The First Trimester of Pregnancy: Diet & Nutrition Health Article

Eating well is always harder when you don't feel well. As the size of the uterus grows, many women experience heartburn and indigestion. This may be due to overeating, but many pregnant women experience heartburn regardless of the amount or type of food eaten. There are some pregnancy-specific reasons why indigestion seems worse during pregnancy.

Your body makes the steroid hormones estrogen and progesterone, which relax smooth muscle in many places in your body. One place is the intestinal tract, where progesterone slows down digestion to allow more nutrient absorption from the food you eat. This is good for the baby, but can give you an uncomfortably full feeling.

Muscular relaxation due to the pregnancy hormones can also affect the ring of muscular tissue between your esophagus and stomach (the gastroesophageal junction). This muscle usually contracts to prevent the stomach contents and acid from splashing back up into the esophagus. When this muscle is too relaxed and open, these acidic contents can splash back up, giving you a burning feeling called "reflux" or heartburn.

As pregnancy progresses, your enlarging uterus takes up more room in your belly and puts more pressure on your stomach.

While its likely that you will have some problems with indigestion and heartburn during your pregnancy, you can minimize them by avoiding gaining too much weight, wearing clothing that is loose around your abdomen, eating many small meals rather than a few large ones, and eating more slowly. You may also want to eliminate certain heartburn-causing foods, such as alcohol, chocolate, peppermint, coffee, and fried, fatty, or spicy foods. (Alcohol, chocolate, peppermint, and coffee can relax the gastroesophageal junction muscle tissue, leading to heartburn.)

8th Month

If you've been paying attention to your diet up until now, it may be time for a few rewards. As you get bigger and everyday activities become much more taxing, you might crave comfort foods. If your diet is balanced overall, you can definitely splurge on a few less-than-healthy foods, such as desserts or chips. If you do, stick to small portion sizes.

9th Month

You have made a great effort to eat well during your pregnancy, and the last month is here. Continue with all your good habits and continue to work on your nutrition weaknesses. When it is finally time to go to the hospital, pack some snacks for you and dad. Snacks like raisins, nuts, or crackers can keep you energized during the big event. You might also want to bring some low-sugar candy to suck on. Once labor starts, you should not eat too much.

Working to have a healthy diet should not stop when your baby is born. You will need lots of energy to take care of a newborn, and there will be many taxes on your system - loss of sleep, adjusting to a new schedule, etc. This is especially true if you are going to be breast-feeding.

Breast-Feeding

When breast-feeding, you will need to increase your intake of calories an additional 200 calories per day above your pregnancy diet (approximately 500 calories per day above your prepregnancy diet). You will want to have a healthy calcium intake, at least five servings per day. Fluids will be especially important to keep the milk flowing. You should set a goal of eight glasses of liquids a day. Think about taking a glass of liquid with you every time you breast feed, which amounts to approximately a 64 oz bottle of liquids per day.

You may find that your baby is sensitive to certain foods, such as garlic, chocolate and, onions, which can cause excess gas for the baby. Smoking, alcohol, and drugs are still inappropriate because they can get into breast milk. Smoking can also cause respiratory problems for the baby, and alcohol and drugs can impair your judgment and put you and the baby at risk for accidents and other problems.

Go to The First Trimester of Pregnancy: Exercise & Fitness, The First Trimester of Pregnancy: Physical Changes, and The First Trimester of Pregnancy: Complications.