is done at the end of first trimester .
After this last visit, a couple report is prepared , and you will be referred to an Ob/Gyn to complete antenatal care and delivery.
Here in AAFC, we can also offer you a series of appointments with a midwife and obstetrician, who can help you with everything you need to know during your pregnancy.
Your first antenatal appointment can be as early as 7-8 weeks, and it will give you all the information you may need, concerning your maternity health and healthcare, your needs and preference. Even if this is not your first baby, attending an antenatal class will refresh your memory and prepare you for every step on the way.
Our courses cover healthy diet during pregnancy and prenatal exercises that will help with later pregnancy and delivery.
During this time, you can become more acquainted with our AAFC facilities and stuff. Talk to us about anything that may concern you, as well as your family history, incidents of birth defects, or problems with past pregnancies.
We can help you have a labor plan and inform you on any signs that you need to know and notice around the time of giving birth. Additionally, you will receive instructions on how to initiate and maintain breastfeeding for your newborn.