Food plays a critical role in the life of a pregnant woman as the body requires the right nutrition to nurture the little life inside. As your pregnancy calendar advances week by week, you are likely to feel your aversions to certain foods and cravings for the others. These may or may not be the right choices nutritionally. In the total weeks of pregnancy, you ought to have the right foods to supplement a healthy growth and development of your baby. Here is your ultimate nutrition guide for your pregnancy week by week:
0-8 Weeks:
Morning sickness may be getting the better of you in this phase making it difficult to retain many foods, in turn leaving you weak and fatigued. Stick to a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, protein-rich foods and dairy foods that will instil some energy in your body to help your carry along better. At this point, it is also important to get in foods rich in folic acid like green leafy vegetables, pulses, and lentils.
9-12 Weeks:
Eat everything in moderate quantities. Keep up your calcium intake in the form of dairy products. Do not overeat, because that may increase your chances of throwing up.
13-16 Weeks:
During this phase, you may start to feel tired or anaemic if you don’t get adequate iron through your foods and through supplements. Dried fruits, dates, beetroots, pomegranates and green leafy vegetables are rich sources of iron for pregnancy. As your pregnancy advances week by week, increase your iron intake through foods.
17-20 Weeks:
It is now that your weight gain will accelerate, and hence you need to watch what you eat. Avoid fattening products, and stick to healthy oils and fats. Focus on your iodine intake now because around this phase your baby’s thyroid glands start to function and need iodine for proper regulation of the glands.
21-24 Weeks:
As the baby inside you grows it may slow down your digestive system, leading to problems like constipation. Include a lot of natural fibres in your diet to prevent constipation in this phase of pregnancy.
25-28 Weeks:
Concentrate on your fluid intake as you need water in your body for the amniotic sac to have adequate water in it. You should also be concentrating now on foods that include a lot of calcium and vitamin D.
28weeks To Delivery:
Now your body has almost gotten used to the pregnancy. Keep up essential vitamins and minerals in your diet. It is ok to indulge but make sure you are not putting on weight more than what you should be. Concentrate on getting the essential vitamins and minerals from your diet.
Credit: healthlibrary
