Eating During Pregnancy: Your Overview For The Second Trimester
eating during regnancy means more than just limiting your caffeine intake and swearing off alcohol. Each trimester offers its own particular set of challenges to overcome, as well as specific nutritional needs that should be met. In this article, we'll focus on second trimester nutrition.
During this part of your pregnancy, your baby will form her hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, eyelids, and nails. Her bones will increase in density. Her nervous system will begin functioning. With all of these intense changes occurring in your baby, maintaining proper nutrition is crucial to her wellbeing as well as your own.
This article provides a basic overview of some of the challenges and special needs you may experience during this phase of your pregnancy.
Cravings while Eating During Pregnancy
During the second trimester, cravings usually surface. Keep in mind that indulging your cravings can be perfectly fine in moderation. However, indulging in unhealthy cravings can cause you to gain weight quickly.
It is best to try to limit your weight gain to a healthy amount while you are pregnant, because trying to lose weight after you have your baby can be challenging and stressful. Depending on your cravings, you may indulge a few times a week, or even once per day.
If your craving is for chocolate, for example, you can allow yourself a Hershey's Kiss or other small amount of chocolate per day without causing weight gain or maxing out the amount of caffeine you should ingest. So the bottom line is, indulge in moderation while eating during pregnancy, and you should be fine.
How Much Weight Should You Gain when You're Pregnant?
Speaking of weight gain, your second trimester is when you will gain the most weight throughout your pregnancy. Most women are terrified to gain too much and worry about what's an acceptable amount to gain. A weight gain of 20 to 30 pounds is perfectly acceptable during pregnancy.
If you gain more than that, you could have trouble losing the weight after pregnancy. You can try to contain your weight gain by drinking plenty of waterin fact, you should drink half your weight in water each day.
In addition, you should swear off sugar and artificial sweeteners. If your sweet tooth is a real issue, you can substitute all-natural sweeteners that don't pack a huge caloric punch, such as xylitol, agave syrup, stevia, and raw honey (in moderation).
Increase Your Protein Intake when Eating During Pregnancy
During this phase of your pregnancy, eating enough protein is essential. In fact, you should aim for having a protein portion with each meal and snack. Protein contains essential amino acids, vitamins, and minerals which are crucial to cognitive and neural development for your baby.
Protein also keeps your energy level and blood sugar on an even keel. Now that your morning sickness has likely ended, you should strive to lay off the refined carbs and up your intake of protein with each meal.
Organic eggs, raw nuts, nut butters, and lean cuts of organic meats are all excellent sources of protein. You can also incorporate low-mercury types of seafood, such as sardines, anchovies, and salmon, into your diet twice weekly to increase your intake of Omega-3 fatty acids.
Stay Stress-Free
When you are pregnant, it's important to limit the amount of stress you experience. Studies show that high levels of stress during pregnancy can cause problems for the developing fetus and increase your chances for a difficult pregnancy and labor.
Spending regular time with friends and family, taking regular exercise, and trying yoga and meditation are all ways you can reduce stress and enjoy your pregnancy. Journaling is another stress-reducing pastime.
You can also spend your pregnancy indulging in "me" time, which will be in short supply in the months immediately following your baby's birth. Enjoying pedicures, watching movies, and spending time with friends are all great ways to reduce stress and increase your happiness during pregnancy.
by: Isabel De Los Rios
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