Follow the rules according to the instructions of the obstetrician and nutritionist. Overweight women should aim to gain up to around 10kg, normal weight women should gain 9-12kg and severely underweight around 15-19kg. You should not try to lose weight during pregnancy, but it is equally important not to gain too much weight.

• For underweight women (with BMI <19): 15-19 kg is the recommended additional weight.
• For women of normal weight (with a BMI of 19-25): 9-12 kg are the recommended additional weight.
• For overweight women (with a BMI of 26-29): 7-11.5 kg is the recommended additional weight.
• For obese women (with BMI >29): 5.5-8 kg are the recommended additional weight.
• For twin pregnancy (regardless of BMI): Up to 16 kg, is the recommended additional weight.
*BMI: Body Mass Index

With the following distribution:

• 1-2.5 kg in the 1st trimester of pregnancy.
• 0.3-0.5 kg / week in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy

It is also important to know that the initial nutritional status of the mother, her eating habits, the level of physical activity, the method of conception (automatic or assisted) as well as other pre-existing chronic diseases, affect both weight gain and the quality of nutrition during pregnancy. It is now proven that specific complications during pregnancy such as Diabetes Mellitus, arterial hypertension, pre-eclampsia and musculoskeletal or vascular diseases are directly related to the excessive weight gain of the pregnant woman. In addition, the process of childbirth becomes more difficult.

Recommended diet in pregnancy

Healthy eating during pregnancy does not mean that you have to follow a special diet and of course you do not have to eat for two. Eating the following food groups in three meals and 2-3 snacks daily provides the nutrients the fetus needs.

Try not to leave more than 10 hours between meals. If you don’t usually eat breakfast, try a small snack to start your day.

Potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, other starchy carbohydrates (eg cereals, sweet potato)

Try to include them in every meal (and make them the main part of the meal). Choose, preferably, whole grains or others rich in fiber with less added fat, salt and sugar.

Fruit and vegetables

Try to eat 5 servings a day – fresh, frozen or dried. They are rich in vitamins, minerals and fiber.

Beans, legumes, fish, eggs, meat and other proteins (eg nuts)

• Eat two portions of these a day and oily fish 1-2 times a week.
• One serving equals two eggs or three tablespoons of nuts or palm-sized meat and fish.
• They are beneficial for the general development of your baby and in addition they are a rich source of iron which helps in the formation of the fetal brain, more specifically.

Dairy products and alternatives

Try to get 3 servings a day. One portion = a glass of 240ml milk or 150g of yogurt or 40g of cheese. Choose low fat unless you are underweight. They are a rich source of calcium. If you consume soy alternatives check that calcium has been added. Other non-dairy foods that contain calcium include tahini, spinach, broccoli, tofu, beans, sardines, almonds and dried fruit.

Oil and fats

• Try to keep them in normal amounts.
• Choose unsaturated oils (vegetable) and monounsaturated (olive oil).
• Minimize your consumption of foods and drinks high in fat and sugar (eg cakes, biscuits, sweets, crisps) to avoid gaining excess weight during pregnancy.

Fluids (water, fruit juice)

You can and should get about eight glasses of water a day. However, if you drink fresh fruit juice only one is allowed during the day.

Alcohol during pregnancy

The British College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) guidelines recommend that pregnant women should not consume any alcohol and furthermore for women planning pregnancy the safest option is to avoid alcohol.

Caffeine

Consuming up to 200mg of caffeine per day is allowed. Limit coffee, tea, cola, energy drinks and chocolate. Stick to two cups of coffee or three cups of tea a day.

katsakos giatros ygeia