If you’re mothers-to-be and you actually are tempted by the question: vegetables to eat during first trimester. You will discover a lot of valuable details on this kind of topic, as well as tips, suggestions, ideas, and answers to help questions around having a baby, appropriate nutrition and eating plans.

The first trimester of pregnancy is the most transformative and interesting. Your body is preparing to give birth to another living being. You will begin to have the symptoms of pregnancy such as nausea, dizziness, fatigue and a general malaise. For this reason, it is important to monitor the diet especially in this first stage of creation and to enjoy healthy habits in order to guarantee your well-being and that of your baby.

Index

The role of nutrition in pregnancy

A good nutrition of the mother will allow the process of formation of the organs of the fetus to evolve correctly. We must bear in mind that our caloric needs increase slightly in the first trimester of pregnancy, around 150 more calories per day . But we must not make the mistake of consuming high-calorie foods to have more energy. Just the opposite: we have to look for healthy foods –and therefore, natural ones– that help us acquire the necessary nutrients with all their benefits.

The baby will receive through the placenta the necessary contribution of multiple substances such as fatty acids for the formation of their brain and cell membranes, proteins for the structure of their organs, sugars as a source of energy, iron for the formation of your red blood cells, calcium to begin the synthesis of your bones, iodine for the development of the nervous system or folic acid for the formation of your neural tube. Everything what you eat will influence its development , that is why it is vital that you correctly receive the necessary nutrients and you may even have to resort to vitamin supplements . The most common are those that contain folic acid and iodine – even some women start taking it when they decide to become pregnant. Folic acid makes it easier to avoid neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. And iodine, for its part, is a basic nutrient for the baby’s brain development.

The theory seems easy: fill your kitchen with healthy and varied foods, avoid alcohol and undercooked foods . But you can not always follow the steps to the letter, because surely we have to face the famous nausea of ​​the first trimester of pregnancy. However, try to ensure that your home does not lack anything: vegetables, fish and meat, nuts, fresh fruit, dried fruits, whole wheat pasta and dairy. If nausea takes away your appetite, you can eat in small portions, repeatedly and at room temperature . But if they are very strong and followed, it is best to consult your doctor, try natural remedies such as ginger and take doses of vitamin B6 to alleviate them.

Actually, there is no list of ‘perfect’ foods for pregnancy during the first trimester. It is about ensuring that we are eating the amount of nutrients necessary for anyone, with great nutritional value such as vegetables, eggs, salmon, etc. And just as important is nutrition: it is recommended to drink approximately 10 glasses of water a day , a little more if you exercise. You have to eat especially well, but that doesn’t mean you should ‘eat for two ‘. In fact, gaining excess weight during pregnancy can be a risk factor, so your doctor will monitor you to make sure you’re gaining at the right rate.

Dangerous foods for pregnancy

As we mentioned, pregnancy does not have to be a limiting period in your life, not even in nutrition. The diet you follow must be healthy, varied and balanced, varying in each particular case according to tastes and intolerances. But yes, the only obstacle with a normal diet will be that you must be careful with certain foods such as:

– Raw or undercooked fish and meats. Raw or marinated fish (anchovies, ceviche.) may contain anisakis, a parasite that has no consequences for the fetus, but for the mother: Eating contaminated fish can lead to gastroenteritis, ulcer, intestinal obstruction, and allergy. And the same happens with meat, because if it is not well done it can contain listeria, a very dangerous bacteria for pregnant women. It can cause very serious foodborne infections, miscarriages, or abnormalities in the fetus.

You also have to watch the consumption of fish such as tuna, swordfish, shark or mackerel even if they are well cooked. These fish store significant amounts of mercury and in pregnant women can cause kidney problems and neuronal and physiological damage to the fetus.

– Patés. In addition to being a food that is not highly recommended due to its high content of animal fats, it is made with the liver and if it is not pasteurized it may contain listeria. So it is better that you avoid consuming patés of animal origin during the entire pregnancy.

– Smoked foods and sausages. Sausages, cheeses and smoked fish are prepared at temperatures below 100 degrees and may also contain listeria. In addition, sausages made from raw meat can contain the parasite toxoplasma gondii, so they should be avoided especially by women who have not had toxoplasmosis.

– Raw or spoiled eggs. Eggs themselves are recommended for pregnancy, but if they are somewhat raw they could contain salmonella. This bacteria could cause diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and be an added discomfort during pregnancy.

– Non-disinfected raw fruits and vegetables. During pregnancy we must monitor the cleanliness, especially of vegetables and fruits, since they can contain various types of bacteria and it is better not to risk it.

– Unpasteurized cheeses. In cheeses made with raw milk (brie-type or artisan cheeses) the very dreaded listeria can also hide.

– Alcohol and caffeinated beverages. Alcoholic beverages are very dangerous for the fetus, they alter the absorption mechanisms of nutrients and can cause both imbalances in fetal development – called fetal alcohol syndrome – as well as health problems for the baby. Even just one alcoholic drink a day can increase the risk that your baby will have low birth weight or develop learning, speech, concentration, language and hyperactivity problems, so it is best to eliminate it completely while you are pregnant.

Caffeine is not prohibited , but some studies have found a link between consuming large amounts of caffeine and miscarriages or other problems in pregnancy. For this reason, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that pregnant women reduce their consumption of caffeine to less than 200 mg per day. About a 300 ml cup of coffee.

Remember that after giving birth you can also eat all these foods freely again. Taking care of yourself and your baby is part of the process you will have to go through, learning through trial and error every day and controlling the weight you gain during pregnancy.

Glossary

Neural tube defects

Definition:

Set of congenital malformations secondary to the absence of closure of the neural tube. The two most common defects are spina bifida and anencephaly.

Symptoms:

They vary depending on the defect.

Treatment:

Getting enough folic acid, a type of B vitamin, before and during pregnancy prevents most neural tube defects. Treatments for neural tube defects vary depending on the type of defect.

AV & Egrave; NE Dermatological Laboratories. The 100 Questions of Pregnancy (2016)

Blott, Maggie (2015), Your pregnancy day by day, Barcelona, ​​Ed. Planeta.

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