A statement often heard from older generations, and often used as an excuse for uncontrolled food intake.
Starvation and restrictive diets are absolutely out of the question, but concern about how much weight you will gain during pregnancy is justified, because it is not only about appearance (which is the least important thing at this moment), but also about health.
A pregnant woman’s excess weight endangers both the mother’s health and the baby’s health. It increases the risk of gestational diabetes, high blood pressure and complications during delivery.
A few tips by trimester:
Prvi trimestar:
In the first three months of pregnancy, there is usually no weight gain, or only a small increase (1.5-3 kg), and some pregnant women even lose a couple of kilograms due to nausea.
The focus in the first trimester should be on an adequate intake of folic acid and calcium. You can find folic acid in green leafy vegetables, and calcium in dairy products.
If you have nausea, snack on nuts and try to eat regularly.
It is also very important to stay well hydrated.
Drugi trimestar:
After the first trimester, this is the period when the nausea passes, when the belly slowly starts to show, and the weight slowly starts to rise. The recommendation is that weight gain should not exceed 500 g per week.
Focus on the intake of omega-3 fatty acids through fish, nuts and cold-pressed oils.
In the second trimester, the need for iron also increases, and for that reason increase your intake of red meat and green leafy vegetables, and add lemonade to an iron-rich meal so that the iron is better absorbed.
Treći trimestar:
It is inevitable that the most weight is gained in the last trimester, because the baby is growing, but greater attention is also needed in the choice of foods consumed.
Focus on the intake of fresh, unprocessed food, and as little refined and processed food as possible. Avoid cured meat products, hot dogs, salami, pâté, margarine, snacks and juices. And since nausea or heartburn appears in the last trimester, the advice is to have more frequent, smaller meals.
What we always advise the pregnant women who come to our studio: “Do not eat twice as much, eat twice as well.”