Department of Neurosurgery

Being overweight, underweight, or a desired weight at the beginning of your pregnancy affects your recommended weight gain. Ideally you want to aim for a BMI (body mass index) between 20 and 25. Your BMI is determined by taking your weight (kg) and dividing it by the square of your height in meters (m2) to get your BMI number. Calculate your BMI using your weight before you were pregnant.

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If you are a vegetarian and you eat dairy products and eggs, there is no reason why you cannot continue your diet throughout your pregnancy. Even if you are a pure vegetarian and exclude all dairy products and eggs from your diet, with careful attention and planning, you can meet most of your nutritional needs as well. Going without meat does not mean going without nutrients. But, you'll need to ensure you get the proper allocation of grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, calcium-rich foods, nuts, and vitamin B-12.

Research is inconclusive on the harmful effects of caffeine on a developing fetus. It is known, however, that caffeine passes quickly through the placenta to the baby. Most health organizations recommend that you should not drink or eat foods with caffeine while pregnant, or at least limit your intake to 300 mg per day (2-3 servings). There is about 65-135 mg of caffeine in brewed coffee. Remember, caffeine is also found in tea, sodas, and chocolate.

There are a lot of options and much confusion when it comes to artificial sweeteners. Pregnant women can safely use low-calorie sweeteners in moderation, unless otherwise advised by their physicians. Many health organizations and healthcare providers suggest limiting artificially sweetened foods in your diet to only 2 or 3 servings a day. Discuss the use of low-calorie sweeteners with your healthcare provider, especially if you are diabetic or need to control calorie intake.

Here are some tips that may make you more comfortable: Stay away from strong smells and food items that make your stomach queasy. When cooking, open a window or use the exhaust fan to get rid of odors.

• Eat 5-6 small meals a day.
• Stay well hydrated and drink fluids throughout the day. Experiment with ginger tea, lemonade, lemon tea, fruit juices, water with lemon, and carbonated beverages.
• To help with early morning nausea, have a light snack before getting out of bed. Try crackers, dry cereal, potato chips, lemonade...whatever sounds good to you to eat.
• Avoid foods that trigger a bout of nausea. This could be greasy and fried food items, gas-forming food items, or spicy food items.

If you are experiencing heartburn, one or more of the following suggestions may be helpful. Listen to your body to find out what will work for you.

• Eat 5-6 small meals each day and chew the food slowly.
• Limit your diet of greasy, fatty, and fried foods. These can take 4-6 hours to digest before leaving the stomach. Never have a high fat snack before bedtime.
• Limit spicy food. Many women find chili powder and peppers to be troublesome.
• Avoid foods that may aggravate heartburn, such as cabbage, chocolate, garlic, onions, and caffeine.
• Drink fluids, including soup, between meals rather than with meals.
• Wear clothes that are loose around the waist.
• Remain upright 1-2 hours after a meal or snack.
• Sleeping in a recliner may give some relief at night.
• First check with your health care provider before taking any antacids or other medications.

Now that you are pregnant, you'll need at least 600 mcg daily, although many doctors recommend 800 mcg. Most doctors will recommend taking a supplement, as well as, eating plenty of folate-rich foods such as leafy green vegetables, citrus fruits, beans, peas, carrots, corn, cauliflower and animal liver.

When you drink alcohol your baby is drinking it too. Therefore, you should avoid all forms of alcohol when you are pregnant. This includes beer, wine and hard liquor. When a pregnant woman drinks alcohol, it quickly reaches the baby through the blood stream. Drinking alcohol during pregnancy may result in Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, lower birth weight, physical deformities, mental retardation, and motor development complications. There is no data to support a safe level of alcohol consumption during pregnancy. Therefore, medical experts recommend avoiding alcohol completely during your pregnancy.

Most headache medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen, along with most prescription migraine drugs, are not recommended for pregnant women. If you are prone to severe migraines, consult your doctor about which ones you can take.