Common Misconceptions: I'm pregnant and eating for 2.

How many calories should I eat?

Eating the right number of calories lets you and your baby gain the proper amount of weight. During the first 3 months of your pregnancy, you do not need to change the number of calories you are eating.

Normal-weight women need an extra 300 calories each day during the last 6 months of pregnancy. This totals about 1,900 to 2,500 calories a day. If you were underweight, overweight, or obese before you became pregnant, or if you are pregnant with more than one baby, you may need a different number of calories. Talk to your health care provider about how much weight you should gain and how many calories you need.

Each of these healthy choices has about 300 calories:

• 1 cup of non-fat fruit yogurt and a medium apple
• 1 piece of whole wheat toast spread with 2 tablespoons peanut butter
• 1 cup of beef and bean chili sprinkled with 1/2 ounce cheddar cheese
• 1 cup of raisin bran cereal with 1/2 cup of non-fat milk and a small banana
• 3 ounces roasted lean ham or chicken breast and 1/2 cup sweet potatoes
• 1 flour tortilla (7-inch), 1/2 cup refried beans, 1/2 cup cooked broccoli, and 1/2 cup cooked red pepper.

Why is gaining a healthy amount of weight important?

Gaining a healthy amount of weight may help you have a more comfortable pregnancy and delivery. It also may help you have fewer pregnancy complications, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, constipation, and backaches.

Gaining too little weight during your pregnancy makes it hard for your baby to grow properly. Talk to your health care provider if you feel you are not gaining enough weight.

If you gain too much weight, you are more likely to have a longer labor and more difficult delivery. Also, gaining a lot of extra body fat will make it harder for you to return to a normal weight after you have your baby. If you feel you are gaining too much weight during your pregnancy, talk with your health care provider.

Do not try to lose weight if you are pregnant. If you do not eat enough calories or a variety of foods, your baby will not get the nutrients he or she needs to grow.

How much weight should I gain during my pregnancy?

Talk to your health care provider about how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy. General weight-gain recommendations listed below refer to pre-pregnancy weight and are for women expecting only one baby.

• If you are: underweight You should gain: about 27 to 40 pounds
• If you are: normal weight You should gain: about 25 to 35 pounds
• If you are: overweight You should gain: about 15 to 25 pounds
• If you are: obese You should gain: about 15 pounds or less

Do I have any special nutrition needs now that I am pregnant?

Yes. During pregnancy, you and your growing baby need more of several nutrients. By eating the recommended number of daily servings from each of the five food groups, you should get most of the nutrients you need.

Be sure to include foods high in folate, such as orange juice, strawberries, spinach, broccoli, beans, and fortified breads and breakfast cereals. Or get it in a vitamin/mineral supplement.

To help prevent birth defects, you must get enough daily folate before as well as during pregnancy. Prenatal supplements contain folic acid (another form of folate). Look for a supplement that has at least 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of folic acid.

Although most health care providers recommend taking a multi-vitamin/mineral "prenatal" supplement before becoming pregnant, during pregnancy, and while breastfeeding, always talk to your health care provider before taking any supplements.

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What eating for two really means Reviewed by the BabyCenter Medical Advisory Board Last updated: November 2009

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Highlights

• Can I really eat twice as much now that I'm pregnant?
• How can I get all the nutrients I need without eating a lot more calories?
• How is the food I eat divided between my needs and my baby's?

Can I really eat twice as much now that I'm pregnant?

No. You may sometimes be tempted to eat twice as much, but that's not what the doctor ordered.

Is It Safe During Pregnancy?

Our experts answer your most pressing questions about what is and isn't safe during pregnancy.

Your body becomes more efficient during pregnancy and is able to absorb more of the nutrients you eat. So consuming twice as much doesn't double your chances of having a healthy baby – instead, it's likely to mean excessive weight gain for you, which can put you at risk for pregnancy complications.

If you're at a healthy weight, you need no additional calories in the first trimester, about 300 extra calories a day in the second trimester, and about 450 extra calories a day in the third trimester. If you're overweight or underweight, you'll need more or less than this depending on your weight gain goal.
It takes only a couple of glasses of low-fat milk and a handful of sunflower seeds or a tuna sandwich to add enough calories for that last trimester.

How can I get all the nutrients I need without eating a lot more calories?

Here are some tips for maximizing nutrition during pregnancy:

• Plan meals and snacks based on the requirements outlined in the USDA MyPyramid Plan for Moms or another reliable source, like the Harvard Healthy Eating Pyramid. Learn more about meal planning for pregnancy.
• To meet your daily needs for protein, calories, carbohydrates, healthy fats, and key vitamins and minerals during pregnancy, eat a variety of foods. Even within a category of foods (like vegetables), look for different colors, types, and textures, for example.
• Try to minimize "extra" foods that have calories but few nutrients – sugary beverages, fried foods, foods with extra fat and sugar. Instead, choose meals and snacks that pack the most nutrition per calorie. Adding a few nutrition-packed snacks – like yogurt, nuts, a hard-boiled egg, some fresh fruits or vegetables – to your daily intake is a great way to get the healthy calories your baby needs
• Choose foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. Pick whole-grain bread or brown rice over refined white bread or white rice, and fresh fruits or frozen unsweetened fruit over canned fruits in sugar syrup, for example.
• Eat fats, oils, and sweets sparingly. And be sure to choose healthy fats. Can't overcome your cravings for junk food? Discover some healthy – and delicious – alternatives.

How is the food I eat divided between my needs and my baby's?

Doctors don't understand exactly how you and your growing baby divvy up nutrients. Sustenance for your child comes from your diet and from the nutrients already stored in your bones and tissues.
In the past, a developing fetus was thought of as a "perfect parasite," taking all the necessary nourishment from the mother, regardless of her diet. This myth maintained that if your diet was deficient in, say, calcium, it didn't matter as far as the baby was concerned, because he could simply siphon the mineral from the reserves in your bones and teeth.
Experts now believe that it's the growing baby who suffers if the mother's diet is lacking. Inadequate nutrition during pregnancy is thought to have lifelong effects on a baby's health.
In a nutshell: Your baby's health and growth is directly related to what you eat before and during your pregnancy. What you eat is important. And when you're tempted to overdo it, remember that you're eating for a baby, not another full-size adult. Choose quality over quantity!