Nutrition for Pregnancy and Postpartum

At August’s Positive Birth Group – Davis County, we got to hear from Pregnancy Health Coach, Sierra Roberts, with The Pregnant Lotus. She spoke to us about nutrition for pregnancy and postpartum. She told us some myths vs facts about pregnancy nutrition, what you need to eat during pregnancy and postpartum and what to avoid.

Myth number 1: You are eating for two (or more) so you can eat twice as much.

Fact: You should be twice as smart about what you are eating. It is about quality of the food, not the quantity. You should be eating about 500 more calories per day from a well-balanced diet.

Myth number 2: Eat folic acid.

Fact: Eat folate. Folic acid is the synthetic or man-made form of folate. People with the MTHFR gene cannot process folic acid into folate. Many people have the MTHFR gene and do not know about it. Some research has found that eating too much of folic acid increases your risk of certain cancers and may not be as effective in preventing neural tube defects. Folic acid has also been linked to tongue and lip ties in babies.

Myth number 3: Dairy is the best source of calcium.

Fact: There are better sources of calcium. Leafy greens, legumes, and fruit are great sources of calcium.

Myth number 4: Carbohydrates are bad.

Fact: 50-60% of calories should come from carbohydrates. You should be consuming complex carbohydrates from organic whole grain sources instead of simple carbohydrates. Steer clear of GMO (genetically modified) sources of carbohydrates.

Additional information for pregnancy:

• Fish oil
  • Get more Omega 3’s in your diet
• Calcium
  • From leafy greens, legumes, fruit, etc.
• Fat (healthy fats)
  • Avocado
  • Coconut oil
• Protein
  • Eating 80-100 grams of protein per day helps to avoid pre-eclampsia
• Be sure to read labels
  • Avoid hydrogenated oils
  • Anything from corn should be organic (corn syrup, etc.) as corn is a GMO unless stated otherwise
  • Avoid high fructose corn syrup
  • Avoid any artificial sweeteners or dyes
  • Just because it says “Natural” does not mean it is healthy or Organic
• Be sure to buy Organic with the “Dirty Dozen” items
  • Strawberries
  • Spinach
  • Nectarines
  • Apples
  • Peaches
  • Pears
  • Cherries
  • Grapes
  • Celery
  • Tomatoes
  • Sweet bell peppers
  • Potatoes

Postpartum Nutrition

• Continue to eat an additional 300-500 calories per day
• Be sure to drink enough water to keep up your breast milk supply
  • If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated
• Foods to stay away from while nursing
  • Top allergenic foods
    • Dairy
    • Soy
    • Gluten
  • If your baby seems gassy avoid foods that can cause it
    • Broccoli
    • Caffeine
    • Beans
    • Brussels sprouts
    • Cabbage
    • Cauliflower

We’d like to thank Sierra for coming and sharing her knowledge about nutrition with us. If you’d like to know more, get in touch with her at: (801) 918-3564 or sierrajohns@gmail.com.