Feb 15 2008
Pregnancy Diet ~ Good Nutrition is Key to a Healthy Pregnancy
Good nutrition and your pregnancy diet is a key factor to a healthy pregnancy. This is no time to scrimp on calories or try to lose weight. Your body is doing some hard work and it needs the right fuel to get the job done! If you are going to Bradley classes you have been introduced to a great nutrition program for your pregnancy. If you aren’t attending Bradley Method classes you can pick up Dr. Brewer’s book The Brewer Medical Diet for Normal and High Risk Pregnancy. It is the diet Dr. Bradley recommends and the programs are virtually identical.
Let’s take a look at the Brewer Diet.
Protein is key in the Brewer Diet, as well as what you will learn in the Bradley Method. You need to be getting at least 100 grams of protein each day. You also need many other nutrients to help support your body as it makes this baby. If you follow the guidelines of either program you will have no problem getting all the necessary nutrients each day.
Daily servings:
4 Servings dairy
2 eggs
2 additional proteins
2 servings leafy greens
4 serving grains
1-2 fruits
Salt to taste
Drink to thirst
Additional foods each week.
Baked Potato 3 times/week
Orange Vegetable/fruit 5X/week
I know a lot of people are concerned about eating that many eggs. Don’t be. The egg is the perfect pregnancy food. It has so many necessary nutrients for a pregnant woman. 
Eggs have:
- Protein - builds and maintains muscles.
- Vitamin A - important for eye sight.
- B vitamins - changes food into energy.
- Calcium - builds strong bones and teeth.
- Phosphorus - found in bones and teeth.
- Iron - carries oxygen to muscles.
- Zinc - helps body grow.
So don’t scrimp on the eggs. They are a key element in a pregnant woman’s diet.
How do you keep track of all this food?
I know when I saw all this food I was thinking how am I going to keep track of all the different foods and know what I’ve eaten and what I still needed to eat for the day. If you go to the Bradley Method website you will find a list of all the daily foods, as well as a protein counter. You can also download an excel version of the diet which will allow you to input your daily food as well as add up the protein for the day. This is the method I used and it worked well to keep me on track.
If you want a strong healthy placenta and baby you have to eat well. Each bite you put in your mouth is what your body uses to build your baby. Feed your body well.
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[...] is so interesting. When I was pregnant I was on the Bradley Diet and I ate just about perfectly. Tracking, monitoring, getting all the essential nutrients to take [...]
It is definitely true, that eating a healthy pregnancy diet will keep you and your baby healthy.
The added benefit is it is you don’t gain as much weight during your pregnancy so it is even easier to lose it after you give birth.
Your pregnancy diet is what it’s all about!! Don’t forget those eggs!!