On to my next pregnancy book – Healthy Eating During Pregnancy, by Dr. W. Allan Walker (Harvard Medical School).  (In case you’re wondering how I go through so many, I read them at the gym while I’m on the treadmill – it helps pass the time and distracts me from the labor [no pun intended] at hand.)

I really liked this book. A lot.  So much so that I’m going to buy it instead of renting it from the library.  It’s that good.  Or maybe I just need the information that badly, I don’t know.  Either way, I think it can be a valuable resource.  Here are just a few of the nuggets I picked up:

• Vitamins – the reason doctors have you take prenatal vitamins is because the baby’s spinal development occurs very early on (often before women know they are pregnant) and folic acid is a pivotal part of this process.  Therefore, they may have you take a prenatal vitamin and/or a folic acid supplement.  In fact, women are encouraged to always have plenty of folic acide in their diets (it is found in such foods as enriched cereals, chickpeas, pinto beans, lima beans, and asparagus)

 

(Image: wikipedia)

• Weight – it is important to reach a healthy weight before being pregnant (when possible).  This will reduce the possibility of having complications during pregnancy, birthing bigger babies, or having difficult deliveries.  It may even be a factor in gestational diabetes or high blood pressure problems associated with some pregnancies.  There has also been a correlation between overweight babies and health problems later in life.

 

(Image: Istock photo)

• Calories – 80,000 calories are needed during the entire pregnancy which breaks down to only an additional 300 calories needed a day (more for multiple births).  Ideally the extra calories will be taken from the different food groups.

(Image: wikipedia)

• Diet – There is a lot of information about the foods you should be eating when pregnant, but the bottom line is that the more balanced your nutrition, the better for you and your baby.  Lots of vegetables, fruits, grains, and lean meats.

(Image: wikipedia)

• Avoid – I finally learned why it is that you aren’t supposed to be around cat litter while pregnant.  It is due to the risk of toxoplasmosis, an infection that can affect the baby and can be found in cat feces.  There are other illnesses which are concerns during this time so be extra careful handling raw meat and be sure not to eat over do it with certain fish so that you don’t have an abundance of mercury in your system.

In addition to this brief list, the book has lots of other useful information.  I found it fascinating to learn how each vitamin can contribute to the development of various organs and how the placenta delivers those nutrients to the baby.  There is also a section on exercising and which exercises will benefit you (and what is actually possible to do) while pregnant.

Healthy Eating During Pregnancy is well-written and is very easy to read.  It helped me better understand how I can change my habits now to best prepare myself for pregnancy.  It can even be helpful for those who are already expecting a baby because any positive diet or exercise changes you make will benefit your baby.  I highly recommend it.

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