Diet in pregnancy

Nutritional Requirements in Pregnancy

According to the Recommended Dietary Allowances established by the National Academy of Sciences, pregnant women require considerably more protein than nonpregnant women. Women who normally consume about 45 grams of protein a day are advised to increase their daily intake by 30 grams during pregnancy - that's the amount of protein in four cups of milk (whole or skimmed) or yogurt or four ounces of natural cheese, canned tuna or chicken. A 25 to 50% increase in most vitamins and minerals is also recommended.

To meet these nutritional requirements, pregnant women should eat a varied diet, including the daily consumption of foods from each of four basic food groups - high protein foods, like meat, fish and legumes; grain products, such as cereals and rice; dairy products, such as milk, yogurt and cheese; and fruits and vegetables.

Because a woman's blood volume doubles during pregnancy, extra iron is essential to produce healthy red blood cells! Since sufficient quantities of iron to meet this need are not obtained in an average diet, HealtHelper recommends you to take iron supplements during pregnancy in doses of 30 to 60 milligrams a day.

Substances to Avoid in Pregnancy

All drugs consumed by an expectant mother are carried to the fetus to some degree. Because many of them are known to be potentially harmful to an unborn child, and others may be risky, self-medicating should be completely avoided! This means that any drug, prescription or nonprescription, should be taken only under a doctor's supervision as soon as pregnancy seems likely; the chances of a drug's damaging a fetus are greatest in the first 10 weeks!

Alcohol has been linked to physical deformities, brain damage and growth problems among babies born to women who drink as little as two alcoholic beverages a day. For this reason, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism advises pregnant women to avoid alcohol completely.


The consumption of excessive quantities of caffeine, which is present in coffee, tea, cola and chocolate, may be associated with increased risk to the fetus. It is wise, therefore, to limit its use during pregnancy.



Although studies of the effects of smoking during pregnancy have focused on only a few of the 4,000 substances contained in cigarette smoke, smoking has been clearly linked to low birth weights and increased rates of infant death. Smoking also increases the risk of miscarriage and other complications. Women who smoke should seriously consider stopping or, at least, cutting down during pregnancy.