Drink a lot!
Drink 1.5 – 2 liters every day. Preferably water and tea and not anything with sugars
How do I get enough nutrients?
Limit caffeine intake
Too much caffeine is not healthy outside of your pregnancy but in pregnancy it can even be harmful.
The advice is to avoid energy drinks and cola and drink no more than 1-2 cups of coffee or black or green tea per day.
Vary your diet
Variety in your diet is very important. Try to get a little bit of everything in a week.
- Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables and alternate meat, fish and meat substitutes.
- Bake your meat and fish well, or prepare it in the oven.
- Avoid eating raw meat.
- Also eat a variety of grain products such as bread, breakfast cereals, potatoes, legumes, rice, pasta, bulgur and couscous.
- Then grab the whole grain variety such as whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta and brown rice. These contain more fiber that is good for your body and bowel movements.
- As for milk and milk products, it is best to choose the low-fat varieties.
Take folic acid
You get folic acid through your diet, but this is usually not enough. Take folic acid from the time you want to become pregnant until you are 10 weeks pregnant.
Enough iron
Make sure you get enough iron. This can be done through whole grain bread, meat and meat substitutes with added iron. If you also take products with vitamin C with every meal, the iron from your diet will be absorbed more easily. This way you reduce the risk of anemia due to iron deficiency.
Eat fish
Fish contains important fatty acids that contribute positively to your baby’s brain and vision development.
Do you have a vegetarian or vegan diet?
If you have a vegetarian or vegan diet, it is important to take additional nutritional supplements before pregnancy or adjust your diet during pregnancy by eating extra nuts, for example.
- If you eat vegan, we recommend that you see a dietitian who specializes in pregnancy and vegan eating.
- Even if you eat vegetarian food and are not sure if you are getting enough nutrients, it may be a good idea to see a dietitian. You don’t need a referral to do so.
Vitamins and preparations
If you are or want to become pregnant, it is important to eat a healthy and varied diet. In addition, some supplements are sometimes recommended. If you want to take other vitamins, food supplements or supplements to your diet, we want to warn you that not everything is safe during pregnancy. Never take just anything, but for specific supplements consult a doctor or dietitian who knows more about them. Be careful about trying or guessing that you may use something. We do not know if all supplements are safe for your baby.
Folic acid is vitamin B11. It is also found, for example, in bananas, oranges, legumes, milk and green vegetables.
- Even before you want to start getting pregnant, or if you can’t do so as soon as you have a positive pregnancy test, take extra folic acid to minimize the risk of abnormalities early in pregnancy.
- Take one 400-microgram tablet every day until you are 14 weeks pregnant.
- Folic acid reduces the risk of spina bifida, open skull, harelip or cleft palate in your baby.
It is also recommended that you take 10 micrograms of vitamin D every day throughout your pregnancy. Again, you can buy this at the pharmacy, drugstore or supermarket. In the winter we are in the sun less often and for less time, and therefore it is sometimes difficult for our bodies to make enough vitamin D.
- A darker complexion needs more sun to make enough vitamin D. The advice is for pregnant women with darker skin tones or if you are veiled to take extra vitamin D.
- Vitamin D is important for your baby’s bone structure and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis in yourself in old age.
During your pregnancy, it is especially important to get enough iodine, calcium and fish fatty acids. These substances are mainly found in bread, dairy products and fish. So try to eat this sufficiently or a little extra in your pregnancy.
- We advise you to get enough calcium, because you need 1 gram per day as a pregnant person. Almost no one achieves this with dairy products, so we advise you to swallow this in addition, 1 tablet of 1000mg/day.
We recommend supplementing your diet throughout pregnancy with a multivitamin specifically for pregnant women.
- There is no vitamin A in these preparations, as this is a vitamin of which it is not good if you take in too much during pregnancy.
- If, due to low appetite, you have trouble getting enough and healthy one such as vegetables, fruits, meat and/or grains, a multivitamin can also provide the necessary supplement.
- Any brand is good, as long as it is specifically for during pregnancy. This should be clearly stated on the label, and if you’re not sure, you can always check with us!
Learn more
Want to know more about proper nutrition? Read more about proper nutrition during your pregnancy and beyond at:
- The Nutrition Center’s website.
- You can also download the app ZwangerHap. With this free app you can easily and quickly look up whether you can eat a product. If not, the app shows you what you can still eat.