A Healthy Pregnancy
Get good medical care beginning early in your pregnancy. There are things
you can do to take care of yourself and your baby.
Food and Drinks
• Eat balanced meals that include grain breads, cereals, fruits, vegetables,
meat and milk. Avoid fried and high sugar foods.
• Drink 6-8 glasses of water each day.
• Try eating smaller meals more often.
• Avoid or limit food and drinks with caffeine to 1 to 2 cups each day.
Caffeine is in chocolate, colas, teas and coffee.
• Limit your intake of artificial sweeteners, including diet sodas, to 2-3
servings each day. Nutrasweet and Equal (aspartame) and Splenda
(sucralose) in small amounts are okay but do not use any saccharin (Sweet
‘N Low).
• The Women, Infants and Children (WIC) Program is available to provide
free nutritious food and health information for pregnant women,
breastfeeding mothers and children. Contact the state or local agency to
check for eligibility. In Ohio call 1-800-755-4769 or go to
www.fns.usda.gov/wic
to find the toll-free phone number for your state.
Weight Gain
Total weight gain depends on your pre-pregnant weight, eating habits,
exercise and your metabolism. The average weight gain during pregnancy
for a normal weight female is 25-35 pounds. You should gain 2 to 4 pounds
in the first 3 months and about ¾ to 1 pound per week after that. If you were
under or over weight before pregnancy, ask your doctor or dietitian about
how much weight you should gain.
If you are gaining weight too fast:
• Limit sweets and high fat foods. Choose low fat items, fruit or a small
serving of frozen yogurt, sherbet, pudding or jell-o.
• Use very little butter, margarine, sour cream, mayonnaise or salad
dressing. Try reduced calorie varieties.
• Avoid fried foods. Choose baked, broiled, grilled chicken, fish or turkey.