Are you becoming a mother for the first time? Anxious? Nothing to worry about,
make sure you keep in mind a few precautions regarding weight and diet.
What
should you weigh?
Not being of normal weight at the beginning of your pregnancy may effect your
recommended weight gain. The ideal should be a body mass index (BMI) between 20
and 25. BMI = weight (kgs)/ height (meters). Weight gain during the first
quarter of your pregnancy is very little, 3-4 lbs. The second quarter would be a
little better at 12-14 lbs and the third quarter should see a gain of about 8-10
lbs.
Don’t worry if you are a vegetarian. Make sure you eat eggs and have a lot of
milk. If you do not eggs and dairy products, you need to take care of meeting
the nutritional needs through other means. Grains, nuts, fruits, vegetables and
vitamin B should be able to compensate the nutrient not gained form meat, eggs
and diary products.
Morning sickness is very common during pregnancy. The following are a few
tips to handle it:
1. Keep away from strong odors and smells. Make sure the rooms including the
kitchen in your house are well ventilated.
2. Keep track of foods that cause reactions.
3. Keep nausea easing foods or flavors handy at home and work place.
4. Get over the nausea as quickly as possible.
5. Do not eat heavy meals, eat more frequently but lighter.
6. Consume more fluids like water, ginger tea, lemonade fruit juices etc.
7. Have a snack before leaving bed in the morning. It will keep the nausea
down
8. Avoid greasy and rich foods.
Alcohol: When you have a drink, your baby is also doing the same. Avoiding
all forms of alcohol is recommended, since it could have side effects causing
low birth weight, physical deformities, retardation and other complications.
There is no way to determine a safe alcohol level for pregnancy, avoiding it
altogether is a safer bet.
