Nutrition resources for a healthy pregnancy
Good nutrition before, during, and after pregnancy is essential for a healthy mom and baby. On this page you will find important resources to support you during your pregnancy and beyond.
Learn about what foods to avoid during pregnancy and the best practices for food safety to keep you and your baby safe.
Food Safety During Pregnancy VideoFood Safety During Pregnancy Video
Transcript: Food Safety During Pregnancy Video
Hi, I’m Lisa. I’m a registered dietitian with Tahoe Forest Health System. I’m also a mom of three, and I want to chat today about food safety in pregnancy. One of my biggest pet peeves is when you do a search for nutrition in pregnancy, the first thing you find is a laundry list of do not eat foods. This can increase stress and anxiety and worry, which is kind of the last thing that we need. I’ve put together a handout with clear and concise bullet points that can help walk you through all the kind of necessary information and help calm that stress.
Our bodies do a lot of cool things when we’re pregnant. One of them is it adjusts our immune system to accommodate baby since baby’s not part of our body. Because of this adaptation, it does make us more susceptible to illness. Food can contain bacteria and viruses that can cause these illnesses. So, it is important to take more precaution when we’re pregnant than when we’re not.
My first tip is to follow basic food safety guidelines and procedures. Washing your hands before cooking, keeping cooking on a clean space, purchasing food from reputable places, stores, and restaurants that are also following food safety procedures. A few hot tips for your home kitchen: we don’t want to let food sit out at room temperature for longer than 2 hours. At two hours, we want to put that food back in the refrigerator or throw it out. Leftovers, even if we keep them in the fridge, we want to keep those for only 3 to 5 days. After that, we want to throw them out as well.
Temperatures are really important to keep food safe. Cold temperatures can kill bacteria and viruses, or at least slow their growth down. Hot temperatures can kill them as well. So, we basically want to keep food either in the refrigerator or the freezer, or we want to cook them to the proper temperature. Most of the time, it’s between 145 and 165 degrees. I have those exact temperatures on that handout. I do recommend using a really inexpensive meat thermometer that you can get at any grocery store to check the cooking temperatures, especially of your animal proteins.
Pasteurization is a heat process that food manufacturers use to kill the bacteria and viruses. I highly recommend looking for that on labels. We’re going to go through a few of these kind of high-risk foods and talk about what would be okay during pregnancy and what we maybe want to limit.
Dairy is one of the first things we really want to look for, that term pasteurized on dairy. We want to avoid unpasteurized dairy, milk, and cheese specifically. Soft cheese is often on that do not eat list. In the US, most soft cheese is made with pasteurized milk, and so that would be okay for you to eat during pregnancy. Imported cheese, cheese we get from other countries, typically is not made with pasteurized cheese, so just double-check that label.
Meat is another high-risk food. We really do want to cook our animal proteins to the proper temperature and not consume raw meat. Keep raw meat separate from cooked foods or produce. Deli meat is also a really common high-risk food. This is a higher chance of containing listeria, which is a bacteria that can harm ourselves and our babies when we’re pregnant. So, we do want to reduce our risk. I do love a turkey sandwich, though, so I don’t necessarily want to cut out all deli meat. I have a few tips on how we can handle that. I recommend heating deli meat in the microwave and then using it in the sandwich, or doing kind of like a grilled cheese. So, you’re cooking that sandwich and heating that deli meat to steaming. There are other sandwich options, too, that sometimes we forget about. Doing an egg salad sandwich, a tuna salad sandwich, using hummus or nut butter, or even cooking our own chicken or turkey breast, slicing it thin, and using that in sandwiches can reduce our risk for that listeria infection.
Eggs are another high-risk food, and I love talking about eggs because eggs and all these foods I’ve mentioned so far have a lot of nutrients that our bodies and our babies need during pregnancy. Eggs contain really high-quality protein. They contain a nutrient called choline, which is really important for baby’s brain development. So, I want you to eat eggs. I just want you to cook them all the way through, and I want that yolk to be kind of firm and cooked through. Another thing with eggs is to watch out for products that might contain raw eggs, such as cookie dough, Caesar dressing, hollandaise sauce, meringue, mousse, and eggnog. That’s a little less common. The good news is these products, when they’re sold in the store, are typically pasteurized. So, again, look for pasteurized on the label, and those foods would be okay. Where we want to watch out for those is when they’re homemade or maybe made in a restaurant. I always recommend asking about products like that when you’re eating out. If you’re unsure or your server’s unsure, maybe make a different choice.
Seafood is another high-risk food. For the most part, we want to eat cooked seafood, especially shellfish. Shellfish accounts for about 75% of the foodborne illness from seafood. So, things like oysters and clams contain a lot of nutrition that’s great for you and baby. We just want to eat those cooked for now. Raw fish, ideally, to reduce the most risk, should be eaten cooked as well. This always brings up the love of sushi, which I share. A cool thing about sushi is that, if you go out for sushi and you love sushi, there are a lot of rolls that have cooked proteins in them. So, I’d recommend going that route. In the US, fish served at sushi restaurants has to meet health safety rules for human consumption. So it’s actually usually treated either with a cold process or a chemical process. It’s something you could ask your sushi restaurant about, but to be absolutely safe, I recommend eating cooked fish.
Mercury is another concern when we’re talking about seafood. We do want to limit high-mercury fish. Most of these fish aren’t commonly eaten at home, but maybe they’re eaten out a little bit more. Some of the high-mercury fish are swordfish, shark, king mackerel, and tilefish. I would also limit them and maybe have them occasionally. Speaking of tuna, canned tuna would be an okay option. Skipjack tuna is fine a few times a week. It again makes a great sandwich. Fish has a lot of really good nutrition for us and baby. I really recommend including salmon or sardines, either fresh or in a can. This is really similar to tuna, and we’re going to get some healthy fats in that.
The last food I want to mention is fruits and vegetables. Most people are surprised to hear that fruits and vegetables are the cause of more than 50% of foodborne illness. We’re not going to tell you to stop eating those. Of course, we need as much of that in our diet as possible, but we just want to proceed with caution. My biggest tip is to wash all produce at home just under cold running water. You don’t need a produce wash. I would also avoid precut vegetables and fruit unless you’re going to cook it. Unpasteurized juices can be another tricky thing. Ask if juice is pasteurized, looking for that on the label. If you make juice at home in a juicer, that’s going to be unpasteurized. That would be okay, but make sure you wash the produce first before you juice it.
So, those are my top tips. I know it’s a lot of information. Again, I have a really great handout to help guide you through this. It’s available on our website, and I encourage you to check out our other resources there as well. It’s tfhd.com/wellness. Best of luck on your pregnancy journey.
Printable PDF Flyer of Food Safety During Pregnancy
Printable PDF Flyer of Food Safety During Pregnancy (Spanish)
During pregnancy, your body alters your immune function so that your baby can grow properly. Because of this shift in the immune system, extra precautions are needed to prevent illness, as you are more vulnerable to infection. Contaminated food can carry harmful bacteria or viruses that may cause illness.
Time & temperature
- Wash hands frequently, especially before and after cooking
- Clean up before cooking, wipe down counters and cutting boards
- Do not let food sit out at room temperature for more than 2 hours
- Store raw meats, fish, poultry and eggs below ready to eat food in the refrigerator
- Throw away leftovers after 3-5 days
- Use separate cutting boards for raw meats, fish, and fruits or vegetables to prevent crosscontamination
- Purchase food from trustworthy shops that follow food safety guidelines
- Cook at home more often to ensure safe practices
- Cold and hot temperatures can prevent bacteria from growing in your food. Keep food under 40°F or over 135°F
- Use a meat thermometer to test food temperatures and cook to these safe internal temperatures:
- Poultry – 165°
- Leftovers – 165°
- Ground beef – 160°
- Seafood – 145°
- Tenderloin/Steak – 145°
- Pork – 145°
Listeria
Listeria is one of the main food borne illness concerns during pregnancy. Pregnant women are ten times more likely to contract listeria than the general population. Infection is rare, but can cause fetal death. There is treatment for listeria infection. Talk to your care provider if you notice any flu-like symptoms. Follow food safety practices to greatly reduce your risk.
High risk foods
Remember no food is 100% safe or 100% unsafe. Foods on the high risk list are more likely to cause food borne illness. Pasteurization (a heat process) does not guarantee that food is free of contamination, however it greatly reduces the likelihood. Look for the term “pasteurized” on the food label.
Dairy
- Avoid unpasteurized dairy products like raw milk and cheese.
- Cheese made from pasteurized milk is okay. Most U.S. processed cheese is pasteurized. Look for “pasteurized” on the label of soft cheese.
- Hard cheeses, like cheddar and parmesan, are less likely to be contaminated.
Meat & eggs
- Avoid raw or undercooked meats. Wash hands after handling raw meat.
- Do not store raw meat in refrigerator longer than 3 days.
- Heat deli meat, hot dogs, precooked sausage, or pate to steaming before consuming.
- Thaw meat overnight in the refrigerator, not at room temperature.
- Avoid raw or undercooked yolks. Cook eggs until white and yolk are firm.
- Avoid foods that contain raw or under cooked eggs like cookie dough, eggnog, Caesar dressing, hollandaise, meringue, and mousse.
- Note: Store-bought packaged versions of these products that are pasteurized are okay.
Seafood
- Avoid all raw or undercooked shellfish like oysters and clams. Shellfish account for 75% of food borne illness associated with seafood.
- COOKED SHELFISH IS OKAY.
- Be cautious of raw fish. To greatly reduce risk, consume cooked fish and use proper food safety precautions.
- Fish high in mercury include swordfish, bigeye or ahi tuna, mackerel, and shark. Canned light tuna 2-3 x per week is okay.
Vegetables & fruit
- Rinse all fruit and vegetables with water, even if the skin will not be eaten and even if the package says pre-washed like salad greens. A “produce wash” is not necessary.
- Avoid unpasteurized juice. If making juice at home, wash all produce first.
- Avoid pre-cut produce unless you are going to cook it.
- Avoid sprouts or microgreens that are difficult to clean.
Many high-risk foods contain nutrients your body and baby need during pregnancy. Instead of avoiding them, incorporate safe ways to include them in your diet. For example, consume cooked instead of raw seafood.
Government agencies, like the FDA and USDA, monitor food safety practices and post recalls for contaminated food items. For more information, visit: foodsafety.gov/recalls-and-outbreaks
Explore key nutrients that support a healthy pregnancy and how to include them in your meals.
How to Eat Well During Pregnancy (No Calorie Counting!) with Lisa Fligor VideoHow to Eat Well During Pregnancy (No Calorie Counting!) with Lisa Fligor Video
Transcript: How to Eat Well During Pregnancy (No Calorie Counting!) | Real Food Tips with RD Lisa Fligor
Hi, I’m Lisa Fligor. I’m a Registered Dietitian with Tahoe Forest Health System. I’m here today to talk about nutrition for a healthy pregnancy.
So, unfortunately, during pregnancy, we don’t actually have to eat for two. We don’t have to double the amount of food that we eat. I was a little bit disappointed to find this out because I love to eat. Our needs do obviously go up though. Our calorie needs go up by about 200 calories starting in your second trimester. This is like just adding an extra snack to what you’re already eating. So, like an apple and a tablespoon of peanut butter. Then your calorie needs go up again in the third trimester by about 100 to 200 calories, depending on the individual.
I don’t necessarily want you to count calories. What I want you to do is pay attention to your appetite and honor your hunger. Sometimes our hunger during pregnancy isn’t consistent. We’re more hungry on some days than others, and that’s okay. So, when you’re feeling true hunger, I want you to fill up on real foods that are going to give you nutrients to build, repair, protect, and grow during your pregnancy.
I want you to eat what I call real food. Real food is food that we can picture growing, like nothing’s been added to it or taken away from it. So, an example of a real food, super simple example, would be an apple. Most of us have seen an apple tree, and we can imagine going up to an apple tree and picking an apple and just eating it. Again, nothing’s really been changed. In contrast, I’ve never seen a marshmallow field. So, obviously making kind of an extreme joke. And you can eat a marshmallow, but a marshmallow is kind of a more fake food that’s been made in a factory.
So instead of reaching for convenience foods or overcomplicating nutrition during pregnancy, I want you to simplify it and try to fill your plate with a variety, the biggest variety that you can, of real foods.
A cool thing to know is that during pregnancy, our digestion slows down. It’s kind of a side effect of some hormone shifts that happen to get us ready for delivery. Because of the slower digestion, our body can actually absorb more nutrients from the same amount of food that we would eat when we’re not pregnant. Another thing that’s kind of nice to know is that our bodies will prioritize the baby’s nutrient needs before ours. So, especially during the first trimester, maybe when you’re not feeling great, you’re having a hard time eating, you’re maybe having some morning sickness, you can rest assured this baby is being taken care of.
That said, I don’t want you to get to the end of your pregnancy and feel depleted or have any deficiencies. So, we want to figure out how we can get these real foods in our diet. Most women have a general idea of what healthy eating is and are probably eating a lot of healthy foods. So, during pregnancy, because we don’t need to increase the quantity as much, I really encourage you to layer up or upgrade what you’re already doing with more nutrient-dense foods.
So, an example for this would be let’s take breakfast. Instead of skipping breakfast or maybe grabbing a bar on your way out the door, we’re going to spend a little bit more time and eat a bowl of oatmeal. Still super quick and easy to make and prepare. Oatmeal is going to provide protein. It’s going to provide fiber and carbohydrates that are really important for energy and for growing. But we could take that bowl of oatmeal and we could upgrade it even further. We could cook it in milk. Milk’s going to add more protein. It’s going to add calcium that’s important for building bones. And then we could upgrade and layer even more. We could add almonds or chia seeds. These are going to add healthy fats and more fiber. We could add some fruit. That’s also going to add more carbohydrates for energy. It’s going to make our meal taste good and also increase that fiber.
So, super simple example, but I want you to think about how can we layer in and upgrade the nutrition that we’re already doing. I’ve put together a handout of key nutrients that are important during pregnancy, listing them all out, what the function is, why we need them, and a list of foods that are high in these nutrients. I encourage you to check that out and look through those foods and think to yourself, am I eating any of these, or are any of these foods that I can again layer into what I’m already doing?
I’ve also made a couple of other handouts. One on just managing pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness, and another one that will help you navigate all the food safety guidelines to keep you and your baby healthy during pregnancy. Those handouts are available on the Tahoe Forest Women’s Center website.
And then we also offer nutritional counseling to individuals with our registered dietitians. We do this through our wellness center. I really encourage you to reach out if you have questions or concerns or just want support individualizing the nutrition recommendations for you and your lifestyle during pregnancy. Our contact info is on the website as well. It’s tfd.com/wwellness. You can also ask your provider for our information and they’ll be happy to provide that for you.
And that’s kind of all we have for you today. We just want you to know that we’re here to support you and reach out if you have any questions.
Printable PDF Flyer of Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy
Printable PDF Flyer of Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy (Spanish)
Eating for two
You do not need to double the amount of food you eat when you are pregnant. Typically adding in an extra snack or two is enough to meet your calorie needs during pregnancy.
Calories need to go up by 200/day starting in the second trimester, and an additional 100-200 calories starting in the third trimester.
200-Calorie snack ideas
- 1 medium apple with 1 tablespoon peanut butter
- 10 carrot sticks with 2 tablespoons dip/dressing
- 2 cups of popcorn with ½ tablespoon butter
- ½ whole wheat pita with ¼ cup hummus
- 1 cup of fruit with string cheese
- ¼ cup nuts or trail mix
- 2 hardboiled eggs
- ¾ cup Greek yogurt with ½ cup berries
- ½ turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread
General recommendation: You don’t need to count calories. Honor your hunger and fullness
Hormone changes during pregnancy can slow digestion. The good news is that during pregnancy, our bodies absorb more nutrients from the same foods compared to when we’re not pregnant — this means more nutrients for your baby! Your body will prioritize your baby’s nutritional needs, so if you’re experiencing morning sickness or a low appetite, don’t worry about the baby. Do your best to eat — something is better than nothing. Talk to your provider if you’re concerned.
Key nutrients for pregnancy
Here is a list of important nutrients for you and your baby. Try to get these nutrients from foods and use supplements on the side. As you read the lists below, ask yourself: Am I eating some of these foods regularly? Are there foods that I can add to my diet?
Folate/Folic Acid
- Function: Needed throughout pregnancy, but especially important during the first 28 days.
- Prevents neural tube defects, heart abnormalities, cleft palate, and cleft lip
- Lowers risk of preterm delivery, low birth weight, and miscarriage
- Sources: leafy greens, beans, lentils, peas, nuts, citrus, melons, bananas, and fortified foods like breads and cereals
- Needs: 400-600mcg per day
Folate is not stored in the body, so it’s important to meet your needs daily. Look for a prenatal vitamin that contains 400 mcg of folic acid to supplement your dietary intake.
Calcium
- Function: Needed for the development of bones and teeth. Also supports heart, muscles, nerve and hormone formation.
- Sources: milk, yogurt, cheese, kefir, spinach, broccoli, almonds, canned salmon with bones, kale, beans, sesame seeds, sea vegetables, and tofu
- Needs: 1,000-1,300mg per day. Aim for 2-3 servings of high calcium foods per day
Iron
- Function: Needed to make hemoglobin, a protein in your blood that carries oxygen throughout the body (blood volume doubles during pregnancy). Overall, iron is essential for growth.
- Sources:
- Heme (animal) – beef, liver, lamb, pork, chicken, tuna, eggs
- Non-heme (plant) – beans, dried fruit, whole grains, baked potato, broccoli, almonds, spinach, dark chocolate, fortified products like cereal and breads
- Needs: 27mg per day
- Note: Heme iron (from animal sources) is more easily absorbed by the body. Non-heme iron (from plant sources) requires a larger quantity of food and should be paired with a vitamin C-rich food (see below) to boost absorption. Aim to get iron from a variety of sources.
- Low iron/anemia: Your provider will check your iron levels during pregnancy. If your iron is low, a supplement may be needed to bring levels up to support growth. Iron supplements can cause constipation. Contact a dietitian for support with supplementation and to incorporate iron rich foods.
Vitamin C
- Function: Needed for the formation of teeth and bones, and helps the body absorb iron.
- Sources: Citrus fruit, broccoli, bell peppers, tomatoes, avocado, mango, berries, and kiwi
- Needs: 80-85mg per day, ideally, meet needs through foods. One medium-sized navel orange contains about 50mg. High levels of vitamin C supplementation is not necessary.
Vitamin D
- Function: Needed for fetal skeletal development and healthy teeth, and promotes absorption of calcium.
- Sources: 5–10 minutes of sunlight on the face and arms, 3–4 times per week, can help meet vitamin D needs. Sunscreen blocks vitamin D production, but it’s still important to protect your skin from sun damage. It can also be difficult to make enough vitamin D during the winter months, so a supplement may be needed for some individuals.
- Needs: It’s best to have your blood levels of vitamin D checked to determine if you’re meeting your needs. If levels are low, supplementation is recommended. Research shows that up to 2,000 IU per day of vitamin D is safe during pregnancy.
Choline
- Function: Supports brain and spinal cord development.
- Sources: Egg yolks are the best source; be sure to cook them thoroughly to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Other sources include lean red meat, fish, poultry, nuts, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts
- Needs: 400 mcg per day (one egg has around 150 mcg)
Iodine
- Function: Supports thyroid gland function and the production of thyroid hormones in both mom and baby; also important for baby’s brain and nervous system development.
- Sources: Using iodized salt is best – look for the word iodized on the label. Sea salt contains only trace amounts of iodine and is not a reliable source. Other sources include seafood, sea vegetables, eggs and dairy products.
- Needs: 250mcg per day You do not need to add extra salt or limit salt during pregnancy. Salt food to taste to meet needs.
Omega-3 Fats
There are different types of Omega-3 fats. DHA and EPA are especially important during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
- Function: DHA – critical building block for fetal brain/central nervous system and eye development EPA – supports heart, immune system, and inflammatory response
- Sources: S.M.A.S.H Fatty Fish (Salmon, Mackerel, Anchovies, Sardines, and Herring) These are the fish that are nutrient-rich, high in omega-3s, and are low in mercury.
- Needs: 1000mg total daily, containing at least 300mg DHA per day. Aim to eat 2-3 servings of SMASH fish per week or consider a fish oil supplement. If you do not eat fish, a daily algae oil omega-3 supplement is recommended.
Here are some ways to add SMASH fish to your meals
- Use canned sardines or salmon instead of tuna for sandwiches or dips.
- Enjoy salmon patties (easy to stock in freezer) as a burger or protein option on salads.
- Keep frozen single-serve salmon fillets in freezer.
- Cube salmon fillets into 1″ cubes, toss with seasonings of choice, and air fry or roast. Use on top grain bowls or salads.
- Pan-sear SMASH fish in olive oil with a sprinkle of your favorite seasoning like lemon pepper.
- Enjoy “hot” smoked salmon (avoid lox) as your protein for a meal.
Fun Fact
Your baby can taste amniotic fluid, which takes on the flavors of the foods you eat. Research shows that exposure to flavors positively influences your baby’s food preferences when they start eating solid food. This is another great reason to eat a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods while pregnant. How cool is it that moms can already influence their baby’s food preferences and help set them on the path to lifelong healthy eating!
Printable PDF Flyer of Managing Common Pregnancy Symptoms (Spanish)
Morning sickness or nausea
One of the most common pregnancy symptoms! It is important to remember for most people nausea is only temporary. Here’s some tips to get you through:
- Eat smaller meals more frequently throughout the day
- Take prenatal vitamins with food or try taking it at night
- Try eating cold foods, strong smells can enhance nausea
- Try adding sour foods to your meals like lemon, vinegar, or pickles
- Include ginger: ginger tea, fresh slices of ginger in hot water, grated ginger in curries and stir-fries, or ginger chews (made with real ginger)
- Prioritize fluids, especially if you are vomiting regularly. Sip throughout the day. Along with water, try coconut water, infused water (with fruit, herbs, cucumbers), smoothies/protein shakes, soup or bone broth, milk, low-caffeine tea, and water-rich fruits and veggies like melons, oranges, celery, and tomatoes.
- Vitamin B6 has been shown to reduce nausea in pregnancy. Start by increasing foods high in B6 like sweet potatoes/potatoes, bananas, mangos, pistachios, avocados, and chicken.
- Manage blood sugar: Studies have shown that blood sugar levels could be related to pregnancy morning sickness. Protein can help moderate blood sugar response. Be sure to include protein at every meal, especially breakfast. Instead of just grabbing crackers, fruit, or cereal, add a protein like eggs, chicken, fish, tofu, milk/yogurt, or protein powder to your meals.
- Limit fried food or high fat meals. Fat is slow to digest and can linger in your digestive track longer, adding to feelings of nausea.
Nausea can happen at any stage of pregnancy, it is more common in the first trimester. Remember calorie needs don’t go up until second trimester. You body will prioritize baby’s nutritional needs. Relax, eat what you can, some calories are better than none. Talk to your doctor if symptoms continue into second trimester.
Anti-nausea smoothie
- 1 large handful of spinach (or 1/4 cup frozen spinach)
- 1 banana (fresh or frozen)
- ¼ cup pistachios (or spoonful of almond butter)
- 1 serving of protein (3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, or ½ cup tofu, or 1 scoop protein powder)
- 1 cup of liquid (water, coconut water, milk)
- 6 ice cubes
Place all ingredients in blender and mix until smooth. Enjoy! This make a great meal replacement if you don’t feel like eating and it’s packed with vitamin B6 to decrease nausea.
Fresh ginger tea
- 4 quarter-sized slices of fresh ginger
- ½ lemon
- 1-2 teaspoons honey (optional)
- pinch of salt
Place all ingredient in your favorite mug. Pour hot water over and let steep for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Recommended electrolyte drinks
- Skratch Labs Hydration Everyday
- Tailwind Rapid Hydration
- Liquid IV (stevia)
- Recharge (sugar)
- Ultima (stevia)
- Nuun Sport (stevia)
Note:
- Avoid high sodium – aim for 200-400mg/serving
- Added sugar/sweeteners – none is needed for hydration, but for activity longer than 60 minutes you may want sugar for fuel (like in Recharge)
Hormone changes during pregnancy can slow digestion.
- Good news: During pregnancy, our bodies absorb more nutrients from the same foods compared to when we are not pregnant — this means more nutrients for building baby!
- Bad news: Slower digestion can result in symptoms like nausea, heartburn, and constipation. Hopefully, these tips and tricks can support you through these uncomfortable symptoms.
Tips to reduce heartburn
Although antacids are safe during pregnancy, it’s best to not overdo it. If you find you are relying on antacids regularly, try the tips on the right. You may also consider trying digestive enzymes. Talk to your dietitian for safe recommendations.
- Milk: Try a glass of milk or yogurt after dinner. Calcium can help with heartburn. Try soy milk or almond milk fortified with calcium if you avoid dairy.
- Herbal teas: Try ginger, green tea, or chamomile.
- Small frequent meals: Avoid large meals which can take longer to digest and lead to reflux. Aim for 4-6 mini-meals instead of 2-3 large meals.
- Take a walk after meals, not intense exercise, but a nice stroll or dog walk.
- Drink most water between meals. Don’t gulp fluids during meals. Sit up straight during and after meals, avoid lying down for at least 30 minutes after meals.
- Create a pause before meal times to be in a relaxed state. Say a blessing or list 3 things you are grateful for.
Sit while eating (instead of standing at the counter), remove distractions like screens, slow down meals and chew food well (10-20 chews per bite depending on the texture). These can get your body in a better state for proper digestion.
Constipation: Nutrients & foods to help
- Fiber: “Bones of a Plant” helps food move through your digestive tract. Try increasing some of these high fiber foods to keep things moving: lentils, kiwis, berries, Brussels sprouts, beans, cauliflower, whole wheat bread or pasta, nuts, and dried fruit (like prunes or raisins)
- Fluids: Even being slightly dehydrated can increase risk of constipation. Aim for 8-10 glasses (about 3 liters) of water throughout the day. Along with water, other liquids can count too — like sparkling water, broth or soup, smoothies, tea, decaf coffee, and even high–water–content fruits and vegetables (such as melons, citrus, grapes, tomatoes, and celery).
- Magnesium: Low magnesium intake is associated with constipation. Before turning to supplements, try increasing foods high in magnesium like spinach or any leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, edamame, almonds, avocados, bananas, and beans.
- Psyllium husk fiber: This plant fiber is very effective in relieving constipation. It is available in powder or capsule form. Mix the powder into smoothies, oatmeal, or yogurt. Start with 1 teaspoon per day and slowly increase to 1 tablespoon as tolerated.
- Iron supplements can contribute to constipation. Talk to your provider for ideas on how to meet iron needs and reduce constipation.
Printable PDF Flyer of Hydration While Pregnant and Breastfeeding
Printable PDF Flyer of Hydration While Pregnant and Breastfeeding (Spanish)
Fluid needs increase for both pregnancy & breastfeeding.
Fluid intake recommendations
- In general, aim to drink 1/2 your weight (pounds) in ounces MINIMUM. So, if you weigh 150lbs, try to drink 75 ounces minimum.
- If weather is warm or you are active you will need to drink more. If you are breastfeeding add at least another 25 ounces (3 cups).
- It’s true: if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
- Signs of dehydration: fatigue, headaches, low mood, constipation, dry lips, muscle cramps, and infrequent or dark urine.
Quick hydration test without counting ounces
- You are not thirsty and
- Your urine is pale yellow throughout the day
If you meet these you are well hydrated!
Winning spa water combos
- lemon, strawberry and basil
- orange and blueberry
- watermelon and mint
- pineapple, coconut, lime
- rosemary and lemon or orange
- cucumber and citrus
Tips to stay hydrated
- Drink a glass of water first thing when you wake up
- Keep a water bottle where you breastfeed and next to your bed
- Keep it interesting – make “spa water”
- Get a water bottle you like, a flip-top straw can help you use it one handed
- Include hydrating “gel water” foods
- Make smoothies a regular rotation
- Almost all liquids count towards hydration; variety can keep you drinking more. Try tea, sparkling waters, milk, fruit or vegetable juice, coconut water, even decaf coffee
- Limit caffeine to less than 200mg per day, and avoid alcohol and high sugar drinks
Homemade electrolyte drink
Next time you need to replace electrolytes, save money and avoid the neon food dyes & high fructose corn syrup, by making your own sports drink.
Ingredients:
- 1 quart liquid such as water, herbal tea or coconut water
- ⅛ – ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp calcium magnesium powder
- ¼ cup of 100% juice (optional)
- 1-2 TBSP sweetener such as sugar, honey or maple syrup (optional)
Instructions:
- Brew tea if using, or slightly warm base liquid
- Add sea salt and calcium magnesium mix
- Add juice and or sweetener. Mix and shake well until ingredients are dissolved
- Cool and store in refrigerator
- Will last up to four days in refrigerator
Fresh ginger tea
- 4 quarter-sized slices of fresh ginger
- ½ lemon
- 1-2 teaspoons honey (optional)
- pinch of salt
Place all ingredient in your favorite mug. Pour hot water over and let steep for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Gel water foods: H3O2
These foods can support hydration and contain naturally occurring electrolytes:
- Oranges
- cucumbers
- melon
- berries
- tomatoes
- jicama
- bell peppers
- pears
- kiwi
- grapes
- celery
- iceberg lettuce
- cauliflower soup/broth
- soaked chia seeds
Electrolyte supplement recommendations
- Skratch Labs Hydration Everyday
- Tailwind Rapid Hydration
- Liquid IV (stevia)
- Recharge (sugar)
- Ultima (stevia)
- Nuun Sport (stevia)
Note:
- Avoid high sodium – aim for 200-400mg/serving
- Added sugar/sweeteners – none is needed for hydration, but for activity longer than 60 minutes you may want sugar for fuel (like in Recharge)
For personalized nutrition support during your pregnancy, schedule a visit with one of our Registered Dietitians. Call (530) 587-3769 to make an appointment.
Printable PDF of Your Guide Through Pregnancy
Use this booklet to help guide you through your pregnancy and the postpartum period. Pregnancy can be a time of intense emotional and physical stressors. Although it may feel like there are many things out of your control, there are some things you do have control over – some of these include making healthy choices for nutrition and attending all your prenatal appointments. We hope you find this guide to be a useful tool while navigating this time.
View a full list of the Wellness Center’s Baby & Me classes and programs.
Postpartum Support International (PSI) offers understanding, education, empathy, and resource referrals to parents experiencing a wide range of situations, challenges and roles. (Taken from the PSI website)
Specialized Support Resources | Postpartum Support International (PSI)
