For medical professionals only
6 dietary recommendations during pregnancy
In my outpatient clinic, I often encounter women who eat, drink and have fun before pregnancy, and once pregnant, they are particularly cautious, and the question asked most by the doctor is: "I am pregnant, which ones should I eat?" What should not be eaten? ”
Before answering this question, we should first know how pregnant and non-pregnant women have different energy and nutrition requirements.
Supplementing nutrition during pregnancy is very different!
The nutrients needed by the human body are mainly composed of three major nutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) and vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, etc.
In the first trimester, there is not much difference between the mother-to-be's energy and nutrient needs and the non-pregnancy period, how to eat or how to eat.
From the second trimester onwards, the daily energy needs to be increased by 200kcal on the original basis.
At this time, the energy ratio of nutrients is not much different from before pregnancy, but the amount increases:
Protein accounts for 25% to 30% of total energy, an increase of 15g per day, mainly from animal foods, such as eggs, poultry, lean meat and dairy products;
Carbohydrates account for 50% to 60% of total energy, increasing by 36g per day;
Fat accounts for 25% to 30% of the total energy, of which long-chain unsaturated fatty acids have certain benefits for the development of the fetus's brain and retina, so pregnant mothers should eat some deep-sea fish, walnuts and so on.
However, pregnant mothers must pay attention to the amount of fat they eat, if too much intake is easy to cause pregnancy weight to grow too fast, and even cause pregnancy complications.
In addition to this, it is necessary to increase the intake of these substances throughout pregnancy:
Vitamins: necessary to regulate the body's metabolism and maintain multiple physiological functions, especially in the early stages of embryonic development, too little or too much supply may increase the risk of fetal malformations;
Inorganic salts and trace elements: inorganic salts such as calcium, magnesium, trace elements such as iron, zinc, iodine, etc. are necessary for fetal growth and development;
Dietary fiber: Although dietary fiber is not absorbed by the body, it can reduce the absorption of sugar and fat, alleviate the rise of blood sugar and improve constipation during pregnancy.
Do I need to supplement these foods during pregnancy?
Well, after understanding the above knowledge, we will answer one by one, which foods should be eaten and which should not be eaten.
01
After pregnancy, do I need to eat sea cucumbers and bird's nest? Is it that the skin of children who eat bird's nest is whiter?
A: From a nutritional point of view, high-grade nutrients such as bird's nest and sea cucumber do not have so much nutrition and do not bring additional benefits to the fetus.
Of course, if your family has money, you feel psychologically comforted when you eat, and I have no objection, so you can eat it if you want.
02
Do I need DHA supplementation during pregnancy?
A: This is a difficult question to answer. Because the current findings are inconsistent, there is no routine recommendation for DHA in the obstetric and pediatric guidelines of various countries.
Some studies have found that supplementation with DHA during pregnancy and infants benefits the development of the child's brain and cognition, but some studies have not found any benefit from supplementing with additional DHA. Please note that this is an issue of additional supplemental DHA.
If it is in the daily diet, eat more deep-sea fish, or more recommended.
Some expectant mothers feel that supplementing with DHA will increase their child's IQ.
In fact, there are many reasons that affect IQ, the most important of which is heredity, but also related to the environment, nutrition and acquired education. From this point of view, additional DHA supplementation can make the baby smarter, which is not very reliable.
Of course, there are also expectant mothers who worry that supplementing with DHA will make the baby's head bigger.
There is also no evidence that DHA can affect your baby's brain volume and skull development. Therefore, the statement that DHA makes the fetus's head bigger is also unscientific.
Therefore, my general attitude toward pregnant women who want to supplement DHA is: no objection, no recommendation.
03
Do I need calcium supplementation during pregnancy?
A: Yes. The calcium intake during pregnancy meets the needs of the expectant mother on the one hand, and the calcium needed to ensure the growth of bones and teeth of the fetus on the other hand.
The main food source of calcium is milk and dairy products. In addition, there are shrimp skins, kelp and so on.
For pregnant women who do not consume much dairy products during pregnancy, we recommend supplementing with an additional 500 to 1000 mg of calcium.
04
Should I supplement with iron during pregnancy?
A: It depends. If the expectant mother does not have iron deficiency anemia, generally only food supplements are enough.
The main food sources are animal liver, beef, blood tofu, black fungus and tahini.
In particular, it should be pointed out that the absorption of animal food hemoglobin is better, and eating more spinach is not a good iron supplement. Iron deficiency anemia is common in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, at which time iron supplementation can be supplemented under the guidance of a doctor.
05
Pregnant, can I drink tea and coffee?
A: The main ingredient in tea and coffee is caffeine.
If you just drink relatively light green tea and flower tea, the problem is not big. Similarly, drinking 1 cup of coffee a day is also OK.
It is not recommended to drink milk tea during pregnancy. The components of milk tea are mainly sugar + fat + caffeine, and the protein content in it is very small (milk tea is not milk + tea).
Therefore, milk tea is also considered "junk food". It is okay to drink occasionally to relieve hunger, but it is not recommended to drink for a long time.
06
Will eating hairy crabs during pregnancy cause the baby to drool more after birth? Also, can sashimi be eaten?
A: Eating hairy crabs causes babies to drool, just like some people say that eating soy sauce will have dark skin, which has no scientific basis.
Hairy crabs can be eaten during pregnancy, and it is no problem to eat half to one, just in moderation.
Sashimi can also be eaten to ensure freshness and food safety.
summary
Principles of diet during pregnancy: moderate, balanced, and diverse.
Everyone's situation is different, some people have a good appetite, some people can't eat for the whole period of pregnancy.
In general, there are not too many taboos about what to eat during pregnancy, you can eat before pregnancy, you can eat when you are pregnant, but you must be moderate.
In addition, don't feel pregnant, you can eat two people's portions alone.
If left uncontrolled, weight during pregnancy will not be well controlled, and diabetes and pregnancy complications will even occur.
This article was first published: Medical Sciences Obstetrics and Gynecology Channel
Author: Hua Xiaolin
Editor-in-Charge: Ichikawa