Nutrition During Pregnancy: The Complete Guide

Nutritional needs change significantly during pregnancy. A balanced and varied diet covers most of these needs, but certain nutrients deserve special attention.

Essential Nutrients

• Folic acid (vitamin B9): essential from pregnancy planning and during the first trimester. Reduces the risk of neural tube defects by 70%. Dose: 400 µg/day as a supplement.
• Iron: needs double in the third trimester. Sources: red meat, lentils, spinach. Supplementation if hemoglobin is low.
• Calcium: 1000 mg/day for fetal bone development. Dairy products, calcium-rich mineral waters, broccoli.
• Iodine: essential for brain development. Iodized salt, seafood, dairy products.
• Omega-3s (DHA): brain and retina development. Fatty fish twice/week.

Foods to Avoid

• Listeria: raw milk cheeses, jellied meats, rillettes, raw sprouted seeds
• Toxoplasmosis (if not immune): raw or undercooked meat, unwashed fruits and vegetables, cat litter
• Mercury: limit tuna, swordfish, and shark (predatory fish)
• Alcohol: zero alcohol throughout pregnancy (no safe threshold established)

Recommended Weight Gain

Weight gain during pregnancy is not the same for everyone. It depends mainly on your BMI before pregnancy. BMI means “body mass index”: it is a simple calculation that compares weight and height to estimate whether a person started pregnancy underweight, in a usual weight range, overweight, or with obesity.

Here is how to read the usual medical ranges:

• If your BMI before pregnancy was below 18.5, doctors generally recommend gaining about 12.5 to 18 kg during the whole pregnancy.
• If your BMI was between 18.5 and 24.9, the usual recommended gain is about 11.5 to 16 kg.
• If your BMI was between 25 and 29.9, the usual recommended gain is about 7 to 11.5 kg.
• If your BMI was 30 or higher, the usual recommended gain is about 5 to 9 kg.

These numbers are guide ranges, not a judgment and not a strict rule. The right target can change depending on your health, your baby’s growth, whether you are carrying twins, nausea, diabetes risk, and your doctor or midwife’s advice.