My dear Mom, it’s good to have you back! I hope my last blog entry was helpful for you. Today, let’s take a closer look at another pregnancy myth together: Nutrition during pregnancy. Is it really true that you should eat for two during pregnancy? And if not, how much should I eat instead? How do I know what and, more importantly, how much my unborn baby needs? These questions also kept me thinking during my first pregnancy – and now I’m happy to share my experiences and the knowledge of our MOVE IT MAMA experts with you today.
“From now on, you have to eat for two!”
You’ve probably heard this phrase plenty of times during your pregnancy. This statement seems plausible at first glance, but it is worth exploring the topic a little deeper.
Calorie needs before and during pregnancy
To begin with, let’s take a look at the calorie needs before your pregnancy: As you probably already know, your personal calorie needs depend on many factors: Among other things, age, weight and training condition significantly influence how much energy our body needs. The energy requirement can also be calculated approximately using various formulas, but this is a topic in itself and not so important for us at the moment. As a guideline for normal-weight women of childbearing age, we can assume about 1900 calories.
During pregnancy, this guideline value changes, but not as significantly as many women think. The German Nutrition Society recommends increasing calorie intake by 250 calories from the second trimester. Meanwhile, it is even advised to increase energy intake even further in the third trimester – by about 500 calories in total. However, the same principle applies here as elsewhere: If you don’t exercise that much or don’t currently exercise at all, your body will naturally need significantly fewer calories. By the way, 250 calories are not much: a slice of bread with a little butter and cheese , for example, would already satisfy the increased need.
Nutrient intake during pregnancy
At least as important is the nutrient supply, in pregnancy more than ever: Your need for vitamins and various microelements and minerals increases significantly during pregnancy. Here it is worthwhile to make sure that you get enough of these nutrients so that your body has everything it needs during this very special time.
In order to meet these additional needs, we at MOVE IT MAMA recommend eating foods with a high nutrient density during pregnancy. These include, for example, fruits and vegetables, whole grain products and dairy products.
Folic acid and iodine are exceptions: In most cases, the required amount cannot be supplied through the normal diet, so pregnant women are recommended to supplement these important nutrients. You can find out more about nutrient intake during pregnancy in another of our blog articles.
So do I have to count calories and eat only fruits and vegetables?
Good news: Of course not!
Just like you, I only ever wanted the best for my unborn baby, so it was important for me to know what and how much my body needed during this time so that I could support it in the best possible way. However, as with sports, balance is key! I often craved hot chocolate or later pizza during my pregnancies, and treated myself to that more often. Mommy life is no fun if it’s all rules and prohibitions, and your mental well-being is just as important as your physical health.
My tip for you: Pay attention to your body. It will tell you what it needs at the moment. By the way, cravings are often a sign that your body needs something else, for example a certain mineral or vitamin. You can find out more about this in our series on nutrition. Feel free to take a look!
Myth:
“In pregnancy, you have to eat for two.”
Reality:
“Starting in the 2nd trimester, caloric needs increase by about 250 calories and by about 500 calories starting in the 3rd trimester. Nutrient requirements increase much more. “
I hope I was able to help you further. By the way, in order to maintain and even increase your well-being during pregnancy, exercise is a super tool in addition to nutrition! Our workouts are adapted to the needs of the different trimesters and have been developed by experts. Get your free 7-day trial here.
See you soon,
Keep it Moving,
Birte
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