Daily Calorie Intake While Pregnant

Daily Calorie Intake While Pregnant

What you eat whilst you are pregnant will impact not just the baby’s health but also your labor. You have to eat properly and keep your calories in check. By doing so you will protect yourself and your child from a number of complications such as premature birth and prolonged labor. Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here

You can also increase the chances of natural birth and decrease the requirement of cesarean section. You should talk to your doctor about your requirements and take calories accordingly.

Eating for two

On a general basis, your daily calorie intake while you are pregnant should be 300 calories more, plus or minus five. Know that this is not too much and you should never go along the lines of ‘eating for two’ people.

If you are underweight, you will need to gain at least 28 pounds and a maximum of 40 pounds during your pregnancy. If your weight is normal, your weight gain should be anywhere between 25 and 35 pounds. If you are overweight, it should be between 15 and 25 and if you are obese, it should be between 11 and 20 pounds.

Every woman has different needs

Know that every woman has different needs and whether she is pregnant or not, her requirements are unique. They can’t be compared to others’ needs and a general calorie intake can’t be determined. Your calorie intake should not be less than 1,200 calories per day actually.

If you are an active woman, it should be around 2,000 calories. However, this holds true only if your weight is normal at the time of pregnancy. If you are overweight or obese or sedentary, the requirement will be lower. If you are underweight, you will need to eat more so as to meet your own body’s demands as well as your baby’s demands.

You should eat 300 calories more than usual at least. Overweight women don’t need to gain any weight but should eat healthily so as to sustain the pregnancy and make sure the child is healthy. When calculating the calorie baseline of a woman, many factors come into play such as age and activity level, as aforementioned.

On a general basis, only a range can be given and that is between 1,800 and 2,400 calories. If you are underweight, you should add 300 calories to this baseline.

You should NOT diet while you are pregnant

No matter how much you weigh, you should NOT diet while you are pregnant. It is highly unsafe for you and your baby. Remember that it is not all about you anymore. You should take care of your baby too. Your baby will take your reserve stores and it is up to you to fulfill them each day so as to survive and be strong through your pregnancy.

Otherwise you won’t be strong enough for labor or breastfeeding later on. You might lose weight in the first trimester of the pregnancy because of morning sickness. You should go for routine checkups throughout your pregnancy so as to keep a check on your weight gain and weight loss. Once you know about it, you will be able to deal with any ups and downs before they turn into problems for you.

Eat healthy foods

Remember that you should eat healthy food. What you consume holds a lot of importance. Your diet should be balanced with complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, proteins, minerals, and vitamins so that it caters to the all round development and growth of your baby. you could also take prenatal supplements to meet the requirements of your body.

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Dr. Renee Hanton, MD
Dr. Renee Hanton, MD | ConceiveEasy
Dr. Renee Hanton is ConceiveEasy's Senior Physician with expertise in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. Dr. Hanton specializes in the endocrine causes of infertility, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

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