Eating Well During Pregnancy
How the support person can help with nutrition and healthy habits
Nutrition Is a Team Effort
The quality of food the birthing person eats before and during pregnancy directly affects the baby's development and long-term health. Your role as a support person is not to police what they eat. It is to make healthy eating easier: shop for nutritious foods, prepare meals, and eat the same foods so they are not navigating it alone. When you eat well together, it does not feel like a restriction.
What a Healthy Pregnancy Diet Looks Like
A birthing person does not need to eat for two in terms of quantity. In the first trimester, no extra calories are needed. In the second, about 200 extra calories per day. In the third, about 400 extra. Those extra calories should come from nutrient-dense foods, not empty calories. A daily diet should include plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and about 2 quarts of fluids. Small, frequent meals help stabilize blood sugar, reduce morning sickness, and prevent heartburn.
Foods to Avoid or Limit
Alcohol should be avoided entirely during pregnancy. Caffeine should be limited to 200 mg per day, which is about one 12-ounce cup of coffee. High-mercury fish like shark, swordfish, and king mackerel should be avoided. Raw or undercooked meat, fish, and eggs carry infection risk. Unpasteurized dairy and deli meats should be heated until steaming to kill any listeria bacteria. If you are the support person, learn these guidelines so you can help make safe choices without putting the mental load on the birthing person.