Nutrition during pregnancy
Do you already eat and live healthily? Then you hardly need to change anything during your pregnancy. You don’t need to eat more, either. There are, however, a number of things you are better off not eating. You can read more about this below. There are also certain habits that are very bad for your baby, such as smoking, alcohol or drugs.
Would you like personal advice about nutrition during your pregnancy, or are you worried about something? You are always welcome at our practice. Would you like to make an appointment or come and meet us? Contact us on 020-775 99 27. You can reach us by phone on weekdays between 08:30 and 16:00. You can also email us at verloskundigen@pregnanta.nl. We will then contact you as soon as possible to schedule an appointment.
HOW MUCH FOOD DO YOU NEED ON AVERAGE DURING PREGNANCY?
- 6–7 slices of bread, preferably wholemeal
- 200 grams of potatoes, rice, pasta or pulses, which is about 4 serving spoons
- 200 grams of vegetables, which is about 4 serving spoons
- 2 pieces of fruit
- 450 millilitres of dairy products
- 30 grams of cheese, which is about 1.5 large slices
- 100 to 125 grams of meat, cold meats, fish, eggs and meat substitutes
- 30-35 grams of low-fat spread for your bread
- 15 grams (1 tablespoon) of liquid cooking fat
- 1.5–2 litres of water, caffeine-free tea and other drinks
WHAT SHOULD YOU WATCH OUT FOR WITH FOOD DURING PREGNANCY?
Some foods are better avoided during pregnancy. They can be harmful to you and your baby because they may contain the bacterium Listeria or the parasite Toxoplasma gondii.
Listeria
Listeria is a bacterium that is common in water, soil, animal feed and faeces. You can take in the bacterium through raw and smoked foods. But it can also be found on kitchen worktops, washing-up brushes or dishcloths. If you eat something that accidentally contains listeria, you can get food poisoning, which can be harmful to your baby. The chance of getting food poisoning from listeria is quite small. Still, it is better not to eat foods that might contain listeria. Foods that can contain listeria include soft cheeses made from raw milk. Pasteurised milk is safe and is used in many types of cheese. Vacuum-packed fish can also contain listeria.
TOO MUCH VITAMIN A
Too much vitamin A can be harmful to your baby. Liver contains a lot of vitamin A, so eat very little of it or none at all. Liver is found in liver sausage, liver pâté, pâté, Hausmacher, Berliner and liver cheese (leverkaas). Eat no more than one slice of bread with these per day.
FOLIC ACID
During pregnancy it is important to have enough folic acid in your body. Unfortunately, your food doesn’t contain enough of it, even if you eat very healthily. That is why it is important to take folic acid tablets during pregnancy. It is best to start as early as possible: from the moment you want to get pregnant. Once you are ten weeks pregnant, you can stop taking the folic acid tablets.
If you take folic acid, your baby is less likely to develop spina bifida. The risk is roughly halved compared with not taking folic acid. This is because spina bifida is related to your baby’s nervous system, which is formed immediately after conception, and folic acid is needed to form it.
TOXOPLASMOSIS
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that causes the infectious disease toxoplasmosis. If you are infected, you may get all kinds of vague symptoms, such as tiredness, listlessness, swollen glands, fever and a rash. Often you don’t know you are infected. After a few weeks or months the illness passes. Your body has then made antibodies, so you are immune to toxoplasmosis. If you become infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, your baby can get a serious infection. Nothing can be done about this. Most people don’t know whether they are immune to toxoplasmosis, and a test often doesn’t give a definite answer either. So try to avoid infection while you are pregnant.
This parasite is found in raw meat and on raw vegetables. So wash your vegetables very thoroughly, and cook meat well. It should no longer be red inside. Also avoid products made from raw meat, such as rare roast beef, filet americain, steak tartare or carpaccio. The parasite is also found in cat faeces. So during your pregnancy, let someone else clean the litter tray. If that isn’t possible, wear gloves and wash them before taking them off. Then wash your hands as well. You can of course also use disposable gloves. Wear gloves when gardening too, and wash your hands afterwards.
VEGETARIAN DIET
Eating a vegetarian diet during pregnancy is not a problem. But pay extra attention to getting enough vitamin B and iron. Vitamin B is found in wholegrain products, potatoes, pulses, eggs, dairy products and meat substitutes, so eat these regularly. Do you eat no animal products at all, such as milk, cheese and eggs? Then we advise you to see a dietitian, who can assess whether your body is still getting enough vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
Iron-rich foods: brown bread, wholemeal bread, rye bread, muesli, wholewheat macaroni, brown rice, wholegrain rusks, all kinds of meat, fish and chicken, eggs, cold meats, potatoes, all kinds of pulses, all kinds of vegetables, nuts, apple syrup.
TOXOPLASMOSIS
Toxoplasma gondii is a parasite that causes the infectious disease toxoplasmosis. If you are infected, you may get all kinds of vague symptoms, such as tiredness, listlessness, swollen glands, fever and a rash. Often you don’t know you are infected. After a few weeks or months the illness passes. Your body has then made antibodies, so you are immune to toxoplasmosis. If you become infected with toxoplasmosis during pregnancy, your baby can get a serious infection. Nothing can be done about this. Most people don’t know whether they are immune to toxoplasmosis, and a test often doesn’t give a definite answer either. So try to avoid infection while you are pregnant.
This parasite is found in raw meat and on raw vegetables. So wash your vegetables very thoroughly, and cook meat well. It should no longer be red inside. Also avoid products made from raw meat, such as rare roast beef, filet americain, steak tartare or carpaccio. The parasite is also found in cat faeces. So during your pregnancy, let someone else clean the litter tray. If that isn’t possible, wear gloves and wash them before taking them off. Then wash your hands as well. You can of course also use disposable gloves. Wear gloves when gardening too, and wash your hands afterwards.
VEGETARIAN DIET
Eating a vegetarian diet during pregnancy is not a problem. But pay extra attention to getting enough vitamin B and iron. Vitamin B is found in wholegrain products, potatoes, pulses, eggs, dairy products and meat substitutes, so eat these regularly. Do you eat no animal products at all, such as milk, cheese and eggs? Then we advise you to see a dietitian, who can assess whether your body is still getting enough vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
Iron-rich foods: brown bread, wholemeal bread, rye bread, muesli, wholewheat macaroni, brown rice, wholegrain rusks, all kinds of meat, fish and chicken, eggs, cold meats, potatoes, all kinds of pulses, all kinds of vegetables, nuts, apple syrup.
SMOKING, ALCOHOL AND DRUGS DURING PREGNANCY
Smoking, drinking alcohol and using drugs are not recommended when you are pregnant. These substances pass through the placenta to your baby and can harm your baby’s health in the short and long term. We know it is difficult to stop using addictive substances. If you haven’t yet managed to stop on your own, we will help you. Together we will make a plan so that you can give your baby the best start.
SMOKING
Almost everyone knows that smoking is unhealthy. But not everyone knows that it also affects the unborn baby. During pregnancy your baby receives nutrients and oxygen through the umbilical cord. If you smoke, the harmful substances from cigarettes also enter your baby’s blood through the umbilical cord. As a result, your baby gets less oxygen, so it grows less and is weaker.
Many women think they don’t need to stop smoking when they are pregnant. They think stopping will cause them a lot of stress, and that this is even worse for their baby. They also think it doesn’t help to stop if they have smoked for a long time, or if they are already some way into their pregnancy. None of this is true.
ALCOHOL
It is better not to drink any alcohol at all during your pregnancy, not even the occasional glass. In every week of your pregnancy, alcohol can be dangerous for your baby. In the first three months it can cause abnormalities in parts of the body or organs. In the last three months, alcohol is dangerous for your baby’s growth. Your body absorbs alcohol into your blood through your stomach and small intestine. Your liver removes the alcohol from your body. If you drink while you are pregnant, the alcohol also enters your baby’s body through your blood, and it is difficult for your baby to get rid of it. Once your baby is born and you are breastfeeding, the alcohol you drink reaches your baby through your breast milk. It makes no difference whether you drink beer, wine or spirits.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF ALCOHOL?
- There is a higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth or premature birth.
- Your baby may develop physical and mental problems. For example, it may cry a lot, have trouble sleeping or be very restless. It may also have learning difficulties, or a physical or intellectual disability.
DRUGS
Using drugs during pregnancy is very dangerous for your baby. Even after your baby is born and grows older, it may suffer the effects of the drugs you used during pregnancy.
Problems your child may develop:
- Delays in emotional development and understanding
- Delays in movement and motor skills
- Physical abnormalities
MEDICATION DURING PREGNANCY
Some medicines are dangerous for the unborn baby, because the harmful substances pass through the placenta to your baby. People used to think it was not dangerous to take medication during pregnancy. That is not the case. Not all medicines are dangerous for your baby. Some you can take as normal. Others are dangerous and must not be used. For many medicines, we don’t know whether they are dangerous for your baby. Doctors try to make sure women don’t need to use these medicines during pregnancy.
Sometimes women have to take a medicine even though it may be dangerous for the baby. This is the case when the mother’s illness is more dangerous for the baby than the medication, for example with epilepsy. The doctor then carefully weighs up the risks of the illness against the risks of the medication.
PARACETAMOL
You can take paracetamol without consulting us or your GP. You may take a maximum of 6 tablets of 500 mg per day, with a maximum of 2 of these tablets at a time. Please note: this paracetamol must not contain codeine, caffeine or any other substances, so paracetamol only. It is better not to take aspirin during pregnancy, because aspirin thins your blood, which can increase the risk of bleeding. (Some women are actually prescribed aspirin during pregnancy because of a suspected clotting problem. This advice of course does not apply to them.)