According to the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), pregnant women should eat a varied diet that includes:
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Vitamins
Minerals
Oils
You should take the right nutrients and vitamins for pregnancy health and your baby's development. Having a healthy diet is very important for pregnancy health.
Folic Acid, Iron and Calcium
Folic acid helps prevent neural tube birth defects, which affect the brain and spinal cord. Neural tube defects develop within the first 28 days of pregnancy. It is recommended that all expectant mothers take 400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid daily. Folic acid is taken before pregnancy and throughout the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. A woman who has a baby with a neural tube defect should talk to her healthcare provider about whether she needs to take a different dose of folic acid. Studies have shown that taking a larger dose (up to 4,000 micrograms) before the first trimester and for at least one month before may be beneficial for these women, but it is best to talk to your doctor first.
Foods containing folic acid include green leafy vegetables, peanuts, beans, and citrus fruits. However, folic acid cannot be obtained from foods in sufficient quantities. For this reason, it must be taken as a supplement.
Calcium:
Calcium is very important for a pregnant woman. It can help prevent the baby from losing its own bone density, as it uses calcium for its own bone growth.
Iodine is critical for a woman's healthy thyroid function during pregnancy. Iodine deficiency can cause severe intellectual disability and deafness. Not enough iodine can cause miscarriage and stillbirth.
Iron helps carry oxygen to both mother and baby.
The average vitamin and mineral intake rates are:
400 micrograms (mcg) of folic acid.
400 IU of vitamin D.
200 to 300 milligrams (mg) of calcium.
70mg vitamin C
6 mcg vitamin B12.
10 mg vitamin E.
15 mg of zinc.
17 mg of iron.
150 micrograms iodine
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