So what’s a good diet for my partner?
Being pregnant can be hard work, and your partner’s body needs all the help it can get! A healthy diet will keep her energy levels up and prepare her for the birth. Her daily diet should include:
• Fresh fruit and vegetables – particularly citrus fruits and dark green vegetables
• Carbohydrates – good sources are brown rice, whole-wheat noodles, wholemeal bread, whole-grains, potatoes, sweet potatoes and cereals
• Dairy & protein – milk, yoghurt, cheese, soybean or soymilk, beancurd and egg
• Lean meat or fish – especially fresh tuna, mackerel, sardines and trout
What’s so good about fish?
Eating fish once a week is good for your partner and your baby. Research shows that it can help prevent premature birth. Oily fish such as fresh tuna, mackerel, sardines and trout can also help your baby’s brain and eyesight development. Not more than two portions of oily fish a week, as it may contain high levels of mercury.
Staying hydrated
Dehydration can cause tiredness, headaches and bladder and kidney problems. So make sure your partner drinks plenty of water or fruit and vegetable juices throughout the day.
Is it safe to be vegetarian or vegan while pregnant
There’s no need for your partner to make any drastic changes to their lifestyle. A well-balanced vegetarian or vegan diet will give them and your baby all the nutrients they need. If their diet’s not very healthy, they may need extra vitamins and minerals, such as B12 and vitamin D, iron and calcium.
Foods your partner should avoid
• Mould-ripened cheeses and blue-veined cheeses, such as stilton (may promote the growth of bacteria listeria, which is harmful to unborn baby)
• Pâté (for the above same reason).
• Unpasteurised milk (may be contaminated with harmful bacteria)
• Raw or partly-cooked seafood / shellfish, such as prawns (may be contaminated with harmful bacteria)
• Partly-cooked eggs (may be contaminated with harmful bacteria)
• Peanuts (if the baby’s mom or dad has an allergic reaction)
• Too much of liver and liver products (contain high level of vitamin A, which can be harmful to unborn baby)
The importance of folic acid
Folic acid is very important for babies’ development, reducing the risk of spina bifida and anencephaly. Your partner can boost her folic acid intake by eating certain foods, but it’s practically impossible to get enough from diet alone. So doctors recommend that women who are pregnant or trying for a baby take a 400mcg folic acid supplement throughout pregnancy. If your partner wants to carry on taking it after then, she should speak to her doctor about the right dosage.
Foods high in folic acid
• Dark green vegetables
• Wholegrain cereals
• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Bananas
• Beans and pulses
• Milk and yoghurt
• Yeast or malt extracts
Getting enough iron
A balanced diet provides most of us with all the iron we need. But pregnant women need more than usual and many become deficient. To help your partner keep her iron levels high, there are some key foods she can eat.
Foods high in iron
• Almond and brazil nuts
• Eggs
• Dried fruit
• Meat, especially red meat
• Dark green vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, watercress, and spinach
• Pulses such as chick-peas and lentils
• Wholegrain bread, brown rice and fortified cereals
Preparing food for your partner
It’s lovely to take care of your pregnant partner by cooking for her. But there are a couple of key precautions you should take. If you’re cooking meat, make sure you cook it through thoroughly. And carefully wash fruit and vegetables to prevent infection from parasite toxoplasmosis.
Is coffee safe?
The good news for your partner is that they don’t need to give up caffeine! According to study, pregnant women shouldn’t drink more than three cups of coffee a day. Your partner may not realise that cola drinks contain caffeine too. So she may wish to switch to a caffeine-free version to avoid overdoing it!
What about alcohol?
We all know that heavy drinking can damage an unborn child. But how safe is the odd glass of wine? There’s no evidence that low-to-moderate drinking (that’s less than one drink a day) affects unborn babies. But they can’t rule out any risk, so it’s probably wiser for your partner to avoid any alcohol while pregnant. Not that she’ll probably feel much like drinking if she’s suffering from morning sickness!
The dangers of smoking
It probably won’t come as a surprise to hear that smoking is bad for unborn babies. It reduces the amount of oxygen they get, affecting their growth and leaving them vulnerable to infection. It also increases the risk of stillbirth or premature birth. And once they’re born, they’re more vulnerable to cot death. So if your partner hasn’t done so already, help her to stop smoking!
Dieting while pregnant
It’s important that your baby receives the proper nutrition to develop healthily. And to do that your partner needs a balanced diet. It’s normal for women to put on some weight while they are pregnant. If your partner is concerned about her weight, suggest she ask her doctor for advice before embarking on any weight loss plan.