Healthy eating when you are pregnant is important for you and your baby. It can help you feel well and have a successful pregnancy and delivery.

During pregnancy your nutrition needs increase. Even if you have excellent eating habits, your doctor may recommend a multivitamin to make sure you get enough iron and folic acid.

Many pregnant women wonder how much weight they should gain. In general, women who were at a healthy weight before they became pregnant should gain between 25 and 35 pounds. Women who were overweight before pregnancy are usually advised to gain 15 to 25 pounds. Women who were underweight before pregnancy are usually advised to gain 28 to 40 pounds. Your doctor will work with you to set a weight goal that is right for you. Gaining a healthy amount of weight helps you have a healthy baby.


How can you care for yourself at home?

  • Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Include a variety of orange, yellow, and leafy dark-green vegetables every day.
  • Choose whole-grain bread, cereal, and pasta. Good choices include whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and oatmeal.
  • Get 4 or more servings of milk and milk products each day. Good choices include nonfat or low fat milk, yogurt, and cheese. If you cannot have milk products, you can get calcium from calcium-fortified products such as orange juice, soy milk, and tofu. Other non-milk sources of calcium include leafy green vegetables, such as broccoli, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, bok choy, and brussel sprouts.
  • If you eat meat, choose lower fat types. Good choices include lean cuts of meat and chicken or turkey without the skin.
  • Do not eat shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, or albacore tuna. They have high levels of mercury, which is dangerous to your baby. You can eat up to 12 ounces a week of fish or shellfish that have low mercury levels. Good choices include shrimp, canned light tuna, wild salmon, pollack, and catfish.